In שמות ,ב:ט, there seems to be a missing את before the definite article הילד. The Minchat Shai gives a cryptic answer (תקח האשה הילד. מטעים ביה אינשי דאמרי את.). Anyone know why the את is absent?
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1 Answer
The word את is usually used before a direct object with the definite ה-, but not always.
One counterexample (2 Kings 20:3):
וְהַטּ֥וֹב בְּעֵינֶ֖יךָ עָשִׂ֑יתִי
Four times in one verse (Ezekiel 21:31):
כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֔ה הָסִיר֙ הַמִּצְנֶ֔פֶת וְהָרִ֖ים הָעֲטָרָ֑ה זֹ֣את לֹא־זֹ֔את הַשָּׁפָ֣לָה הַגְבֵּ֔הַּ וְהַגָּבֹ֖הַּ הַשְׁפִּֽיל׃
The Minchat Shai is not giving an answer why this case is different, only saying that those who read את here are spreading a mistake.
The approach of Rabbi Akiva, who explained every את in the Torah as coming to include something else, might have a different explanation, but I don't know of any source that explains the difference here.
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I don't understand the relevance of your first source from 2 Kings (how would את fit there?), but the second is certainly compelling. That having been said, it is certainly a Dikduk rule to precede a definite article with את. Consequently, now my question extends to Yechezkel! Who knew! Commented Dec 31, 2018 at 5:18
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@JoeyFriedman טוב is a direct object so the rule would have it as ואת הטוב בעיניך עשיתי. But grammar rules are meant to describe the language, not the other way around, and the rule should take into account the fact that את is also sometimes omitted. There are many more cases of missing את in the Bible– b aCommented Dec 31, 2018 at 9:24
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I think the hei hayidia on both the word isha and yeled of the op's verse make the structure different than the verses you've presented here, and mare fitting to have the 'ess'.– user6591Commented Dec 31, 2018 at 14:12
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@user6591 Since when is ה' הידיעה on the subject a cause for את?– b aCommented Dec 31, 2018 at 14:55
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On the subject itself it wouldn't. But this situation of being on both of them, makes the read rough. If you have examples of this type of reading being common, that might dismiss the question.– user6591Commented Dec 31, 2018 at 15:03