6.10 The Definite Direct Object marker

• Hebrew has a word that is often used to mark a definite direct object (DDO)
• It has no translational value
• Spelling:
  • אֵת (independent)
  • אֶת־ (Maqqef)
  • The independent spelling of the DDO tends to be pronounced the same as the Maqqef spelling (like “et” versus “ate”)
• The challenge can be that this is the same spelling as the preposition “with”
• As both the DDO and preposition can take pronominal suffixes, we will save a discussion of differentiating between the two words for Lesson 9

We see the DDO twice in the first verse of the Bible:

בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ