Chette has given the brief and simple answer and George has given the details. I will just add a couple of examples where the distinction is important.
The shorter one I will quote: (bold underlining mine)
Quote:
|
Luke 22:31-32 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: (32) But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
|
Notice that the first verse refers to "you". Without knowing the distinctions in the pronouns, it would seem that Jesus is talking to Peter ("Simon, Simon") alone. Since the "y" pronouns (you, your, yours) are plural, we know that Jesus is speaking of the group in verse 31. The pronoun changes in verse 32 to show that now Jesus is speaking to Peter directly as an individual. "th" pronouns (thy, thou, thee, thine) are singular.
The second example is a homework assignment.
Read Joshua 1:2-9 and notice how the number of the pronoun (singular or plural) shifts in God's words to Joshua. To whom does each promise apply?