The Optative Sentence

The Optative Sentence
§ 133. The wish may be expressed by impf. (juss., coh.), 2 Samuel 18:32 ‏יִֽהְיוּ כַנַּעַר אֹֽיְבֵי אְַדֹנִי‎ may the enemies of my lord be as that young man. With or without ‏נָא‎, 2 Samuel 24:14 ‏נִפִּלָה־נָא‎ let us fall; 1 Samuel 1:23 ‏יָקֵם י׳ דִּבָרוֹ‎ may Je. establish. By imper., or part. (without cop.), Genesis 3:14 ‏אָרוּר אַתָּה‎ mayest thou be cursed, Isaiah 12:5 ‏מוּדַעַת זֹאת‎ may this be known. With omission of verb, Genesis 27:13 on me be thy curse! 1 Samuel 25:24, Psalms 3:8.
§ 134. Opt. particles.—The common opt. part. is ‏לוּ‎, less usually ‏אִם‎. The perf. or impf. will be used according to reference. Numbers 14:2 ‏לוּ־מַתְנוּ בְּאֶרֶץ מ׳‎ would we had died in the land of Egypt; Numbers 20:3, Joshua 7:7. Isaiah 63:19 ‏לוּא קָרַעְתָּ שָׁמַיִם‎ would thou hadst rent (i.e. wouldst rend,—perf. caused by the importunity. So Isaiah 48:18—hardly a real past).—With impf., Genesis 17:18 ‏לוּ ישׁ׳ יִֽחְיֶה‎ O that Ishmael might live; Job 6:2 ‏לוּ שָׁקוֹל יִשָּׁקֵל כַּעְשִׂי‎ O that my trouble were weighed (apod. ‏כִּי עַתָּה‎). With imper., Genesis 23:13; ptcp., Psalms 81:13.—Psalms 139:19 ‏אִם תִּקְטֹל רָשָׁע‎ O that thou wouldst kill the wicked. Psalms 81:8; Psalms 95:7; Proverbs 24:11.
§ 135. An interrog. sent. with ‏מִי‎ who? expresses a wish. 2 Samuel 23:15 ‏מִי יַשְׁקֵנִי מַיִם‎ O that I had water to drink! (lit., who will let me drink!). Psalms 4:6 ‏מִי יַרְאֵנוּ טוֹב‎ O that we saw some success! Numbers 11:4, 2 Samuel 15:4, cf. Malachi 1:10.—Particularly the phrase ‏מִי יִתֵּן‎ who will give? 2 S. 19. I ‏מִי יִתֵּן מוּתִי אְַנִי תַחְתֶּיךָ‎ would that I had died for thee! Exodus 16:3. With impf., Job 6:8 ‏מִי יִתֵּן תָּבוֹא שֶֽׁאֱלָתִי‎ O that my request might come! Job 13:5; Job 14:13.
Rem. 1. The opt. sense of ‏לוּ‎, ‏אִם‎, has arisen out of the conditional use; cf. Genesis 24:42, Exodus 32:32, where the transition is seen.
Rem. 2. A rare opt. part. is ‏אַֽחְַלֵי‎, ‏אַחְלַי‎ (out of ‏אח‎ and ‏לי‎ = ‏לו‎), 2 Kings 5:3, Psalms 119:5 (‏אָז‎ in apod.).
Rem. 3. The consn. of ‏מי יתן‎ varies. (1) One acc., Judges 9:29, Deuteronomy 28:67, Psalms 14:7; Psalms 55:7, Job 14:4; Job 29:2 (suff.), Job 31:31, Job 31:35 (ptcp.). (2) Two acc., Numbers 11:29, Jeremiah 9:1; Jeremiah 9:1 (verbs of granting, 2 acc. § 78, R. 1; unless the consn. be who will set me in the wild, (in) a lodge, as Joshua 15:19, Judges 1:15 where ‏ארץ‎ might be acc. of place). (3) inf. cons. 2 Samuel 19:1, Exodus 16:3; acc. and inf., Job 11:5 ‏מִי יִתֵּן אֱלוֹהַּ דַּבֵּר‎ that God would speak (anomalous order perhaps due to emph. on God). (4) Simple impf., Job 6:8; Job 13:5; Job 14:13; impf. with vav, Job 19:23; vav conv. perf., Deuteronomy 5:26
O that this mind of theirs might be to them (always), to fear, &c. With perf. Job 23:3 (stative v.).