A statement may be used in a demonstrative or argumentative context, or simply as a characterization in ordinary address. The absence of an object need not carry the same implication in every setting.
The pages discussing خطاب and استدلال point out that a proof can direct attention to a disputed proposition, while a praise statement with a similar surface form describes a person's characteristic.
Accordingly, the argumentative function of the utterance matters alongside grammar. One cannot establish the intended scope by checking transitivity alone.