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- אֶת־ is a Hebrew particle used to mark the definite direct object of a transitive verb.
This is what Bing has to say about it.
- Function of אֶת־ (ʾet):
- אֶת־ is a Hebrew particle used to mark the definite direct object of a transitive verb.
- It serves as a grammatical marker, indicating that the following noun is the specific object of the action described by the verb.
- For example, in Genesis 1:1, ʾet explicitly indicates that both “the heavens” and “the earth” are the direct objects of the verb “create.”
- Untranslatable:
- Despite its importance, ʾet remains untranslatable in English.
- It doesn’t have a direct equivalent, but it functions similarly to the English preposition “of” in phrases like “kind of blue.”
- In other words, it helps structure the relationship between the verb and its direct object without carrying an independent meaning.
- Maqqēph (Dash):
- Sometimes, you’ll see a dash or maqqēph before ʾet.
- The maqqēph indicates that two closely joined words (such as “the heavens” and “the earth”) should be treated as a single unit.
- This affects their accentuation and pronunciation.