Save "On the noun אִישׁ in Judges 20:4
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וַיַּ֜עַן הָאִ֣ישׁ הַלֵּוִ֗י אִ֛ישׁ הָאִשָּׁ֥ה הַנִּרְצָחָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הַגִּבְעָ֙תָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְבִנְיָמִ֔ן בָּ֛אתִי אֲנִ֥י וּפִילַגְשִׁ֖י לָלֽוּן׃

And that Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, replied, “My concubine and I came to Gibeah of Benjamin to spend the night.

(The above rendering comes from the RJPS translation, an adaptation of the NJPS translation. Before accounting for this rendering, I will analyze the plain sense of the Hebrew term containing אִישׁ.)


Regarding the noun phrase הָאִ֣ישׁ הַלֵּוִ֗י, it is noteworthy that הַלֵּוִי by itself serves as a substantive in Judg 17:10–13. This means that הָאִישׁ must be contributing some meaning other than simply making reference. Namely, the noun phrase הָאִישׁ labels the referent as an essential participant who was lately only semi-active in the discourse. It re-activates him in the audience’s mind, while regarding him in terms of the previously established situation.


As for rendering into English, the NJPS ‘the Levite’ understates the discourse function of הָאִישׁ. The revised rendering deploys a demonstrative adjective that appropriately marks ‘the person ... understood from the situation’ (Merriam-Webster’s dictionary).

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