Trop of את ה____ האלה

Question

The first pasuk of Ekev, Devarim 7:12:

וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ עֵ֣קֶב תִּשְׁמְע֗וּן אֵ֤ת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם וַֽעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם וְשָׁמַר֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ לְךָ֗ אֶֽת־הַבְּרִית֙ וְאֶת־הַחֶ֔סֶד אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖ע לַֽאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃

את has a mahpach and המשפטים has a pashta, which means that המשפטים are more connected to את than האלה. But in several other places it's the opposite, for example Devarim 31:28:

הַקְהִ֧ילוּ אֵלַ֛י אֶת־כָּל־זִקְנֵ֥י שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֖ם וְשֹֽׁטְרֵיכֶ֑ם וַֽאֲדַבְּרָ֣ה בְאָזְנֵיהֶ֗ם אֵ֚ת הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וְאָעִ֣ידָה בָּ֔ם אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ

This time את has a yetiv, meaning הדברים are more connected to האלה. My sense is that the yetiv version is more common than the mahpach pashta one for phrases of the form את ה____ האלה, but maybe I'm wrong.

Why the difference? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around what it even means to have a greater or lesser connection to את vs. האלה.

Answer 1

The cantillation marks are not word-dependent, but are instead driven by the logical placement of the words in their context.

For example, the phrase “את הדברים האלה” appears 30 times in Scripture. The phrase “את ה____ האלה” appears 50 times. In both instances the cantillation marks vary. So cantillation is not tied to words, although word length and vowels play a role.

Instead, the cantillation is more tied to the logical arrangement of words within verses based on a system of logical dichotomy. For example, the schematic depiction of the cantillation structure of Deut 7:12 appears below, and below that, Deut 31:38. Please click on the respective images to enlarge for better viewing.

Please notice that in the example above, the word הָאֵ֔לֶּה carries the Zaqef Qaton, and therefore “captures” the weaker Pashta disjunctive accent in the word הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֙ which is inseparably connected to אֵ֤ת in logic, because of the Mahpach (not the Yethib!*) on that word is the “slave” to the Zaqef Qaton. Therefore the word הָאֵ֔לֶּה modifies the phrase אֵ֤ת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֙. In like manner, please notice that in the verse immediately above, the word הָאֵ֔לֶּה carries the Zaqef Qaton but now this word is inseparably connected to הַדְּבָרִ֣ים in logic because of the Munnach, which is the “slave” to the Zaqef Qaton. However, this two-word phrase is “capturing” the weaker Yethiv disjunctive accent on the Hebrew object marker אֵ֤ת. This particular emphasis on the object marker (which is not translated) would convey exclamation - viz., “...THESE WORDS!”

In summary, the pronunciation of cantillation is debatable, however the logical structure of cantillation is more objective because of the dichotomies. And so it is not the words that drive the cantillation, but the logical placement of those words that drives the cantillation. That is, the disjunctive accents “cut up” the verses into dichotomies (and sub-dichotomies) which provide the logical arrangement and understanding of Hebrew verse.

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* The Yethib disjunctive accent and the Mahpak conjunctive accent appear the same - they are “identical twins” and therefore may confuse the reader. The difference between them is that the Yethib falls before the vowel (on the right side) whereas the Mahpak will be written after the vowel (on the left side) of one-syllable words.