A Grammar

for
Biblical Hebrew

c. L.Seow

.
-_.-[ffi]
/

----------

Abingdon Press
Nashville
 Contents

Preface
Abbreviations

Lesson I
I I. The Alphabet 2. The Writing 3. The Dages 4. The Begacjkepat Letters

5 1. Syllables 2. The Simple Vowels 3. The MatTes Lectionis 4. Full and

Defective Spellings 5. Stress 6. The SewaJ 7. The Composite SewaJ's
8. Stops vs. Spirants 9. The Qames ijatt'"tp 10. The Furtive Pdtah
11. The Quiescent JAlep 12. Syllabification

Copyright r99 5 Chuon-Leong Seow

All rights reserved.

No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form

or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy-
ing and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system,
except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act
Excursus A
or in writing to Abingdon Press, 201 Eighth Avenue South, Nashville, Introduction to the Dictionary
TN 37202..

VI
1. The Definite Article 2. The Prefixed Prepositions 3. The Rule of SewaJ
Seow, C. L. (Choon-Leong) 4 Other Prepositions 5. The Preposition T~ 6. The Conjunction'
A Grammar for Biblical Hebrew / C. L. Seow. - Rev. ed.
7. Loss of the Strong Dages 8. The Verbless Clause
p. cm.
ISBN 0-687-15786-2. (c1oth:alk. paper)
1. Hebrew language - Grammar. I. Title. Excursus B
PJ4567S42.4 1995 Reading Markers and Pausal Forms
492.4'82.42.r - dc2.0 95-31784
erp

1. The Inflection of the Adjective 2. Adjectival Patterns 3. Uses of the

Adjective 4. Agreement of the Adjective 5. Special Uses of T~ 6. The
Composition by Kelby Bowers, Compublishing, Cincinnati, Ohio.
United States of America. Adjective with 'N7? 7. Nouns in Apposition
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
 Excursus F
78 I.The Verbal Patterns 2. The Inflection of the Participle 3. The Qal Orientation to the Hebrew Bible
Active Participle 4. Uses of the Participle 5. The Qal Passive Participle

Excursus C 173 1. The Piel Perfect 2. The Meaning of Verbs in Piel 3. The 'piel Perfect
89 Nomenclature for Verbal Patterns and Root Types of II-Guttural and II-Res Verbs 4. The Pie I Perfect of III-"A1ep Verbs
5 The Piel Perfect of III-He Verbs 6. The Piel Perfect of II-Wiiw/Y6g
Verbs 7. The Piel Participle
92 1. The Independent Personal Pronouns 2. The Suffixed Pronouns 3. The
Marker of Definite Direct Object 4. The Object Pronouns 5. il~0
181 I. The Hiphil Perfect 2. The Meaning of Verbs in Hiphil 3. The Hiphil
Perfect of I-Guttural Verbs 4. The Hiphil Perfect of III-Guttural Verbs
5 The Hiphil Perfect of III-"AIep Verbs 6. The Hiphil Perfect of III-He
104 The Demonstratives Relative Clauses 3. The Particle of Existence
x,
1. 2.
Verbs 7. The Hiphil Perfect of I-Nun Verbs 8. The Hiphil Perfect of
tV~ 4. The Particle of Negation 1'~ 5.1'~ vs. 6. Interrogative Clauses
I-Wiiw Verbs 9. The Hiphil Perfect of I-Y6g Verbs 10. The Hiphil Per-
7 Exclamations and Emphatic Questions 8. iW~ as a Conjunction fect of I I-Wiiw / Y6g Verbs 11. Hiphil Verbs as Causatives 12. The

Hiphil Participle

I 16 I. The Construct Chain 2. Construct Noun Forms 3. Participles and Ad-

jectives in Construct Chains 4. Translation of the Construct Chain 193 1. The Perfect with Object Suffixes 2. The Perfect of III-He Verbs with
5 The Forms and Uses of 7:;' 6. The Superlative Suffixes 3. Irregular Vocalization 4. Redundant Object Suffix

Excursus D
129 Reference Grammars 205 1. The Imperfect Inflection 2. The Qal Imperfect 3. The Uses of the Im-
perfect 4. Expressions of Will 5. Negation of Imperfects, Jussives, and
Cohortatives 6. The x~ Particle

214 1. The Qal Imperfect of I-Guttural Verbs 2. The Qal Imperfect of I I 1-

145 1. The Afformatives of the Perfect 2. The Qal Perfect 3. Uses of the Per- )AIep Verbs 3. The Qal Imperfect of III-He Verbs 4. The Qal Imperfect
fect 4 Syntax of the Verbal Clause 5. Negation of the Perfect 6. The of I-Nun Verbs 5. The Qal Imperfect of I-Wiiw Verbs 6. The Qal Im-
Directive il 7. Construct Chains (cont.)
- perfect of I-Y6g Verbs 7. The Qal Imperfect of II-Wiiw/Y6g Verbs
,j:
T

8. The Verb
Excursus E
157 Poetic Hebrew
225 1. The Preterite 2. Discourse on Past Situations 3. Discourse on Future
Situations 4. The Wiiw-Consecutive Forms 5. Narrative Contexts
XIV
6. Concomitant Circumstances
160 1. The Qal Perfect of Guttural Verbs 2. The QaI Perfect of III-"AIep
Verbs 3. The Qal Perfect of III-He Verbs 4. The Qal Perfect of
II-Wiiw/Y6g Verbs 5. Stative Verbs 6. Uses of ;':iJ 7. Impersonal
Constructions
235 I. Distinctive Qal Jussive Forms 2. The Qal Cohortative of Weak Vetbs
320 I. The PuaI Pattern 2. The Hophal Pattern 3. The Qal Passive 4. Condi-
3 The Qal Imperative 4 Imperative Forms with Final il 5. Negative
T
-
tional Sentences
Commands 6. Imperatives as Interjections 7. The Imperative with a Re-
dundant 7 8. Commands in Narrative Sequence
328 1. Polel, Polal, Hithpolel 2. Pilpel, Polpal, Hithpalpel 3. Minor Patterns
4. Uses of':;l
I. The Imperfect and Imperative with Object Suffixes 2. The Qal Infini-
tive Absolute 3. Uses of the Infinitive Absolute Appendix
I.Strong Verbs 2. I-Guttural Verbs 3. II-Guttural Verbs 4. III-Guttural
Verbs 5.III-JA1epVerbs 6.III-HeVerbs 7.I-NunVerbs 8.I-Waw/Y6g
Verbs 9. II-Waw Verbs 10. Geminate Verbs
I. The Qal Infinitive Construct 2. The Qal Infinitive Construct of Weak
Verbs 3. Uses of the Infinitive Construct 4. The Negation of Infinitives
5 Synopsis of Verbs in Qal 354 English-Hebrew Glossary
357 Scripture Index
361 Subject Index
264 I. The Pie I Imperfect 2. The Pie I Jussive, Waw-Consecutive, and Cohor-
tative 3. The Piel Impetative 4. The Piel Infinitives 5. Synopsis of Verbs
in Pie I 6. The Numerals 7. The Distributive

275 I. The Hiphil Imperfect 2. The Hiphil Jussive, Waw-Consecutive, and

Cohortative 3 The Hiphil Imperative 4. The Hiphil Infinitives 5. Syn-
opsis of Verbs in Hiphil 6. Translation of'

288 I. The Niphal Pattern 2. The Meaning of Verbs in Niphal 3. The

Niphal Perfect 4. The Niphal Imperfect 5. The Niphal Imperative
6. The Niphal Infinitives 7. The Niphal Participle 8. Synopsis of Verbs
in Niphal

298 1. The Hithpael Pattern 2. The Meaning of Hithpael Verbs 3. The Hith-
pael of the Strong Verb 4. The Metathesis and Assimilation of the In-
fixed Taw 5. The Hithpael of Weak Verbs 6. Synopsis of Verbs in
Hithpael 7. The Hishtaphel Pattern 8. Oaths

308 I. Geminate Verbs in Qal 2. Geminate Verbs in Niphal 3. Geminate

Verbs in Hiphil 4. Geminate Roots and Other Roots
 Preface

The purpose of the book is to teach Biblical Hebrew grammar

through a combination of deductive and inductive methods.
The general outline of the book is deductive; elements of gram-
mar are presented systematically. Yet the approach adopted is
inductive, inasmuch as it utilizes biblical texts in the examples
and in the exercises. The student encounters a biblical text as
early as in Lesson II and, by the end of the book, will have read
something from every book of the Hebrew Bible, including sev-
eral full chapters of prose and poetry.
A salient feature of the second edition of this grammar is its
emphasis on the use of the Hebrew-English dictionary. In order
to prepare for this task, some of the early lessons discuss in some
detail the idiosyncrasies of the so-called "weak radicals," conso-
nants that are susceptible to changes in certain environments.
A thorough understanding of these radicals will make it much
easier to learn the large number of forms that appear to be irreg-
ular; otherwise, these forms will simply have to be learned by
rote. The purpose of the historical reconstructions of various
forms, then, is not academic but pedagogical: it is to equip the
student to work independently with the lexical tools as quickly as
possible. Moreover, following Lesson V, there is an excursus on
the use of the Hebrew-English dictionary, where the rules learned
in Lessons I V and V are reviewed inductively. From this point on
in the book, the student is expected and required to use the dic-
tionary constantly. There is, therefore, no Hebrew-English glos-
sary provided; the student is encouraged to use the dictionary
whenever there is a need, for only through constant practice will
one become comfortable with this important tool.
The major reading markers are introduced in Excursus B, fol-
lowing Lesson V 1. Biblical texts cited after that excursus will in-
clude the markers. With the guidance of an instructor, the student
should learn to read the texts out loud, discerning the meaningful
units in each case. The instructor may, of course, want to supple-
ment the information provided in this grammar, or emphasize
certain of the markers.
 Abbreviations
The texts used to illustrate various grammatical points have
been carefully chosen. In most instances, the vocabulary and
forms in the examples should be familar to the student, thus giv- abs. absolute state
ing one the opportunity to review. On the other hand, it is not BDB Brown, Driver, Briggs, Lexicon
necessary to know all the words in order to get the point illus- (see Excursus A)
trated by the example. In each case, the student should pay atten- Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia
tion to the issue at hand, focusing on any italicized word or words (see Excursus F)
in the illustration. C consonant
The emphasis from the beginning to the end of this book is on Chron Chronicles
reading actual biblical texts. The student encounters Biblical He- cp common plural
brew with all its peculiarities. One will not, therefore, have to consecutive
move later on from the artificial language of an introductory text- common singular
book to the "real world" of the Hebrew Bible. Thus, this text- cs. construct state
book endeavors to introduce the student not only to the grammar,
Dan Daniel
but to the language of the Hebrew Bible. Ideally the student
Deut Deuteronomy
should have a teacher who serves as a knowledgeable guide and
du dual
commentator, who points to the pitfalls and promises of reading
Eccl Ecclesiastes
the Bible in Hebrew.
This book is written primarily for my students. I write it to pass Esth Esther
on the love and knowledge of Hebrew imparted to me by my Exod Exodus
teachers, particularly Professor Thomas O. Lambdin, whose in- Ezek Ezekiel
fluence on me is evident at every turn. In the writing of this edi- Ezr Ezra
tion, I am grateful for the many helpful suggestions and words of fd feminine dual
encouragement sent to me by colleagues who have used the first fp feminine plural
edition. In particular, I want to thank Gordon J. Hamilton, fs feminine singular
F. W. Dobbs-Allsopp, Richard E. Whitaker, Gerald Bilkes, and Gen Genesis
Leslie Traylor, all of whom read through some version of the man- GKC Gesenius- Kautzsch-Cowley, Grammar
uscript and helped save me from many errors. Richard Whitaker (see Excursus D)
and Gregory Glover spent countless hours helping me sort Hab Habakkuk
through seemingly insurmountable computer problems. Jeffrey Hag Haggai
Rogers went beyond the call of duty and friendship in his editorial
Hi. Hiphil
work. I remain, of course, solely responsible for the content of
Hisht. Hishtaphel
this book and whatever failings there remain. Finally I must also
Hith. Hithpael
acknowledge the contribution of my wife, Lai-King, without
whose support and understanding this book would never have
Ho. Hophal
been completed. Hos Hosea
impf. imperfect
Notes:
1. l't is producedby a momentary stoppage of breath in the
throat; it may be compared with the silent h in English The dage5 is a dot put within a consonant, usually to indicate one
(e.g., an heir). of two things.
n. rJ is like l't, but has a slightly rougher sound. Most students of
a. The consonant is a stop (articulated with a momentary stoppage
Hebrew do not distinguish rJ from l't in pronunciation, but one
of air, as in English band p), not a spirant (articulated with the
must take care never to confuse the two in spelling.
friction of air through the lips, as in English v and f). This rule ap-
plies only to the six consonants to be discussed in 1-4 below.

b. The consonant is doubled (e.g., ~ = mm, ~ = nn, W = 55).

a. Most of the letters fit within an imaginary square frame.
Note: When a dage5 indicates only a stop (as in a.), it is called
Compare the relative sizes and shapes of the letters.
weak (dage5 lene); when it indicates doubling (as in b.), it is called
n lZl ill, P [1'] ~ [~] l rJ 0 m j [e] ~ , [1] :J ' ~ n T 1 :1 1 " :J l't strong (dage5 forte).
b. Hebrew is written from right to left, but the characters are
represented in transliteration from left to right.

'l't,ill' ysr:J1 pn~' y~&q :1'~m n&myh a. The consonants bet, gfmel, dalet, kap, pe(h), and taw, known
as the begagkepat letters, were originally each capable of two pro-
c. When a kap, mem, nun, pe(h), or ~acje(h) occurs at the end of
nunciations: they could be stops or spirants. (As indicated in the
a word, it always takes the final form (1, e, 1,~, 1'); when it occurs
chart in I.r, however, Modern Hebrew makes a distinction in pro-
independently, or at the beginning or in the middle of a word, it
nunciation between the stops and the spirants only in bet, kap,
has the "medial" form (:J,~, j, l, ~). In transliteration, however,
and pe[h].)
no distinction is made between medial and final forms.

Stops Spirants
d. There are several letters that are easily confused with one
Voiced Unvoiced Voiced Unvoiced
another. One must take care to distinguish them both in reading
and in writing. ::l b :J b
~ g
:J b :Jk 1n " g
lp 1k ':1 d 1 d
j n em o s
:;)k l:J k
"g ~ P ~,l P
1d , r 1k ~ ~ 'rJ c 1=1 t n t

:1 h nh nt ills lZls
Note: A voiced consonant is one pronounced with a vibration of
'w Tz 1n the vocal chords.
b. Only stops may be doubled; spirants are never doubled. Thus,
::J may represent either b or bb, bur never !;J!;J.

c. Since begacf,kepa! letters may be doubled when they are stops,

a ddges within such a consonant may be weak (indicating only a
stop, but not doubling) or strong (indicating a doubled stop).
The rules for distinguishing the strong ddges from the weak will
be given in II.8.
Note: A ddges within a non-begacf,kepa! letter is always strong.
Each Hebrew word may have one syllable or more.
a. Every syllable begins with one, and only one, consonant.
Hence, with only one exception (the conjunction u), a syllable
cannot begin with a vowel: thus, Pelre~ (not Perle?).

b. Every syllable has one, and only one, vowel.

c. A syllable may end in a vowel or a consonant. When it ends in

a. Recite the alphabet from beginning to end and write it out in a vowel, it is said to be open (e.g., Pe-); when it ends in a conso-
its proper order, including the final forms in parentheses. nant, it is said to be closed (e.g., -re~).

d. A syllable may be stressed (accented) or unstressed

(unaccented).

I. ysr:Jl 6. nptly II. (w!;Jyhw

2. yCq!;J 7. n!n 12. mP~y
3. mlky?cf,q 8. by! lJ:;m 13. yJ:;zq:Jl
4. yrVm 9. :Jsp a. There are three classes of vowels in Hebrew: a, i, and u. In each
14 J:;gy
5. :Jstr :Jmws class there are vowels that are short and vowels that are long.
10. 15. dwcf,
Short vowels have no special mark in transliteration; long vowels
are marked by a horizontal stroke above the letter, known as a
macron.
I. 07W'" 6. 7~'~W II. ;"'~T b. The following is a summary of the simple vowels. To indicate
2. O;"::J~ 7 17~'n~ 12. lW~W the relative position of the vowel points, we show them with the
3 ;"tv 8. j1'~ 13 r~')::J letter ::J. Our concern is with the vowels only, so ::J is not repre-
4 pn~' 9 j1~~ 14 ;'p::Ji sented in transliteration.
5 7m 10. j1i::Jn 15 j1)::J7
 a. The alphabetic signs ;" 1, and', in addition to their normal
use as consonants, frequently function as markers of long vowels.
::2 a para/:J a, as in "car"
When the signs are used this way, they are not consonants.
::2 a qiime~ a, as in "car"
T
Therefore, they are called matres lectionis, "mothers of reading"
~ e seg61 e, as in "met" (singular: mater lectionis).
~ e sere e, as in "they"
b. The following is a summary of long vowels marked by
:;! iIi /:J[req i, as in "unique"
matres. Again, we show them with the letter :::I, but we are con-
~ 0 qame~ /:Jatap 0, as in "loft" cerned here only with the vowels; the ::2 is not represented in
::2
'"
u/li qibba~ u, as in "rule" transliteration.
::J 0 halem 0, as in "role"

Notes: Class '-mater '-mater i1-mater

1. The vowel sign is usually placed under the consonant and a(h)
a ;'::2
T
pronounced after it: C'N Jadam, :JJl' cenab.
11. The /:Jalem is the only ~~wel point t'hat is ~Iaced above the
T
':;! i
consonant it follows - at the top left hand corner of that '~ e ;,~ e(h)
consonant: ~~W s6pet, TbR qiitfm. '~ e ;,~ e(h)
111. The /:Jalem may be confused with the supralinear dot of the u i::2 6 ;'::J o(h)
letters tv and lV. Indeed, in some printed texts a halem imme- ,::2 u
diately after tv may merge with the dot at the top left corner
of that letter, so that only one dot appears. A /:Jalem immedi-
ately before lV may also merge with the dot that marks that Notes:
consonant. 1. 1 and' may be used as matres in the middle or at the end
of a word, but;' may be a mater only at the end of a word.
11. Vowels with matres are known by the names of the vowel
IV. Ij[req and qibba~ may be short or long. The short is more plus the vowel marker: /:J[req-y6cj ('. ), /:Jalem-waw (i), and
common. One should assume that the vowel is short unless it so forth. Only 1 (a) has a distinctive name, stireq.
is in an open syllable (e.g., l;1~ndal nz;Jel, l;1~t'tu/ bal) or if it 111. Some scholars transliterate all matres with the circumflex n.
is stressed (e.g., '11 da/wzcj, 'r:?~cam/mucj) .. But this makes it difficult for the student to know if in any e
v. The rules for distinguishing between qame~ (ii) and qame~ situation stands for' ..., ' .., ;' ..., or ;,.., or if 0 represents i or ;,'.
/:Jatap (0) will be given later (see 9, below). We will, therefore, transliterate the ;'-mater as h, but keep it
VI. A vowel that follows a final Kap or Nun will ordinarily ap-
in parentheses to indicate that it is not to be taken as an ac-
pear to the left of that consonant: e.g., 9'~~palne/ B.a, TTN:Jl.;) tual consonant; all the other matres will be transliterated
ta/b6J/na. e,
with the circumflex (1, 0, etc.).
 IV. Since;' at the end of a word may be taken as a mater or as an
actual consonant, a dot (called the mappfq) is usually put in <
,~~ Cebeg (stress on penultima)
the;' when it is a consonant.
b. The stressed syllable is said to be tonic; the syllable immedi-
ately before the stress is pretonic, and the syllable before the pre-
tonic syllable is propretonic.
4. Full and Defective Spellings
O;jI~i? mim/md/qom
Long vowels in certain words are always or usually written with
matres; but in other instances, long vowels are either rarely (or
tonic syllable --::.J' r
pre tonic syllable ) "'--
~~ tonic syllable
pretonic syllable
never) marked in this way. With experience one learns to expect ~
propretonic syllable propretonic syllable
the mater in certain words. When a word is written with a mater,
it is said to have full spelling; when it is written without a mater
(where one is expected), it is said to be defective. There is no dis-
tinction in meaning between the full spelling and the defective
The sewdJ is the sign. placed under a consonant to indicate either
spelling.
a half vowel or no vo~el at all. When it represents a half vowel,
Full Defective it is said to be vocal; when it represents nothing, it is said to be
silent. The vocal sewdJ sounds like the first vowel in the English

"" T
ddwfg ", ddwid T
(David) word "careen:' It is represented bye in transliteration (e.g., 1"l'"1f
::9i::> k6~db :J:lj ko~db (star) berft). The silent sewdJ has no phonetic value, and so is not rep-
T

resented in transliteration. It simply indicates the close of a sylla-

71'~tV sucdl
T
71'tV sucdl (fox)
T ". ble; it is present under every consonant that closes a syllable,
except at the end of a word: 7~lip:yisrdJel; Cebeg. ,~
a. The: in a word is vocal in the following situations.

i. It is at the beginning of a word.

Every Hebrew word has a primary stress. In this book, primary O':l7~ meld~fm
T :

stress on individual words (when indicated) is indicated by the

sign over the stressed syllable of the word in Hebrew script; but
<

in transliteration, stress is represented by': Cebeg. ,~

a. The primary stress of an independent word usually falls on the
ultima (last syllable). Less frequently, it falls on the penultima
(next-to-Iast syllable). Since the ultima usually r.eceives the stress,
it will not be marked in this grammar; only syllables other than
the ultima will be marked for stress.
 Translit. Name Pronunciation

a ~dtep-pdta~ same as pdta~

b. The: in a word is silent in the following situations. e ~a?eP-segal same as segal
i. It is at the end of a word, even if it is the second of 0 ~dtep-qame? same as qame?-~iirap
two in immediate succession.

c. Although a silent. may occasionally appear with a guttural

Note: The sewii:J in the final position is actually quite excep-
(e.g., T:~ spring), a' composite sewii:J is far more common (e.g.,
tional.1 It occurs only in the rare instance when a word ends in
:lP~~ Jacob). The composite sewii:J is always pronounced, but
two consonants.
rule 6.b.iii above suggests that we are to take the composite
sewii:J after a short unstressed vowel as closing the syllable and,
for the purpose of syllable division, technically silent. Thus, ow-
ing to the nature of gutturals, :lP~~ is pronounced with an addi-
tional a
sound, but we should analyze the word as having two
syllables.

Note: In this book, the technically silent composite sewii:J will be

indicated in parentheses.

d. Infrequently, a composite sewii:J may also appear with a non-

7. The Composite Sewii:J,s
guttural consonant - especially Res -
instead of a simple vocal
a. The consonants N, :1, n, and:; are called gutturals because they sewii:J.
are generally pronounced in the throat (Latin guttur). Due to the
way they sound, gutturals do not take the simple vocal sewii:J. In-
stead, they prefer one of the composite sewii:J's.3

b. Like the majority of vowels, composite sewii:J's appear under

In addition to the rules given in 1-4, note the following.
the consonants. The consonant n is used below as a reminder
that composite sewii:J,s usually appear under gutturals. a. If a begagkepat letter is in the initial position of a word, it will
be a stop (e.g., FJ:;' kohen), unless the preceding word ends in a
I. With very few exceptions,
sewii~ Final Kap (except for
the final consonant
9-), however,
of a word does not receive the silent
is normally written as 1, e. g., 12~,11$'~,
vowel (e.g., FJ;;' ,~~?
lipne ~ohen).
2. Under the first of two identical consonants, however, the. is always v'o~al: ~S?D b. If a begagkepat letter is in the final position of a word, it will
halelii (not hallii). ..
ordinarily be a spirant (:lit' tab), except in the rare instance when
3 This does not mean that composite sewii"'s occur only with gutturals; occasionally
they may also occur with other consonants.
it is doubled (I;l~ :Jatt).
 Furtive Pcifaf:; / 13

The furtive para/; is not considered a vowel, not counted as a

c. If a begagkejJar letter is immediately preceded by a vowel, it
syllable, and not stressed; it is understood that the stress is on the
will be a spirant (:J~?lebab), unless it is doubled (;::27 libb6).
vowel before the furtive para/;. Thus, i1;:J~is considered to have
d. If a begagkejJar letter is immediately preceded by a consonant, two syllables, while 1]11 has one.
it will normally (but not always) be a stop Oftp~ miskan).
II. The Quiescent ::>Alep
9. The Qame~ IJatufJ
Whenever N closes a syllable it is not vocalized, even though the
As already mentioned in 2.b.v above, T may be either qame~ (a) Hebrew character is written in the text. The silent sewcf) never ap-
or qame~ /;atujJ (0). pears under the N in such a case. In transliteration we represent
this quiescent JalejJ in parentheses: C'ij~N?lee)lohim (tol for God).
a. In a closed, unaccented syllable, T is almost always o.

b. Before T:' the T sign is always o.

c. If the small vertical stroke called the mereg (bridle) appears

Given the rules learned so far, one may conclude that the following
with the ,the vowel is always a.
T
combinations (where C represents any consonant and v represents
any vowel) are theoretically possible.
;'1~iV somra(h) keep!
T: T
;'1~iV samera(h) she kept
T: IT

;,~:mhokma(h)
T : T -
wisdom ;,~:m /;a~ema(h)
T : IT
she is wise

C'~;'N::2 boJ(o)halim in tents Cv

. T T: T

[Cv] Cv
Cv I CV Cv I C~

CvC CVC
When a word ends in rl, n, or 'j), an additional para/; appears un- [CvCI CVC] CvCIC~C
der the guttural, if the word does not already end in an a-class
vowel. This furtive para/; is pronounced before the final guttural,
Notes:
although it is written under that guttural, and in most editions of
1. The parentheses in the chart above indicate that Cv unstressed
the Hebrew Bible, slightly to the right of center: 1]11 (wind, spirit).
and CvCI CVC unstressed syllables are in fact exceptional. For
In transliteration, the furtive para/; is most frequently indicated by
now the student should assume that they are unacceptable or
a raised letter a, but in this book it will be indicated by the letter a
must be explained in some way.
in parentheses before the guttural.
11. The conjunction 1 (il) is an exception to the rules inasmuch as
it is not preceded by a consonant (see r.a).

~~1~tp1 u/se/muPel (and Samuel)

Study the following examples carefully, paying attention to the 1?~ king. il~?7?~ kingdom. m::l7~ kingship, reign.
proper division of syllables. Verb: 1?7t to reign, rule

1:J'1 ddlbdr
,.- T PlJl~ mer/~dq 1~17? me/ejab/ber N':;J~ prophet

1?~melle~ il7::lN Jo~/ld(h)

T:T
0':J1:;'
. ".:
kelru/bim
-
,~ servant, slave. illi:J service, work. Verb: ,~ to serve,
work, till, worship
Dp'tzl sO/pet Tftp~ mislkdn C'::l7?) melld/kim-
T :

07iY
,. eternity, perpetuity
")Y ConIii
.: T
7~1tp: yis/rdPel C';:l7N~ bee)/lolhim
P1 (also ilRl) righteousness. Adjective: P"~ righteous
il1iT-1ta/rd(h)
T
'?)Y) noC(o)/mi
. T:T
IJ~W7? me/sal!le(a)~
iV1P holiness, sanctuary (holy place). Adjective: iVi'R holy
~il'~ pi/het 'i};J way/hi ilm~ ma~(2i)/ne(h)
7ip voice, sound, thundering
Note: When a strong ddges is found within a word, that ddges indi-
cates a syllable division. Exercise 2

I. Jissd(h) 6. Jisdh II. mizbe(a)~

Cll$ human, humanity, people, person, Adam (the first human) 2. hokmd(h) 7. yehetejd(h) I 2. maJ(2i)~dl
3. sema! 8. Jah(2i)r6n 13. kerubim
il7tl~ ground, land, soil
4. tehillim 9. liwyd!dn 14. maPd~i
l'1''1f covenant, treaty, alliance
5. gdba(a)h 10. seeje(h) 15. boC(o)ni
'i~ nation
1~1 word, thing, affair, matter

1'1~1 knowledge I. il?)'N

T T-: 5 ~9f. 9. 1:J'1
T T

2. iV,n TT
6. N':J)
T
10. 7ip
iV1" new moon, month. Adjective: iV,nT,. new 3 1'1'1::2 7 FJ~ II. :JilT
TT

il?):ln wisdom. Adjective: C:ln wise

T : T 4 C7iY 8. iV,".,. 12. 'i~
TT T

FJ~
~9f.
c. Transliterate the following passage. Divide the words into
syllables and read the passage out loud. Then pick out the words
(including proper names) that you recognize, and translate them.

?~ltD' l?O 4'YTP i1b?iD'?iDD Hebrew nouns may be masculine or feminine in gender; and they
may be singular, dual, or plural in number. Except for the mascu-
i1tJ 'lD~ rJi)? i9im i1rpl) n.l}l?
line singular (ms) form, the gender and number of each noun are
0'i9'Oi ~~iDDiPl~ ?;:)~iJiQiD nOR? generally marked by distinctive endings.
(Prov r:r-4) i19TDin.l}l i.l}~?i1Qi.pO'~D~?nn.? Masculine Feminine

Singular no ending ;, - or
T
n-
Dual C:_-
<

C:_ -
<

Plural C'. - ni-

b. Feminine singular (fs) nouns have either ;'T - or n- endings.

i. Feminine nouns with the ;'T - ending are always stressed on
the ultima.

;'f?~ queen
ii. Feminine nouns with m- or n' .- endings are also stressed
on the ultima.

mm7N
T:-
widowhood

iii. Feminine nouns with the n...- ending are stressed on the
penultima.

n16~ Incense n~.~1p7;'obligation

iv. Feminine nouns with the n_ - ending may be monosyllabic,
or, if they have more than one syllable, stressed on the
4 The horizontal stroke (called a maqqep) simply means that the two words are read penultima.
together - pronounced as if they constituted one word.
 v. Some feminine nouns are not marked as feminine. These are fd c~5~tp two years
irregular and will be noted as such in the VocabularY.

n.~earth, land Not every noun has the dual form. Indeed, the dual is restricted
to the following.
Note: Parts of the body that come in pairs are almost always
feminine (e.g., ,~~. foot; 1~hand). i. Nouns that come in natural pairs.

c. Masculine plural (mp) nouns are normally marked by the C~?ntwo feet
ending C'. -. ii. Certain expressions of time.

c~~i' two days

d. Feminine plural (fp) nouns are normally marked by the ending c~1tp two
rli-. The rli- ending takes the place of the fs ending.
A few nouns that have no clear relation to the dual number are,
nevertheless, marked as duals.
fp rli,ir-t laws
c'~iV heaven
fs rl~.~tp7;)obligation fp rli'?ttp7;) obligations - T

This is true of many geographical names.

Feminine nouns which are unmarked for gender in the singular 2q?W~'; Jerusalem C~1~7;)Egypt
are usually marked for gender in the plural.
f. Some singular nouns may be used collectively.
fl~ land ~iY bird or birds il?tiJ:P beast or beasts

l' hand
T
g. A few nouns may be plural in form but have singular meanings.
c'ij'~ god / God or gods C'~i1~ lord or lords
e. The dual (md; fd) is marked by the ending C~ =- (from original
':-aym).!
2. Changes in Nouns with Endings
The addition of an ending may cause certain changes in the form
of the noun.
Before the dual ending, the feminine ending il changes to T
-
a. Vowel Reduction
rl and certain internal vowel changes may take place (see
T
-,

2.a below). The addition of an ending and the resultant shift of the stress

An asterisk (") before a form indicates that the form is hyporhetical-

I. it is recon-
2. The name is attested five times as C'?1f"\ but most often it appears as q?1f"~'
structed from what we know of the history of the language. (see Excursus F. 2).
from the old ultima to the new one (the ending), may cause cer-
tain vowels to be reduced to a sewiiJ

i. In the propretonic open syllable, ii (T) or e (..) reduces to

sewiiJ UN (fs; fd: tl:)T~) ear
~':J) prophet
T
;'~':J) prophetess
T .:
,~ god, God, (the god) 1
tl'~'~~ prophets
tl';:l'~ God, gods
:J:J, heart
Too ni:J:J' hearts
T:

tl~ (fs; fp: ni~~) mother

Gutturals, of course, prefer the composite sewiiJ, usually a (-J
1'1~ (fs; fp: ni':q~)land, earth, country
tl:m
TT
WIse man
:J~*,grape tll blood

ii. If there is no reduction in the propretonic syllable, e (..) in 1T~ (ms or fs) way, road
a pretonic open syllable is reduced to sewiiJ :J~.r. (fs; fp: ni:J10l sword
~p.tv judge tl't?~tv judges " (fs) hand, power
'*,i~assembly
T

tl'!i~ assemblies :J~?/:J? (ms; irreg. mp: ni:J~7;ni:;,?)heart, mind

Note: ii () in a pretonic position is not reduced; only e (..l is
tl:~ (always dual) water
reduced.
~~tp~judgment m~w~ judgment,
T:
justice, right, custom. ~p.tv judge.
b. Contraction Verb: ~~W to judge

w~a (fs; fp: niw~~) self, person (traditionally, "soul"),

breath, will
n:! olive tl'n'T olives
r~ (fs) eye, spring
':~ ram tl'?'~ rams
;,~ mouth

tl')~ (always plural) face, presence. Verb: ;,~~ to face, turn

iW trouble tl'~i~ troubles
T

m~ death ,~~. (fs; fd: tl:~n) foot

"."T
tl'Di~ deaths
tl'nw
- T
(always dual) heaven, sky

;,!h seer tl'Th seers

;'i shepherd tl'+,i shepherds
 I. "!p (song) 7. :J~~ (heart) 13 j?'1~ (righteous)
Every Hebrew word is theoretically characterized by (a) its root,
2. i1';11
T
(law) 8. :J~O (locust) 14 7~'D (palace) usually comprised of three consonants called "radicals;' and (b)
by its pattern, the combination of the radicals with various vow-
3 1;1~(lord) 9 m:;, (priest) 15 1~7~(messenger) els, prefixes, and / or suffixes, if any.
4. :J~;::;)(star) 10. :J~*,(grape) 16. i17t07~ (battle)
a. Roots
5 l'T (hand) II. n:l (olive) 17 i10~iP~ (family)
6. 7~ (god) 12. :J~N (enemy) 18. i10~~ (offering)
l?7t he reigned
l7~~ he reigns, he will reign
I. face 5. prophets 9. nations l~b reigning, one who reigns
2. (two) hands 6. heaven 10. (two) eyes
3. kingdoms 7. priests I I. judgments
l?~ king
4. (two) ears 8. mothers 12. judges
i1f7~ queen

m:l7~ kingship, reign

c. Read the following passage out loud. Then pick out the words
i1:l7m;) kingdom, sovereignty
that you recognize and translate them. (Note: 1 prefixed to a T T : -

word means "and.") .

The common element in all these words is the appearance of the
consonants mlk. Hence scholars say that mlk is the root of these
'prDl ni~~(D D~i:11P~ liiD? niQl D'~'.i/
words, and they theorize that this root has something to do with
i1.;.'l~ rn~ni1VOQ D'7'l n~niJiDno iDlh J? reigning. Since words having the same root tend to fall within the
same semantic range, it is convenient to classify them accordingly.
(Prov 6:17-18)
b. Word Patterns

To facilitate discussion of word patterns, it is customary to use

a model root, q#. Although not widely attested in the Bible, this
particular root is chosen because its radicals are less susceptible
to changes than some others. In discussions of roots on the q#
model, then, q stands for the first radical of any root, ? for the
second, and I for the third. If the second and third radicals are
identical, the root is said to be qU.
 24 I Lesson I V

Pattern Meaning Roots like 77j:' and :l:lO are said to be "geminate" (Latin geminus
"twin") or "I I = III" because their second and third radicals
1?7? qatal he reigned are alike.
l~??: yiqtol he reigns, he will reign In summary, a word may be described in terms of its root,
17b qotel reigning, one who reigns pattern, or root type. Examples:

17.~ qetel king Word Root Pattern Root type

tJ':l~~
T :
qetalim kings 1?7? 17~ qatal Strong
i1::l~~
T: -
qatla(h) queen 7m 7m qotel I-Nun

J'1:l7~ qatlU! kingship, reign N~7;) N7~ qigel III-JAlep

i1:l~~~
T T : -
maqtala(h) kingdom 7~~ 7~N qatel I-JAlep

pi
T - 7" qagal II-Yog

This system allows us to make generalizations about word pat- tJ~ tJ~N qel Geminate
terns. For instance, qatal and yiqtal are verb patterns indicating
different aspects of a verb, the qatel pattern indicates a participle,
the form with the -Uf ending indicates an abstract noun, and so
forth.

c. Root Types Word patterns can sometimes be problematic because some radi-
cals are more susceptible to change than others. Such radicals
Roots having the same kinds of radicals tend to behave the same
are said to be weak, and a root with such a radical is called a
way. It is helpful, therefore, to classify roots according to their
weak root. By the same token, a root with two weak radicals
types. To do this, it is convenient to refer to the first radical as I ,
is regarded as doubly weak. It is common to treat the nouns and
the second radical as I I, and the third radical as I I 1. Consider, for
verbs with these radicals as irregular. But then the number of
example, the following classification of roots.
"irregularities" in Hebrew becomes enormous, and the task
I-Nun I-:JAlep II-Waw II- Y6d II I-He II I-:JAlep of memorizing the forms daunting. The weak radicals are, in fact,
not difficult to understand, once their idiosyncracies are isolated.
7m ~ON tJ,j:' 7':l m:l N~~ A good grasp now of how these radicals behave will greatly facil-
~~J :lilN p:l 1'tzl il7) N1:l itate learning Hebrew forms later on.
1~J 1~N n1J 7') ilntzl N~~
,)J 7~N 7'~ 1"7 il'il N7~ [From time to time it will be necessary to show how a particular
form developed from a hypothetical earlier form (marked by an
asterisk, "0). The sign < indicates development from, whereas the
sign> indicates development to (e. g., ragldyim < *raglaym
means ragldyim is developed from an hypothetical earlier form,
raglaym).]
tl':J~~
T :

i. Gutturals cannot be doubled by the dages. When the normal

word pattern calls for doubling at the position where the gut-
tural stands, one of the following obtains.
iii. Gutturals prefer a-class vowels (compare I I.7).
0'. Compensatory lengthening of the vowel immediately pre-
ceding the guttural, as follows. megagel pattern: i~17? n~W7?
get61 pattern: ibtp rj~tp
Note: For reasons that will become apparent later, roots that
have rJ, n, or Y as the third radical are usually grouped to-
gether as "III-Guttural" roots. Even though N is a guttural,
biYJer > be:Jer (i15~)
gigel pattern: "-- "I II -)Alep" roots are treated separa tel y. See Excursus C on the

iii. u C..J > (") classification of root types.

guttal pattern: "-}uhhar> tohar (itlb)

As a rule, a Nun standing immediately before another consonant
Note: i behaves like a guttural insofar as it, too, cannot (i.e., without an intervening vowel) will be assimilated into the
ordinarily be doubled by the dages. following radical.
gagal pattern: ':-parras > paras (tVl~) 'fmantan > mattan q~~;maqtal pattern)
gigel pattern: ':-~irres > ~eres (tV':1.m ':-yinpol > yippol (~b:; yiqtol pattern)
gugal pattern: ':-burrak > bora~ (11::J) If the consonantthat follows the Nun happens to be a guttural or
13Virtual doubling of the guttural. In this case, there is no Res, compensatory lengthening or virtual doubling occurs in ac-
marker of doubling; one simply has to know that doubling is cordance with 2.a.i above.
expected. ':-min:Jere~ > me:Jere~ (1'1~~;
see 2.a.i.a)
tl'l}15 = 'f:Ja~~fm ~:J'i1i1
T -
= >fhahhekal
-

':-min~u~ > mi~u~ (l'~n~; see 2.a.i.13)

In both these examples, the first syllable should be closed,
not open (i.e., not :Ja/~fm, and not ha/he/~al), because Cv
unaccented syllables are "unacceptable" (I I. 12).
ii. Gutturals never take the simple vocal sewa:J; they prefer a
composite sewa:J.
c. Waw and Yocj
i. With very few exceptions,t w cannot stand at the beginning
of a word. Words that may appear in some other Semitic lan-
 guages with initial w typically appear in Hebrew with initial y. a.The diphthong *ay becomes -ayi- when stressed.
In the dictionaries, therefore, original I-Waw roots are listed as
,:-cayn > cayin (r:~) eye
I-Y6g.
':-":Jayl> :Jayil (7:~) ram
ii.When the w of a root is in a non-initial position, it normally
remains unchanged. The' in each of these cases is treated as a consonant.
1'1JI;1::J from l'" (originally ':-wdC) (3.The diphthong ':-ay becomes e when unstressed.
n~JI;1::J from n::l' (originally ':-wk!?) cayin (j:~) eye but cena (iJ'~) his eye
In these forms, original I-Waw roots are easily recognized as :Jayil (7:~) ram but Jela (i7'~) his ram
such - when one is able to isolate the prefixes (see Lesson
The' in cena and Jela is a mater.
XXVIII). But since initial w does become y, the root will still be
listed in the dictionaries as if it were initial y. Note: We have already learned in III.2.b.i that the plural of 7:~
and n:I are C'?'~ and C'D'i, respectively. Similarly, the dual of
iii. Originally it was not uncommon to have the diphthong
':-aw (the vowel -a + the radical w). But in Biblical Hebrew r~ is C:~'~.We see now that the contraction of ayi ';ay) to e
original ';aw is usually treated in two ways. is according to rules.

v. In other instances where' or' is the second radical, the' or '

a.The original diphthong ';aw becomes awe when stressed.
may appear as a mater (a, 14, i, e). As a general rule, 11- Waw
';mawt > mawet (m73) death
- "."T roots have -a- or -14-, while 11- Yo4 roots have -i- or -e-; but
since II-Waw and II-Y6g roots were not always distinguished,
"-tawk > tawe~ tlJ5) midst
this can only be a rule of thumb.
The' in each of these cases is treated as a consonant.
Root Noun
(3.The original diphthong "-aw becomes a when unstressed.
"N iiN light
mawet (nJ~) death but ma{i ('Di~) my death
T1~ n~ contempt
tawe~ (lJ5) midst but ta~i (':;lir-l) my midst

The' in ma{i and ta~i is a mater.

i'W "lP song

jI,n / jI'n jI'/] bosom

Note: We have already learned in III.2.b.ii that the plural of
n~ and nJ~ are C'~iN and C'Di~, respectively. We see now that
the contraction of awe ':-aw) to a is according to rules.

iv. Originally it was not uncommon to have the diphthong ';ay

(the vowel -a + the radical y). But in Biblical Hebrew original
':-ay is usually treated in two ways.
 01p

~10

As we have seen in IILr.b, feminine forms of such nouns

take the fs ending, ilT
instead of the ms, il.,.-' In fact, any
-,

vi. Some nouns with II-Wiiw/ Y6g roots show only two conso- ending may be added directly to the first two radicals,
nants. The middle weak radical is, thus, not evident. after the final weak radical is dropped.
Root Noun
Root Noun

'1J ,~ lamp mtV ilJtV

TT
year
:m7 :l cloud
ilJT mJ7 harlotry / prostitution
01p il7t~ standing grain il:ltV captivity
n':;2tp
71N il7N
T
mighty tree

{3.A few nouns retain the original III-Wiiw/ Y6g. These

vii. Many words that originally had Wiiw or Y 6g as the third are, nevertheless, listed under the hypothetical III-il in
radical appear with a final He. In the standard dictionaries and the dictionaries.
grammars, such roots (original III-Waw/ Y6g) are classified as
Root Noun
III-He.
ilJY 1JY poor, afflicted
Note: Ironically, roots that originally had He as the third radi- TT

cal- genuine III-rt - are classified not as III-He, as one might ilJY 'JY "T:
affliction
expect, but as III-Guttural (see above, section 2.a.iii.Note). In
il'~ '!~ fruit
other words, the label "III-He Roots" refers to roots that are
really III-Wiiw/ Y6g, but not to those that are really III-rt!

~. III-He ms nouns frequently end in il...-. Indeed, one may "/. A few monosyllabic nouns with Tor .. are classified as
assume that any noun ending in il...- is III-He (i.e., original
III-Wiiw or III-Y6g).
III-He: :IN father, nN brother,
T T
y*,
tree, ~1friend.

Note: Since II-Wiiw and II-Y6g nouns may also have forms
like these (see 2.c.vi above), one will simply have to check
the dictionary to know which is correct - at least in the
judgment of the lexicographers.
 viii. A few nouns related to original 1-Waw roots show only Nouns with I I-Waw/ Yog take the -7t prefix, instead of -~; but
two consonants (apart from the endings) because the first the addition of an ending will cause the shift from > -"?, ac- -7t
radical has been lost. cording to the rules for vowel reduction in III.2.a.i.

2.C.V; III.2.a.i

2.C.V; III.2.a.i

Some nouns patterns require a prefix, usually -~, -r-l, or -No

a. Nouns with -~ prefix

judgment
l. ma-
Root Noun
chariot

1~' 1~7~ messenger

~)' ~~l~ health

Root Noun Rules

Nouns with weak radicals behave according to the rules given 2.C.Vll.a banquet
ilmV ill)O/~
above.
il~J iltm
T
(':'minta[h] > m*a[h]) 2.b, c.vii.a bed

1m 1~~ (':'mantan > mattan) 2.b gift

b. Nouns with -r-l Prefix.
:ltz,b :lW;~T
(':'mawsab > mosa!J) 2.c.iii13 residence
i. ta-
Wi" Wi?;~ ("mawqes > moqes) 2.c.iii13 trap Root Noun
'W' C"W'~ T
( ;'maysarfm > mesarim) 2.c.iv13 equity
C" il~i'r-l
T :-
deep sleep
ilm il!?~ (':'mante[h] > maffe[h]) 2.b, c.vii.a staff
 The details in this lesson may seem pedantic to the student, but
they are included here because they are foundational for under-
Root Noun Rules
standing many of the peculiarities of Hebrew forms. A thorough
;"Nr-l understanding of the materials in this lesson, therefore, will save
;"N T-:-
2.a.ii, c.vii.ex desire
one much trouble later on. It may be difficult to remember all the
:nr,h :Jwir-l
T
C:-tawsab > tosab) 2.c.iii13 alien rules at this point, but we shall be returning time and again to
ni1?ir-l (",taw!ed6r > to!erj6r) 2.c.iii13 generations them. The rules will make more and more sense as we apply them
1"
repeatedly.
1~' 17t't') ("'tayman > ternan) 2.c.iv13 south

Nouns with II-Wiiw or II-Yog may take the -0 prefix, instead of

Gutturals prefer composite sewaJ's
-1]; but the addition of an ending will cause the reduction of the
vowel from -0 > -~, according to III.2.a.i. Gutturals prefer a-class vowels

Nun before a strong consonant is assimilated

Initial "w > y

Original '~aw> awe (stressed) or 6 (unstressed)

Original *ay> tiyi (stressed) or e (unstressed)

ii. ti-
Root Noun Rule

'N~ mN~r-l
...... . glory
:
1~~ (fs; fp: O'~~~) stone
;"i' ;'~~J:1 2.C.VB.ex hope
li1~ lord, master, sir. The plural o'~i1~,like o';:i'~,
frequently has the singular meaning.

,iN (ms or fs; mp: O',iN) light

':~ ram
Wij~ humanity, a human
 2~~'D palace, temple b. Give the probable roots of the following, according to
where they would be found in the dictionary (e.g. ::li.Pi~- ::lW';
~:5 (irreg. mp: O'7~q) valor, power, army, wealth
,W - i11n).
,on
... '.' devotion, loyalty, faithfulness, proper act

lWh darkness

on, ': .,'

bread, food 2. 1~~
1~7~ messenger, angel
3 li;:j7t 9 '~q
;,mn~~ battle, war
T T :
4 i1aR 10. '~i~
5. Nip~ I I. ,iN
OiP7t (mp: ni~ip7?) place 17

o~o horse, stallion 6. i1"~

T : 18.

1' (mp and fp: nij,~) guilt, iniquity

i1?i~ burnt offering. Verb: i1? to go up, ascend
I. words 6. eyes (pl.) I I. messengers
'''!~ fruit spirits
2. 7. iniquities 12. burnt offerings
lJ~1 (fs) spirit, wind, breath 3. rams 8. battles 13. (two) hands
4. lights 9. masters 14. hands (pl.)
5. stones 10. palaces 15. places
a. Match the words below with the following patterns: (a) qarel,
d. Read out loud the following passage. Then pick out the words
(b) qatel, (c) qinel, (d) qanal, (e) qaral, (f) miqral.
that you recognize and translate them.
I.
m j priest 7 '~f heavy 13 lf~~ tabernacle
i1y~ r:J1T1iP~ ';j Cl'Q~:;;llJ'~'';~}
2. :m thiefT- 8. ,~~ blind 14 tJp.W judge
::li)n ~o5. ui1':J~.ll
ul~ 'T i1tzJ~Q
3 lP.!old 9 n,~ sailor 15 ':::l'~ desert
T- T :
1~1't6l uilS u'~'l'
: . :.: T . -..
n:51'
-:
~';l uilS-il:J
: ': T

4 lJ~~ lame 10. ::l~' hungry 16. pinl far

T
(Ps II5:3-6)jln'T t6l Ui1~~~ 11'Q~'~';l ui1~ u';i~
5 ~i'~ great II. 1~W..officer . .. I.7.-Wli?~ sanctuary
6. r, fisherman
T -
12. Wi'R holy 18. O~~ mute

2. Since this is a loanword derived ultimately from Sumerian, a non-Semitic language,

the dictionaries simply list it as it is spelled (not by root).
 A few g'qall nouns are originally 'fqanl (see IY.2.b).
':<Janp > ':':Japp > :Jap (~tt) nose

Geminate nouns are those with identical second and third radi-
cals (i.e., qll). In some cases, the fact that there are two identical
radicals does not pose any problem. For instance, the root of the fry arrow
noun :l~?(heart) is obviously :l:l'.More often than not, how-
ever, only two of the three radicals are graphically represented, tl~ mother
as in :l? (heart), the root of which is also :l:l'.
Most geminate nouns with endings are not difficult to recog-
Notes:
nize, even when the third radical is not actually repeated, because
the gemination is ordinarily indicated by a strong dages (indicat- 1. In addition to the loss of gemination in the ms, the original
ing doubling). Thus the plural ni:;]7 is almost as easily identified i-vowel lengthens to e. But when gemination is marked by a
as being related to the root :l:l, as the form ni:l:l'. It is in the sin- dages, the i-vowel is retained. Thus we have the singular tl~
(not ,:tl~),but the plural is ni~l't
gular forms that one encounters difficulties becaT~se Biblical He-
11. A few g'qill nouns are originally ':'qinl (see IV.2.b).
brew does not like to have a strong dages at the end of a word
(see II.6.b.i, note). ,:,cinz > "cizz> cez (T~n she-goat
Study the following types of geminate nouns. c. u-type (':'qull)
a. a-type ('fqall) Root Singular Plural

Singular
ppn ph statute tl'i?r statutes
tl~ people tl'7p~ peoples :l:l1 :li bear tl':;]'1 bears
. -'.
pip sack tl'i?ip sacks

Note: In addition to the loss of gemination in the ms, the original

When the radical to be doubled is a guttural or Res,
the rules in u-vowellengthens to 6. But when gemination is marked by a
IV.2.a.i apply (compensatory lengthening, virtual doubling). ~ages, the u-vowel is retained. Thus we have the singular ph (not
"'Pm, but the plural is tl'i?r.
Singular
d. Prefixed geminate nouns
,ip pnnce tl'"'1W pnnces Nouns with geminate roots may have prefixes, as in IV.3.
n;l trap tl'IJ;l traps
 Segolate Nouns / 41

Singular Dual Class

i1~97? highway T1;~97? highways 7~1foot O~?n two feet ::'qad

i1~!;)~ prayer T1;~~r:1 prayers TJ.~ knee o~~n~

two knees ::'qi~l

EN ear O'JTN two ears

.-: T
::'qod (':'qud)

Segolate nouns are those that appear as disyllabic, with stress on
the pen ultima, and with different second and third radicals. Orig-
inally, however, these were monosyllabic nouns in three different
vowel classes. The vowel classes are evident, for instance, in the
first syllable in the forms with suffixed pronouns (which we will
learn in XI1.2.c). Study the following examples.
The three types are clearly distinguishable, not only in the dual
and the suffixed forms (see XI 1.2.C), but in some other forms of
the segolate nouns, as well (X1.2.j). Through a complicated
process, which need not concern us now, the unsuffixed singular
segolates have become so dominated by segal's (hence the term
segolate) and/ or pata~'s that it is not always easy to tell the three
classes apart. Fortunately, there are a few clues: nouns of the

Noun With Suffix Pattern

qotel pattern (W1n, w7.P,
EN) are all ::'qot/ C:'qut/), whereas those
of the qetel pattern (i~f?,i1~, i1in
are all ::'qit/. As for nouns of
the qetel pattern, one must check the dictionary for the dual,
7~~.foot '7~1my foot qadi
suffixed, and other forms to see what the original vowel might
'?' servant '1~~ my servant qa~li be. Regardless of their original vowels, the plurals of segolate
1~.f.knee nouns always have the pattern qetiilim or qetii1ar
'~l~my knee qidi

i'V vow my vow qidi a. ::'qat/

'il~
E}\ ear 'JTN my ear qodi (qudi)
.
.: T

1?~king O':J77:) kings

T :

ni}\ path 'niN my path qodi (qu~li)

:T
'?' servant O"~l'
. T-:
servants

W~a self T1;wm selvesT:

It appears, then, that there are three classes of segolates, corre-

sponding to the three vowel classes (see 11.2): ::'qat/; ::'qit/; ::'qotl
n.~land T1;~iN
T-:
lands

(':'qut/). This helps explain something that we have simply ac-

cepted as an irregularity so far: why the dual of 7~1
(foot) is
Note: The singular of this type is normally qetel, but the presence
O~?~1 while the dual of EN (ear) is O~~TI$.Indeed, the three classes
of a guttural may draw a pata~ in the second syllable (e.g., 1'1~
are also evident in the dual forms of segolates.
seed, n~~ trust) or in both syllables (e.g., i~~ lad; 7~~ lord). .
 Type Singular Dual Plural
'~i? grave tJ'!~p graves
,.p vow tJ'"J . T:
vows
':'qatl qe~el qatLiyim qetalim
qe~alo!
'1~herd ':-qi~l qerel / qe~el qi~Liyim qe~alim
qe~alo!

Note: The singular of this type may be either qetel or qetel, but ':-qotl qotel qotLiyim qatalim / qetalim
the presence of a guttural may draw a pa!a~ in the second sylla- C: qu~l) qatalo! / qetal6!
ble (e.g., l'~W
report).

c. ':-qo# (originally ':-qu#)

'i?~mormng tJ'!~f mormngs Some plural nouns look substantially different from the singular.
W111 new moon tJ'w,n new moons The following are some of the most important.
TT:

'VN tent tJ";'N. T T:

tents

Notes: tJ'ry~ brothers

I. The singular of this type is qotel, but the presence of a gut- w'~ man tJ'WJN
. T-:
men
tural may draw a pa!a~ in the second syllable (n1N path).
11. The plural is usually qotalim I qota1o!, but the qetalim I
;'WN woman
T

qeta1o! type is also attested. It is clear, then, that the plurals

of segolates are formed the same way. Apart from the
qota1im I qota1o! plurals (always from ':-qo# segolates), it is p son
quite impossible to distinguish the various classes from the n~ daughter niJ~ daughters
plural forms alone.
tJi' day tJ'~' days
'T
 a. Give the plural of the following geminate nouns, and translate
:Jl$ (irreg. mp: ni:Jl$) father
those that you recognize:
7:1N tent
I. i~ 6. iip II. i:1
2. ~M 7 ph 12. :1Tp15
ninl$ (irreg. fp: ni'o~) sister m~ i::l
3 i~ 8. T'
13
ilh~ (irreg. mp: O'iP~~) man, husband. The expected plural 4 1~ 9 ft! 14 O~
o'iP'~ is rarely attested :1::lC 10. :JO:t 15 oM
5 TO

1:1i{1~ (irreg. fp: O'iP~) woman, wife

b. Give the plural of the following:
n:~ (ms; irreg. mp: 0'1:1# battfm2) house

p (irreg. mp: 0'~;j1)son, grandson (also figurative meaning:

I.
1?~ 8. ,~ 15 111
member; one of a category) 2. P 9 W1P 16. n:~
n::l (irreg. fp: niJ;j1) daughter 3 nl'\
T
10. W~a 17 n.~
4 i'l' II. 0' T
18. :1W~~
5 n~ 12. Wl'\i 19 W1h
oi' (irreg. mp: O'~~) day. Adverb: 07ti' daily, by day 6. oi' 13 W'~ 20. :1Wl'\
T

o~ (mp. o'~~suggests that the ms O~ an irreg. 7 :Jl'\ T

14 '7:p 21. 7VN
"-qall noun) sea
c. Read the following passage out loud. Then pick out the words
'7:P (irreg. mp: 0'7i?) vessel, instrument, weapon
including proper names, that you recognize.
:1W~~ deed. Verb: :1W to do, make, perform
ini~ 'n'l~ 1iD.~'"1::l~i1iZ,ibnlin n~T
i'~ (fs; irreg. fp: O'i) city
O~ (mp: 0'7p~) people ., , . I '.. ?~1(z)'-?~-?.l)::l1h::l
D't09WQlD'Dn .., ,. , - ..,

~'::lJi1i1'?~ n~ D~? n?tt.i '~j~ mi1

Wl'\i (irreg. mp: O'WW1.) head, top, chief. liWl'\"1 the first, . T- T'" . . T -.. T -,.

former. n'iPw'. first, beginning ~liJiJl ?il~iJ 3i11i1'Di' ~tJ 'J.8?

Dni::l~-?.l)D'J:l ::l?l D'J:l-?.l) ni::l~-::l?::l'Wi1l
T -; - T .. . T - T"

I. Note the doubling of IV. This suggests that the roOt is IV)/'(, with the assimilation of).
2. This is an exception to the rule given in 11.12, that a long vowel in a closed unac-
cented syllable (i.e., evC) is "unacceptable."
 ExcursusA
Introdudion to the Didionary
For most of this century, the standard English language lexicon
of Biblical Hebrew has been A Hebrew and English Lexicon of
the Old Testament, edited by Francis Brown, S. R. Driver, and
Charles A. Briggs (Oxford: Clarendon, 1907). It is popularly
known as B D B, after the initials of the editors. Based on a Ger-
man lexicon from the nineteenth century; this reference work
is now outdated. Yet, for most students who read only English,
there is still no substitute that is both adequate and easily
affordable.
For the beginning student, B DB is difficult to use primarily
because it is not arranged alphabetically, but according to roots.
For instance, the noun l];:n~(altars) is not listed as it is spelled,
but after the verb n~J and the noun n~!; one simply has to know
that the root is n:n and that -~ is merely a noun prefix. Yet it is
not just a matter of removing the prefixes and suffixes; one must
often also take into consideration the morphological changes that
take place because of weak radicals. In other words, it is neces-
sary to know the idiosyncracies of the weak radicals even to use
the dictionary!
The examples below illustrate how one goes about finding
nouns in B D B. The student should follow the commentary on
each form with this dictionary at hand.
0':;l1$7~: This is fairly easy. Since -~ is a common noun prefix,
and 0'. - is the mp ending, one may discount them both to arrive
at the root l~'on p. 521 co!' i, at the bottom of the column. If,
however, one did not know the root and looked, instead, under
the noun 11$7~ itself (on p. 571 co1. ii), one will see 11$7~ and re-
lated nouns listed, with the remark "v. l~"" This means that one
should look (v. = vid. "look") under the root l~" So one begins
with p. 521 co!' i.
The verb does not occur in Hebrew, so no examples are cited.
There are cognates in other Semitic languages, however, and the
dictionary duly lists them. After this information, at the top
of co1. ii, one finds the noun 11$7~. The subscript "214" after the
noun indicates the number of times the word occurs in all its
forms. The noun is identified as masculine (n.m.) and briefly
defined. Then the various forms are given: construct (see Lesson
X), forms with suffixes (see Lesson XI), the plural, and so forth.
The treatment of this noun continues through most of the col-
umn, and there is a wealth of information here. One learns that
the word is used of messengers in general (1.), angels as the mes-
sengers of God (2.), and of the theophanic angel (3.); the word
may refer to a prophet or "the herald of the advent" (r,b), or to
a priest (I ,c); the word occurs in parallelism (indicated by the
sign II) withr'?~ "interpreter" (I,d) and with 11imi "winds"
(I,e), and so on. In order to properly understand the usage of a
word, therefore, one should look not only at the brief definition
at the beginning of the entry, but also consider all the details pre-
sented.
Two related nouns, ;"I~~??? and l11::>1$7~,
as well as a proper
name, ':;l1$7~ (Malachi, etymologically "my messenger"), follow
the entry on 11$7~. The parentheses of [l11::>1$7~] indicate that this
precise form (without any suffixes or vowel changes) does not
occur; the form is reconstructed. The sign t appearing before
[l11::>1$7~]and before the personal name ':;l1$7~ indicates that all
the passages are cited in each case. One may also note that mean-
ing 3 of 11$7~ (p. 521, co1. ii) has the sign t before it, indicating
that all passages with that particular meaning are cited.
11?$~:Eliminating the final 11-as a marker of the feminine, one
conjectures that the -~ is a prefix and that the dages indicates
an assimilated nun in accordance with IV.2.b. The root cannot be
,nn (i.e., a qql type) because roots of this type, which are ex-
tremely rare in Hebrew, never show gemination by the dages. So
one looks under the root 'n). The verb is listed first (on p. 656).
Discussion of the various verb forms continues to the bottom of
co1. ion p. 658. Then there are several nouns listed: 7~~, [7~~],
;,~~~,;,~p.~, n?~~,
l:l'?'~~'
All the passages are cited in each
case, as the sign t before each noun indicates. Again, if one had
conjectured incorrectly that the root is ':'7D~,and so looked on
p. 592 co!' i (twelfth line from the bottom), one will be referred
to the root.
:JW;~:There are only two possibilities here: either the; is a
mater, thus only a marker of a long a-vowel, or the -~ is a prefix
and the root is :JW' (from *wsb). The root ~':JW~ does not exist
in Hebrew (see BDB p. 602). One must conclude that -~ is a
noun prefix. So one assumes that the form is mosaQ < *mawsab
(IV.2.c.iii.I3). Since original initial w generally becomes y in He-
brew (I Y.2.C.i), however, one must look for the noun under the
root :JW' on p. 442. Again, the verb is listed first (pp. 442-3), fol-
lowed by several nouns. The noun :JW;~ appears on p. 444 co1. i.
The sign t indicates that all passages are cited, and the reference
to "2K2, 19" in superscript after n.m. indicates where this precise
form - without any other prefixes, suffixes, or further vowel
changes - is found.
nbp~: One may conjecture right away that the word is a defec-
tively spelled form of n;~;ji~. If one discounts the plural ending
n;- and the -~ as a noun prefix, one is left with the probable
root mji. This noun is found on p. 879.
l:l'!W'~:Discounting the mp ending l:l'.-, one is left with the
form -,W'~. If the' is a mater, the root is '~'W~.If the' is not
T
a mater, the root is 'W' < ,:"W,. The form is mesar < "maysar
(IV.2.c.iv.I3). One looks, therefore, under 'W' on p. 448. After the
verb, an adjective, and other forms, one finds the noun ['W'~]
on p. 449, co!' ii. The word is in parentheses because that precise
form is not attested (although it is the form that one expects);
one is told that the noun always appears in the plural.
nwS?I:l: This is relatively uncomplicated. The final n- must be a
fe~i~ine ending. Since -r-l is also a common noun prefix, the root
must be W:J7. The noun appears on p. 528 co!' ii, after the verb
and some other nouns. The sign t and only one citation indicate
that this word occurs only once in the Bible.
m~D: There is no root ':'nDn, so the root must be nDJ; the -11
must be a prefix and ~ a mater. One may assume the development
':'tanpu(a)~ > tappu(a)~, in accordance with IV.2.b, 3.b.i. On
p. 656 co!' i, one sees l]~~D and its defective form l]P.D listed three
times. The first ("I. l]~~D") is identified as a common noun (n.[m.]).
The parentheses indicate that there is no clear evidence from the
contexts that the noun is masculine, but the gender is conjectured
to be masculine (presumably because the form is unmarked for
gender, and the plural is masculine in form). The second listing
("II. l]P.D") is a proper noun, a masculine personal name (n.pr.m.).
The third (" II I. l]~~D") is also a proper noun, the name of a loca-
tion (n.pr.loc.).
;,~p~:This form is not difficult. The final ;'.,.- suggests a III-He
root (IV.2.c.vii.a). The -~ must be a prefix. The root is mji. It
turns out that there are, according to BDB, two roots ;'Jji. The
noun ;,~p~appears after "I ;'Jji" (meaning "get, acquire").
;'F~:The ;'T- ending is obviously a marker of the feminine. The
root is, therefore, either ;,,~ (see III.2.c; IV.2.c.vii.a) or ,:',~~.
If the latter were correct, one should look under ;,~~ (IV.2.c.vii).
But there is no such noun associated with the root ;,~~ (p. 594).
Thus, the -~ must be a prefix. The root is ;,,~.
;'1;11: This form is a bit tricky. Theoretically, the root may be
':';'1n (with' as mater), ':'1,n (with the fs ending), or ':';'1' - i.e.,
'~tawda(h) > to4a(h) (see IV-}-b.i, 2.c.iii.l3, 2.c.vii.a). Since neither
':';'1n nor ':'1,n is attested, the third possibility must be correct.
One should look under the root ;'1', but one knows from this
noun that the root is "original I-Waw."
n'~:;l13:Since n'. - is the fs ending (III.I.b.ii), the root is either ':'pn
or m:J (IY.2.c.vii.a, 3.b.i). The latter is correct. The root is m:J.
ni~~: The final ni- is probably the fp ending. Theoretically the
root may be mm, but no such root is found. The most likely al-
ternative is that the -7) is a prefix and the first radical is an assim-
ilated ). The root begins -m; the most likely third radical is i1.
One conjectures that the word is fp of i19~; look under the root
i1~)on p. 641. i19~ is indeed attested, but only as an adverb;
no fp is attested for that. The next entry in BDB is i1W~,whose
plural is ni~~, an irregular plural (we expect i1W~- ':O'tp~). This
is the correct form.
t:?~~: Setting aside the dual ending, one conjectures that the root
is ~~~, and that this is a qall-noun. But no such noun is listed un-
der ~~~. One then assumes "Janpdyim > Jappdyim. The root is,
in fact, ~)~. The singular noun, therefore, is Ja{J >:-Japp<,'Janp).
This is a noun that has secondarily become qall- through the as-
similation of n (V.1.a; IV.2.b).
O'1~:Setting aside the mp ending, one conjectures that the root is
TTl',and that this is a qill noun. But no such noun is listed under
TTl'.One then assumes ",cinZlm > cizzim. The root is, in fact, nl'.
The singular noun, therefore, is cez "cizz < ",cinz). This is a
noun that has secondarily become qill - through the assimilation
of n (V.1.b.2; IV+b).
i19r:t:
Setting aside the fs ending, one conjectures that the root is
~~n, but no such noun is found under that root. Hence one looks
under the root mn, where one finds the noun. If one looks di-
rectly under i19r:t,one is also referred to the correct root: v. sub
mn ("look under mn").
n~: Judging by the form, one should expect this to be a qall-noun
(see V.1.a). Under the root nn:J we find the noun n~, which is reg-
ularly taken as masculine, but apparently is regarded as feminine
in Isa 5:10. The plural of this noun is O'D~, we are told. One
should also note that the noun is listed as "I I. n~,"although there
is no other noun n~ su bsumed under this root. At the end of the
entry, however, one is directed to the other n~: I. n~ v. sub p ("I.
n~ look under P"). SO it is that on p. 123 col. i, after the lengthy
entry on p and other related nouns, we find "I. n~."Here the edi-
fro p." That is, they conjec-
tors of BDB tell us that n~ is "= ':'I;1~~
ture that "'bant > *batt > bat. The plural of this noun, in contrast
to "I I. n::J,"is ni)::J.
- T
i1~:After setting aside the fs ending, one is left with -~~, which
suggests l'l" (IV.2.c.viii), i1~l' (IY.2.c.vii.1'), or l"l'I l"l' (IY.2.c.vi).
Under l'l" one finds "I. i1~" (p. 420 col. i) and is told that this
noun is "= i1~W)".Here the editors of BDB are explaining that
the initial radical has dropped out (see IV.2.c.viii). Since no other
noun i1~ is listed under this root, and since we know that this is
just "I. i1~", we will have to look elsewhere also. In this case, the
editors do not tell us where else to look, as they sometimes do.
We have to rely simply on what we know about weak radicals.
And so we try the root i1~l' (pp. 781-82). As it turns out, i1~l'is
listed as a root four different times, but only under "I I. i1~l''' do
we find the noun "I I. i1~."The word occurs only once in
the Bible, as indicated by the sign t and single citation (ler 6:6).
Although the editors identify the word as a collective noun
(nJ.coll.), they are not certain about the text cited, proposing in-
stead to read rl~ "its tree" (l'~) instead of the unique form i1~;
and they cite textual witnesses that support this proposal. At the
end of the entry one is referred to I. i1~.This would seem to sug-
gest that there is no other noun, besides these two. Indeed,
when looks under l"l' and l"l', the other possibilities, no such
noun is found.
i11~:The root may be i11l', 1l''' or 1'l'1 1'l'. Under i11l'one finds
two listings of the root (see pp. 723-26), but no noun i11~.On
p. 726 col. i, however, one finds a reference: "I. i11l' v. 1l". II. III.
TOO
i11~v. 111'."This means that there are three nouns i11~,one listed
under 1l''' and two under 1'l'. Under 1l", then, one finds the en-
try for "I. i11~" (p. 417 col i) and at the end of that entry, one is
also referred to the other two nouns: "I I. II I. i11~ V. 1'l'."
The student should now be able to locate most Hebrew nouns
in BDB. In order to become more comfortable with this important
tool, however, one must constantly use it. Hence, if one encounters
a Hebrew word that one has forgotten, or if one wonders about
the possible range of meaning of any Hebrew word, one should 2 I. r"J?'ir"
not hesitate to use the dictionary. For more elusive forms, the stu-
12. i1lyi1r:l 22. ni1?ir:l
dent may consult Bruce Einspahr's Index to Brown, Driver and T :

Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (Chicago: Moody, 1976). 13 i1tP 23 i1?o/7?~

14. i1~~~ 24. tJ'ip~~
15 i1J~~ 25. i1~wnr"
T T -;-

While there are several Hebrew-English dictionary projects cur-

I 6. i1~.ir" i1~l~
rently under way, BDB remains the only full reference work avail-
able to students who read only English. There is an abridged 17 n'm 27 i11im
T :

dictionary produced by William L. Holladay, entitled A Concise

Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Grand
I 8. '~iP 28.

Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971). This is a useful volume for rapid read- 19. t:J'1~
ing. It is easier to use than BD B, inasmuch as the words are listed
precisely as they are spelled. The advantages of grouping words
by roots, however, are lost. The noun illir:l ("direction, instruc-
tion, law," for instance, is listed after 1ir:l ("turtle-dove") and be-
fore :lipir:l ("alien"). One is not alerted in such a dictionary to the
possible semantic relationship of illir:l with other words from the
root i11' (see BDB, pp. 434-46).
 c. A few words are vocalized a little differently when they take
the definite article.

li1~ an ark li"~O the ark

The definite article does not appear in independent
always prefixed to the word it determines.
form; it is
l'l~a land n.~othe land
1~ a garden HD the garden
a. The normal form is D + the strong dages in the next consonant.
.,;, a mountain .,;,;, the mountain
TT

1?~ a king
~[l a festival m;,
T .:
the festival
n:~ a house n'::l:1 the house
O~ a people mm the people
.,~
T T

Note: There is no indefinite article in Hebrew. Thus, 1?~ means

either "king" or "a king." a bull .,9;' the bull
T -

b. Gutturals (~, ;', n, l') and., do not normally take the dages The definite article may also rarely be used to indicate a vocative.
(IV.2.a.i). Hence, we get the following. Thus, 1~~D may mean "the king" or "0 King!"

i. Compensatory lengthening before ~, l', 1.

The prepositions f (in, by, with), f (like, as, according to), and?
1'1' a city (to, toward, for) do not occur independently.
tzj~i a head a. Before a noun without a definite article, the preposition is
ii. Virtual doubling before;' and n. simply prefixed.

1;~'D a palace 1;~'DD the palace .,'~ a city "'~f in a city

", T
David ",:;, like David
. T:

iii. Before unaccented 0 and , and accented or unaccented 0, 1?~ a king 1?~? for a king
the definite article is ry with virtual doubling. This rule takes b. Before a noun with the definite article, the;' of the definite arti-
precedence over the previous two. cle ordinarily disappears, the preposition assumes the vowel of
li~O an uproar li~Ory the uproar the definite article, and any doubling of the following radical is
retained.
7' iniquity 7'ry the iniquity

liTO a VISIOn liTOry the vision

 ':l?~D + ? > l?~? for the king 1.a
a. Some prepositions stand independently, e.g., ilJ~ (after, be-
':lZ.,hN;'+ 7 > 1l.,hN7 for the man 1.b.i hind), '~~7(before), nlJJ3 (under, instead of), 1~1 (in front of).
T: T

':'7~';';'
.. - + :::1
> 7~'D~ in the palace 1.b.ii 7':1:::17PD
ilJ~ after the flood l;i~O '~~7before the ark
T : T

':'O'i;';' + :::1> O'i;':::1

T .:: . T ':
in the mountains 1.b.iii r~o nlJJ.:) under the tree OO ,~~ in front of the people

1.c b. Some prepositions are typically linked to the following word

't~.~O + f > rl~# in the land
by means of a connector known as the maqqep, e.g., -7~ (to,
unto), -7~ (on, upon, concerning, beside), -,~ (as far as, until).

i'l';'-7N to the city l;i~O-7~ upon the ark

3. The Rule of SewaJ
T .,.

A sequence of two vocal sewi{J's is not permitted. Thus, if two 5 The Preposition 1?:'
vocal sewii:J's come together, certain vowel changes take place.
The preposition F~(from, because of, some of) occurs in the fol-
a. In a sequence of two simple vocal sewiiJ's, the first becomes i, lowing forms.
and the second becomes silent.
a. It may be linked to the following word by the maqqep.
+f
':'7':1::J~ > 7':1::J~:;l (bigrCtl) in a territory
rl~O-F~ from the land
':0'~7r.J +:::1> 0'~7r.J:::1 (bimlii~im) among kings
T :: T :
b.1t may be treated as a prefixed preposition. If so, the J behaves
In addition, if the second sewiiJ stands under a yo4, the first be- according to rules (see IV.2.b).
comes i, and the second disappears.
i.1t is ordinarily assimilated into the following consonant.
':.;'1':1;" + :::1> ':.;'1':1;":::1
> ;'1':1;":::1 (bihuejii[ h]) in Judah
T :: T: T
':l?~~~ > l?~~ from a king
b. If a simple vocal sewii:J is followed immediately by a composite
ii. Before gutturals and i, the preposition is usually ~
sewiiJ, the former becomes the corresponding short vowel of the
(with compensatory lengthening) and, rarely, ~ (with
composite sewiiJ, and the latter closes the syllable (see I1.7.C).
virtual doubling).
':'0;71:)+ f > 0;71:)~ (bah[a]lOm) in a dream
':.nr.JN+ :::1> nr.JN:::1 (beJ[e]met)
': ';:: ',' '::','
in truth
':'i'+'~~
> i'+'~ from a city compensatory lengthening

':'im~ > iD~ from a mountain compensatory lengthening

In the case of 0';:i7~,however, the :Jatep is quiescent (11.II) and ':'rm~~> r':1n~from outside virtual doubling
the simple vocal se~i{J gives way to a ?ere.
':.0'H7N
.. + :::1> 0'H7N:::1
::: ... in God
Note: This rule also applies when 1~is prefixed to a noun with In the case of c'i:f'~,however, the ;)atep is quiescent (I I. II) and
the definite article. In contrast to the prefixed prepositions f, f, the simple vocal sewa;) gives way to a sere.
7
and (see 2.b above), however, the definite article is retained. ':'c'i:f'~+ 1 > c'i:f'~J and God
'T~.~v~~
> r1~v~ from the land
,:t:J'WJ~;,m> t:J'WJ~;'7) some of the men
T -: T : T -: T

The consonants" " 7, 7), J, and p, and the sibilants (0, ~, tv, and
W) frequently lose the strong dages when they are followed by a
sewa;). The precise rules for retaining or omitting the dages need
The conjunction '1(and, but) never occurs in independent form. It not concern us now; at this stage one needs only to know that the
is always prefixed and appears in the following forms. dages may disappear.
':-1N~iJ> 1N;iJ (hay;)6r) the Nile

':-C'7n7piJ > C'7~17?iJ (hamraggelim) the spies

1~ a servant 1~1and a servant This rule explains the form of the preposition W when it is
1::11';' the servant 1::11';" and the servant prefixed to nouns beginning with ;.
T 0:
T :

':-;'11;,'m> ':-;'11;"7) > ':-;'11;"7)> ;'11;"7)

T : : T: . T: T
from Judah

r,.~~a house 11~~1and a house

1?9 a king 1?91 and a king

A nominal or adverbial clause may be formed simply by juxtapo-
nI.}~ a door nI.}?,1 and a door
sition of subject and predicate. No verb "to be" is required in
such sentences. In such a clause, tense can only be inferred from
context. Without context, the student should simply translate
C'!~l1and words with the English present tense.
'tt17)1p1 and Samuel 1?9 ;,~;,;YHWH is king
d. Before a composite sewie it takes the corresponding short W;18 ;,~;,; YHWH is holy
vowel of the composite sewa;).
c'6W::lc'il'~
- T - 0::
God is in the heavens
1;7)[1 a he-ass 1;7)[11 and a he-ass
Note: In each of the above examples, the words may occur in
117)~
0: "::
truth l1(?t.n and truth reverse order without any change in meaning.

'70 sickness "m and sickness


'D~/'}.!:!~
-l;l~
f in, with, by, among, through, as
1'+.1 between. Note the idiom: Y 1'~~ X 1'+.1and, less
frequently, Y 1'~7 X 1'+.1"between X and Y"
like, as, about, according to. Note the idiom:
Y:P ... x:p "X and Y alike"
to, for, in regard to, with reference to
before (also '~~-l;l*, before, on the surface of; '~~~,
,~~~~ from th~ presence of, because of)
i1,i1' YHWH (the name of Israel's God). In the Hebrew
Bible, the vowels of the word '~,~ "my Lord" are
superimposed on the four consonants (thus, i1~;';or
i1~i1;).When the consonantal text has i1,i1' ')'/,\ "my
lord YHWH," the text is pointed with the vowels for
t:l';:il;l~'~,~ "my lord, God" (i.e., i11;'.7: '~,~), thus
preventing one from saying Jag6nay Jag6nay. When
an inseparable preposition, or the conjunction 1 is
prefixed to i1,i1', the vowel under the prefix is a (J,
precisely what one would expect with '~,~, accord-
ing to 6.d in this lesson: '~'~J"and my lord': thus,
i1~i1'J"and YHWH."
i1?;? (ms; irreg. mp: l"lil;l'?) night. Note: i1?;?Dmay mean
"tonight" (by the same token, t:li~D may mean
"today")
.

-1~ from, away from, out of, some of, because of

l;l/,\,tzr Israel
.. T: .

i11~i1; Judah i1wb Moses

-,*' as far as, until
~?o/~';Jerusalem t:l:1~~ Egypt
-l;l*, upon, on, over, concerning, beside, against. It should
be noted that -l;l~ and -l;l*, are frequently confused
with one another

l"lDlJ under, beneath, instead of, in place of

Note: Sometimes two prepositions may be combined for empha-

sis. This is particularly frequent with the preposition 1~,e.g.,
l"lDiJ~ under, l;l*,~ above.

ark (of the covenant), chest

(fp: l"li/'\tfDl sin, sin offering. Adjective: /'\tfD sinful.

Verb: /'\~n to sin; xl;l/'\~n to sin against X
T T : T T
 d. Read the following passage out loud. Then translate the pas-
sage with the help of a dictionary and the notes below.

rl~D n~l O'O$iJn~ o'ih~ ~l~ n'iti~l:J I.

I. the night 6. the sin offering II. the mountains n~f.flQ o'ii"l~ nn, oiim 'J9-"l~lil,iFn1il51liln ilQ'Drl~D' 2.

2. the city 7 the people 12. the heads 0'9iJ 'J.9-"l~

3 the cities 8. the earth 13 the swords
li~-'il'1 li~ 'il' o'ii"l~ IQ~;1 3.
4 the father 9 the rams 14 the vessels
the iniquities the women
r::n li~D r:J O'ii?~ "l1:J~]:Jit0-'Jli~D-n~ O'ii"l~~I~] 4
5 the palace 10. IS
lil,iniJ
b. Write the following in Hebrew:
:Jl~-'il'1 il~T~~lR lil,in~,oi' li~/ I o'ii"l~ ~lP"1 5
I. after the wind 7 instead of David the king 'r:r~oi' Ip5-'il~1
2. from the land 8. a prophet to the nations 0'9/ 0'0 r:J "l"pO 'il" 0'9iJ lin:J ~'Pl 'il~O'ii"l~IO~1 6.
3 and in the cities 9 in the day and in the night (Gen 1:1-6)
4 in a covenant 10. between the darkness and the light

5 in tents II. from heaven to (-,~) earth

6. like God 12. some of the men [Note: In Hebrew prose, the subject of a sentence usually follows
the verb.]

v I: ~l~ (subject: God) created; n~l ... n~ untranslatable markers

of the definite object of the verb (~H).
:Ji1ii1' ~Q~D 7;~. no6 7;1 no!]
"
I.

2.
TT-:

0',:J1" 0'1tv
T -:- 'T
7
8.
"T

i17'5-,1'
T:- - O;'~
T

v 2: was; o'ii"l~ nn, and the wind/ spirit of God; n~n.1Q

i1Q~D
was hovering / swooping.
3 0'H;)-7~ O'H;)
T .T 9 O'~Wi1 nnr-l~
- - . 0'~i1
.- -
,,,J
- T -

v 3: IO~;]then (subject) said; 'il' let there be; -'i1~1and there was.
4 1i1i1
TT ..... 10. 05iV11':J1 i1'1i1':;)
- T T

5 FJ~~ Ol':;)
TT
II. lWn? 1;~1 1;~7 lWh v 4: ~I~] and (subject) saw; :Jit0-'Jthat it was good; "l1:J~]
and
(subject) made a separation.
6. 7.,6-7~ 7.,6~ 12. i17"i1 T'~1 O;'D T'~
T: --

v 5: ~lP"](subject) called; li~!(with reference to) the light;

~l~ he called.
v 6: lin:J in the midst of; 'il" and let there be; "l'1=;10 a separation.
 Excursus B
Reading Markers and
Pausal Forms
As in English, when one reads Hebrew out loud, one must pay
attention to the meaningful units in the text and make appropri-
ate pauses along the way. There is a full array of markers in
pointed Hebrew texts that help one in reading. These markers
were not in the original compositions. Rather, they were secon-
darily introduced to assist one in public recitation. The most
important of these markers are also helpful in the task of transla-
tion, inasmuch as they provide a traditional understanding of the
There are two systems of accents used. The books of Psalms,
Proverbs and Job (called "the Three Books") follow a somewhat
different system than the rest of the Bible ("the Twenty-One
Books"). Some of the markers are found in both systems, but
others occur exclusively in one or the other system. It is not nec-
essary at this stage to learn all the various accents, their peculiari-
ties, and how they are used in each system. It will suffice for us to
be able to recognize the following accents as either conjunctive or
disjunctive.
Disjunctive Conjunctive
XXX sillug
, XX~ munah
XXX
, )atnah XXX mehuppals
<

meaningful units in the text. Without these additional helps, one XXX segalta) XXX mereka)
,
has to rely solely on context to know how to break up each sen- < J

tence - as the student may have noticed in attempting to trans- XXX

, Cale(h) weyoreg XXX Cilluy
I ,
late Gen 1:1-6 (Exercise 6.d). XXX salSlet XXX )azla)
XXX zagep garon XXX darga)
5

"
XXX zagep gagal
There is no marker for the beginning of a verse. At the end of a .
verse, however, a large colon (:) known as the sop pasuq (end of XXX rel;>i(a)C
verse) appears after the last word. XXX tipha(h)
,

[Now you should reread Gen 1:1-6 out loud (see Exercise 6.D),
Accents appear in the Hebrew Bible either above or beneath the
this time using your Hebrew Bible and paying attention to the ac-
words. They serve primarily to regulate reading. They are also
cents. Translate the text again, and observe how the accents assist
helpful, however, in marking the position of stress in individual
you in identifying the sense units.]
words and the meaningful divisions in each verse. The accents are
generally classified either as conjunctive or disjunctive. A con-
junctive accent indicates that the word is to be taken with what
follows. A disjunctive accent marks a major, intermediate, or mi-
nor pause; it may occur at the end of a sentence, clause, or
phrase. The disjunctive accents are especially important because
they are intended to indicate the end of each logical unit.
The meteg (bridle) is a short vertical stroke appearing under a
consonant, usually to the left of the vowel. It serves primarily to
indicate a secondary stress in a word. In addition, it may call at-
tention to the precise pronunciation of the vowel. There is no
need for the student to know all the situations in which the meteg
occurs. It is helpful, however, to note the presence of the meteg in
the following situations.
a.1t distinguishes a from o.
When a word occurs at a major juncture of a sentence, particu-
larly when at the middle or end of a verse, it is said to be in
pause. Certain vowel changes in the word may take place. The
following are the most common shifts which result in pausal
forms.
a. The a-vowel (_) in a tonic syllable may become a ().
Normal Pausal

;'?~1'$ Ja~ela(h) she ate (not Jo~la[h] food) C:~ C'~ 'T
water
<. <

C'r=l::l
IT
biittim houses (not ':-bottim) '~iP ,~W gate

b. It distinguishes "i from i. umv- T

UDlV
T T
he judged

~l'\T y"iriPu they fear (not yirJu they see)

c.1t calls attention to an unreduced a or e vowel in a propretonic

open s)rllable (see III.2.a).
Normal Pausal
':J;)l'\ Jan(5~i I (am)
IT

1:J11
...... 1:J11
",' T
servant

d.1t calls attention to a short unaccented vowel in an apparently

n.~ r1~ land

open syllable.

c. Words normally stressed on the ultima may have their accent

retracted to the penultima.

The maqqep (connector) is a horizontal stroke used to indicate a

close link of words. A word so joined to the following becomes
proclitic - it becomes so closely dependent on the following word
that it loses its stress. When a word becomes proclitic in this way,
final e becomes e and final (5 becomes o.

C:rJo/D n~ but c'5w;,-nl'\

- T - ':

n.~iJ~:;,
 Normal Pausal Sometimes a strong dages is found not because the form itself re-
quires it, but for smoother reading.
1:J7?1p: 1:J6iZ,b they will hear
'7 i1mt
T :

she gave to me
1N7~' 1N7~'
: T' T'
they will be filled

1~~1p: m61p: they will judge

The ra{Je(h) is a short horizontal stroke sometimes placed above a

consonant. Its function is the opposite of a dages in that it indi-
Noteworthy here, too, are forms like '''!~and '7:P, where the
cates that a consonant is to be taken as "relaxed" (that's what
sewa:J becomes a full vowel.
the name means). In some manuscripts this sign is used consis-
Normal Pausal tently to call attention to the absence of a strong dages, a weak
dages, or a mappiq.
'''!~ '''!~ fruit

'q '1] half

'711. T: '7n sickness

Note: In addition to the internal changes, prefixed prepositions

and the conjunction 1take the a-vowel (instead of the sewa:J) be-
fore a stressed syllable in a pausal position. This rule applies to
monosyllabic nouns, as well as to disyllabic nouns stressed on the
penultima.

il::l; il8 mouth to mouth (2 Kgs rO:21)

0'6'; 0'6 ":J
. T T I .. . -
between the waters and the waters (Gen r:6)
il';'!.)' Ol"
T ; - T
day and night (Gen 8:22)

gold and silver (Exod 25: 3)

Like the noun, the Hebrew adjective may be inflected for gender
and number. The inflection of :litl (good) is as follows.

Other examples: P!lJ(strong); tl~lJ(wise); lVllJ (new).

mp tl':litl
d. qall (e.g., :l1 many, much)
fp ni:litl
mp tl':~l1

fp ni:::l1
Note: Unlike the noun, the dual form of the adjective is unat-
tested. For dual nouns, the plural adjectives are used.
Other examples: " (poor); T~ (strong); '1] (alive).

Note: Adjectives of this pattern behave like qall nouns (V. La).
The following are the most important adjectival patterns.
Thus, when a guttural or Res
is the geminate radical, there is
compensatory lengthening of the first vowel in the forms with
a. qap31 (e.g., 'i1~
great) endings, e.g., 311(evil).

mp tl'~l
mp tl'7i1~

fp ni'i1~
fp nil" T

Other examples: ,~ (bitter); ,~ (narrow).

Other examples: lVi1~(holy); :li'~ (near); pinl (far).
e. qate(h) (e.g., ilW~difficult)
b. qatel (e.g., 1~fheavy)
ms ilW~ mp tl'W~
ms 1~f mp tl''''!~:P fs ilW~ fp nilV~
fs il1:l::l
TO' :
fp ni1:l::l

Other examples: TV.! (old); (hungry); N77t (full).

:l~l
 a. The adjective agrees with the noun in its lexical gender rather
The adjective in Hebrew may function as an attribute (e.g., the
than its form.
good man) or a predicate (e.g., the man is good).
i1~it9iJ rl~i) the good land (Deut I:35)
a. The attributive adjective modifies a noun. In this usage, the ad-
jective agrees with the noun in gender, number, and definiteness. ni?"'D Cl''J~ great cities (I Kgs 4:13)
It also comes after the noun, not before it as in English.
b. Since there is no dual form of the adjective, the plural form is
used instead with the dual noun.
:JiD il.h~ a good man ;'1::2iD;'1l]j~ a good woman
T T '

:Jit9;'1tV'~;'1 the good man ;'1:Jit9;'1

;'1l]j~;'1 the good woman
ni~l Cl~'J: slack hands (Isa 35: 3)
- 'T T - T 'T

c. Collective nouns (III.Lf) may have adjectives in the plural.

tl':JiD tl'tVj~
. T-:
good men !'li:JiD tl'tVj good women
T

tl'::lit9V tl'tVj~;'1 the good men !'li::lit9Vtl'tV~;'1 the good women

ntJl 1~~ large flock (Gen 30:43)
T -: T ' T-

d. Nouns that are plural in form but refer to a single person

b. The predicate adjective describes the state of the noun, In this (III.Lg) may have the adjective in the singular.
usage, the adjective agrees with the noun in gender and number,
i1~f? Cl'X1~ a hard master (Isa 19:4)
but it never takes the definite article. It may come before or after
the noun. The syntax is that of the verbless clause (VI.8).
5 Special Uses of T~
tV'~~ ::liD the man is good ;'1W~~ ;'1~iD the woman is good
a. Comparative.
:JiD tV'~~ the man is good ;'1~iD ;'1W~~ the woman is good
There is no independent word in Hebrew for the English word
than. Instead, comparison is most commonly expressed by the
Since the predicate adjective does not take the definite article,
preposition T~ placed before the noun that is surpassed. The ad-
there may be some ambiguity when it is used with an indefinite
jective is used with T~ in this way.
noun: thus, tl'~iD tl'tP~~ may mean either "good men" or "men
are good." The precise meaning must be determined from context. iLi:~qQ pil}9 sweeter than honey (Judg 14:18)
In a case like tl'tP~~ tl'~iD, however, it is clear that the adjective is
a predicate, since the attributive adjective normally stands after
''J~O TP- stronger than a lion (Judg 14: I 8)

the noun (see 3.a above). At times T~ is used to compare a subject's current condition with
a desired condition that is unattainable. The adjective is occa-
c. The adjective in Hebrew may be used as a substantive - that is,
sionally also used with T~ in this way. In English, one uses the
as a noun.
word "too" before the adjective.
There is also no word for some in Hebrew; instead, the preposi- Adjectives:
tion T~ is used to express a portion or a part of something.
'l]~ (irreg. fs: n~.6~; fp: ni'l]~) another, other
some of the people (Gen 33:15)
'i'~ great, big, large
some of the blood (Exod 12:7)
Ti?! old (as a noun: elder [of a city])

6. The Adjective with ,io\7? P!O strong, powerful. Verb: PIO to be strong, prevail

'0 alive, living. Substantive in both genders, "living

The noun 'N7? (muchness, power) may be used after an adjective
animal." Noun: C'~Olife
or a chain of adjectives as an intensifier. The literal meaning of
'N7? is still evident in the expression 'N7?-'~ (to the :Ji~ good, beautiful
extreme = very, exceedingly):
il~~ handsome, beautiful
1~rY1.i,lilf;l: ill.i,l~\Jl the girl was exceedingly beautiful
,~~ precious, valuable, rare
(I Kgs 1:4)

Most commonly, however, 'N7? occurs without any preposition

,tp~ straight, just, upright. Nouns: 'W~uprightness,
straightness. illtp~ uprightness
and should be translated as "very."
'~f heavy, severe, important. Verb: '~f to be important;
1~a :Jicp very good (Gen I: 3 I)
to be heavy, weighty. Noun: ,i:Jf glory, honor

Tb~ (also nf~;fs: il~g~; mp: c'~g~) small, insignificant

:J1 many, much, abundant, mighty. Noun: :Ji abundance

the river, Euphrates = the Euphrates

river (I Chron 5:9) hungry. Noun: :Jl famine, hunger. Verb: :J~l to be
hungry
a man, an Egyptian = an Egyptian man
(Exod 2:II)

Proper Names:

Cil':JN
T T: -
Abraham
 v 17: DD~ H:n and (subject) put them.

v 18: '?br.J?l and to dominate (object indicated by the preposi-

tion ~); ~1,:1and (subject) saw; :Jit?-'~ that it was good.
I. a holy nation 7 precious stones
2. a new king 8. famine in the city
3 a little city 9 the matter is very good

4 an evil spirit 10. the king is very old

5 great wisdom II. the criminal matter

6. many cities 12. the righteous and the wicked alike

'r.r~ll-h~7 fl~# '~f :2lOl

O'~tr 0'i1'~ 'N~ ,;,;\ ilwb W'~il
: T T

3 n~.6~fl~-'~
:2" ,;,;\
-T T-
037 ilWlrFJ fl~Ol 0'1P1QDO~~lfD
0':237"
"':T
on5 "."
0";';\ 0':J'~1 O'~' 0';;\
: T : -

c. Read Gen 1:14-19 out loud and translate the passage with the
help of a dictionary and the following notes.

Notes:

v 14: IO~:l (subject) said; 'iT let there be;'n1~r.J (defective spelling
for n;';~7?); l1'j?1:l in the expanse of; ?',:JjJ? to separate;
1:~n so that they shall be; 'nh~? for signs; D'i,pi9?1 and
for seasons; D',J~' irreg. fp. of il~W.
v 15: 1'~D? to shine; P-'il'l, and it was so.

v 16: tD~;:land (subject) made; ',J.iltn~ the two (-n~ is an un-

translatable marker of the definite object); n";~jr.JO?for
dominion of.
There are seven major verbal patterns in Hebrew. Each pattern
has certain distinctive features, such as an n prefix (e.g., l;lt2j?~), Notes:
h prefix (e.g., l;l't.'j?;:1),doubling of the second radical (e.g., 'i~j?), i.As in the adjective, there is no dual form; the appropriate
and so forth. These distinctive verbal patterns are variously called plural form is used instead.
"conjugations;' "stems;' or in Hebrew, binyiinim, "structures." ii.The alternative fs ending ;"IT - is attested rarely.
The first verbal pattern is the most unencumbered. Therefore,
it has traditionally been called Qal (light); the others are named 3. The Qal Active Participle
according to their typical formation, based on a model root l;ll'n
(to do, make). a. Normal Pattern
The following are the seven major verbal patterns in Hebrew.
The Qal active participle is based on the qotel pattern. The forms
Pattern Traditional name of the Qal active participle of ,~o/
(to keep, observe), then, are as
follows.
qaral Qal (l;ljZ)

niqtal Niphal (l;l~~~)

mp O'''17?W
qiqel Piel (l;l~~)l
fp ni'7?W
quttal Pual (l;l~p') 1

hiqtll Hiphil (l;l'+,~;:1)

Note: The Qal active participles of verbs with strong radicals,
hoqtal Hophal (l;l~~O)
I-Guttural, I-Nun, I-Yog, and Geminate roots are all inflected
hi~qaqel Hithpael (l;l~~I;l;:1)1 normally.

b. I I-Guttural Roots

Since gutturals do not take the simple vocal sewiiJ, a composite

The characteristics and meaning of each verbal pattern will be
clarified in due course. sewiiJ is found wherever one expects a vocal sewiiJ The forms
of the Qal active participle of the verb l;l15o/ (to ask), then, are as
follows.

ms l;l~W mp O'7~W
Like the noun and the adjective, the participle is inflected for
gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular and plural). fs n?~W fp nil;l~W
c. III-Guttural Roots only the first and last consonants. There is no distinction made
between II-Wiiw and II-Yog types. The forms ofthe Qal active
As we have already learned, final n, n, and -;;tend to add the
participle of Ni::2(come, enter), then, are as follows.
furtive pdta~ and prefer a-class vowels (I 1.10). The forms of
the Qal active participle of -;;~o/(to hear), then, are as follows.
ms N::J T
mp O'N::J
"T

ms ~~W mp o'-;;~W fs il~# fp niN#

fs n~~W fp ni-;;7,'W

Synopsis of Forms of the Qal Active Participle

d. II I-)Alep Roots
Root ms mp fs fp
Since N tends to be quiescent whenever it closes a syllable (11.1 I), <

the fs participle of such verbs will be vocalized slightly differently '~Ul '~W O'''17,'W n~"~tv ni,7,'W keeping
from the normal form. The forms of the Qal active participle of 'NUl O'7~W n'NW ni'~W asking
'~W ......
N~~ (to find), then, are as follows. <
T T
-;;~Ul ~~W O'~7,'W n~~tv ni-;;7,'W hearing

N~~ N~b o'~b nN~b niNb finding

ms N~b mp o'~b
il') il?~ O'7~ il?~ ni'~ uncovenng
fs nN~b fp niNb
N':J N::J
T
O'N::2
"T
ilN::J
TT
niN::2 T
commg

e. III-He Roots

The forms of the Qal active participle of il?~ (to uncover) are
as follows.
a. The participle is a verbal adjective; it has some characteristics
ms il?~ mp O'7~ of both the verb and the adjective. When it is construed as a verb,
it usually suggests continuous occurrence of an activity.
fs il?~ fp ni'~
l'li~p-';.l) JW" sitting upon a throne (Isa 6:1)

D'T'''l D'j!,) ascending and descending (Gen 28:12)

Note: An alternate fs like il~~~ (crying) is attested.
Tense is not indicated in the participle; it must be inferred from
f. II-Wiiw/Yog Roots context. The participle simply represents a state of affair in the
present, past, or future.
Verbs with Wiiw / Y og as the second radical normally preserve
 b. The participle may also be used like an attributive adjective,
e.g., '~QtD J) a listening heart (1 Kgs 3:9); i1j)~ ib~ a consuming
i17li '1P! ib'~
fire (Deut 4:24). When so used, the participle agrees in number,
t9 llli 'l7h III A generation comes and a generation gender, and definiteness with, and always comes after the noun it
n19li Djl.l;'; rl~i)i goes, but the earth stands forever modifies (see VII-}.a). Compare the use of the adjective and par-
(Eccl 1:4) ticiple in the following examples.

l.\),~'? ~')Pi1Ji1' YHWH was calling the boy 1i?l7;:tiz..h~;:tthe standing

(1 Sam 3:8) man
J~.\)~-n~nJD~ i1j2Jli but Rebecca loved Jacob (Gen 25:28)
il~i~D ilW~;:t the good n1~l7;:t ilW~;:t the standing
woman woman
The participle is often used for the imminent future. Thus, it
may be rendered by English "going to .,. " or "about to .... "
In the phrase 1i?l7;:tiz..h~;:t,the word 1i?l7;:t"the standing (one)"
?~lb'J l;?l i1\lJli '?j~ I am going to do something in Israel specifies and describes the noun tV'~;:t. It is not just any man of
(1 Sam 3:II) whom the phrase speaks, but "the man, the standing one." Thus
1;'l7il functions as an attributive adjective. The expression "the
i1Wli ',J~ lW~ what I am about to do (Gen 18:17) T

man, the standing one" may be compared with the adjectival

In the examples above, the participle is the predicate of the
clause. Just like the predicate adjective (VII-}.b), the participle
in this usage agrees with the noun in gender and number, but it
does not take the definite article. Compare the usage of the ad-
phrase :J;~D tV'~;:t "the man, the good one." In idiomatic English,
one would translate the participle in this case with the relative
pronoun "who." The tense is not specified in Hebrew, so the He-
brew 1;'l7il tV'Nil could mean "the man who stands;' "the man
T T

jective and the participle in the following examples. who stood," or "the man who will stand." Thus, the participle
(with or without the definite article) can function as the equiva-
lent of a relative clause.
:J;~ tV'Nil the man
T
1;'l7 tV'Nil the man
T J\b.l' l70 a king who sits (Prov 20:8)
is good is standing
'Jibl':} 'l?O:} the king who sits (Jer 29: I 6)
il~;~ ilW~;:t the woman n1Sl7 ilWNil the woman
T T
c. Like the adjective, the participle may be used as a noun.
is good is standing
'i?W keeping, one who keeps = keeper
:JDN loving, one who loves = lover, friend
Note: For simplicity's sake we assume the present tense in our
translation. As in other verbless clauses (VI.8), however, the ila~ building, one who builds = builder
context may require other translations.
d. In many instances, the participle is used in such a way that
some indefinite subject has to be supplied.

a. Whereas the Qal active participle has the qatel pattern, the pas- c. Like the active participle, the passive participle is a verbal ad-
sive participle has the qiitul pattern. Compare the following. jective (see 4 above).

Qal Act. Ptc.: :lD:D writing, one who writes i. attributive

Qal Pass. Ptc.: :linf being written, what is written :Jin~ ~$iD1J a written judgment (Ps 149:9)
b. Whereas the more common fs ending in the active inflection ii. predicative
is usually n...
-, it is ;"IT - in the passive.
Cl'"i~O:;l':Jirq it was written in the letters (I Kgs 2 I: I I)

iii. substantive

:i1'Jin:;l :Jit:'9~ according to what is written in the law

(Neh 10:35)
l:l'!i~tp ni'i~tp kept

l:l'!iO~ ni'iO~ bound

~i1~ l:l'~i1; ni1'i1;

Ni'~ l:l'~i'P ;"Il$i'P niNi'p
'i~" l:l'~i~~ ;"I'i~" ni'i~~ ~:JN
-T
to eat, consume, devour. Nouns: ~:JN/ ;"I~:JNfood
': T:T
T T :

'~l$ to say
Ni::l to come, enter
Notes:
I. III-He (i.e., original III-Waw/ Yocj) verbs have' as the third
radical.
II. II-Waw/Yocj verbs are extremely rare in the passive partici-
i1?a to uncover, go away, go into exile

ple, but note the following. 170 to walk, go

1'1'
-T
to know

17~ to bear, beget. Noun: 1?~boy, child

 N~ to go out, go forth

'1~ to go down, descend I. ni111:;' 6. :JW T

II. C';lN
:JtLh to dwell, sit, remain
- T
2. :J~b 7 c'11W 12. OJ T

3 C~T
8. n7nj 13 C':JW
T

4 ;'~N 9 ;'7JW
T T
14 C1 T

;,t;~ to stretch out, extend, incline. Noun: ;,~~ (pI. ni~~)

n'}.:;' ;,~:>j
5 C'7~~ 10. 15
branch, tribe, staff T'

HH to give, deliver, set, permit

1~ to cross over, pass over, transgress. X:p 1~ to pass

I. the one (fs) who bore
through X
2. the one (ms) stretching out the heavens
,~ to stand, remain, persist
3. the ones (mp) who were registered
N1R to call, proclaim. X7 N1R to call / summon X, name X, 4. the ones (mp) who resided in Judah
invite X
5. with an outstretched hand
;'~l to see. Noun: ;'~l~sight, appearance 6. Jerusalem, built like a city
7~W to ask, inquire 7. a woman who knows a man

l1~W to hear, listen, obey 8. another angel was going forth

9. the one (ms) who is recorded for life
1~W to keep, observe, watch
10. the vessels that were made

a. Parse the following forms - e.g., n~w'

Qal Act. Ptc. fs of
"to dwell, sit"; '~7;l. Qal Pass. Ptc. ms of ;,7;l. "to uncover."
:JW~
T TT (I Kgs 19: I I) 1:Jii ilJil' I.

I. TlJj I I. C':;l~nf (Ps 37:28) ~$iLiQ JiJ~ I iljil' 2.

2. nN~; 7 C'"17?N 12. mt1; (Ezek 39:15) Y1t;9 'o'1J~i) 3

3 C'7i' 8. n1~i' 13. ;'~~W~ (Num 13:28) Y1~;J JW"jJ D~i) 4

4 ;'Wi' 14. C'~b (Prov 20: 12) il~l r}'l ni)otL!n~ 5.

5. ;,~~ (Prov 29:3) il9~1),Jflt-nD'~ 6.

 Excursus C
(Isa 9:1) liPh;l D'?~hi} 'C.yi) 7
Nomenclature for
(Ezr 4: 1) i1,1i1'~
~:;;'i1D',Jl:l 8.

(Jer 25:32) 'lr~~ 'l~D n~~:'i1;l?l 9 Verbal Patterns and Root Types
D'?~h D'J~l D'910-~~D'T~.P.10.
(Eccl 10:7) rl~i)-~~ D'j:;J.P.~

e. Read Ps 146:5-10 out loud and translate vv 6-10 with the help As noted in Lesson VIII, the basic verbal pattern in Hebrew is
of a dictionary and these notes. called Qal (light); the names of the other sets are derived from
their patterns according to the root ~l'n (to do, make). The tradi-
Notes: The passage begins in v 5: "How fortunate is the one tional grammars and dictionaries all follow this convention of us-
whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in YHWH his ing the root ~l'n,a convention borrowed from Arabic grammar.
God ... " Unlike Arabic, however, the root ~l'n in Hebrew is susceptible to
v 6: -mlil an untranslatable marker of definite direct object; changes under certain conditions: the first radical may be spiran-
and all that is in them.
D:l:"liD~-~:J-n~l tized and the second radical resists doubling by dages. The root
J\T 0: -:T ..

is, therefore, not ideal for paradigms and is, in fact, not regularly
v 7: TDO one who sets free. so used.
v 9: D"~P this and the next few nouns should be treated as Occasionally scholars also use a set of sigla to designate the
definite, even though the definite article is not present. The various patterns. In this system, the basic verbal pattern (i.e.,
absence of the article in poetic Hebrew is, in fact, quite Qal) is called G (from the German Grundstamm "basic stem").
typical (see Excursus D). 'Jl.\)' he supports; lTn and the Other sigla indicate the prefixes, infixes, or doubling (thus N, D,
way of; n,W' he thwarts. H). The passive patterns corresponding to the main active pat-
terns are designated by the letter p: Gp, Dp, Hp. In many ways,
v 10: liD' (subject) shall reign; ll'~, TD~~ your God, 0 Zion; this system is more descriptive of the forms than the names that
;'1,:-l~~D praise Yah! (;'1,: is a shortened form of the divine
have been assigned. Thus, for instance, the N pattern is so called
name ini1'.) because an n is prefixed (as in ~~i?~) or infixed and assimilated
(as in~~re~); the D pattern has do~bling of the second radical in
all its forms. The same sigla are used for other Semitic languages,
as well, and thus facilitate comparative studies.
Since the standard reference works still use the traditional
nomenclature, however, it is necessary for the student to become
familiar with it. The following are the names of the main verbal
patterns, and their alternative designations and abbreviations in
the standard reference works.
 terms regularly, it is necessary to become familiar with them.
Qal G The following are the names of the Hebrew root types.

Niphal Nifal, Nipcal Niph.; Ni.; Ni. N

Piel Picel Pi. D I-Guttural n-Guttural (pe-Guttural); First Guttural

Pual Dp I I-Guttural ';-Guttural (CAyin-Guttural); Second-Guttural
Hithpael Hi!paCel HtD '-Guttural (Llmeg-Guttural); Third-Guttural
Hiphil Hifil, HiI'cii Hiph.; Hi.; Hi. Geminate; Double ';; 'j]"';; Middle-Geminate
Hophal Hofal, Hopcal Hoph.; Hof.; Ho. rn (Pe-Nun)

PAleI' N"n (Pe-JAleI')

Most grammars and dictionaries present the verbs in the above I-Waw ,"n (Pe-Waw)
order. In this textbook, however, the active patterns (Qal, Pi., I-Yog '''n (Pe-Yog)
Hi.) will be studied first because they occur far more frequently
than the passive and reflexive ones (Ni., Pu., Hith., Ho.). II-Waw (CAyin-Waw); Hollow (-Waw);
''''j]

The student should note, too, that the dictionaries ordinarily Middle-Weak (-Waw)
list each verb under its Qal Perfect 3 ms form (e.g., :lDI$). Roots ''''; (CAyin-Yog); Hollow(-Yog);
that are II-Waw/ Yog, however, are listed under the Qal Infini- Middle-Weak (-Yog)
tive Construct form (e.g., Ni::l; mp, 1':;2).
III-JAleI' N'" (Lameg-JAleI')

III-He ;"t", (Lameg-He); Third-Weak

We have already learned in IV.I.C that root types are classified

and dictionaries, again, use ,~m

according to the [-II-II [ system. However, traditional grammars
as the model root. According to
this system, the letter n refers to the first radical (i.e., I), '; refers
to the second (i.e., [I), and' to the third (i.e, [[ I). Thus, for in-
stance, I-Nun roots are called rn (Pe-Nun), II-Waw types are '''';
(CAyin-Waw), III-JAleI' types are N'" (Lameg-JAleI'), and so forth.
In addition, roots that are I I-Waw / Yog are called "Hollow"
or "Middle Weak" (Mediae Infirmae) and those that are original
Ill-Waw-Yog (that is III-He) are called "Third Weak" (Tertiae
Infirmae). Clearly, the I-I I-III nomenclature is less confusing.
Nevertheless, because the dictionaries and grammars do use these
 Lesson IX
i1.1i1' ',:l~ I am YHWH (Exod 6:2)

~lii ~';J~ He is a prophet (Gen 20:7)

1.The Independent Personal Pronouns
iLi't::Q i1D~ You are the man (2 Sam 12:7)
a.Forms
'i1I;1~ P'J;;,< You are righteous (Jer 12: I)
Pronouns in Hebrew may occur as independent forms or as
suffixes. The independent forms are as follows.
l:lr;T,~~i'JGO We are from Haran (Gen 29:4)

It is clear that the independent personal pronoun may precede or

follow the noun. Although it may not always be evident in trans-
i1~5/CD they lation, the Hebrew word order in each case may indicate some
i1~~they
T
emphasis. Thus, the statement iJT;11~ n!;!~"we are from Haran"
(Gen 29:4) answers the question, "from where do you come?"
i10~/O~you c~~ you On the other hand, had the question been "who is / are from
J;1~ you i1~5~/1~~
you Haran?" one might expect the answer, n!;!~ iJ1;l1~ ("we are from
Haran").
':Jil't / 'Jl't I
T .-:

ii. The independent pronoun is also used for emphasis.

D'V!;~Q ~1;:J i1.1i1' YHWH is God (Deut 4:35)

Notes:
1. The pronouns are characterized by distinct beginnings: ~Jan- D'i1!;~D'~1i1-i1I;1~ You are God (2 Sam 7:28)
for the first person forms, an + t for the second (thus Jatt-;
In these examples, the pronoun l't~i1 appears in addition to the
see IV.2.b), and h- for the third.
subject and has an emphatic function. Here the pronoun may sig-
Il. In the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), the
nify something like "the one;' "the very one," "that one." In the
3 fs form is almost always written as l't';:J (but pronounced
same way, the independent personal pronoun may be used to em-
as l't';:J). . phasize the direct or indirect object.
Ill. In addition to the more common 2 fs form, J;1~,an archaIC
variant, 'T:'l~,is attested. < lm~~ lJt)~ with us, even us (Deut 5:3)
IV. In addition to the more common I cp ~JT;1~~,
the variant
Drl~'0::)/ for you, even you (Hag 1:4)
forms ~m1 and ~J~ are attested.
v. Forms i~ pause m~y be vocalized or stressed a little d1fer- < iii. The third person pronoun is sometimes used to refer em-
ently (see Excursus B). These are easily recognized: ':;lJl$, '~l$, phatically to someone just mentioned and means something
i10~,J;1~,~JT;11~ like "the same," "the aforementioned;' or "that."

b. Uses '~lT,!) ~li) that (the aforementioned) Ezra (Ezr 7:6)

i. The independent personal pronoun is used most frequently as

the subject of a verbless clause (see VI.8).
 Notes:
iv. The 3 ms and 3 fs forms are sometimes used to introduce an
1. For the 3 mp one finds the variant C occurring along with
T
-

explanation or clarification of what precedes.

Cv e.g., C# (in them). By analogy, one expects the 3 fp to
T -,

:Di"1~ ~1i1 i(D,l) Esau, that is, Edom (Gen 36:1) have T suffix, in addition to Tv
T - Although unattested
T -.
I":: f \T

with prepositions, this suffix is in fact found in other contexts

v. As we will learn later, the independent personal pronoun
and should be learned as a possible form.
may be used to indicate a change of the speaker or actor, par-
11. When in pause, the 2 ms form is usually 1 (-ak). One T -

ticularly in parenthetical comments (see XIII+b.ii).

must take special note of this, since the form is identical
to the 2 fs suffix.
lll. The accent on the I cp suffix is important; without the
penultimate stress, the word may mean something else.
Whereas the independent personal pronoun is used for the sub-
Compare: ~J~ (in us), ~J# (they built).
ject, the suffixed pronouns (or "pronominal suffixes") may refer
to the noun as the indirect or direct object. In terms of form, The prepositions C~ (with), n~ (with), and T'~ (between) take
three sets of suffixed pronouns may be identified. suffixed pronouns of this type. Since C~ and n~ are derived from
geminate roots, however, the suffixes are added to the base forms
a. Type A cimm and Jitt-, respectively.
The prepositions f (in) and 7 (to, for) take suffixes of this type.

3 ms ir-l~with him i~~ with him

3 ms i, to him i::J in him 3 fs ;:m~ with her rt~l' with her
T' T

3 fs rt, T
to her rt::Jin her
T 2 ms 9I;1~ with you 97p+, with you
ms 97 to you 9~ III you
2
2 fs 1r-l~ with
T'
you 17p+, with you
2 fs 1? to you 1# you
III
I cs 'T:l~ with me "~l' /''lP+' with
, T
me
I cs '7 to me '::J me III

3 mp Cr-l~ with them Cil~l'/C~l' with them

3 mp Cil'
': T
to them Cil::Jin them
',' T
T' '.' T T

3 fp - not attested- -not attested-

3 fp Tv? to them 1V# in them
C:J::Jin them
2 mp C~I;1~ with you c:ml' with you
2 mp C:J,
',' T
to you T
T

2 fp - not attested- -not attested-

2 fp P? to you P# In you
I cp ~m~with us ~J~l' with us
I cp ~)? to us ~)f In us T' T '
 Suffixed Pronouns / 97

b. Type B 3 ms "'N to him "? upon him/it

T

The prepositions f (like) and 1~(from) take suffixed pronouns of 3 fs i1"N

T .,.
to her O'? upon her/it
this type.
2 ms 9'?~ to you 9'?, upon you

~;'i73~ like him

<

W~~ from him

2 fs T?~ to you T? upon you

;,i73::>like her in~~ from her

T'"
I cs '?~ to me '? upon me
T T

9i73~ like you 9?p~ from you 3 mp t:li1"N

..... to-: them t:lV'~ upon them
1i~~like you 1~~ from you 3 fp TV'~~ to them lv'~ upon them
'Ji73::>like
T
me '~~/'~~~ from me 2 mp t:l?'~~ to you t:l;J'~~ upon you
2 fp -not attested- P'~~upon you

;,~5~/TV~ like them ;,~5~lTv~ from them

I cp ~J'?~ to us ~J'? upon us

t:l?~ like you t:lf.~ from you

p~ like you p~ from you The prepositions -,~ (until), ntJ~ (under), '1t!~(after), '~;l7 (be-
fore), and ::l':;J9 (around) all take suffixed pro~ouns like -~N and
~Ji73::>
like
T
us ~~~~ from us
-,~. The preposition '~;l7, however, appears as
gular ;nd the I cp form"s (thus
-J~'
in all ~he sin-
"~~7,9'~~7,
ete.; b~~ t:l!J'~;l7,
t:l?'~~.). . .
Note: Whereas the I cp form mimmennu is simply ~mimmen-nu,
the 3 ms ':mimmen-hu becomes mimmennu. By the same token,
Summary of Pronominal Suffixes
the form mimmennii(h) is derived from ':-mimmen-hii. The adverb Type A Type B Type C
,iY (still, yet) takes suffixes of this type: thus, 91iY (you are still);
'r1iY (I am still); ~~iiY (we 3 ms i- ~i1-
"i1' T
-
are / he is still).
<

c. Type C 3 fs ;:t-
T
i1-
T T -

The prepositions -,~ (to) and -,~ (on) take suffixed pronouns of 2 ms 9.- 9- 9' ..-
this type. 2 fs 1T- 1- 1:--
I cs '~- ,
98 / Lesson I X

Type A Type B Type C 4-The Object Pronouns

When the direct object of a verb is a pronoun, it may be indi-
3 mp 0:1-/0 T
-
V- V' .. - cated by the marker of definite direct object with a pronominal
3 fp Fl-/t - iv- iv' ..- suffix of Type A.

2 mp O~- O:J- O~' .. -

2 fp p- p- p' ..-
inN him, it
<

I cp ~J- ~J- ~J'.. -

rmN her, it
T iON 1iv1;11$ them
91;1N you O~1;11$you
3-The Marker of Definite Direct Object 10N you -not attested-

a. Almost always in Hebrew prose, and less commonly in poetry, m1N us

T

an untranslatable particle n~/-n1$ is used to mark the definite

direct object of the verb. A noun is said to be definite when it is
a proper name, a noun with a definite article, or a noun with a Note: Unlike the preposition n~ 1 -n1$ (with), which has the base
suffixed pronoun (see Lesson XII). form Jitt- before the suffix, the marker of direct definite object
:1wb-m" has the base form Jot- or Jet-.
.. ... n,tv
-.. sending Moses

1:l:9:1-nN n,tv
.,. T -
sending the servant

... n,tv
''1:n,-nN sending my servant The independent object pronoun functions as the direct object of
. - : - ..
a clause .
The indefinite direct object, however, is not so marked.
inN lJ~tv '~~ I am sending him
1:1:9
':...
n,tv
-.. sending a servant
'DN lJ~tv N~:1he is sending me
Note: The marker of the definite direct object looks just like the
preposition n~/-n1$ (with). One must determine the usage from
the context.

b. The marker of the definite direct object must immediately pre-

cede the object and ordinarily comes after the verb and the subject. The particle :1~0(also Fl 1 -im
may appear independently or take
''1:1l'-nN n,tv 'IN I am sending my servant suffixed pronouns of Type A, as follows.
.: - ',' -.. .-;

If an indirect object (marked by the preposition ') is involved, the

indirect object ordinarily precedes the direct object.

''1::Jl'-nN
: -
O:J, n,tv
T -..
'IN .-:
I am sending you my servant
 3 ms i~D
Prepositions:
3 fs -not attested-
n~/ -n~ with, together with. Also the marker of definite direct
2 ms 9~D object.
2 fs l~D!l~D ::2'::20 around. Also used as an adverb (round about, around)
"T

I cs '~~D c~ with

Verbs:
Note: The I cs form '~JDand I cp ~J~Dare derived from '~~Dand n~! to sacrifice. Nouns: l};;)T~(mp. nin:;lT~)altar;
~J~Drespectively - with the loss of the strong dages (VI.7) n~1sacrifice " ""

b. Uses n,:;,-T
to cut. Also used in the idiom l'1"!1 . :
n,:;,-T
"to make a
There is no equivalent of :1~Din English. It has traditionally been covenant" (lit.: to cut a covenant)
translated as "Lo!" or "Behold!" But :1~Dis not really a demon- n?~ to send, stretch out, let go
strative particle. Rather, it indicates the presence of someone or
Nouns:
something, or the immediacy of an event or situation. It is very
often used to introduce the circumstances of something that is
happening.
'i!l~hero, warrior. :11~::2~
strength, might
Study the following examples.
';'1 (pI. usually ni,i'1) generation
'JJi1 Here I am (Gen 22:1)
~1! seed. Verb: ~1!to sow
D'~l)i1' 'iD~i1i1Ji1 Here are the fire and the wood
... JT: .. T ( ...

'!I1~ desert, wilderness, wasteland

(Gen 22:7) T :

It is between Kadesh and Bered (pI. n;,o~or C'"'!O~)river

(Gen 16:14) (pI. C':?) tree, wooli
And Laban said: "Very well, let it :1i7l~ pharaoh (the king of Egypt)
be according to your word"
(Gen 30:34)
il1tv':T
(pI. n;1W) field, country

You are handsome, my love (pI. ni~W) name

(Song 1:16) (fp. C'~~) year
Di?9 'r'..,:n,~i? irJ 'JJi1 I am giving him my covenant of
peace (Num 25:12)
Proper Names: 9. you (ms) and they (mp) alike

;'~7~Elijah 10. 10, you are wiser than Daniel

'~n Daniel
Exercise 9 (Isa 8:10) ?~ ij9l' I.

a. Translate into English: (Gen 30:33) 'f:1~~1~ 2.

< (Song 1:16) i1f;.l:''1Ji1 3.

I. 0;" 6. ~;"~:D T
II. 'l.:!r;tl.:!
'.' T

(Song I: IS) 'i1;J: l,~i1 4.

2. n::J T 7 "~l'
T
12. O~,,~
(Ezr 8: I) 'rbl' D'j!7i) 5.
3 ,~~~
.. ","
8. O::JT
13 9'a~7 (Zech 11:11) 'n~D'JDtEi] 6.
4 O~I;1~ 9 m;,~
T" 14 1:~
(Gen 43:32) 'ir1~ D'!~~i) 7.
5 '7p~ 10. O;'~l'
",' T
IS 'j~'-T:

(Num 14:24) irbl' 'rrllJ~rnl 8.

b. Translate into Hebrew: (Gen 34:21) ijD~ Dj] 9.

I. mme 6. from you (mp) II. for you (fs) (Gen 18:16) D9l' l;h Dl:l~'1 10.
2. from him 7 from you (fp) 12. for her (Gen 22: 7) D'~.\)V'1'iD~i) i1}i1 I I.

3 from us 8. like her 13 like them (mp) (Gen 24:51) '1',~;J~i1R:l1-i1,~i1 12.
4 to(ward) me 9 upon me 14 for us
10. for you (ms) like him e. Read Gen 41:17-20 out loud and translate the passage with
5 upon you (fs) IS
the help of a dictionary and these notes.

Notes:
I. I am a prophet like you (ms) v 17: 1;:;J'1'J(subject) spoke; '6?O;l in my dream; 1~~i] n~~ the
2. I am doing a new thing bank of the river (i.e., the Nile).
3. I am making a covenant v 18: 1~9 ni~'1:llit.: sturdy of flesh; 1~D n~''1lit.: and beautiful
4. like a consuming fire of form; i1r ;l?1r1Jand they were feeding.
5. the matter is too heavy for you (ms) v 19: 1~D 1~t;1 ni-?l'1lit.: and very ugly of form; 1~9 nij?lllit.:
6. an angel sent to (-,~) them and thin of flesh; 'n'~T~? I ha ve never seen; D'")~D rl~-?~;J
in all the land of Egypt.
7. a hand that is stretched out against me
8. you (ms) are more righteous than I v 20: 'i1~?:;;>~ilJ
and (subject) ate.
 When the demonstrative is used with adjectives (and participles
functioning as adjectives), it stands in the final position - after
the adjective(s).
A demonstrative is a word that points to someone or something il:W';l"ni} 'l~i} this great nation (Deut 4:6)
to make that referent more specific: this, that, these, those. It may
be used as an adjective (e.g., this woman) or as a pronoun (e.g., n~~i}i1Jll~i}1'P; to this great city (ler 22:8)
this is the woman). il~~i) n~~i}n:Jbi}D',J~i} these coming good years
a.Forms (Gen 41:35)

Whereas English distinguishes between near demonstratives A third person independent pronoun may be used emphatically
(see IX.r.b.ii) to take the place of a demonstrative adjective.
(this, these) and far (that, those), Hebrew uses only one set. The
When it does, an article may appear before the pronoun:
demonstrative simply points to something or someone, whether
l'\~ilD u,h~Othe man, the very one = that man.
near or far.
I~'ili} np:;n'oili) D'P::;:l in those days and at that time
(Jer 33:15)
cp il~~ these
ii. The demonstrative may be used as a pronoun. Compare the
following two sets:
Notes:
With demonstrative
1. In addition to the normal fs form nNT, the variants ilT and iT
are attested for the fs. tV'Nil N~il he is the man
T tV'Nil
.T
ilT this is the man
H. The form ~N is found as a variant of illy~.
HI. The ms for~s Tlyil and ilTlyil and the fs '~T~il are also used as ;'Wl'\il
T T
N'il she is the woman ;'WN;'
T .T
nl'\T this is the woman
T - ':T - -

demonstratives. O'tVJNil Oil.. they are the men O'tVJN;' illy~ these are the men
T -: T T-; T

i.The demonstrative may be used as an adjective. Compare the

iii. The repetition of the same demonstrative may indicate reci-
following two sets.
procity or contrast.

'ili-';~ ilJ this one to that one = one to

another (Isa 6:3 )

'nl9~ n~nnlO~ n~r this one was saying ... but that one
was saying (I Kgs 3:23)
O':Ji~il
-
O'tVJNil
T -: T
the good men illy~il O'tVJNil
T T -: T
these men

illy~il C'tV~il these women I. Contrary C.,

to the rule given in Lesson V l.I.b.ii, the definite article before and .,~;i
T T-
shows compensatory lengthening; the singular forms ~~., and ~';:t,however, sh'~w virt~'~1
doublmg.
 difference in meaning between -W / -W and 'W~; they appear to
be dialectal variants. . . .
We have already seen in Lesson VIII that the participle used as an
O~j?~ 'o~?QJiJ~ where the streams flow (Eccl 1:7)
attributive adjective or substantive may be rendered in English by
the relative pronouns "who ... " or "that ... " (e.g., '~i'V W'~V c. In archaic poetry, il! and the related forms ~T (ms) and iT / ill
the man who is standing; j1~~n:piJ;"l1ir:liJthe instruction that is (fs) may be found instead of 'W~
or -W.-W /
written). There are other ways of expressing the relative in He-
1J r!J:)iDI ill '1~:i-1i1
IT: - T I . -
(':
Mount Zion wherein you dwell (Ps 74:2)
brew, however.

a. Relative clauses in Hebrew prose are commonly introduced by

D?~~irO~ a people whom you redeemed

the particle 'w~(that, who, which, when). The particle may refer
(Exod 15:13)

to an anteced~nt of any gender, number, or case. Its precise trans- d. A relative clause is sometimes expressed without explicit
lation, therefore, depends on the context. Study the following markers. Such clauses are said to be asyndetic (without connec-
examples. tor). Only the context will determine that the clause is relative.

Ocr,? lPj~?j~'l~~ rl~ir?~ to the land which I am giving Oi1'?~'? 'rl~J in a land that is not theirs (Gen 15: I 3)
them (Josh 1:2)

'1'11 l?9 lib.~ o~6:iJl the days when David reigned 3. The Particle of Existence W~
(I Kgs 2:11)
a. To express the existence of something or someone, the particle
~1~.l' i1r1nJl(zj~ 'i1W~i1 the woman whom you put be-
. T' T J- T J': -; T' IT
W:./ -W:. is used. This particle is simply translated as "is/are" or
side me (Gen 3:12) "there is / are:'

There is often a resumptive element at the end of the relative ?~ltl),J ~';J~iD,~ there is a prophet in Israel (2 Kgs 5:8)
clause which is redundant in English and best left untranslated.
i1}iJOlp9~ i11i1~iD: YHWH is (present) in this place
I~!~ 191.l''i1D~ l~~ OlP9iJ the place where you are (Gen 28:16)
standing on it = the place on
there are righteous ones (Eccl 8:14)
which you stand (Exod 3: 5)
b. To express existence of a person or persons, Hebrew some-
i1~ o~;JiD~
O[.i~l\b.~ rl~iT?~ upon the land where you are
times uses W:' with pronominal suffixes of Type A (IX.2.a), except
dwelling in it = upon the land in
that the 3 ms form is ;Jo/;', instead of ';';W;, as one might expect.
which you dwell (N urn 33: 55 )
i18 1j(zj'lib.~-n~ with the one who is here (Deut 29: 14)
OWi1D~-liP~ Olp9iJ-FJ from the place where you are
there = from the place where Note: To express continuing presence, one uses the adverb ';1'
you are (Gen 13:14) (still) with pronominal suffixes of Type B (see IX.2.b).

b. Relative clauses may also be introduced by -W / -w, with dou- oW iJJ1.l'~ii!' and he was still there (Gen 44: 14)
bling of the following consonant (where permissible). There is no
c. To express possession, the idiom X?-W;. may be used.

~~l(z)'~D'U~~iD: Israel has a God (I Sam 17:46) a. Questions are sometimes not indicated as such in the text (that
is, there are no special markers or punctuation). Presumably in
.1 .. '~-iD'
i11i?rl ,. ... I have hope (Ruth 1:12)
speech such questions were originally indicated by intonation.

4. The Particle of Negation r~ "'~i? Difi?i Is the boy well? (2 Sam I 8:29)

b. Most frequently, questions are introduced by a prefixed inter-

a. To express non-existence or absence, the particle T'~ (T:~ when rogative particle (il) found in the following forms.
stressed) is used.
i. Before most consonants, including 1, it is q.
there is no one with us (Gen 31:50)
there is none like me (Exod 9:14)
n~ D?! iD:.i] Do you have a brother? (Gen 43:7)

m-i~ i1Ji:! whether this or that? (Eccl rr:6)

b. To express absence of a person or persons, Hebrew sometimes
uses T'~ with suffixes of Type B (IX.2.b) or Type A (IX.2.a). ii. Before a guttural it is ordinarily V.

':dr~"19i' Joseph is not here (Gen 42:36) :l~i'i1D~iJ Are you Joab? (2 Sam 20:17)
D.?:llpJ 'Jt~ I will not be in your midst (Deut 1:42) iii. Before any consonant with a sewii.:J it is V.

c. To express non-possession, the idiom X? T'~ may be used. 'o:;)Q ~P-QiJ Is it too little for you? (Isa 7:13)

'J
I, i~, "~
I ,.. iv. Before a guttural with T it is ry.
"'19~i1 Should it be said? (Mic 2:7)
5 r~ VS. N~
Note: In contrast to the definite article, the interrogative il does
a. The negative particle T'~ typically negates verbless clauses. Par- not call for the doubling of the following radical. Only in a few
ticiples, because they may function as substantives, are negated in instances does a dages appear anomalously.
this way.
c. The personal interrogative pronoun (who?) is '~, which may
I am not giving you straw! (Exod. 5:10) refer to an animate noun of any gender, number, or case (i.e.,
who? whose? whom?).
they do not know (2 Kgs. 17:26)
'm/iJ iD'~iT'P Who is that man? (Gen 24:65)
b. The negative particle ~, is used for verbal clauses (about which
we will learn later). This particle, however, also negates single i1?~-'Q Who are these? (Gen 33:5)
words.
'i1~~-'Q~ To whom do you belong? (Gen 32:18)
~~-~~ not God (Deut 32:21)
Less frequently, '~ may be translated by the indefinite "whoever,
D;?D ~,?l not wise (Deut 32:6) whosoever."
d. The impersonal interrogative pronoun (what?) is ;'17), which f. The most common interrogative adverb of place (where?)
may refer to an inanimate noun, whether singular or plural. is '~ / ;'~~.
It is vocalized in various ways, but is always easy to recognize. ?::l0'~ where is Abel? (Gen. 4:9)

i. The form is ordinarily -;,~ plus doubling of the following irJ~ ii;'~ where is Sarah? (Gen 18:9)
radical.
Q'9~~i)ii:~~ where are the men? (Gen 19:5)

This adverb may take suffixes of Type A (IX.2.a): ;':;';N (where

are you?), ;~~ (where is he?), tJ~~ (where are they?). I;; addition T

D'\Di' D[1~ ii9 What are you doing? (Judg 18:18) to '~ / ;,~~, the form r~~
(from where?) must be learned.

iii. Before nand ':J it is usually ;,~.

~JiJriip What is my guilt? (1 Sam 20: 1)

7. Exclamations and Emphatic Questions
iv. Before;' it is either ;,~ or ;,~.
T "."

a. As in English, certain interrogative words may become

iiJi1D;~lJi1ii9 What is this dream? (Gen 37: 10)
exclamatory.
'Dl~? i1lii-iip What exists for the human? (Ecel 2:22)
i. l'~/ ;,~'~
(how!)
Various prepositions may be combined with ;,~. The following
should be committed to memory. D'99Q i;1~~~T~ How you have fallen from heaven!
(Isa 14:12)
-;,~~ / ;,~~ / ;,~~ by what? = how?
ii. -;,~ /;'7? /;,~ (how!)
;,~:;,/ ;,~:;, like what? = how many, how much?
T - 0." -
'~::llt!l-::l'J ii9 How abundant is your goodness!
;,~5/ ;'~7/ ;'~7
TT TT "."T
for what? = why? (PS31:20)

;'7?-'~ until what? = how long? b. Often ;'1 or nNT is added to make a question emphatic.
;'7?-7~ upon what = why? lJ'[1.yn~tii9 Whatever have we done? (Exod 14:5)
Less frequently, m~may be translated by the indefinite "whatever, D'"J::li' D[.i~ii;i iiQJ Why (indeed) are you transgressing?
whatsoever." (Num 14:41)

n'~~-ii9 whatever (is) in the house (Gen 39:8)

e. The interrogative adverb of manner (how?) is l'~/;'~'~.
1'9~T~ how shall we sing? (Ps 137:4)
Sometimes 'W~
(also -W /
-W) may be used as a conjunction
meaning "that, so that, since, because, for."

'3.iQiLi '?j~ "'iP~ for I hear (1 Sam 2: 23 )

 '0"0 0D 1~~ so that they are living (Deut 4:10)

11IT~~ 1W~ :Jitp better that you do not vow (Eccl 5:4)
:1~# to weep

The conjunctive use of 'w~

(also -W /
-W) is especially evident ~1# to create

when it is used with certain prepositions. The following combina- ,~; to form
tions of 'W~
with other prepositions should be committed to
7W?t (takes object marked by f) to govern, dominate
memory.
7~J
-T
to fall

'W~~ as, even as, when ::J~o/ to lie down

'W~ ::Jp,~ because, because of Adverbs:

'W~ 1~~ because, because of

'W~ 'lq~ after

,iY still, yet, again, else

:1b here

l'li~ (ms; but fp: l'lil'li~) sign, mark

Conjunction:
,~ solitude. Adverb: [';17] alone. Takes suffixes of
Type A (IX.2.a): i'1;17(by himself, he alone); '1;17 ':;' for, because, that, indeed, surely, when (sometimes ':;>
(by myself, I alone). simply introduces a quotation)

~~:;> (pI. l'li~9:; throne, chair

,~~ lad

l'l (fs) time, season. Adverb: :1T-lY now

T-

oi~w T
peace, well-being, wholeness. Note the idioms: ~~o/
Oi70/(7) to ask about (someone's) well being; Oi~o/~ is
(subject) well?

w~w (usually regarded as fs) sun

:1,iT-l
T
 (Exod 18:14) D~? 'il(p~ ilD~ l~ 'ilFl 1;JliTil9 13.

(Exod 18:14) ~n:;1?':JiZ,ii'ilD~ ~1iQ 14.

(2 Kgs 6:19)Tlli) ilI ~I'llliJ il} ~I 15.

I. this great nation
2. who is wise?
3 is this the man?
4 who is the woman?
II. whoever is for YHWH
(Gen 39:9);'~QD'il!iJn';J:;l'i1~ 1~~'~ 16.
12. there is no king and no prince
(Song 8:5) 1~lDiJ-1D 'il?~ n~t '9 17
13 who is like you (ms)?
14 a man lying with a woman (Exod 23:20) ~'~~, 'l~'Q njtD 'jj~ il~il 18.

5 where are the men?
6. these cities
7 these great signs
8. these are the wicked
9 we have no food
10. where are you (ms)?
15 what are you (mp) doing? (Gen 18:22) il,Jil' ',~8' lP~ 1~1illDi)l:J~' 19
16. the lad is not with (n~) us
:li.\? n~'il.1il'',J~ 20.
17 is this the great city?
liLih ~Ji:J1 'li~ l~i'
18. a man governing Israel
(Isa 45:6-7) ll] ~li:;J1Di?y il\P~
19 YHWH is in this place
20. do you (mp) have a brother?
c. Read Deut 29:12-14 out loud and translate the passage with
the help of a dictionary and these notes.

Notes:
(Jer 6:14) Di?y r~l Di/Y I DilY 1.
v 12: D'i?i) W9' so that he (i.e., YHWH) may establish; il'il:
(Eccl 8:15) iLiDil;iiJ
nODbl~l :Jit;lT~ 2. he swore; ~'Oj~7 to your
will be; 1:;J'lhe spoke; 'll:;liLiJ
forebears.
(Gen 28:13) i)'7~ :J?tD'ilI;l~lW~ rl~i) 3

(Ps 58:12) rl~~ D'~8tD D'i1'~-iLi' 4

v 14: 1J'H'~our God.

(Job 13:23) ni~~o' ni~l~ '7 il9~ 5

(Josh 4:6) D?? il?~i) D',J~~i)il9 6.

(Eccl 6:12) D'~O~Dl~l :Ji~-ilQ lni'-'9 7

(Exod 18:I 8) 19l1 lW~ il:i.iJD;!li)-D~il~~-D~ 8.

(Exod 18:18) l~liJ '~DD 1~~-'? 9

(Jer 7:17) D'~~ il9!J il9 il~l :F~D 10.

(Gen 24:54) i9ll-1iZ,i~D'W~~i)l~1i) 11.

(Neh 13:17) D'(D~Dfl~ lW~ 'il-i.iJllJi) l~liJ-il9 12.

 construct chain; even if they qualify the construct noun, they will
stand after the absolute. The adjective and/or demonstrative will,
of course, agree in gender and number with the noun it qualifies.
Compare the following.
There is no word in Biblical Hebrew that corresponds in every
way to the English preposition "of." To say "a son of a man"
m~tD ;'~i~D ;'iP~o-p the son of this good woman

in Hebrew, then, one would ordinarily juxtapose the nouns, ;'!D :Ji~D ;'iP~o-p this good son of the woman
and sometimes link them with the maqqe[J, e.g., W'~-P "a son
It is clear, then, that the absolute noun determines the definiteness
of a man." In this construction, the noun -p is said to be in
of the entire construct chain. The construct chain is not, there-
the construct state, whereas the noun W'~ is said to be in the
fore, employed to express a relationship of possession between an
absolute state. The words in such a construct chain are thought
indefinite noun and a definite noun. Instead, the preposition'
to be so closely related that they are read as if they constituted
(to, for, belonging to) is used.
one long word.
There may be three or even four nouns in a construct chain, ;~'~p son of Jesse (r Sam r6:r8)
e.g.,':5-w'~-p "a son of a man of valor." In any case, only the
Since proper names are considered definite, the simple juxtaposi-
last noun in the chain is in the absolute state; all the others are
tion of the nouns without the intervening' would make the
construct nouns.
phrase definite. Thus, whereas 'W~-P (r Sam 20:27) means "the
Nouns in the construct state cannot, as a rule, take the definite
son of Jesse," ;~'~ p means "a son of Jesse" (r Sam r6:r8). By
article. Nouns in the absolute state, on the other hand, may be
the same token, "J1~ 1::JE (Dan ro:r7) means "the servant of my
indefinite or definite. The definiteness of the noun in the absolute
state determines the definiteness of the entire chain. Thus,
lord;' but :~1~7 1::J;lJ (Gen 44:33) means "a servant of my lord.':
In short, the addition of' breaks the construct chain.
a. the construct chain is indefinite if the absolute noun is
indefinite.

i19Q~rJ iD'~ a man of war (Exod r 5:3)

Many nouns manifest no difference in form between the con-
b. the construct chain is definite if the absolute noun is definite struct and the absolute. But since nouns in construct (except for
singular segolates) tend to lose their primary stress, certain
n')JiJ 1il~ the ark of the covenant (Josh 4:9)
changes may be expected. The following rules account for most
DiTPto:; 1::Jp the servant of Abraham (Gen 24:34) of the changes.

';J~n'f! the house of my father (r Kgs 2:31) a. The vowel .. (e) in a monosyllabic noun frequently
becomes.: (e) when that noun is joined to the following
Since construct nouns as a rule do not take the definite article,
word(s) by means of the maqqe[J.
a construct noun with a prefixed preposition (f, f, 7) will also
not have the definite article: ';J~ n';:J.:J in the house of my father
(Judg 6:r5)
Adjectives and demonstratives do not normally interrupt the
 p son -p son of O''''!W (11W) pnnces ' :l.W (not ':"1lp) rulers of

::1? heart -::1,.. / -::1,... heart of O':;J (::111') clouds '~ (not ':"~~nclouds of

O'''!~('11') witnesses '1~ (not ':"1~)witnesses of

11. If the reduction of a vowel results in two vocal sewa.:)'s in

immediate succession, the Rule of Sewa.:J applies (see VI. 3).
'; hand ,~ hand of

11$7~angel 1~7~angel of

c. The masculine plural (0'. -) or dual ending (O~:-) changes

to ' .. (i;)

'~i~lords of
'~ waters of

f. Final;' ...- becomes;' ..-.

0;'0/ peace O;'iP peace of Absolute
n;~W names n;~iP names of

Notes:
I. In some nouns, long a. or e is not reduced. This is so be- g. Original ';'aw contracts to 6, since the stress is lost (see
cause the long vowel is the result of compensatory lengthen- IV.2.c.iii.(3).
ing (IY.2.a.i.Q') or the root is II-Waw/Yog (IV.2.c.vi).
h. Original *ay contracts to e, since the stress is lost (see
IV.2.c.iv.~).

A few nouns have construct forms that are unpredictable.

i. Segolate plurals retain their ':qat!, "qit!, or "qot! (*qut!) bases The following should be committed to memory.
(see V.2). Thus, the three different types are discernible in the
plural construct.

i. "qat! n~~ wife of

'~~ father of

'lJ~ brother of
tJ':;l?7? kings ,~?~kings of
'l]~ brothers of
n;wm
T:
lives n;w~~ lives of
1'1~ thigh 11~thigh of

~Df shoulder ~D~ shoulder of

;"I~n,~ battle
T T :
n~n,~battle
...... : . of

n~t:9 beast of

no~tp~ family of

"l' cities of
T

;"I~ mouth '~ mouth of

tJ'WN' heads
T
'WN' heads of
T

Participles and adjectives also appear in construct chains, since

they may be used as substantives.
 Forms and Uses of,j / 123

5 The Forms and Uses of 7:D

Oi/O ojh a dreamer of a dream (Deut 13:2) a. The word ,:;, (any, all, each, every) may appear in three forms.

Di~Oi}olin the dreamer of the dream (Deut 13:4) i. Independent form: 'j.
ilb?iD'Jj Solomon's builders (I Kgs 5:32)
"f i" ~',".O 'P~?~ all the days of your life (Gen 3:17)
b. Adjectives ii. With the maqqefJ: -,:;, (kol-).
T

ilt'li1Qil~'l 1t'1ii"-i1~'handsome in form and handsome

I": : - f'" - \ nr?~ every tree (Gen 2:9)
in appearance (Gen 39:6)
iii. With pronominal suffix of Type A (IX.2.a): -'~.
1i~! l;J~i il~-l::.;1~heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue
(Exod 4:10)
iJl? all of us (Deut 5:3)

oj? all of them (Gen 43:34)

Although genitive relation is expressed by the construct chain, it
does not mean that the construct chain must always be translated
by the English preposition of. One must determine from the con-
text the proper function of the absolute. Consider the following
examples.
iD~li :3jo il;J! flowing with milk and honey
(Exod 3:8)
il~iJ~ iljin sick with love (Song 2: 5)
1::;J-'l1i~ those who go down to the pit
(Isa 38: r 8)
Very frequently, the construct chain takes the place of an adjecti-
val construction:
iDl~ l'l,T seed of holiness
(Isa 6:r 3)
O?il' il''J:l covenant of eternity = eternal covenant
(Gen 9:r6)
b. The translation
qualifies.
of ,j depends on the definiteness of the noun it
i. It may be a substantive, used independently with the meaning
"everyone, everything, all." The word may appear with or
without the definite article.
r1~:;l-1ilJ~?~ everything that is on earth (Gen 6:17)
i;J ?~ l,~. ?:b::.;1
i"1: his hand is against everyone, and every
one's hand is against him (Gen r6:12)
ii. It may appear in the construct state with a definite noun, in
which case it means "all of" or "the whole of."
'ill.\)~T?~ the whole congregation (Num 16:3)
r1~i)':i)?~ all (of) the nations of the earth
(Gen r8:r8)
= a holy seed
iii. It may appear in the construct state with an indefinite noun,
in which case it may be translated as "every," or "each."
~,~~-?~li~~?~ every bird, every winged thing
(Gen 7:14)

Oi~-?~:l on each day (Ps 7:12)

Hebrew has no special form or ending for the superlative (e.g.,
,~~ (mp cs: ~1~:;l)
garment
tallest, greatest). Rather, the superlative may be expressed in a
variety of ways. 'R# large cattle

a. By an adjective that is definite in form or in sense. ,~5 (pi.: O~!R~)morning

1~i?iJ the youngest (Gen 42:13) ;,~;n wall
T

I',~~ I~P the youngest of his sons r~n (pi. n;~~n)street, outside. r~n7;)outside (often in
(2 Chron 21:17) contrast with n:~7;)inside)

Note: In the first example, of course, one must determine

from context if the word means "the youngest" or simply
t'Hf (fs) wing, skirt
"the young one."
:J~'f cherub (a winged sphinx)
b. By the adjective + the preposition ~ with a plural noun.
m~ death
D'9P i1~~iJ the most beautiful among women
O.OT

(Song 1:8)
;'~N?7? (cs: n~N?7?)mission, work
D'~li?iJ tV1!? the holiest place (Exod 26: 33) O~1 oracle. Occurs almost exclusively in the construct state:
"oracle of."
D''J~J) 1:Jp' lowliest slave (Gen 9: 2 5 )
'~Q book, scroll, letter
The superlative may be intended even if the construct and ab-
solute are not semantically related. ;'0p? congregation

i1lJ1:J '?J)" "O:JO the wisest of Pharaoh's advisors ,nl' TT

dust
(Isa 19:II) 1N~ flock, sheep and goats, small cattle
Dl~ ');':J~Ithe neediest of humanity (Isa 29: 19)
N~ (pi. n;N~) host, army
d. By means of the 17;) (used as a comparative) with 7:;'. 1JlJ midst
i11~iJ il;:O ',)jiJ DYl-V the most cunning of all the wild
Verb:
animals of the field (Gen 3: I)
 (Exod I: I) ?~l~' ')J 'niiJiLii1?~'1 I.
(Gen 26:24) tJDl:J~ 'W?~ ':)j~ 2.

(Jash I: I) i1Ji1'1::l;i'i1wb niQ 'JD~ 3

(Deut 4:28) tJJ~ 'T i1WJ)Q 4
lV~ 19 p~
(Judg 13: 6) tJ'(1?~i) l~?Q i1~1Q:J 5
ni7.JW 20. T1W~
5 C'lP~~ 21. 1lY
(Gen 47:13) 1~iJ :J~li) 1;:J~-'? r1~i)-?~J 'n~tJIJ;'1 6.
T T

(Gen 28:12) i~ tJ'"!1;''1tJ';ll tJ'i1?~ '?~?Q 'i1m'1 7.

6. ni~1N
T-:

(Exod 24:17) 10i) iLi~p n??~ iLi~:Ji11i1'1tp 'i1~1Qi 8.

7. C'~~ 15 C'lPN1
(Num 14:41) i1Ji1~'p-n~ tJ'"J:JlltJD~ i1} i19J 9.
8. C'1:JY
. T-: 16. C'7;Y
(Job 5:10) ni~m ')8-?,p tJ'O rr!.~'1rl~r'J8-?,p 1tp9,1DJi1 10.
tJj~n~ ni~l1:Ji i1Jii1~'J.vJ tJ'tpll i19iJ i19 i1~1 :P'~D I I.
'D~ (Jer 7:17)

'}.~1 10. n7.?67~

'7T1N
T: T
19. n~in
4 ';;Jl1 20. '~tp d. Read 2 Chron 5:1-10 out loud and translate the passage with
5. 'P'~;;l 21. 'I?tp the help of a dictionary and the following notes.

6. '(.n Notes:

7 n?,N77? 15 23 iiZT v I: 'w7iLir11

when (subject) was completed; i1W.v(subject)

8. nw~ 16. 24. ni7.J accomplished;

1D~he put.
~~~1 (subject) brought; '1'j~ his father;

v 2: ?'i1p~ (subject) assembled; ni~J)i}! to bring up.

v 3: ifiJrt1 (subject) assembled themselves.

v 4: i~S.~1(subject) came; i~ttn and (subject) carried.

 Excursus D
v 5: i?~t] and (subject) brought (object) up; i/1.'i1 they brought
(object) up. Reference Grammars
v 6: D'J.viJiJ who had gathered themselves; 'o'n:lIQ were
sacrificing; il~9'-~!could not be counted; i~9'~?I and The student will no doubt notice that the rules given in this book
could not be numbered; J!Q (= T~ + :l'1) because of (their) are often qualified by words like "probably;' "ordinarily;' and
abundance. the like. This is so because there are, more often than not, excep-
tions to the rules. There are anomalous forms and constructions
v 7: i~';J:]and (subject) brought (object) in; i9ipQ its place. which, for pedagogical and practical reasons, cannot be treated
v 8: i:i1"]and (subject) were; i9~'J and (subject) covered; 1'-:9 in an elementary grammar. Moreover, there are nuances of cer-
its poles; i1?.l)9~Q from above. tain constructions which are not mentioned in the simplified ex-
planations of an introductory textbook. These are the sort of fine
v 9: 1:J'1~~,]
and (subject) extended; qi~TJ and (subject) were points that may be discussed in reference grammars.
visible; i~T ~?Ibut they were not visible; i1iDiJfrom
outside; 'i1~,Jand it has been.

v 10: pl, only; ',J.iLi the two; 1m (subject) gave; nJ~ (subject) had
For most of this century, the standard work in the English-
made (i.e., the covenant); DD~~:Jwhen they went out. speaking world has been Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar, which,
as the title suggests, was based on a work by the great German
scholar Wilhelm Gesenius. This nineteenth-century grammar
was edited and expanded by E. Kautzsch and, subsequently, by
A. E. Cowley. Hence, it is known as Gesenius-Kautzsch-Cowley,
or abbreviated as GKC (2nd English Edition; Oxford: Clarendon,
1910). The volume includes paradigms, subject index, and scrip-
ture index. Although outdated, it is still a useful work that is
widely used.
Along with GKC, scholars this century often cite a grammar
published by the French scholar Paul ]ouon in 1922. Now,
thanks to the efforts of T. Muraoka, we have an English transla-
tion of that grammar, revised and enlarged as A Grammar of
Biblical Hebrew (2 Volumes; Subsidia Biblica 14 /1-2; Rome: Ed-
itrice Pontificio Istituto Biblico, 1993). Also with full paradigms,
subject index, and scripture index, this grammar may become a
standard work for years to come.
Another important grammar is B. K. Waltke and M. O'Con-
nor's An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax (Winona Lake,
Indiana: Eisenbrauns, 1990). As the title suggests, it is not a full
reference grammar but a volume dedicated to issues of Hebrew
syntax, something which other grammars do not present as fully
or as lucidly. Beginners will find this book quite accessible. The
explanations are easy to follow and there are plenty of examples
of the various constructions, each duly translated. Copious notes
and an extensive bibliography point to further studies. Besides
the usual indexes that characterize reference grammars, there is
also a helpful glossary of technical terms.
R.]. Williams' Hebrew Syntax: An Outline (Second Edition;
Toronto: University of Toronto, I976) is not a reference grammar
in the sense that the other books mentioned here are; it is much
abbreviated. Rather, it falls in the category of what one may call
a "Quick Reference" on Hebrew syntax. Published in paperback,
it is an inexpensive and perhaps indispensable handbook.
Only specialists and the most advanced students will attempt
to study the reference grammars systematically. Most people will
turn to these books for information on some aspect of Hebrew
grammar, as the need arises. In that case, it may suffice to look
for the pertinent section or sections in the grammar in the table of
contents, various indexes, or the paradigms.
On occasion one may want to know more about a certain
topic. For instance, it is possible to learn a lot more about the
construct nouns than we have been able to cover in this book: the
possible origin of the construction, more rules on morphology,
the nuances, exceptions, and so forth. G KC and JOllon-Muraoka
discuss this topic in various places, sometimes focussing on the
forms, and other times on syntax. Waltke-O'Connor has an ex-
tensive discussion in the chapter on "Genitive Function," where
the authors attempt to discern the various nuances of the con-
struct noun. Williams treats the topic under "Bound Structure;'
where he notes, among other things, that a construct chain may
be interrupted under certain conditions. To find the appropriate
sections where a topic is discussed, one needs only to look at the
table of contents and the subject index.
Most often, however, one begins not with questions about a
specific topic, but with problems in translation. For instance,
someone reading Jer 25:26 may be troubled by the construction
r1~i)nt;hi:lQir?~,apparently meaning "all the kingdoms of
the earth:' This is a violation of the rules (see XI. I), if they are
strictly applied. One may want to know if the rules are ever bro-
ken and, if so, under what circumstances. The Scripture Index in
G K C directs one to I 27 .g, where the phrase is explained as a
conflation of two readings, n;:;j?7?~Dand r1~Dn;:;j77?~.But,
then, one notes that there are other examples, which G KC also
tries to explain, although not always convincingly. JOllon-
Muraoka and Waltke-O'Connor do not have our passage in the
scripture index. Williams says simply that the construct form
"should be anarthrous" (i.e., without the article), but cites a
Phoenician text and gives eight examples, including Jer 25:26,
where a definite article apparently appears with a construct noun.
As another example, in I Kgs 7:I4, one finds i19~DjTn~as the
apparent object of the passive verb "he was filled." The question
there is whether -ntt, which is supposed to mark the definite di-
rect object, can be used with a passive verb. Checking the scrip-
ture index in JOllon-Muraoka, one is referred to a section in the
grammar that explains that verbs of abundance (to be full, be
sated) and scarcity (to be lacking, be deprived) regularly take the
direct object. The scripture index in Waltke-O'Connor also leads
one to a discussion of the various uses of -mt ...
Sometimes the problem is with a particular Hebrew form, in
which case one looks under the index of Hebrew words in either
GKC or Jollon-Muraoka. The irregular plural 0'1;1# (pI. of n:~),
for example, is listed here.
A Suggestion: Prepositions in Hebrew are often problematic for
the beginner because they tend to have a much wider range of
meaning than their English counterparts. It will prove immensely
helpful, therefore, if one takes some time to read the discussions
on prepositions in the grammars.
 i1910 mare
Personal possession in Hebrew (e.g., my horse) is usually indi-
cated by a suffixed pronoun. For singular nouns, suffixes of Type ng10 mare of
A (I X.2.a) are used, with only minor changes in the 2 fs and I cp
forms. For plural and dual nouns, suffixes of Type C (IX.2.c) are
used. In general the suffixes are attached to the construct nouns,
i1'n;010
T
her mares
for '910 "my horse" means the same thing as "the horse of mine."
9l;1R10 your mare 9'!J;010 your mares
a. Masculine nouns with suffixes
1lJ910 your mare 1~6;010 your mares
Singular noun Plural noun
'D910 my mare '1];010 my mares
abs. 010 horse 0'910 horses

cs. 010 horse of '!;l10 horses of 0\)'lJ;010 their mares

10910 their mare 1\)'lJ;010 their mares

3 ms ;010 his horse "910 his horses
0?l;1g10 your mare 0?,'lJ;010 your mares
3 fs fl010 her horse
T
i1'010
T ".'
her horses
Pl;1g10 your mare P'lJ;010 your mares
2 ms 9910 your horse 9'!;l10 your horses
1m010
T
our mare 1J'0;010 our mares
2 fs 1!;l10 your horse 1~g10 your horses
I cs '910 my horse 'g10 my horses

3 mp 0010
T
their horse 0\)'!;l10 their horses

3 fp 1910 their horse 1\)'910 their horses

2 mp O?910 your horse 0?,'91O your horses

2 fp P910 your horse P'91O your horses

I cp 1J910 our horse 1J'910 our horses

 Noun before Suffixes / 135

Singular noun

a, Polysyllabic Nouns cs. '~1 '~q ni21~

The addition of the suffix causes the noun to shift its accent for- 3 ms ;,:J'1
T: ;'~q ;nRT~
ward, and vowel reduction takes place according to the rules set
3 fs rt':J'1 rt,::m
TO' -: rtDR1~
forth in II1.2.a. TT :

Noun with 2 ms 91~1 91~q 9t;1~Tl~

Independent noun pronominal suffix 2 fs T91 1'}.~q 1lJR1~
I cs ',:J'1 '!~q 'l}Rl~
,:J'1
T word
T
;,:J'1
T: his word "T :

;);,~his lord 3 mp t:l':J'1 t:l':ll1'1 t:lDR1~

1;'1$ lord TT : TO' -:

;mw
3 fp n~l n~q 1DR1~
mw year his year
t:l::l,:J'1
T T T :
2 mp ...
:- : t:l?'l~q t:l?,t;1Rl~
:J:J7
T.. heart ;:J:J7
T: his heart
Pl~q Pt;1i21~
2 fp Pl~l
;-m1'1
T.. anger ;1'17'1'1his anger
T -;
I cp ~)':J'1
"T :
~)'}.~q ~JlJi21~
7~~ redeemer ;7~~ his redeemer

~ElW~ judgment ;~ElW~

T: his judgment
T:

If, as a result of such a reduction, two vocal sewiiJ's should stand

in immediate succession, the Rule of SewiiJ (V 1.3) applies (com- 3 ms "D;Pl~
pare X1.2.d.ii). 3 fs o'5;Pl~
9'~.~1 9'~.~q
<
9'5;Pl~
T1~1 T1~q T5;Pl~
':';nRl > ':';nRl > ;nRl~ his righteousness ',:J'1
-T : '1~q 'lJ;Pl~
::';n~,~ > ::';n~,~ > ;n~,~ his ground
T T -: T : -: T :-
3 mp t:lry'lJ;Pl~
3 fp 1ry''}.~1 1ry'WD 1V'lJ;Pl~
2 mp t:l?,''}.~1 t:l?"'}.D t:l;:?'lJ;P'W
Study the following examples of the polysyllabic nouns '~1
(word), ,~O (court), and i1Rl (righteousness).
2 fp P''}.~1 p"WD P'DiPl~
~)'5;P1~
b. Geminate Nouns
Nouns that were originally "qall, ':'qill, or ':'qull and those that
have become associated with nouns of this group by virtue of the
assimilation of a Nun, behave according to rules (see V.I). Study
the following examples of geminate nouns e~ (people), YO (ar-
row), and ph (statute). "rer
o'rer
Singular Noun
9'~~ 9'~r:t 9'rer
':-Qall ':'Qill "Qull

yo ph
1~?P~ T~r:t Trer
cs. e~
'rer
3 ms i~~ i~r:t ipr ery'.r:t
ery'~~ ery'i?r
3 fs ri~l' ri~n rirer
T - T
F!'~~ m'.r:t F!'i?r
2 ms 97p~ 9r:t 9~r e~'~~ e?'.r:t e~'i?r
2 fs l~~ 1.r:t li?r p'~~ P'.r:t p'i?r
I cs '7p~ '~r:t 'i?r

3 mp e~l'
T -
e~nT erer
3 fp FP~ lr:t lrer c. Segolate Nouns
2 mp e~7p~ e~r:t e~~r
Nouns that were originally <'qatl, <'qitl, or '>qutl (V.2) retain their
2 fp P7p~ Pr:t p~r original bases in the singular forms with suffixes. Plural nouns,
however, retain their bases only when they take plural suffixes.
I cp ~)~~ ~).r:t ~)i?r Study the following examples of the segolate nouns l?~ (king),
'1~ (vow), and tVln (month). ..
13 8 I Lesson X II

Singular Noun
Related to these three types are a few penultimately stressed femi-
"-Qat! *Qit! *Qut!
nine nouns that end in 1\.- or 11_ - (III.r.b.iii,iv).
cs. 1?~ "p W1 n i. a-class

3 ms i:;)7~ ;'l~ ;W1n

i1::l'~ i1'1)
:T

i1W1n
111~lP~obligation
3 fs T: - T :. T :T

2 ms 9:P7~ 9!"'!~ 9lP1O

2 fs 1~7~ Tn~ 1W1O
I cs '~7~ '!l~ 'W1n
:T

3 mp O::l'~ T: -
0'1) T :.
OW1n
T :T

3 fp lf7~ nl~ l1flO

2mp O~:P7~ O:J'1) O:JW1n 11Wn): bronze
.: : :. . . :T ",'

2 fp P:P7~ PTP PlP10

I cp ~)$.7~ ~),'1)
.. :' ~)W1n
.. :T
d. Nouns with diphthongs

Diphthongs in nouns contract according to the principles given in

I V.2.c.iii.f3, iv.f3:
Plural Noun
"Qat! *Qit! *Qutl

CS. ';:J7~ "1)

.. :' 'W1n
.. :T
3 ms ":J'~ TT:
"'1)T T:
"W1n
T TT:
e.Nouns with III-Waw/Yog Roots
3 fs il'S,~
T T :
il,.,1)
T .,. T: il'W1n
T TT:
<.
i. Monosyllabic nouns with III-Waw/Yog Roots (IV.2.c.vii.')')
2 ms 9'?'?7? 9'11~ 9'Wlr:
<. have construct forms with final -i ('. -).
2 fs 1:~?7? T11~ TWlr:
I cs ':J'~ -T:
"1)
- T:
'W1n
- TT:

3 mp Oil':J'~
'0 :-
Oil"1)
... .. :' Oil'W1n
.. :T
3 fp FJ';:J7~ lv''J:'P lv'W1O
2 mp O:J':J'~
..... :-
O:J"1)
.. :' O:J'W1n
'.' .. :T
2 fp P';:J7~ P'}.l~ P'W1O
I cp wS,~ T :
~)'''1)
. T:
~)'W1n
.. TT:
140 / Lesson X TT Noun before Suffixes / 141

Singular noun Hi. Nouns like '~q (half), '!~(fruit), and '~(affliction) treat
the final' as a consonant whenever the suffix is added
cs. ':;2~ '!J~ '~
(1V.2.c.vii.i3). They take suffixes of Type A (I X.2.a). When
3 ms ":;21$ ,'n~ T
"~ the suffix is added, the vowel in the first syllable is difficult
to predict. Study the following attested suffixal forms of the
1j":J~ T
1j"n~ T
1il'~ nouns '~q (half), '!~(fruit), and '~(affliction).
3 fs il':J~ il'n~ il'~
T T T T T
Singular noun
2 ms 9':;21$ 9'!J1$ 9'$
3 ms i't.! i',~ i'J~ :T

2 fs 1':;21$ 1'!J1$ 1'~ 3 fs ;:l'~n rt"~ rt'J~

T: .,' T : T:T

I CS ':;21$ 'n~
'. T
'~ 2 ms 9~l~
2 fs Tl~ TH'
3 mp Cv':;2~ Cil'n~
.,. .-: Cil'~.
.,'

I cs ':l~ "J~
.: T

3 fp 1V':;2~ 1V'!J~ FJ'~

c~'n~ C~,~. 3 mp c'~n C"~ C'J~
2 mp C~':;2~ .. .-: ','
T: .,' T : T:T

3 fp 1~l~
2 fp P':;2~ P'!J~ P'~ C~,,~
2 mp .. ..
: :'

I cp 1J':J~
T
1J'n~ 'T
1J'~ I cp 1J~t.!

Notes:
Note: The alternate forms CV'!~ (their fruit) and FJ'!~ (with
i. With the exception of the alternative 3 ms ending ('-) and
3 fp suffix) are attested, as is the 2 mp suffixal for~ f~r
the I cs ('. -), the suffixes are those of Type B (1X.2.b).
11. Singular nouns that end in il..- (1V.2.c.vii.a), except for ilp'
C~':;2tp(your captive).
(mouth), lose the il... - ending' and take the suffixes of Type' A f. The nouns p (son) and CW (name)
(I X. 2.a), except that the 3 ms suffix for the singular noun is
These nouns reduce the stem vowel ( ..) before the suffix. If, as
1il~- instead of i-. Plural forms are regular.
a result of this reduction, two vocal sewifJ's stand in immediate
<
succession, the Rule of Sewi{J applies .
1ilW~ his deed
.<

1J'W~ our deeds iJf his son

1il1W
<

his field ::'91f> 91:;1 your son

"T

i7.Jtp his name

'1tv T
my field

1J"tv our fields ::'9~tp > 9~1P your name

"T
g. The nouns ;'l.P~(woman, wife) and n~ (daughter)
The pre-suffix forms of ;'l.P~and n~ are -r-llP~eist-) and -r:l~ ;,~o to camp. Noun: ;,m~(pI. C'm~,niJq~) camp, army
(bitt-) respectively.
Other:

;'l.P~wife ir:l1p~ his wife

n~ daughter ir:l~ his daughter

I. her nose 9. her strength 17. your (mp) spirit

(ms; md: C'~~) nose, face, anger 2. his men 10. his wives 18. a heavy cloud
heat, rage 3. his field I I. your cities 19. my daughter
half, middle. Verb: ;''::In to divide
TT
4. their fruit 12. my people 20. your (ms) staff

(pI. C'!~q or ni'~q) court 5. my fruit 13. our father 21. your (ms) brother

ph (also ;,rem statute 6. our king 14. his hands 22. your (ms) brothers
7. his wife 15. his mouth 23. your (ms) seed
1]~ strength, power
8. my name 16. our deeds 24. her garments
"H~ (pI. C'?':P~ or ni'1~~)
tower
gift, offering
(fp ni~ mi~wof) commandment
~J'P.~1]~'
I. 6. 11Jl~~D'1~~
(cs. no~1p~) family, clan
2. 9H' li'~ 7 tzjl~iJ '1P Cv'~~ '~i'9H~
'1~(also ,,3) vow. Verb: "J to vow
8. '~n,~,-,~
~~ -T
3. Ti'-'1~~ -- : T ~J'5i::l~'ti'~
;"m
T -:-

4 lWiJ '1J; 9 lWiJ '1~~f ";)N~

T - :
c'~nm,
- -

strength. Adjective: T~ strong

cloud
5. 1~!~J'~l$ 10. 'i'~
n~h~~~
~1 friend c. Translate the following into English:

;''J. friend, companion (Ps 90: I I) 'lP~ i~ l1l1~-'9 I.

lW (fs; duo C:~lP) tooth, ivory (Ps 63:4) lJ'~lJP'llOlJ, J1ti-':l 2.

n~.~~I:lglory, beauty, splendor (Gen 3 2: 3) ilJ lJ'D?~ il}lJO 3 .

 (Has 6:4) 1p:q~.v~
'0:)101:11 4

(Ps 86:8) ~r~.vO? n~'~~'1~I O~D~~:;l'li9~T~ 5

(Isa 64:10) 1JD1~8n,1JW'j2n~~ 6.
The first full inflection of the finite verb in Hebrew is called the
(Jer 10:20) ~'?iJ~"i!' i1~JT~ 7
perfect. The third person masculine singular (3 ms) form in this
(Prov 18:10) i1Ji1~
OWr~-~l;Q 8. inflection has no special markers. Otherwise, endings called affor-
(Exod 28:43) '~"JO~i-?1r~1i~ oji!' np-Q 9 matives are appended to the base form to indicate gender, person,
and number. The same set of afformatives is used for all verbs in
(Hag 2:5) o?=?inJnlPiJ ~Gn, 10. the perfect, regardless of their verbal patterns ("conjugations").
(Isa 44:24) '1:;J?'o"Oy i1pJ?:) i1tD.~
'i1)i1~~?J~ 11.
(Jer 5:14) (6~~ 'l':JJ ~"'91'1n.J')Ji1 12. 3 ms
(2 Kgs 17:34) 'o~PQ~ o'tbiJ qt~l 13
i1j~i)~' i1'Jin~,O~~(6Q:)1 3 fs ~ -
T

(J ash 3: I I) O;?J.8~1;JiJrl~iT~~ 1il~ n~1JiJ 1il~ 'i1J.i114 2 ms r:l-

T

(Gen 50:7) o'"J~Q-rl~ ',J.pr~~, in~::l~)pr'i1iJ1~~JJ.lr~~ IS

2 fs r-l-
d. Read out loud Psalm 121 and translate the passage with the I cs '1:1-
help of a dictionary and these notes.

Notes: Notes:
v I: ~\09~I will lift up; ~~: will come. 1. An archaic afformative '1:1- is attested for the 2 fs (compare
the variant 2 fs independent pronoun '1:1~in IX. 1.a.iii).
v 3: t;li97lfl'-~~ may he not permit (object) to stumble.
n. There is no distinction between the masculine and the femi-
v 3: D1j:-~~may (subject) not slumber. nine genders in the third person plural and all first person
v 4: ~7'01J:~~~ he will
1~~~ not slumber and he will not sleep. forms.

v 6: i1~:):-~~will not smite you.

v 7: :l19(6~ will keep you; 10(6' he will keep.
The 3 ms of the perfect of strong roots may have one of three
v 8: 'l~iJ1 :It;1~:,,C19(6'
will guard your going and coming. variations: qiital, qiitel, qiitol. The qiital type is by far the most
common of the three. Verbs belonging to this group are typically
dynamic; they involve some sort of action, whether transitive
(taking a direct object) or intransitive (not taking a direct object),
e.g., :J.lJf (to write), ,~W
(to keep), 'm (to fall), '1~(to descend).
The qiitel and qiitol types are much smaller groups of verbs that
are typically stative. In contrast to verbs of action, stative verbs second syllable whenever that syllable is stressed. In the 2
describe a state or condition, e.g., 1~f(to be heavy, important), mp and 2 fp forms, the vowel is shortened: thus qiftontem
1~!(to be old), N1~(to be afraid, fearful), 1b~ (to be small), 7:J~ and qetonten.
(to be able). Some verbs appear in Qal in both qatal and qiipH IlL If the final radical of the root is the same as the consonant of
forms, e.g. w~? (to clothe) and w~?
(to be clothed). A rigid the afformative, the consonant is written only once, but dou-
semantic categorization of the types must be avoided, however. bling is indicated by a strong dages.
A few verbs of the qatal pattern are stative (e.g., C~O to be wise). ~Jt,?~ they were small ~~b~ we were small
Moreover, some verbs of the qatel pattern may exhibit qualities
of a dynamic verb (e.g., N~W
to hate), or the original distinction ~Jm :IT
they gave ~~m -T
we gave
between the dynamic and stative forms may have iU11::l she cut m::l you cut
T :IT T -T

been lost (e.g., :J1~ and :J'JR both meaning "to draw near").
The forms of the Qal perfect of 1~W
(to keep), 1~f(to be The important verb 1m
not only shows doubling in the I cp
heavy), and 1b~ (to be small) are as follows. form, but the final Nun also assimilates whenever it precedes
the consonant 11 of the suffix.
qatal qatel qatol
::'~15~> ~5~ you gave ::"I:115~> 'I:15~ I gave
3 ms 1r"W 1:J::l 1b~
- T "T
The final Nun ;adical< of other III-Nun verbs, however, does not
3 fs il1r"W
T: IT
il1:J::l
T: IT
il~t,?~ assimilate: 'I:11b~;'I:11iZ!

2 ms m?3w
T : - T
111:J::l
T :-T ~16~
2 fs mr"w
: : - T
111:J::l
: :- T
!;11b~
.< Biblical Hebrew does not have tenses in the strict sense of the
I cs 'm?3w :- T
'1115::l : - T
'I:11U~ word. Time of occurrence is indicated in context by certain
adverbs (time words) and, as we shall see in later lessons, by the
3 cp ~1r"W ~1:J::l ~Jt,?~
: IT : IT
way the sentence is constructed. The finite verbs themselves do
2 mp c~n~iP c~l~f C~1t;?i? not indicate tense, but aspect - that is, whether the situation is
viewed by the speaker/writer as an outsider looking at a situa-
2 fp 1m~iP l~l~f 1~1t;?i? tion as a complete whole ("perfect"), or as an insider looking at
< .<
I cp ~J1?3tzj
:- T
~J1:J::l: - T
~m~ a situation as it develops ("imperfect"). For example, a narrator
recounting a battle may depict the event from the perspective
of an outsider who knows the entire situation from beginning
Notes: to end. If so, the narrator would ideally use verbs in the perfect.
1. The original characteristic e vowel in the qiitel perfect is A participant in the battle, on the other hand, would probably
preserved only in the 3 ms; elsewhere the forms cannot be use verbs in the imperfect, as would a narrator, if that narrator
distinguished from the qatal perfect, except when the verb is attempts to describe the events as if he or she were personally
in pause (e.g., ill~f)' present when the events unfolded.
11. The qatol type preserves the characteristic 0 vowel in the
a. Since the perfect is most commonly used to express a situation
that is viewed as complete whole, with the beginning and the end
of the situation in view, one usually renders the perfect with the
English simple past or present perfect.
i1Ji1' 'J::h ~1l0~ you stood before YHWH
(Deut 4:10)
~~ n~\9 God has forgotten (Ps 10:11)
In reference to an event prior to a narrative situation, one may
render the Hebrew perfect with the English past perfect.
'9~ 'W~=!i11~rn~ lR~ i1,1i1'J, Now YHWH visited Sarah,
even as he had said (Gen 21:1)
b. The perfect of stative verbs may indicate the condition of the
subject. In such instances one may translate the perfect by the
English present of the verb to be.
'nJR! ',J~ I am old (Josh 23:2)
c. The perfect of verbs of attitude, perception, or experience may
also be rendered by the English present.
'Jl~-n~ "nji}~ I love my master (Exod 21:5)
'n.!'l: i1[111 now I know (Gen 22:12)
d. In statements of general truths, the perfect may be rendered by
the English present. This is called the proverbial perfect.
r~~;:l,~ 'T~lJ W;J.: grass withers, flowers fade
(Isa 40:7)
e. Some verbs suggesting instantaneous occurrence are regularly
rendered by the English present.
'n~~:'? so I advise ... (2 Sam 17:II)
f. In the language of communication, a writer sometimes assumes
the perspective of the recipient. Thus, the perfect is used, but the
verb should be translated by the English present continuous. This
usage has been called the epistolary perfect.
'loib :I~'f1f!7qJ I am sending you a gift (1 Kgs 15: 19)
g. In some instances, the certainty of occurrence in the mind of
the speaker is enough to justify the use of the perfect. This usage
of the perfect is especially common in prophecies, promises, and
threats. In such cases, one should render the Hebrew perfect by
the English present, or even future.
iJl;l~ iJ.l),J~ We are finished! We are lost! (Num 17:27)
D?n~ 'n:l,toV I shall abandon you (2 Chron 12:5)
It is important to remember that tense is not conveyed by the verb
itself; one must consider other elements in the sentence and know
something of the context to translate accurately. The perfect sim-
ply indicates the assumed or real perspective of the speaker / writer
as an outsider who views the situation as a complete whole.
In Hebrew prose, the normal word order in a verbal clause is as
follows.
i. Circumstance. Any adverb or adverbial phrase that places a
narrative in context (then, now, at that time, after these events,
moreover, etc.) takes the first position. The particle i1~i}(see
IX. 5), frequently used to indicate background circumstances,
also comes first.
ii. Verb. The verb stands before the nominal subject, if any.
iii. Subject. Since the subject of a verb is often indicated in the
verb itself, it is possible that neither a noun nor independent
pronoun may be stated. When a noun is explicitly named as
subject, however, it ordinarily comes after the verb.
 iv. Indirect Object. When the indirect object (usually indicated iii. Sometimes the normal word order is disrupted for emphasis.
by the prepositions 7
or -~~) is involved, it usually comes after
"~~-"/~D 'oi1':J~ :JD~ in~ their father loved him above all
the subject, but before the direct object.
his brothers (Gen 37:4)
v. Direct Object. When there is a direct object, it comes after
iv. Sometimes the word order is disrupted to sharpen contrast.
the verb and indirect object, if any.
':J~:~i?, but Lot dwelled in the cities of
l$:JiJ ''J~:l
Study the following examples carefully,
the plain (Gen 13:12)

Note: The rules above apply only to Hebrew prose. In poetic texts,
ClV'7~ l"?9iJ~9~ i~ then the king listened to them word order may vary for purely stylistic reasons (see Excursus E).
(2 Chron 24:17)
c. Agreement of Subject
V IV III /I

rl~i)-n~ Cl?7 ilYl~ 1m YHWH has given you the The verb normally agrees with the subject in gender, number, and
land (Josh 2:9) person.

b. Disrupted Word Order

ilD"/W :JW:
Solomon sat (I Kgs 1:46)

Although the rules for proper word order are not strictly adhered
Cl'Qt?iiJ-1D'W~ illl,: a fire descended from heaven
(2 Kgs 1:14)
to in every instance, they do provide a norm for good Hebrew
prose. The normal word order in Hebrew prose may be disrupted D~l:,
il!)tI' you know (Ps 69:6)
for various reasons. If a connecting 1is present before a non-verb
in a disrupted sequence, that' is likely to be disjunctive, and may '=?"/i) lW.~ Cl'ib~~iJ the men who went (Gen 14:24)
Notes:
be translated as "but;' "now;' or the like.
I. Collective nouns may take the singular or plural verb.
i. When a new subject is introduced, the normal order of verb-
subject may be reversed. Oi,! 1?i,! or Oi,! ~:J?~the people went

it;l~~ ilJ1Tn~ ~j: Cll~V' Now Adam knew Eve, his n. Nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning usually
wife (Gen 4:1) take the singular verb.

ii. A redundant independent personal pronoun is frequently put O';:l~~i,! 1?i,! God went
before a verb, particularly in parenthetical comments. Ill. When more than one noun is named as subject, the verb may
:,]9i' ~9W '? 'i":, ~!
'oi1' Now they did not know be plural or singular (agreeing with the first noun).
that Joseph was listening ii~~1:1Wb 1?i,! or ii~~1:1Wb ~:J?~
(Gen 42:23)
Moses and Aaron went
Cl'J~D-"/~ iD~'-P9 Cl'J10b' Meanwhile, the Midianites
sold him in Egypt (Gen 37:36)
 Direction of movement is sometimes expressed without a prepo-
sition or the directive i1 In this case, the noun of place has an
T -.

The perfect is negated by the particle ~'7 placed immediately

adverbial function.
before the verb.

i1Ji1~'';ip:l t;l'019~!you did not obey the voice of YHWH

11i9~ ~?:~l(1iJ rl~iT1Q from that land he went to Assyria
(Gen 10:II)
(Deut 28:45)
;'1~:DiJ
iLi~! 1~.p they went up to the top of the
6. The Directive it mountain (Exod 17:10)
T

An unaccented final i1 is frequently appended to a noun or an

T
-

adverb to indicate direction of motion, ordinarily, motion toward.

It may be found with common nouns, even those with the definite a. The link between a construct and an absolute may be broken
article, or with proper nouns. When the noun receives the direc- in a few instances.
tive i1 it may be vocalized slightly differently. Nouns with the
T
-

feminine ending i1 change their ending to 1"1

T
- as in the fs noun T
-,

with pronominal suffix (XII.r.b). Cl'J~Q ;'1~n~to the land of Egypt (Exod 4:20)
1"1~~ house i11"1'::li1 toward the house
T: --
='10i' my;J. into the house of Joseph
(Gen 44:14)
11] mountain i11i1 toward a mountain
T"" ii. by a preposition
i1:ll1I=l Tirzah i11"1:ll1I=ltoward Tirzah
T :. T T :.
l'J';~J'1;'1 the mountains
- - ..I T
of Gilboa
<

018 front, east i17tli? toward the east (2 Sam 1:21)

11$ where? i1JN TT

<
toward where? P~lO 'D';~ a god from afar off (Jer 23: 23)

10 here i1~i1 toward here

TOO
1'~i?:;;lnDQtD~ joy at the harvest (Isa 9:2)
<.
OW there i1~tV toward there iii. by a suffixed pronoun
T T T

Note: In a few instances, the directive element is i1..-, instead Cll';iJ'fl'1:l my covenant with the day
of i1T
-: e.g., i1~J toward Nob. . (Jer 33:20)

Less frequently, the directive i1 - may occur after a prepositional b. A construct noun is sometimes bound not to a noun but to an
T

phrase: i1~;51]-'7~ (toward the north). Indeed, the directive ele- entire rela ti ve cla use.
ment may be used with a variety of prepositions to indicate mo-
ClW 119~ ='191' 1\D~ CllPQ the place where Joseph was
tion in any direction.
imprisoned (Gen 40:3)
i1J;5:!l~T T'
from the north Cl'j';~ 'o'';r:DiJ\D.CllPQ-';~ to the place where the streams
flow (Eccl 1:7)
 Exercise 13 /155

Exercise 13

a. Write the following in Hebrew:

T;'~~ poor, needy. Verb: ;,~~ to be willing, want, consent I. I ate

9 he anointed 17 we remember
:J'N enemy 2. we wrote 10. he prevailed 18. you (fs) kept
Tfo/~ tabernacle; po/ neighbor. Verb: T~o/ to dwell 3 I gave II. they took 19 you (ms) cut
'~~ affliction. Adjective: '~afflicted, humble 4 we cut 12. I am old 20. you (mp) remember
5 I took 13 she took 2I. she remembers
i~ bull
6. we gave 14 they forsook 22. you (ms) went
T;~ north, Zaphon
7 I went 15 she prevailed 23 she is important
018 east, antiquity, front 8. they gave 16. she feared 24 you (mp) took
;'i shepherd. Verb: ;'l to tend, feed
b. Translate the following into English:
T(?'t) south, Ternan

Verbs: (2 Kgs I: 14) O~Qt9iT1D

'tD~illi: il~il' I.

(Isa 28: I 5) rm)-n~ 'n~iJ iJni:J OniD~ ~:J

": T .: : I: <- T ":; - -: r

(Ps 52:5) JitllD 1'J DJD~

(Exod 16:I 5) O?! ilJil~1m iilJ~ Otr7v ~ii}
(Gen 43:29) ~?~0DiQ~ i~~ 1tbj?V o?~n~'iltiJ
to anoint. Noun: 1}'W(? anointed (I Kgs 3: 12) O;il}J,?,~? 'ilD~I il)il
to abandon, leave, forsake (I Sam 28:20) il?~?il-?~l oi'il-?:J On? '?~~ ~?
T : IT - T: , - T ": ": - T <

Adverbs: (I Kgs 5: I 5) 9 ~?l)O~

iil~;J~nDDl'?P? ir;TtDiD~

T~ where? (Ps 47:9) itq1j?~:J-?.pI J~: o~i1?~q~ir?.p O~ii?~,lJ9

;,;;, thus, here (Gen 27:2) ~r.iDoi~ ~ill)1:~~ 'ilJi?-t
 Excursus E
c. Read Ps 136 out loud and translate it with the help of a
dictionary and these notes. Poetic Hebrew
Notes:
V I: r1ii1 give thanks!; :li~ he is good (here :Ji~ is the Qal Perf. As one might expect, poetic Hebrew differs noticeably from
3 ms of :J'~to be good, pleasing). standard Hebrew prose, and archaic poetry differs from later po-
etic styles. For our purposes, it is necessary to note only the
v 4: ni~!8J wonders. most prominent features of poetic Hebrew.
v 10: i1?O? to the one who smote.
v I I: ~?i") and led.
v 14: i';!l.'i11 and he caused (object) to pass through. There are certain particles that occur regularly in prose but are
absent or rare in the oldest poetic texts and are only infrequently
v 15: ip'J1 and he threw off. attested in later poetry.
v 16: T;ia? to the one who led. a. The definite article is frequently absent; in the oldest texts it is
v IT i1:>O?,
to the one who smote. present only as a result of tendencies to make the Hebrew more
prosaic.
v 18: )"liT), and he killed.
189~ D'9tfD~ i1t?7,;.'l
rl~ the earth quaked, also the heavens
v 19: 1in'O?, thepreposition 7
here and in v 20 marks the person
dripped (Judg 5:4)
against whom an action is directed. See BDB, pp. 5 II-I2 (3 .b)
rl~-'::hO the kings of the earth (Ps 2:2)
=W+~+
v 23: 1J78tD:J(lj, 7~W + I cp suffix
b. The relative particle 'W~ is absent from the oldest poetic texts
v 24: 1Jpi8") and he tore us away. and is uncommon in standard poetry. Instead, one finds asyndetic
(unmarked) relative clauses, and ~T, iT, ;"l! used in its place (see
X.2.C, d).

1J9~ 1rn(lj~p ... 1~,;.'nO~:J in the pit which they made ... in
the net where they hid (Ps 9:16)

c. The marker of definite direct object is frequently absent, espe-

cially in the oldest poetic texts.

-t61 i11i1''~i1 'niatD

I; I'IT J" ; - . ; - T \
For I have kept the ways of
YHWH, I have not acted wickedly,
away from my God (Ps 18:22)
 lowing is a good example of variations in word order in Hebrew
poetry.
Perhaps for metrical reasons, longer forms of several prepositions
are found in some poetic texts: i~::l= :;l;i~~ = ~; i~!;?= 7; J~iD''I,"
T'
l'~m 'illiT T'
YHWH roars from Zion;
'!;?N=-!;?N'11'=11''!;?1'=!;?1'. . . . . . .
. 0:: "."' . _: _, -: -
1i1p iF D?9"TOi He gives forth his voice from Jerusalem.
p~-"O:l ri~"~OJ l"'n: they sank into (the) deep like stone
C'jilil n1~J ':hJ~l The pastures of the shepherds languish;
. T J : : IT :
(Exod 15:5)
?~Yl~iJ iD~l iLi;:r1 Yea, the top of Carmel dries up. (Amos 1:2)
D'9-'~.P. C'n~~ like cedars by (the) waters (Num 24:6)
This example also illustrates the most important rhetorical feature
3. Longer forms of the 3 mp Pronominal Suffix in Hebrew poetry: parallelism. In the first pair, Zion and Jerusalem
are, of course, not two different places; they are parallel terms.
Again, perhaps for aesthetic reasons, the 3 mp suffixes i~- / i~T- Moreover one can see here that in Hebrew poetry, 1 is not neces-
/ i~ ..- are found in poetic texts, instead of the regular 3 mp sarily a conjunction and should not, therefore, be translated as
suffixes. "and" in this case. Here 1 merely serves to introduce, or even to
emphasize, the parallel line (see also XXY.6.c, d). A well known
10'8 ... 10~?D their fat (heart) ... their mouth
example both of parallelism and of the non-conjunctive use of 1 is
(Ps 17:10)
in Zech 9:9, regarding the triumphal entry of a king.

4. Anomalous Final". - and i- llDO-?~ J?ll \W humble and riding on a he-ass,

After Construct Nouns

A later tradition (Matt 21: 5), missing the significance of the paral-
An additional'. - known as f;treq compaginis or "linking f;treq"
lelism and the function of 1 in Hebrew poetry, took the Hebrew to
is frequently attached to the construct noun.
mean that the king would come riding on two animals!
i~~iJ ';::niJ the deserter of the flock (Zech 11:17)
Notes:
1. The -1 at the end must not be confused with the I cs suffix.
11. There is vowel reduction in the form before the suffix (com- In Hebrew poetry, a single preposition in one line may also govern
pare XII.2.a). Thus, JI~ (one who deserts / abandons), but a noun in the parallel line. Thus the preposition is said to do
':;lT~ "double-duty."

The wiiw compaginis (i-) is less certainly attested. ?::J~J'l~:Jnil'Jt he will do his will against Babylon,

D'Jto~ l.!?ln and his arm shall be (against) the

Chaldeans (Isa 48:14)

Whereas the rules for word order in XIII.4 apply to Hebrew

prose, poetic texts may take license for stylistic reasons. The fol-
 3 ms ~q7f
1. The Qal Perfect of Guttural
,.. Verbs 3 fs ;'lN~~
T : IT

2 ms nN~~
T T T
2 mp OQN7?
These are regular, except that the sewdJ under the guttural is _. 2 fs nN~~ T T
2 fp lQN7?
(see IV.2.a.ii). .
I CS 'DNim T T

O~7t2P O~l~~
Not;: Occ~sionally, ~he N is omitted in spelling, e.g., 'D7f for
1~7t2P 1~1~~ ~DN7f, 'D77f for 'DN77f. This phenomenon is observable not only
In the Qal perfect, but also in other inflections and other verbal
patterns.
Note: The verbs ;'l~iJ(to be, become) and ;'l'n (to live) have
instead of _: in the 2 mp and 2 fp forms. TT .::

b. I I-Guttural Verbs
a. The forms of the Qal perfect of ;'l?~(to uncover) are as follows.
These are regular, except that the sewdJ
under the guttural
is _: (see IV.2.a.ii).
3 ms ;'l!;;l. 3 cp ~!;~
Strong verb II-Guttural verb TT

3 fs ;'In!;;l.
3 fs ;'l?t?i? ;'l,n::l T-:IT
T:IT

2 ms n";l. 2 mp on'!;;l.
....
3 cp ~!;t?i? ~,n::l -:IT
T 'T :

2 fs n'!;;l.
'T
2 fp lQ''?~
I cs 'D";l. 'T
I cp ~)";l.
'T

c. III-Guttural Verbs

These are regular, except that the 2 fs is ~~~W instead of :;,r:nmw.

T : : - T
Notes:
1. The final ;'IT- of the 3 ms must not be confused with the
2. The Qal Perfect of III-)Alep Verbs fs ending.
H. The 3 fs has an additional marker of the feminine, n-.
Since N normally quiesces when it closes a syllable (II. II), any
HI. The first and second person forms have a ' after the second
short vowel preceding it is lengthened, and the afformative M is
radical.
spirantized. The forms of the Qal perfect of N7f (to find), then,
IV. The afformative M is spirantized (> n).
are as follows.
b. The verbs ;'l~iJ(to be) and ;'l~lJ(to live) are at once I-Guttural
and III-He. The forms of the Qal perfect of il~V (to be), then, are
as follows. CR
il~R
3 ms jPil
TT

~7?R
3 fs iln'il
T :tT
f;l7?iZ f;l7?ip
2 ms n"il 2 mp cn"il
..... ::
'nN~
T "T

'I:17?R 'I:17?W T

2 fs n"il "T
2 fp H)'~n
I cs 'n"il I cp ~J"il ~~R
" "T " T

C~7?iZ C~7?ip
1~7?iZ 1~7?ip I~Nf
Notes: The composite sewa
J
under the first radical is ... rather
. After the conjunction " however, it is silent: .... : .,
than _.' Ci1"il" ~J7?iZ ~J7?W ~JN::J
T

cn"n1.
.: .
",'

Notes:
I. The verb N;::J also shows the characteristics of a III-JAlep
a. Verbs with II-Waw/Y6g usually show only two radicals in the verb.
H. There is no difference in form between the 3 ms Qal perfect
Qal perfect. The weak middle radical disappears, so that there is
no distinction between II-Waw and II-Y6g forms. The forms of and the ms Qal active participle. Proper understanding of
the Qal perfect of mp (to arise), C'l?' (to set), and N;::J (to come), the form depends on the context. Word order may be in-
then, are as follows. structive, however. If the form stands before a nominal sub-
ject, it is more likely to be the perfect 3 ms (see XIII+a.ii);
if it stands after a named subject, it is likely the participle.
HI. The only formal difference between the 3 fs perfect (il~R)
and the Qal act. pte. fs. (il~R) is in the accentuation.
IV. The accent in the 3 cp is on the first syllable. This distin-

guishes it from the 3 cp of a III-He verb (see 3.a). Thus, for

example, ~:JW (3 cp of :JW)) means "they returned," but ~:JW
(3 cp of il~W) means "they captured."
b. The forms of the Qal perfect of the stative verbs m~ (to die) situated" (stative), whereas the latter meant "he dwelled" (ac-
and wi::l (to be ashamed) are as follows. tive). But no distinction is made now between the patterns; both
words simply mean "he dwelled." Since stative verbs describe
state rather than action, one should not expect them to have par-
3 ms rm W~ ticiples. Yet, there are forms that cannot be distinguished from
<

3 fs iin~
T ..
iiW1::l
T
adjectives but that clearly function as participles. Some of these
2 ms iiFl~ Flw5 even take the direct object.
T- T:

2 fs I;1~ I;10/::J D'~"T Dr~-lizj~ ';:J:;l l!P '.,~9Q the king of Babylon whose
presence you fear (Jer 42:II)
I cs 'I:l~ 'I:l0/5
';J'i1irn~D'~';Q'1'';'0'1
IT - .. "... IT .
and his flowing hem was
3 cp 1n~ 1w5 filling the temple (Isa 6:r)
2 mp cry~ CFlW::l
: T Moreover, like the participle, these words may also be used
2 fp Try~ Tryo/# as substantives. Thus, N).~means "one who is afraid" and, hence,
"a fearer."
I cp 1JJ;1~ 1J0/5

Notes:
6. Uses of i1'i1
I. The third radical (n) of the root m~ assimilates into the TT

afformative Fl, e.g., r cs 'I:l~ (maul).
II. The stative verb :JitJ (be good) belongs with this group:
thus, :JitJ (he is good), 1:JG (they are good).
As we have learned in XIII.2, stative verbs are those that describe
a state or condition, rather than an action. In general they tend to
be of qiitel and qiitol patterns, rather than qiital. The 3 ms forms,
There is no present tense verb "to be" in Hebrew. Simple predica-
tion (e.g., "the man is king") is accomplished by a juxtaposition
of words (V I. 8). Existence of someone or something in the pre-
sent time is expressed by the particle W~ (X.3) or ii~;:J(IX.S.b); ab-
sence is expressed by the particle T'~/ (X4) r~
a. Although a simple juxtaposition of words may also be ade-
quate to state a past fact, Hebrew commonly uses the perfect
of the verb ii'ii (to be, become) for it.
TT

therefore, are identical to the adjectives of the same root. Thus, ':l"i1 D'l:Jll we were slaves (Deut 6:2I)
,~?can mean "he is heavy, important" (Qal Perf. 3 ms) or /" T 'f'T-;

"heavy, important" (adjective) and TbR can mean "he is small" b. To indicate the existence of someone or something in the past,
(Qal Perf. 3 ms) or "small" (adjective). One cannot, however, rely the verb ii'ii is used.
TT

on the form of a verb to tell if it is stative or not. In the course of

history the distinction between stative and non-stative meanings
r'Jrrl~pi1,:i) iD'~ there was a man
in the land ofUz (Job r:r)
often became blurred. Thus, the root pw has the Qal perfect
forms Po/ and T~o/ Originally the former may have meant "he is
Conversely, to indicate the absence of something or someone in c. With certain verbs of emotion, an impersonal construction with
the past, the verb ;,~Ois simply negated by the particle NX,. the 3 ms may be used, and the one who experiences the emotion
ii16~ l70 i1:~n~! there was no king like him is indicated by the preposition x,.
(Neh 13:26) i~ ::Ji~,'?i~iLi? mi, it was spacious for Saul and it was
J; T: c- T:

c. To indicate possession in a past time, the idiom -7 ;,~Ois used. good for him
= Saul was relieved and he felt good
1~ i1:iJ-i?, and he had a son (I Sam 9:2) (I Sam 16:23)
d. ;";' may also be translated as "to come," "to come to pass;'
TT d. In expressions of natural phenomena, the third person singular
"to become;' "to happen;' or the like. may also be used impersonally (as in English "it is raining").
Di::J~-?~ 'i1ii1'-i::Jl i1'i1 the word of YHWH came to
T: - .. T' _. <T T
D?! ii~, when it is light (enough) for you (I Sam 29:10)
Abram (Gen 15:1)
e. As we have learned in VII I+d, participles may also be used to
'J:J 1:l1i1 i1'i1-i1Q How did the matter go, my son?
I' : IT T - IT T I": refer to an impersonal subject.
(I Sam 4:16)
l'.l.ltpQ ~JP someone calls from Seir (Isa 21:11)
P~? i1,:iJ~i0' and he became as a stone
(I Sam 25:37) 'l.'.liJ? D'~~ some (people) are coming to kill you (Neh 6:10)

a. The 3 ms verb is sometimes used impersonally. In such cases, it

is often best to translate the Hebrew with a passive phrase in
11~ length. Verb: Tl.l~to be long.
English. :Jl]i width, breadth. Verb: :J1]1to be wide, broad

?:J~ 'i19iLi~JR 15.-?~ therefore one called its name Babel Verbs:
= therefore its name is called Babel
tzji::l to be ashamed. Noun: nwS shame
(Gen rr:9)
'1]# to choose (object usually indicated by marker or :p)
b. The 3 cp verb may also refer to an indefinite subject.

D~"p~-n~rl:l~i19W there they buried Abraham and

'1;1. to sojourn (i.e., live as a resident alien). Nouns:
(mp: l:l''')1''7?) sojourning place, sojourning; ,~ sojourner
'i"~
Sarah, his wife
iniLi~ i1J~ 'n~,
= there Abraham and Sarah, his
;,~O to be, come to pass, come about, happen

wife, were buried (Gen 49:31) ;,'n

TT
to live
m~ to die
NX,~
T
to be full
 1~C to turn aside
mp to arise
(Gen 19: 5) i1;~jiJ ~r!~
i~~-1il,i~ D'~~~i) i1:'~ I.
c'ip to place, put, set
1:J1V to break
(Jer 9: I 8) rl~iJ:J}-?-'?"~Q i~iLi~ 2.
- T

(Exod 32:1) i? i1:iTi1Omr:r:~? 3.

Conjunctions:
(Job 13:1) 'jT~ i1P'Q~'T.lJ i1D~l '?~-F1 4
iN or
(Deut 4:44) '?~l~r 'JJ ',~~'?i1tbb D\q-1i?i~i1Jir1iJn~n 5.

n~-i~ :J~ D?;-iLi'D 1~~'? "l:;1J,,-n~ '?~~ ')1~ 6.

(Gen 44:19)
1~ however, surely, indeed
D''J~Q rl~9DD"i} D']J.-'? 1'.iJ iLi:Jrn~ bn..I.'T Dn.~, 7.
~~ also, even, indeed (Exod 23:9)
P1 only
(Joel I: 2) D?'rl~~ '9':1 D~l D:)'O';J'n~r i1l)~Di1 8.
'i1!i1'-'?~:J~-1il,i~ l~O "~~'? i1:i)-~? 'ii1b~'
i~:;1'?-'?~:1 9.
(2 Kgs 23:25)

i1j-i1~;l 1W~ i1D':J,-'?~'1'1 1'pO 'i1l)'?p'i1D1~-n;l l~ 10.

(I Kgs 9:24)
I. 'm6~ " T
6. ;'N::l
TT
II. ~';'
T

,<

2. n'1?'~
T T 7 ;'N::l
TT
12. nN~h d. Translate Eccl 2:4-10 with the help of a dictionary and these
3 'r-l1V~
.: 8. ~1;l,
T
13 'J:l~ notes.

4 'n";, 'T 9 ;,n';,

T :IT 14 'J:llQ
5 i11J~ 10. nN~n.
T T 15 ~Jl!~ v 4: 'r1'?-;Pi1
I accomplished (greatly).

v 6: nij?iLiiJ'?
to irrigate.
b. Write the following in Hebrew:
v 7: ,'? i1:V/ '! i1:V there was to me (impersonal use);
I. they chose 6. you (mp) were II. you (ms) entered 'i1:J,1iJabundantly.
2. she set 7 you (ms) died 12. he sojourned v 9: 'r1~9ii1' and I increased.
3 I made 8. she went up 13 you (ms) lifted
4 they set 9. you (mp) did 14 we are ashamed
5 he died 10. you (ms) lived 15 you (mp) left
 Excursus F
Orientation to the Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew text in most editions of the Bible is known as the
Massoretic Text, abbreviated as MT. The name comes from the
Hebrew word massora(h) "tradition." Hence, the Jewish tradi-
tionalists who helped preserve the text (between 600-rooo C E)
are called" Massoretes;'
The original Hebrew texts had no verse or chapter number-
ings; Christian scholars introduced them from the thirteenth cen-
tury onwards. Moreover, the Pentateuch (the five books, Genesis-
Deuteronomy) is divided into sections, marked by the signs ) (for
ilmn;l opened) and 0 (for il~~n9 closed) at the end of each
t~ indicate the relationship ~f the section to the next. In addition,
the Massoretes wrote their observations in the margins of every
page (called "marginal Massorah") and at the end of books
(called "final Massorah"). A small circle above the line usually
calls attention to a certain form or construction, which is then
commented on in the margin. Since these comments are in Post-
biblical Hebrew and Aramaic, and often in abbreviations, these
notes are not accessible to beginning students.
A phenomenon that we have already encountered in our readings
so far is the occasional discrepancy between the consonantal text
and the vocalization. This peculiarity of the Hebrew Bible stems
from the great reverence of the consonantal text on the part of
the Massoretes. Only in the most extreme situations (and usually
for serious theological reasons) was the consonantal text deliber-
ately altered. In most cases, the Massoretes simply superimposed
on the consonantal text what ought to be read. In so doing, they
were recommending what should be read and ignoring the conso-
nants. The resulting combination of consonants and the vowel
points is known as Ketib-Qere (Aramaic for "what is written"
and "to be read;' respectively). That is, the text is written one
way, but it is to be read another.
Some words always appear as Ketib-Qere. For instance, the
name of Israel's God is always spelled as il1il', but the vowels tell
the reader to pronounce the name as Jligonay, or, in some cases,
as Jelohim (see p. 6r above).
We have learned, too, that the 3 fs in the Pentateuch is usually
written as ~1il but vocalized as ~'0 (hence ~10), and the name
Jerusalem is usually written as C~lV1" (assuming the pronuncia-
tion yerusalem) but vocalized as yerusaldyim (hence q?WT).
These are examples of the so-called "perpetual Ketib-Qere's." In
these and many other instances, the variants make no difference
in our understanding of the texts. Often the Qere makes a correc-
tion, according to what was understood to be the proper form or
pronunciation, or the Qere may simply offer a variant without
attempting to replace the Ketib. There are some cases, however,
where the variance is more substantive, and one is forced to
choose one interpretation over another. Occasionally, too, the
Qere ignores a word by not vocalizing it (see l11' in Jer 51:3),
or it inserts a word by supplying the vowels (see ,. for C'~~ in
T
Jer 3r:38). The former is an example of dittography, where some-
thing is inadvertantly written twice. The latter is an instance
where a word has accidentally dropped out. In each case, a small
circle above the form in question points one to the marginal
notes which elaborate on the problem.
There are several editions of the Hebrew Bible. The critical
edition that is most commonly used by students and scholars
today is Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia edited by K. Elliger and
W. Rudolph (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, r967-77),
popularly abbreviated to B Hs. It is the third edition of Biblia
Hebraica, first edited by Rudolph Kittel (B HK), and is based on
the Leningrad Codex known as Br9A. Since BHS is a critical edi-
tion, it comes with a critical apparatus at the bottom of each page
with the editors' notes on variant readings and various proposals.
For the beginner, the morass of details, presented in abbreviations
of Latin and through symbols, can be quite intimidating. It is
necessary, therefore, to have a brief orientation to the critical ap- The Piel verbal pattern is characterized by the doubling of the
paratus, not so that one might instantly know how to do textual second radical in all its inflections. The forms of the Piel perfect
criticism, but so that one might know what the critical apparatus are as follows.
is for and, perhaps, turn to it from time to time. Fortunately, B H S
now comes with an English key to the symbols and abbreviations.
To illustrate very briefly how the critical apparatus works, we 3 ms 7~i? 3 cp ~7tpi?
may turn to Ecel 2:7, which we have just translated in Exercise 3 fs il?tfi?
14. The superscript "a" after "rJ"jj? points us to the first note at
the bottom of the page, which says "mlt Mss 5 + '7." This means
2 ms P7\Pi? 2 mp tlt:'7\Pi?
that many manuscripts and the Syriac version add '7 after "rJ'Jj? 2 fs I:17\Pi? 2 fp Tt:'7\Pi?
One may have to decide, then, whether the '7 is authentic and has
accidentally dropped out of the text in the process of transmis- I cs 'I:17\Pi? I cp ~)7\Pi?
sion, or whether the variant cited by BHS is in fact a secondary
addition. One of the rules of thumb in Hebrew textual criticism is
Notes:
that the shorter text is to be preferred, since there was a tendency
I. The e-vowel in qittel is typical of all inflections of the Piel
for scribes to add and harmonize. Apparently some scribe added
verbal pattern, but in the perfect it is preserved only in the
'7 in an attempt to harmonize this sentence with the rest of the
3 ms. Moreover, for some verbs the 3 ms form is qittal, in-
passage, for elsewhere in this passage we have the perfect I cs
stead of qittel (e.g., 1?P7 he taught), while others (mostly
form + '7. with final ') have e instead of e (e.g., 'f.1 he spoke).
The superscript "b" after i1:V points us to the note that tells us
11. In a few instances, the diiges in the middle radical is lost
that a few (abbreviation pc for pauci) manuscripts, and the Greek
when a sewiiJ stands under it (YI.7): thus, ':-iltpj?:;l> iltpP:;l
(~) and Syriac (5) versions read ~'O. One may have to choose be-
(she sought).
tween the reading il:O and ~'O. The latter is the easier reading,
since the subject seems to be rJ';l-'J.~1;the text flows better with
~'O as the verb. But that is precisely why one must be careful,
since people tend to "correct" the text - that is, make it easier.
a. Factitive. Roots that are stative or intransitive in Qal may
The reading il:O can, in fact, be explained in some other way (see
become transitive in Piel. One may compare the ending -ize in
GKC 145.U). Indeed, the more awkward reading is probably the
English (e.g., be normal :: normalize).
more original! In textual criticism this is called the principle lectio
dif{icilior - that is, the more difficult reading is to be preferred.
174 / Lesson XV

Root Qal Piel It is not always possible to fit a Piel verb into one of these cate-
gories. Sometimes there is no obvious reason why a certain verb
1;'1~ to be clean to cleanse occurs in Piel. Often, too, a verb may occur in both Qal and Piel,
W1p to be holy to consecrate with no discernible difference in meaning. Sometimes a verb may
be both transitive and intransitive in Qal, but in Piel it is always
1::2~ to perish to destroy transitive.

b. Intensive. Many verbs in Piel suggest multiple, repeated,

or busy action. a. Since gutturals and Res cannot be doubled by adages (IV.2.a),
we get the following.
Root Qal Piel
i. Compensatory lengthening before ~ and 1.
1l;;'1 to walk to walk around
ii. Virtual doubling of ;'1, n, and':).
1::2p to bury to bury many
b. When a vocal sewa J
is expected under a guttural, one finds _,
l;~w to ask to beg instead of , (11.7). Even 1sometimes takes _, (e.g., ~::l~?"they
1::2W to break blessed") .
to shatter
c. The inflections of the Piel perfect of 1~??(to refuse) and 1V??
(to hasten), representing the type with compensatory lengthening
c. Denominative. Some verbs are derived from nouns and adjec- and the type with virtual doubling, respectively, are as follows.
tives. One may compare the English prefix en- (danger :: to
endanger).
3 ms 1~~ 1V~
3 fs ;'1J~~
T-: .
;'11;'1~
T-: .

1;'1::l ms m~~ m;'1~

II
2
T: - T : -

W1W fs
2
~~~~ ~lD~
I cs 'T:1~~~ 'T:1lD~ I

3 cp ~J~~ ~1q~ II
2 mp tlm~~
',': - ,.
tlm;'1~
',' :- .

2 fp n:p~~ 1~lD~
I cp ~~~~ ~)lD~
 ,I

176 I Lesson XV Piel Participle I 177

4. The Piel Perfect of III-JAlep Verbs
Synopsis of Forms of the Piel Participle
Verbs of this type show the expected quiescence of N, the length- Root ms mp fs fp
ening of the preceding vowel, and the spirantization of the affor-
mative 11(XIV.2). The characteristic e-vowel in the second 7~i' 7~i2"? O'7~i2"? 11?~i2"? l1i7~i2"?
syllable, however, is preserved beyond the 3 ms form (contrast TN~ T~7?"? O')N~~ mN~~ l1i)N~~
1.note i): QN~~ (you filled), 'DN~~ (I filled), and so forth.
-: T : T : -:T :

':1~ 'V~,,? O''1n~''? 11~.V~"? l1i'n~"?

n7W lJ~W,,? O'lJ7W,,? I1lJ~W,,? l1in7W,,?
Apart from the characteristic doubling of the second radical and N7~ N~~,,? O'~7~"? I1N~~,,? l1iN7~"?
the i vowel in the first syllable, the Piel perfect of III-He verbs is :1~~,,?
:17" o'~~"? :1~m l1i~~,,?
inflected like its Qal counterpart (XIV.3): :1?~ (he uncovered), T-:

:111~~(she uncovered), and so forth.

T: .
'7' '~~"? o'17~"? 111~~"? l1i'7~"?

Note: The diiges in the second radical may be lost when it is fol-
Such verbs are rare in Piel; for these verbs, the functions of the lowed by : (see VI.? and 1. Note ii above). Thus, ':'O'WP~,,?>
Pie 1 are assumed by other verbal patterns (see Lesson XXX). O'Wi?~"? (mebaqsim).
A few forms are attested, however (e. g., 'W he blinded).

The Piel participle is marked by a prefix -"?, a pafa~ under the Wi2~
first radical, and the characteristic doubling of the second radical:
7~i2~. 11~ Pi.: to bless; Qal only in the pass. ptc. forms. Noun: :1:l,:;J
blessing; 1~.~ (fs; fd: O:~l:;l)knee T T:

71~ to grow up, become great; Pi.: to bring up, raise, make
great

'~l Pi.: to speak (rare in Qal)

7?O Pi.: to praise, boast. Noun: :1?i}~ praise, song of praise

:1?f to be complete, be finished; Pi.: to complete, finish

:19f Pi.: to cover, conceal (rare in Qal)

I. We follow the convention in BOB of giving the lexical form of the verb as the Qal
Perf. 3 ms, even if the form is unattested in that verbal pattern.
 Pi.: to refuse, reject b. Write the following in Hebrew:

Pi.: to hurry, hasten

I. I blessed 6. they ministered II. you (mp) completed
to count, write; Pi.: to recount, relate, tell. Noun: he sought
2. 7 they recounted 12. you (mp) counted
'~9~number. Idioms: '~9~T'~ innumerable, infinite;
they hurried 8. he completed you (ms) hastened
,oo~
T:'
tl,h numerable
.
3 13

4 I filled 9 I commanded 14 you (mp) consecrated

to work, perform, accomplish. Noun: 7~6 deed
5 she hurried 10. they performed 15 he commanded
Pi.: to command, charge, appoint. Noun: ;,,~:m
commandment T: .
c. Translate the following into English:

W1j? to be holy, consecrated; Pi.: to sanctify, consecrate.

Noun: W1P~ sanctuary
(Num 21:7) 1:;14 'i1p';lln;l1-'~ ij~~l)
(Exod 4:19) ~w~~-n~w'~p~aD w'tb~~iT??'irlq-':J
n1tp Pi.: to serve, minister
(Exod 20:22) W?91''ni;J1 w'Q~iT1a ':J,wn.'~l wD~
Nouns:
(Ps 19:2) ?~-ii::l:J w'iaoa w'oiDi1
"'.. ,: (0 : - I: - T -

(Exod 7:6) i~.v p wD~ i1Ji1~

i1J~iil;~~
70) wadi, stream
(Judg 13:II) i1tzj~i1-?~ni~1-itV~ tV'~i1i1n~i1
no/ii~ bronze, copper \T T T .1 . .: -; "/" T IT - -

(Ps 44:9) wi~iT?) iJ??i1w'ii?~:J

Adverb: 1\ T J: - . . I"

p so, thus, therefore, accordingly; Fr7~ for this reason,

(Ps 85:3) wD~~IT?~ D'9:J ~p'.pnv. D~tq~, 8.
therefore (Prov 29:26) tV'~:n~~tVa
i1ji1~q~
?~ia-'J.a w'~p~a w':Jl, 9.
?~liD' '}:J-n~ W'D?~i)tV'~ i1Wb1')::1 i.~ i1~l:JiJn~!l
(Deut 33: I) it;1ia'.J.~?

I. O~tpre:;l 6. n~.~17?
m~, ;'~;;J7?
~,~ 7. ~:J~~
2. I 2.
T : -

8. ;'WP:;l 13 O'1PP~7?
;,n7:D
T: IT
9 ~)'?f 14 'l}'!P
10. l;1l~1
d. Read Jer 45:1-5 out loud and translate the passage with the
help of a dictionary and these notes.

Notes:
v I: 'tJn;9 when he wrote The Hiphil verbal pattern is characterized by a prefixed h in the
perfect. An i-vowel appears in the second syllable of all the third
v 3: ~T';~ woe. person forms, but elsewhere it is replaced by an a-vowel
v 4: 19~h you shall say. (i.e., p(ita~).

v 5: ;j"'-[jp;ln will you seek (object) for yourself?; [ji?;lr;r",~ do The forms of the Hiphil perfect, then, are as follows.
not seek; ~':JOam bringing; 'nD~1and I will give; OW-l7\J
lit.: you shall go there.
3 ms ~,t,?j?;:t 3 cp ~~'~j?;:t
3 fs ;-r?'~j?;:t
2 ms ~7~j?;:t 2 mp ctl7~j?;:t

2 fs T:l7t2j?;:t 2 fp ltl7t2j?;:t
I cs 'T:l7~j?;:t I cp ~j7~j?;:t

a. Causative. Most frequently the Hiphil verb is used as a

causative; the verb in Hiphil causes something to happen
or to be.

Sometimes it is possible to translate the Hebrew causative with

a single English word. Thus, ~':;J~\)he caused to eat = he fed.
182 / Lesson X V I

Root Qat Hiphit There is obviously some semantic overlap between the Hiphil and
Piel verbal patterns. Hence, some verbs are found in both verbal
':IN to eat to feed (cause to eat) patterns with no discernible difference in meaning. Other verbs
m~ to die to kill (cause to die) cannot be classified under one of the above categories. Some verbs
are related to adjectives but are, even in Hiphil, still stative or
;"1N' to see to show (cause to see) intransitive.

b. Factitive. Roots that are stative or intransitive in Qal may TPT

become transitive in Hiphil. :l1tl

Root Qat Hiphil

to be great to exalt (make great)

""
::m, to be wide to widen (make wide)
Some verbs in this group are, curiously, both transitive and intran-
sitive. For instance, the Hiphil of ::Jtl' may mean either "to do
well" (intransitive) or "to make (something) good" (transitive).
;"1'n to live to preserve (make live)

c. Denominative. Some verbs are derived from nouns and When the first radical is a guttural, a composite sewie c..) takes
adjectives. the place of the simple silent sewa:J ( : ) under the first radical.
Moreover, the vowel with the prefixed ;"1 is influenced by the com-
posite sewa:J C..,), so that it is changed from. to "::(thus, "~:~).
The forms are otherwise regular.

In verbs of this type, the furtive patal} appears as expected, when-

ever;:'l, n, or 'j) stands at the end of the form (11.10). In the perfect,
this situation occurs only in the 3 ms form (thus, IJ'7tp;:t). The
other forms are all regular.
righteous to declare righteous L

5. The Hiphil Perfect of III-)Alep Verbs

wicked to declare wrong
Verbs of this type show the expected quiescence of N, the length-
ening of the preceding vowel, and the spirantization of the r-l of
the afformative (see XIV.2). It should be noted, however, that the
characteristic vowel in the second syllable is e in all first and sec- I-Nun verbs that are also II-Guttural are uncommon. The attested
ond person forms: thus, ~'7?0, ;'1$'~7?0but Q~~7?0,'D~~7?0' roots do not show the assimilation of Nun, e.g., 'D76~0 (I be-
queathed). The combination of I-Nun with other w'eak radicals oc-
casions no surprise; they are according to the rules for both weak
radicals, e.g., ':-;'~~0
> ;'f0 (he struck).
The forms of the Hiphil perfect of ;'7~(to uncover) are as
follows.

a. The forms of the Hiphil perfect :JtP~ (original ':-:JW, dwell) are
as follows.

1'1'710/1'1'710 lD'710/1D'710 r:l:JW;;'

T : -
2 mp O~~tP;;,
'D'710 / 'D'710 1J'710 2 fp 1~~tP;;,
<, ,

I cp 1J~lP';'

Note: The Hiphil prefix (ho- instead of hi-) here may seem sur-
prising, but it can be explained. The original Hiphil prefix was
The Nun is assimilated into the following consonant, as expected
actually "ha-, but it has generally become hi- (through a compli-
when there is no intervening vowel (Iy.2.b). The forms of the
cated process). In the Hiphil of I-Waw verbs, however, the
Hiphil perfect of ,~~ (to tell) are as follows.
old "ha- prefix, in combination with the initial w, yields the con-
tracted diphthong 0, in accordance with IY.2.c.iii.l3: thus,
3 ms ':-hawslb > hosib.
"~0
3 fs ;"'~0 b. The verb 1?O (walk) behaves as if it were ':'1" in all inflections
T

of the Hiphil (thus, 1'7;;', ;'~'7;;',

etc.).
2 ms r:l'~;'
T :-.
2 mp O~1~0
c. A few verbs (almost always with ~ as the second radical) regu-
2 fs I;11~0 2 fp 1~1~0 larly behave like I-Nun verbs - that is, the initial radical is assimi-
I cs 'Dl~0 I cp 1Jl~0 lated. The following verbs are the most important.
 The verb W~; (to be dry) behaves like a I-Yog verb in Qal, but
< < <

P;l' to pour out P'~i},;'i?,~i},1.;)~~i}, etc. it is like original I-Waw in Hiphil (thus, W':;!i;, he caused to
dry up).
T1;l' to kindle T1'~i},;'O'~i}, 1.;)i}, etc.

10. The Hiphil Perfect of II-Waw/Yog Verbs

There is no distinction between II-Waw and II-Yod verbs in the

Hiphil perfect. The forms of the Hiphil perfect of (to arise) c~p
are as follows.

C'i?iJ

2 mp C~~~'iJ ;'~'i?iJ
2 fp m:;!~'iJ 2 ms Oi73'i?~ 2 mp CO;~'i?~
2 fs T1i~'i?~ 2 fp m;~'i?t!
I cs 'Di73'i?~ I cp ~J;73'i?~

Note: As in original I-Waw verbs, traces of the old x'ha- prefix are
evident. Here ':'ha- has combined with the initial radical (y) and Notes:
the contraction of ':'hay- > he- is in accordance with IV.2.c.iv.13 1. The characteristic -i} prefix becomes -iJ, which, in the
(thus, ':'hay(ib > hetib, etc.). Verbs of this type are actually quite second and first person forms reduces to -t! (see III.2.a.i).
rare. Most verbs listed as I-Y og in the dictionaries are original In <some instances, however, one finds ... instead of _. (e.g.,
I-Waw. The following, however, are genuine I-Yog verbs occur- Oi:J'lPDyou restored). .. .
ring in Hiphil. n. An additional <5 (i) precedes every consonantal afformative,
thus opening the syllable and causing the spirantization of
Root Qat Hiphil
afformative r:l. Not infrequently, however, the i is omitted.
:Jtl' to please, do well to treat well, make good ON~iJ instead of T1i~':J;'
T -:

pJ' to suck to suckle, nurse 'DN~iJ instead of 'l}i~':;l~

77' -not attested- to wail, howl C~~~ instead of ':'COiT1'~~
T~' -not attested- to go to the right
"z,;, to be level to level
 Hiphil Participle / 189

11. Hiphil Verbs as Causatives Synopsis of Forms of the Hiphil Participle

Root ms mp fs fp
As we have seen in 2.a above, the Hiphil is used most commonly
as a causative. If the basic verbal idea expressed by the root is al- ~~ji ~'t.'~~ O'?'t.'~~ n?~~~ n;~'t.'~~
ready transitive (taking an object), the Hiphil verb may be doubly
transitive - that is, it takes two objects.
'~l' "~~ O'1'~~ n,~l'~
..... -:- n;,'~~
God has shown me even your
n~tz) rJ'?1p~ O'lJ'?1p~ no51p~ n;n'?1p~
seed (Gen 48:II) ;-r~" ;-r?~~ O'?~~ ;-r~m
T:- n;~~~
T -:
ilJmyntol;I l'~otlii1~51tol;lThe Lord caused the Aramean
lJ-ltol; J" -: - 0: - J" ;.

camp to hear the sound of

T -
'''J "~~ O''1'~~ n,~~
...... - n;,'~~
"lil~ "I~D "lip 010 "lip '::l~l "lip chariotry, the sound of horses, :Jtz), :J'1P;~ O':;l'1P;~ n~w;~ n;:J'1P;~
<
and the sound of a great army :J~' :J't."~ O':;l't."~ n:J~'~
.....
.,' n;:J't."~
(2 Kgs 7:6)
O1ji O'i?~ O'~'i?7? ;-r~'i?7? n;~'i?7?
It is common, however, to have only a single object.

iV:t :1n~ i1~ii1 itb.~~ just as he showed you on the

mountain (Exod 27:8) Notes:

11::l,~rn~ DJ/Oi1 'i1D~ you caused your servant to

I. The fs participle is of the n?~~~
pattern, except for III-He
verbs (;-r?~~) and II-Waw/Y6Q verbs (;-r~'i?7?).
reign (I Kgs 3:7)
11. The prefix for I-Waw verbs is -;~ (see 8.Note) and for I-Y6d
If there is no personal object mentioned, a literal translation may it is -'~ (see 9. Note). -
be a passive construction in English (e.g., "cause to be known"), 111. II -Waw / Y 6Q has -~ as the prefix, but in the forms with
but it is better to render the phrase in more idiomatic style. endings, the e vowel is reduced (see III.2.a.i).

inl'ltli~ i1li1~1'~1ii1 YHWH has caused his salva-

"T . T :\ - J"

tion to be known = YHWH

has proclaimed his salvation
(Ps 98:2)
,jf first-born

12. The Hiphil Participle ~~ (fs) palm, sole

n.l}~ opening, entrance. Verb: n.l}~to open

Hiphil participles are typically marked by a prefixed -~ (ma-).
The characteristic h of this verbal pattern is no longer evident in :J~~. chariotry; ;-r~;Pl~
chariot. Verb: :J~1to ride, mount
the participle because it has been lost, probably in a manner not
unlike the loss of the definite article after a prefixed preposition
,~W deception, falsehood

(VI.2.b).
 b. Write the following in Hebrew:

I. I planted 5 she cast out 9 you (ms) saved

"1~ to kill 2. he snatched 6. she inquired 10. she announced

::m' -T
to do well; please; suit; Hi.: to make good, treat well 3 he struck 7 they cast out II. you (ms) killed

l'W~ Hi.: to save, help. Nouns: ;"IiW;, l'W~,;"IiW~ deliverance, 4 they struck 8. they cried out 12. you (fs) drank

salvation c. Translate the following into English:

(Isa 43: I 2) 'rll'oiDill "rll"~iill 'rll,~il ':5j~ I.

7m -T
to inherit, possess; Hi.: to bequeath, assign inheritance
(Josh 12:1) '?~ltzr'p :qil lib.~ r""l~G'??O I il,?~l 2.

(Judg 14:6) ilW~ lW~ n~ ib~?l r;J~? 'I')il ~!l 3.

(Mic 6:8) ~QD iDJil iljiP-il9l :Ji~-ilO Dl~:r? I',)il 4.

7~J -T
Hi.: to rescue, snatch, deliver
(Josh IO:II) D'9yiT1D ni~1) D'j~~ bir?~ T;':Dil ilJil',1 5.
p~ to cry out. Noun: ;"I~~cry ~l\1 71rliD~'~ '? ~q~il-~? il9'?:! D'\D~ n~:rilO 6.
;"I:J1
T T
to become great, numerous; Pi.: increase, bring up; Hi.: to (Gen 12:18)
multiply, increase. Adverb: ;"I~li]abundantly (Num 17:6) il,jil~D;irn~ DDDiJDD~ 7
rmw
- T
Pi.: to ruin, destroy; Hi.: to ruin, destroy (Num 14:3) 'n~:riJrl~G-?~ lJD~ ~':JQ iljil" il9'?l 8.
l?W Hi.: to throw, cast (Isa 43: 3) ~p"iDiD?~ltD' iDilP ~'i1?~ ilJil~"J~ ':b 9
;"IIJW to drink. Noun: ;"It:Jo/~ banquet (Deut 7:8) ili2!O I,:J D?n~ il,jil~ ~'~iil 10.

(Exod 12: 29 )D'l~D rl~:l 'li:J:l-?~ il;?il 'ilji1',1 I I.

D?'10~ D?~lr-n~l D?rl~ T1'lJ-n~ D'j?Q ',JJil'J~1 12.

(Gen 9:9)
iltD:JJ
D'ii?~il liD~ il:JJ18-?~ 'rllJl liD~ ljlil ~lil 13.
I. :J'!p'i] 6. 'r:t76~0 \. .. T S. -. ". - . \-. to: -: T T - .J

2. 'r:tl~0 7. iJ~~'i] ir'lqtP (Gen 41:28) il~l~-n~ il~lil

3 IJN*;;"I 8. i"~0 r'I'::J1
T -?j) lW~ lW~-?f r~l 'J':J 'nbpiJ lW~ 'n'l:liJ-ni~ n~t 14
4 tlt:Jf'~~ 14 ir'l'Do/0 (Gen 9:17) rl~G
5 '1?;;J0 15 tl'i?~~
T'?iQiJ D'J~D rl~Q lJD~ il)~QiJ iljil~ il;'~ nD~ ~!l 15.
(Jer 2:6) -i~10:Jm)~
d. Read I Kgs 8:12-21 out loud and translate the passage with
the help of a dictionary and these notes.

Notes:
In addition to the marker of the definite direct object with the
V I 2: l~iD?to dwell
pronominal suffix (IX.4), an object pronoun may be indicated
v 13: 'n',J~ii~~ I have indeed built; :Jtl;JiD~for you to dwell by an object suffix appended directly to the verb. These are
v 14: :l~t)
then (subject) turned around; TJ~~)and blessed; merely alternate ways of indicating an object; no difference in
?DP-?~'while all the assembly of (the 1here introduces a meani~g may be discerned between the two. Thus 9I;1i'\'DN*i;'
circumstantial clause; thus it should not be translated simply and 9'DN~i;' both mean "I brought you out"; the 2 ms suffix 9-
as "and") simply takes the place of 9I;1i'\.
As with the addition of the possessive suffix to a noun (XII.2),
V 15: 10~;) and he said certain changes are to be expected in the verb forms with object
v 16: nip? to build; ni~0?for (subject) to be; 1r-r:;J~)and I chose; suffixes.
ni:ii? to be
v 17: 'ft~) now it was; nip? to build
v 18: 10~:) and (subject) said

v 19: ii~:ln~~ you will not build; -D~ '? but rather; ii,J.:l'
will
;'17' she bore 9I;11?~ she bore you
build T: IT

r:HJ'W~:;l she sought them

v 20: DR,:) and (subject) established; DP~) I have risen; :l\D.~)and
I have sat; ii):l~)and I have built

V 21: Dtb~) and I have set; i~'~iii:Jwhen he brought out.

Without object suffix With object suffix

r:l1:::l::l you honored

T : -.
'~131~:;J you honored me

lJl~:;J you honored ir:ll~:;J you honored him

r:l1:::l::l you honored

T : -
tlr:l1:::l::l you honored
T : -
them
 ii. Apart from rule i, a long vowel in an open syllable is
iii. The 2 fs ending 'I:'-
reduced to J
sewd
Without object suffix
With object suffix

9'DT I knew you

i:l1:::l
: ...
he blessed him
Notes:
0'. The 'I:'-
afformative is similar to the less common variant
of the 2 fs independent pronoun (IX. r.a.iii) and the 2 fs iii. A long vowel becomes a short vowel if the syllable is closed
perfect without object suffix (XIILr.Note i). In the form be- and unstressed.
fore the object suffix, however, the 'I:'-
form is normative.
13. The afformative is frequently spelled defectively, e.g., '~D'7p! Without object suffix With object suffix
(you deceived me). nl]tP he destroyed 9l}l]tP he destroyed you
"{. Obviously, the afformative is easily confused with the I cs.
One can tell only from context which is intended. l}.~he blessed 9~1# he blessed you

iv. The 2 mp afformative is ~I=1-,which is usually spelled defec-

tively as r.-. iv. The vocal sewd J
in the Qal perfect 3 fs and 3 cp is restored
to a full vowel.

ory'7~iJ you brought up ~J5'7,V you brought us up With object suffix

i17:lN
T : IT
she devoured ~li1n5:lN she
: - T-:
devoured him

Since the addition of a suffix often causes the accent to advance,

the verb forms may be different from those without object suffixes.
The following rules account for most forms.

i. There is no change in a syllable if it is unchangeably long

(i.e., has a mater), is closed, or has compensatory lengthening.

'I:'Wii1 I saved 9'DWii1 I saved you Note: In the Piel, however, a short a-vowel in forms like '~7is
'N1~I blessed 9'I:'~1;gI blessed you reduced: i'7p7 (he taught him).
c. The forms of the perfect before the addition of the object d. The object suffixes used with the perfects come in various
suffixes, then, are as follows: forms, depending on what immediately precedes them (whether
a consonant or a vowel). The attested forms are provided below
Qal Piel Hiphil
for reference, with the upper case letters indicating the subject
3 ms -'\;?P -'tp~ - "t:?P0 and the lower case letters the object. The student should not try
to memorize the entire chart.
3 fs -l1?\;?P -l1?tp~ -11?'t:?P0
a b c d e f g h
z ms -f.l7td~ -f.l7tp~ -f.l?tdP0 zms zfs Ies zmp
3ms 3fs 3mP 3fp ICP
z fs - 'D7td~ -'D7tp~ -'D?tdP0 ;/1;, < <

A 3 ms i1 l l. 'L t

~)
T T T T

I es - 'D7td~ -'D7tp~ - 'D?tdP0 ~r-l/1;, ;'r-l 9

B 3 fs T l.. '~ 0 ~)
<

3 ep -~7\;?P -~7tp~ -~7't:?~0 C z ms i/~;, i1 'L

~)
T T T T

z mp - ~f.l7td~ -~f.l7tp~ -~f.l?tdP0 D z fs ~;, ;,

T
'~ 0 ~)

z fp -~f.l7td~ -~f.l7tp~ -~f.l?tdP0 E I es ,/1;, ;,

9 1 1 o?,
I ep -~j?tdp -~j?tp~ -~j7td~0 F 3 ep ~;,
T

;,
9 1 '~
1

~)
T

G z mp ~;, '~ ~)

Notes: H z fp ~;, '~ ~)

1. Apart from the afformatives, the Hiphil forms of the strong

I I ep ~;, ;,
9 1 O?,
verb are unchanged (according to b.i). On the other hand,
forms like 'DN~iJwill show reduction of the first vowel, ac-
T

cording to b.ii: thus, 'DN~iJ(I brought in) but ~'DN;lD (I
brought her in). In these cases, the reduced vowel may be ei- Notes:
1. The 3 ms object suffix used with the 3 fs perfect (a-B on
ther _: or .::(e.g, 9~'WD / 9~'Ww he restored you).
11. Apart from the afformatives, most forms of the Piel are un- the grid) is ~;'-, as expected, but also ~r-l.The latter is appar-
changed (according to b.i), but the 3 ms the e-vowel reduces ently developed from -athft, i.e., -athft > -attft. The 3 fs ob-
e
to (b.ii) or shortens to e (b.iii). ject suffix used with the 3 fs perfect (b-B on the grid) is
Ill. Apart from the afformatives, the following changes are evi- "'-atha(h) > -atta(h).
dent in the Qal forms.
a. The first vowel is reduced (b.ii).
11.

(e.g., I cs ,~: instead of ,~=;

13.The second vowel in the 3 ms is lengthened (b.v).
'Y. The second vowel in 3 fs and cp is restored and length-
ened (b.iv, v).
Forms in pause may vary slightly in vocalization
2 ms 9: - instead of 9,-).
Study the following examples carefully, referring to the grid
above (e.g., I cs subject + 3 ms object = E-a in the grid).
 '~~'~i;-r he brought me out he gave me
9~'~i;-r he brought you out 3 ms he gave us
1JN'~i;-r
T .
he brought us out 1;-r'T:11J~ 2 fs you gave him
he brought them out C'T:11J~ 3 mp I gave them
'~5N~i;-r you brought me out 1'T:11J~ 2 fs I gave you
m'N~i;-r
T
you brought us out "T:11J~ I gave him
i!'lN~i;-r you brought him out 1;-r'~1J~ I gave him
9'5N~i;-r I brought you out

;-r'nN~i;-r
T
I brought her out

I brought them out

3 fs she devoured him
C!'l5:lN
- T T-:
3 fs 3 mp she devoured them
C!'l5y;-r
-T .:: '."
3 fs 3 mp she brought them up
3 ms he knew him 3 fs she bore him
3 fs he knew her 3 fs
3 mp they knew them you brought us up

i11T you knew him you brought us up

C11Y1'
T: -:
you knew them

9'T:1T I knew you

"111'1'
. -: :
3 ms I knew him

3 fs I knew her a. Apart from the 3 ms and 3 fs, the perfect of III-He verbs are
regular for their type.
C'N'T 3 mp
9'5'~l I saw you
T'T:1T 3 fp
91Nl they saw you
b. In the 3 ms perfect of all verbal patterns, the final weak radical
is lost before the object suffix.
Sometimes an object suffix may be resumptive and need not be
i1N1 he saw
T T
1i1N1 he saw him / it
T T
translated in English.

i11~ he commanded
T'
1m~ T'
he commanded him CJD.l)T-~~ lW~ CJ'Jr.r~CJ'[i";~ other gods whom you have not
known (lit. "not known them")
i1N1i1 he showed 9~lry he showed you
T :
(Deut 13:3)
c. The 3 fs perfect is doubly marked for gender in the form of the
verb without object suffix (XIV.3.a.ii). When the verb takes an
object suffix, however, the 3 fs perfect is marked as feminine only
by n.
i10~1 she saw 91;11$1she saw you r~~right side, right hand

i1T11~ she commanded

T:"
i1r-l1~ she commanded
T-'
her riW? tongue

Note: The form i1r-l~~is derived from i1T11~(see I.d.Note

T- T : -.
i). i1~o/ lip, edge, language
i1n~w
T: .
female servant

In a few instances, the Qal perfect of the qatal type has an i (.),
e (..), or e (.) vowel in the second syllable, instead of a (_).
", '~f:q7; you have begotten me

9'~17; I have begotten you

W:J, to clothe; also W:J, to be clothed
1i1'~17; I have begotten him -T "T

,~, to learn; Pi.: to teach

Cr-lW1'
T:
you possessed them -T

r1r-lW1' you possessed it

~?7t Pi.: to save, let (someone) escape
T:
<. i1~ to answer, reply
91W':\: they possessed you
NJW to hate. Noun: i1NJW hatred
Cr-l'NW
... : ... : you asked "T T:

"f:l7~o/ I asked him

m'NW.. :
they asked us
Adjectives:

pinl far. Verb: POl to be far

(Jer 18:15) 'P.l! 'JQ::;,iD I.

P1 thin
(Jer 9:13) wGtJ~ wilD? 2.
Adverb:
(PS2:7) 'rrn?~ wi~iJ'j~ 3
(Isa 61:10) .i.li9~-'''P:l
"5i9'J?ii 4.
p~ therefore
(Prav 30: 3) ii9:)!j 'n19!-~!' 5.
t-'~~ little, few (also as adjective and substantive); t-'~~1iY (Jer 50:7) m'?~~ Ci1'~~iD-?~ 6.
soon; t-'~~:;Jalmost

"~~ always, constantly

(Song 2:4) r:iJ n';:J-'I~"j~'JiJ 7.

(Gen 37:20) 'iinj~~ ii;l?lii,:D 8.

(Ps 22:2) 'J!)JtP.ii9! '?~, '!~ 9.
a. Parse the following forms; e.g., 9'~1;Qal perf. I cs of (Has 13:5) 1f;l1D~ ~'[1.i.lT ',J~ 10.
Y1~+ obj. sfx. 2 ms.

I.
"D'~~ 6. 01~O TT :
II. ir:ltp'1i?
(Judg 14:16) 'Ji)JiJ~ ~!'
"jo~J.(D I.
2. in?iV
T' 7 Oni1i1
-T T-:
12. ~r:l?:;J
(Num 20: 5) w'l~DD 'ijiT'I3J.ViiQ/' 2.
3 O'D'P:;J 8. i1m~ 13 ~i1I;l~D~
~l:ii\pPO'?jJ
T-'

(Deut 2:7) ~:)l;:l~'ij?~ ii~ii'\:;) 3.

4 i:JD~ 9 on'7:;J
T 14 9'~tp'1PD
O?:;J O~~
'O'l~ iiJii' 'JJ~ ..,~~~ w'~~iDm'u'per w;,n~ 'n19? 4.
5 10. T" 15 m:JD~
(Deut 4:5)
b. Write the following in Hebrew, using only the perfect + object (Jer 20:14) 'P~ 'JnJ/~-"'iD~wi:
suffix.
(Jer 7:22) w'n'i~ ~!'
'u:J.'rli~~-n~'nl~1-~?
I. I hate him 6. I hated them (mp) (Gen 45:9) u'J~D-?~? lil~? D'i,1?~'J99
2. he killed me 7 you (ms) have forgotten me (2 Sam 19:10) 'J'~~~ ~;JD I iJ~?,~iil?qiJ
3 I love you (fs) 8. they praised you (ms)
i1Jii~ 11Li~ iiJii~D i1~J[)liLi~'ii~J[liiii')i1J ':;)
"T . -: .J': -; \T -; - .. T r: -: T; . - T . r

4 he answered them (mp) 9 I killed you (s)

5 I charged you (ms) 10. you (ms) commanded us
 ?i~~ 1,~D~nb~i1 '?j~'1?t~qtD'-?.l}
'1?9? ~rf:lni{.i9
':Sj~ 10.

(2 Sam 12:7)

(J er 3 5: 1 5) '7~u[1l'OiV~~'1uJ.J\~-n~bQ'~i1 ~~, 11.

The second full inflection of the finite verb in Hebrew is called
i1~~Du'"J~~'FT?~n~ ~nD~iV'fJ:Juiq,~iii, 'J~;;
~ii) 12.
the imperfect. Whereas the gender, number, and person of a verb
(2 Sam 14:19) in the perfect are indicated by afformatives, in the imperfect they
are indicated by preformatives (elements before the stem), some-
i~ i1:;Ti19iJl'"J:~~ u'l;m rl~O 'iJ;,t'V1W~ iV'~Di1\l5b13 times in combination with afformatives, as follows.
(Exod 32:1)

n~;JDu''J;;Drl~O ~'r.~~ii1 1W~ ~tf?~ i1Ji1~

"?j~ 14 3 ms ---, 3 mp 1---'

(Exod 20:1) u'J~p 3 fs - - - r-l 3 fp ;'1J-- -r-l

T

?j '1i1i;;-1iV~
< T
?jD 16-~?, i1'1i1''J'l':J1iV~jTn~111 i1tDl'15.
.: -: J' T t: AT : J....: \T T I T IT T
2 ms - - - r-l 2 mp l---r-l

(1 Kgs 15: 5) "~o '9' 2 fs '---r-l 2 fp ;'1J---r-l

T

I cs ---N I cp ---J
e. Translate Song 3:1-5 with the help of a dictionary and
these notes.

Notes: Notes:
1. Whereas no distinction is made in the perfect between mas-
v 2: i1~:liO~J~~ i19'1P~I will arise and roam about; culine and feminine of the third person plural (X II I. I.ii),
i1~P~~ I will seek. gender is clearly distinguished in the imperfect: l'tpp~ (3 mp)
versus ;'1~76pl:l(3 fp).
v 4: '1Jp1~~? I will not let him go; 'Dlii1 Qal act. ptc. fs of ;'110
11. The 3 mp and 2 mp forms frequently have an additional
(to conceive) + 1 cs possessive sfx. Nun at the end, i.e., 11- instead of 1-.
v 5: n'ptTu~ do no not stir; '1l1i.l?n-u~,'and do not rouse;
n;mn.~ 1;12 until it please.
In the Qal perfect we recognized three types: qiital, qiitel, qiit61.
In the Qal imperfect, only two types are discernible: yiqt61 and
yiqral. Verbs that are dynamic (e.g., ,~W to keep; ,~~ to fall) gen-
erally belong to the first type, whereas verbs that are stative (e.g.,
'~fto be heavy; TbR to be small) belong to the second type.
Thus, we have the following situation.
 Notes:
qdtal yiqtol I. The second vowel is said to be thematic. This vowel is re-
tained when the syllable is stressed; otherwise, it is reduced.
qdtel yiqtal
3 mp and 2 mp forms with the additional Nun (see 1. Note
qdtol yiqtal ii above) sometimes retain the thematic vowels as a or d,
e.g.,lmp7~; P~~1p\
11. When the imperfect of the yiqt6l type is linked to the follow-
ing word by the maqqep, the 6 thematic vowel is shortened
A rigid classification of the verb types must be avoided, however.
to 0 (see Excursus B.4).
It is true that verbs that have yiqtol imperfects are almost always
dynamic, but verbs with yiqtal imperfects are not limited to sta- tlb1p~ but tlo/-tl~1p~ (yispot-sdm)
tives. Many dynamic verbs with II- or III-Guttural have imper-
111. Occasionally the forms with final il~o- (i.e., 2 fp or 3 fp) may
fect of the yiqtal type. A few others with strong radicals also have
be spelled without the final il-.
the yiqtal pattern.

The inflections of the Qal Imperfect of .,~o/(to keep) and '~f(to Tl1p~7I:lfor regular il~1p~7I:l
be heavy) are as follows.

.,b1p' ';p~ As we have learned in Lesson XIII, Hebrew verbs by themselves

do not indicate tense. Rather, they indicate how a situation is
.,b1pI:l '~~I:l viewed by the speaker / writer. In the perfect, the speaker / writer is
.,b1pI:l '~~I:l an outsider consideriOng the situation as a whole, with the begin-
ning and the end both in view. In the imperfect, the speaker /
'"17?1pI:l '!f~I:l writer views a situation from the inside, making explicit reference
"b1p~ ,~~~ to the internal temporal structure of the situation, without ex-
plicit reference to the beginning or the end.

a. In most instances, the imperfect in isolation may simply be ren-

~'7?1p~ ~'f~~ dered by the English future.
ilJ,5Wr:l ilJ'::l:Jr:l
T: : T : -:
'JO~ liD' 1i!::J'1~ Adonijah will be king after me
~'7?1pI:l ~'f~I:l (r Kgs r:24)

m.,5wr:l
T: :
ilJ'::l:Jr:l
T : -:
b. The imperfect may have reference to a habit or custom. If the
context suggests a custom or habit in the past, one translates
with English "used to ... " or "would."

:J~iDn ij?'O:J1 and it (the ewe) used to lie in his

bosom (2 Sam r2:3)
 therefore, the bards used to say
(Num 21:27)
wise men store up knowledge
(Prav 10:14)
c. The imperfect is frequently rendered by the English modal
(may, should, could, would, etc.).
Who is YHWH that I should heed
his voice? (Exod 5:2)
lest he should stretch forth his hand
(Gen 3:22)
Note: After the particle tl'1~(not yet, before), or the preposition
,~ (until), the imperfect is' ~sually rendered by the English past or
present perfect.
b. The third person forms used in this way are called jussives.
For most roots there is no distinction between the jussives and
the corresponding imperfect forms.
'l'r::n ',J'::lil,1il~~$iLi' May YHWH judge between you and
me! (Gen 16:5)
il?~-l9iLi" D;?i)-'~ whoever is wise, let him observe these
things (Ps 107:43)
c. Since the second person verb is addressed directly to the subject
of the verb, it may function as a command: thus, "may you hear"
= "you shall hear!"
i1lgiLin you shall hear! (Isa 18:3)
19iLin'r'l:rnt/i ilD~' As for you, you shall keep my
covenant! (Gen 17:9)

r:n~ before they lay down (Josh 2:8)

'i:J:JiLi'
I "T :. ":.J":
5. Negation of Imperfects, Jussives,
'J:J iljiZi '";O:P'-l.\) until Shelah my son has grown up
and Cohortatives
(Gen 38:11)
a. Like the perfect, the imperfect is negated by N7.
ilill;l 'o::)";~1l9iLi'-~~' But Pharaoh will not listen to you
Corresponding in some ways to the modal use, the imperfect (Exod 7:4)
may also be used to express the speaker's will to have a situation b. The negative particle N7 may be used with the second person
occur. imperfect for general prohibition. This construction should be
a. The first person forms used in this way are called cohortatives. translated in English as "you shall not. ... "
The cohortative is usually marked by a final il The addition ofT
-.
n~nn~!You shall not murder! (Exod 20:13)
this final element to an imperfect base form ordinarily causes the
accent to advance and the thematic vowel to reduce. c. The negative particle 7~ is used with the second person imper-
fect in negative commands. This construction is used to forbid or
'l~l~J i1J:J1lt/i let me pass through your land prevent a specific action. It should be translated in English as
(Num 21:22) "Do not .... "
n'lJ
,- :
ilnl:JJ
IT' .
let us make a covenant (Gen 31:44) ";~l(l)' nO(l)n-";~ Do not rejoice, 0 Israel! (Hos 9: 1)
Note: This final il sometimes appears with various forms of the
T
-

imperfect, without any particular significance.

The cohortatives and jussives are also negated by the negative to throw; Hi.: to confess, give thanks. Noun: it,ir-l
particle ~~. thanksgiving T

Do not let them dominate me!

(Ps 19:14)

6. The NJ Particle l'~~ to gather

T

,~~ to bury. Noun: ,~~ grave

With commands and various expressions of will, a N~ particle
is frequently found. It is common to take this as a particle of en- ,~~ Pi.; Hi.: to burn incense. Noun: M16p incense
treaty or exhortation, which is interpreted to have the force of
~11 to pursue, follow
"I (we) pray" or "please!" In many instances, however, the parti-
cle clearly has nothing to do with entreaties or exhortation. The n~w (also l]~W) to rejoice, be happy. Noun: it07?lp joy
significance of the N~ particle is, in fact, not entirely clear and it
is best to leave it untranslated.
~1W to burn. Noun: ~1W Sara ph (a winged-cobra)

1~1p to pour out

Note: With negative commands, the N~ particle usually comes im-
mediately after the negative particle ~~. Conjunctions:

~~p~j~r?~Do not let us perish! (Jonah I:14) 7~~7 in order that, so that

-7~ lest

Adverb:

019 not yet, before (also 0l~f)

M10?t the morrow; the next day; time to come. 'O?t the
morrow; time to come (also as an adverb: tomorrow)

0iH' (fs.) bone, substance, self. Adjective: 01~ mighty,

numerous

:qf.' evenmg I. :Ji:l:JN 6. 1:J~~T:1 II. 1ntp7?~

: ..

Verbs: 2. ~~tp~ 7 1:Jftp~ 12. mT:l' 73tVr-l

- :

1'~::2 to swallow
-T
3 'O~~ 8. '"1fTT:1 13 '1Jt?~T:1
'1'::2 to burn, consume 4 l1i~~ 9 1Ml~T:1 14 itn::2TN
T : : '.'
- T

5 nW7?~ 10. tVil~ IS mn'tVr-l

~~~ to redeem T: - :

v~! to cry out

 (Deut 33:19) pl?-'D:n il)JC OW
(2 Chron 20: 12) O~-t0~iDn~?iJ 'iJ'i1"l~
1. you (fs) will keep 6. let me send
2. you (ms) ask 7 let him remember
(Isa 30:21) 'Tl1iJ il} 19~?TlO~9 l~l il~.iJ9iDil
'~"~i~1

3 let him govern 8. I will not listen to them (mp) (Judg 14:15) iD~9T;J~ n'fl-m~1lDi~ :'JlW 9 n
4 I will lie down 9 Do not stretch out your (ms) hand (Exod 5:2) i~~J .iJ9iD~l~~ 'il1il~'P
5 let us sacrifice 10. you (ms) shall not sacrifice
O~J "l(Dry il1il' O~J 'JJ "l(DQ'-~"l1
I': T ,;. IT .
ojJ "J~ "l(DQ~-~"l
" .. T \': I:' I: ": T . -: <:.. 1

(Judg 8:23)

(Ps 15:I) . ~W1R ljJJ ISiD"-'p I.

(Jer 31:33) "l~l[l' n':J-n~ hl~~l~~ n'1JiJ n~] ';J 10.

(Ps I I I: 5) ii;1'lJ oji.iJ"l l~i' 2. e. Translate Deut 13:1-6 with the help of a dictionary and these
notes.
(Ps 104:34) il,1il'~n9w~ ':)jtf 3

(Gen 30:15) il't"?iJ 'l9.iJ :J~iD' 4

ni~l."?to do; :'J9h-~"lyou shall not add.
(Neh 6: II) n"'):J'"JiQ~iD'tliiJ 5.
(Prov 8:15) ij'?Q' O'?!Q 'J, 6.
OiR: Qal imp. 3 ms of mp; HJ~1and he gives.
~;li and (subject) comes (i.e., comes to pass); il~"l~,Qal coho
(Gen 24:7) 'i~~"lo nJiD' 7.
I cp of l?;::t; 0'P~,~1and let us serve them.
(Deut I: 22) 'o'iD~~ilr;r"liDJ8.
n.iJl"l to know; O~iD'il= i1 + C:::llV'.0:
- - T c: ; . -; -: 0." :

(Isa 6:8) n/iD~ 'rYn~ 9.

(0 bad 13) il~nJiDil-"l~110.
(Ps 18: 38) ':;l~i~,:'Jill~
(2 Chron 2:15) O'~l.' nl~J
i~!ll Qal impf. mp of l?;::t; i~Tn Qal impf.
2 2 mp of N1~;
n~l.'DQal impf. 2 mp of ,~.
11. n9i' shall be put to death; '~O''JiJ"lto divert you; n~!! to
walk; Dl,lj;Jiso you shall purge.
12.

(I Sam 23: I 7) "ltn(p'-"l,lj 1?Qil 'ilD~1 1.

(Ps II6:I7) ilJiil n:;lJn~~~:~! 2.

(Isa 55:3) Oii.iJ n''JJ 'o=?!ilDl~~1 3

 Notes:
1. When a composite sewizJ precedes a simple vocal sewiz~ the
former becomes a full short vowel and the latter becomes
a. As in the strong verb, there are verbs with the 6 thematic vowel silent.
(i.e., yiqt61 type) and those with a (i.e., yiqtal type): 'b~~ (he will ::"17?~13> '17?~13 ::.'j?TDry> 'j?Tryry
stand); i'm~ (he will be strong).
::'1'7?~~> 1'7?~~ ~'1i'TD~> 1i'Try~
b. Since gutturals generally prefer the composite sewiiJ (IY.2.a.ii)
instead of the simple silent: under the first radical, one finds _:for ::'1'7?~13> 1'7?~13 ::'1i'TDry> 1i'rryry
verbs with the thematic vowel 6 and .::for verbs with the the- 11. I-JAlep verbs of the ';l~ type frequently have e instead of a as
matic vowel a: 'b~~(he will stand); i'm~(he will be strong). Not the thematic vowel: '~N\ '~Ni:l, etc.
infrequently, however, the simple silent: may be retained; e.g., lll. The I cs of I-JAlep verbs of the ';l~ type show the develop-
ltv~~ (he will refrain); I:l~~~(he will be wise). ment ::";;JNN> ';IN - that is, the N of the preformative and
c.I-JAlep verbs behave normally, except for the following: ,~~ the first radical have merged. The I cs imperfect should not
(to say), ,~~ (to eat), ,~~ (to perish), ;-r~~ (to bake), ;-r~~ (to be be confused with the Qal active participle (ms).
willing). For these verbs, the vowel in the preformative is always
';IN I will eat ';;IN (one) eating
6, and the N quiesces.

d. The inflections of the Qal imperfect of ,~ (to stand), i'IlJ (to 2. The Qal Imperfect of III-:>Alep Verbs
be strong), and ,~~ (to eat) are as follows.

'b~~ i'ItT ';IN;

1N~7?~
'b~13 i'n:m ';lNi:l
;-rJN~7Jr:l
'b~13 i'n:m ';lNi:l T

'17?~13 'j?rryry '7~Ni:l 1N~7?J:l

'btt i'mtt '~N ;-rJN~7Jr:l

T :

1'7?~~ 1i'Try~ 1'~N;

;-rJ,61'r:l
T: -:-
;-r~plrry m,SNi:l
T: -
Notes:
1'7?~13 1i'rryry 1'~Ni:l 1. Since the N quiesces when it closes a syllable, the preceding
;-rJ,61'r:l
T: -:-
;-r~plrry m,SNi:l
T: -
vowel is lengthened: ::'N~7?~
> N7?~.
11. The 3 fph fp form is ;-r~N7?J:l
not ::';-r~N7?J:l,
as one might
i'Im expect.
 Qal Imperfect of I-Nun Verbs I 217

3 ms '?b~ '?Or l'~~ 1t-J~

The inflections of il'?;J.(to uncover) and il'il (to be) are as follows.
TT TT
3 fs '?bD '?mD l'~D 1t-JD
2 ms '?bD '?O~D l't:>r:l 1t-JD
il7.~~
2 fs '7~D '7rqD '+'~D '~T;lD
il7.~D il~~D
I cs '?b~ '?m~ l'~~ m~
il7.~D
'7~D
il~~D
3 mp ~,~~ ~'?qr ~l'~~ ~JT;l~
;-nf.lr:l
il7.~~ 3 fp m'?6r:l
T:
m'?rim
T: - :
ml't:>r:l
T: - T

2 mp ~'?~D ~'?rqD ~l'~D ~JT;lD

~'?~~
2 fp ilJ'?6r:l ilJ'?rim
T: - : .
ilJl't:>r:l il~f.lr:l
ilJ'9:1r:l
T :
T: T: - T

~'?~D
I cp '?bJ 'O~~ l'~~ m~
ilJ'9:1r:l
T ",':

d. The verb niZ? (to take) behaves like a I-Nun verb in the Qal im-
perfect. Thus, it is inflected like l'g~,with the assimilation of '?
(as if it were Nun): n~~,n~D,etc.

Note: The strong diiges representing the assimilated Nun often

disappears when a sewiiJ stands under the consonant (VI.7):
thus, ~l'~~> ~1'9~; ~nw~> ~ni?~,and so forth.

(IY.2.b): 'b~
a. The Nun is typically assimilated into the following radical
("'yinpol > yippol) he will fall; l'\? (':'yinsac> yissaC)
he will set out. With roots that are both I-Nun and II-Guttural,
however, the Nun radical is retained, e.g., '?rq~(he will inherit). a. Three important features characterize the Qal imperfect of
b. The verb m~ (to give) has e as the thematic vowel, instead of 0 most 1-Waw verbs.
or a, e.g., 11:1: (he will give).

c. The inflections of the Qal imperfect of (to fall), '?~~ '?m (to in- ii. The vowel of the preformative is e.
herit), l'g~(to set out), and m~
(to give) are as follows.
iii. The thematic vowel is ordinarily e, except
in the 3 fp/2 fp
form, which has a. III-Guttural verbs also have a as the the-
matic vowel.
b. The imperfect forms of ::np; (to sit, dwell) and Y1; (to know)
are as follows.
a. Original 1-Yog verbs are treated like any strong verb with the
yiqtal imperfect, except that the silent sewcf) under the first radi-
cal is lost: thus, ':-::ltd;:> ::ltd': (see VI.3.a).

::lW13 b. The inflection of the Qal imperfect of ::ltd; (to go well) is as

follows.
::lW13
'::ltVr-l
: I"~
3 ms ::ltd': 3 mp i::lt?':
3 fs ::ltd'T:1 3 fp ;'J::l~'r-l
T: -

2 ms ::ltd'T:1 2 mp i::lt,"T:1

m::nVr-l 2 fs ':;It,''T:1 2 fp m::lt3'r-l

T : -
T: - ,.

I CS ::ltd'~ I cp ::ltd'~
m::lWr-l
T: -

Note: Occasionally the imperfects of this type (including the few

c. The verb 1?~ (to walk, go) behaves like an original I-Waw verb
in the Qal and Hiphil (see also XVI.8.b). The Qal imperfect of
1?~, therefore, is inflected like ::lIP; (thus, 17\ 1713,etc.). Imper-
fect forms of 1?~ that do not behave like I-Waw verbs are also
l~q~,l~w~),
attested (e.g., but they are relatively uncommon.
d. A small group of original I-Waw verbs may retain the first rad-
ical, but as " not 1- that is, they behave like I-Yog verbs (see sec-
tion 6 below). The most important examples of these are the
verbs tV'; (to possess) and N1; (to fear, be afraid).
e. I-Waw verbs that behave like I-Nun (see XVI.8.c) are sporadi-
cally attested, e.g., I'l~;(perfect), but I'l~p
(imperfect).
I-Waw verbs that behave like 1-Yog) are spelled defectively. When
they are so written, the meteg is usually added to the vowel of
the preformative to indicate that it is long, e.g., tV';' (for tV":). The
defective form iNl;. (Qal imp. 3 mp of N1;) may be confused with
iNT (Qal imp. 3 mp of ;,ttl), except that the meteg in the former
indicates that it is defective for iN!,:.
7.The Qal Imperfect of II-Waw/Yog Verbs
a. The vowel of the preformative in the Qal imperfect of II-Waw/
Yog verbs is normally ii, which is reduced when it is propretonic.
Less commonly it is e instead of ii (e.g., tVi::l~ he will be ashamed).
b. The inflections of the Qal imperfect of Cij/ (to arise), C'W (to
place), and Ni!l (to come) are as follows.
 r:njl~
mjl~

mjl~ ~;:J~ m grace, favor. Verb: no to be gracious, favor

'~1P~ '~;~1=1T i1~ counsel, plan, advice. Verb: 1'~~to advise

C1j11$ ~~W rod, tribe

3 mp 17:)1j1~ ,~W gate

3 fp i1t~1j1T;1 i1)'N:m
T'" :
Verbs:

1mjl~ 1~;~~ 1;!1$ to perish

i1t~1j1T;1 i1:1'
T':
N :m
:
m~ - T
to seize

C1j1~ T~l$ to confirm, support; Hi.: to believe, trust. Noun: i1~17:)~

truth

Notes: 'Ql$ to bind. Noun: "i;)l$, "l1'~ prisoner

The variant forms i1~7?P~ (instead of i1t~1j1T;1) and i1~~5~
1.
'10 to cease, stop (doing something)
(instead of i1t~~T;1) are attested.
11. Although the distinction between II-Waw and II-Y6g is usu- jI'zO to divide, apportion. Noun: jI?D portion, lot
ally clear, there is considerable mixing of the two types. For
1'P.O to delight, desire. Noun: 1'~D desire, pleasure
instance, one finds the imperfect c1tv~,along with c'ip~.
:JWO i1~tfq~(cs. n~wq~) thought
,j~
to think, reckon. Noun:
8.The Verb ~j" T to be able (to do something), prevail

The Qal perfect of the verb ':J~

(be able) behaves regularly as a iV1~ to possess, dispossess
qiW51 type (XI I 1.2). The Qal imperfect of ':J~,
however, is unique. tm to flee

l'Q~ to set out, travel, depart

3 ms ':;11' 3 mp 1'~1'
:J1~ to approach, draw near. Adjective: :J;'~near
3 fs ':;111=1 3 fp -not attested-
1'1' to run
2 ms ':;)11=1 2 mp 1'~11=1
'~iV to remain, be left over
2 fs '7~11=1 2 fp -not attested- - T

I cs ':;11~ I cp ':;11)
C?tf to be whole, healthy, complete, at peace; Pi.: to make
whole, make amends, recompense
 (Gen 43:8) m6~~,?i'i1:n,Jii1;;/J.ii1Q~i?~l5.
Cl'\O~'?~ltD' '~:JiD''?ja "n"ilJ~i)L.i~Cl7~n':J~i1.fiJn'~;l 6.
(2 Kgs 21:7) Clj;,!)'?'piD-n~
9 v!;q~ !;'1m
-: ...
~~O:ClWiWD'o~-i~iD' i)L.i~Clipa:J~'?~ltlr ')::l~3?O'i~-'iO~i 7
2. nre~ 10. ~~~~~
(Num 9:17) '?~ltD' ',J.:;!
3. i1~~f:l II. ~UlT:
'~1i' '? l~ri1tl;p~ '"Ja~h-iili~ '?f '~i'!T'?~ "n::li1D~i 8.
!;':tn~ ~i'?~13
4 _: '.' I 2.
(Ruth 3: II) n~ "'(} nili~ '? 'rj~ i~~-"~
5. 'b~;' ~!;~:
:Cl'D"~! i~-i1~i1f1
i1D~li1:J":J'ri1~i1,'
'~~i1 9
6. !;;J~~ i10~J~
T T

:n~~iTn~ i~-i1tl;J)O
iW~ ~rJ:::ln8n i1;i.iJ
i1~QiJ-n~1
7 ':;Jo/r. 15 '~TI:1 23. i1t~i::J~
(Exod 4:16-17)
8. 1'1~ 16. i1::l!;J
T :1"
24. ~n~:
~,?I'o~? "~~-~~I 19,!) ~~~ ~~ ~n.':::l'~o-n~ ""-Fln-Cl~ 10.
b. Write the following in Hebrew:
i;,;l1::l'n~i1J~I P-'? :i1:i.iJ
ib~? 'i11i1~ CliP9;lCl'O-i1t1iD~
I. we will build 9 you (mp) will possess :QJjiJ iW~ ll'P ~'?l Cl'9-i1t1iDn
:J~WD ~,?I ClD; "~~iT~"
2. let us run 10. they (mp) will be (I Kgs 13:8-9)
3 we will be able II. they (mp) will flee
d. Translate Exod 3:1-14 with the help of a dictionary and these
4 we will possess 12. they (fp) will say
notes.
5 I will say 13 you (fs) will be able
6. I will give 14 they (mp) will stand
7 I will go 15 they (fp) will stand v I: 'Dn and he drove; ~~:] and he came.
8. I will take 16. he will be willing v 2: ~TJ'(subject) appeared; ~l~]and he saw; ,,;:?~consumed.
v 3: iO~:] (subject) said; ~ri1l9~ let me turn aside.
v 4: ~i,~] (subject) saw; ni~i" to see; ~lP~]and (subject) called;
(Jer 18:18) ~'?~a i~l' Cl;;QP
'i1.l)li~ja i1lin 1~~h-~'? I. iO~~]and he said.
(Gen 34:21) ClD/IPJ ~J'Dj:;)-n~i
Cl'W~"~J~rnp-J
'oDj::l-n~ 2. v 5: "i,Q remove.
(Ps 56:12) '; ~T~ ~'? 'nr:1t~~,
Cl1~i1W~~-i10 Cl'ji'?~~ 3 v 6: irO~] (subject) hid; ~';JiJOto look (lit. of looking).
(Jer 8:4) :J~~:~~l :J~~:-Cl~~a~i?:~,?i ~?9'D 4 v 7: 'n'~li1~lI have indeed seen.
 v 8: i~i.~l
I have descended; i!'~i}? to rescue them; lri?~Ji}?i,
and to bring them up.

v I 0: :JO,?Ib~l
i1~? come, let me send you; ~~ii1. bring out.
We have learned so far (XIII.3) that a situation viewed by an out-
v I I: ~'~i~ I should bring out.
sider as a complete whole is generally expressed by verbs in the af-
v I 2: :J~'~ii1:lwhen you bring out. formative inflection (qiital). On the other hand, a situation that is
viewed as if "from the inside" (XVIII.3) is expressed by the pre-
v 13: 'f11Q~1and I will say; nQ!';1il and they will say.
formative inflection (yiqtol).1 We have seen, therefore, that situa-
tions that are perceived to be complete tend to be described by
verbs in the perfect. This is only partially correct, however. In fact,
the yiqtol form has two different origins: >:'yaqtulu for the imper-
fect and >:'yaqtul for the preterite (referring to past situations). But
early in the evolution of the Hebrew language, final short vowels
disappeared and so the imperfect form ("yaqtulu > "yaqtul) be-
came identical to the preterite ("yaqtul). In time, >'yaqtul (i.e., ei-
ther imperfect or preterite) developed to yiqtol. Thus, the yiqtol
form may be imperfect or preterite. In its latter function, of
course, there is some overlap with the perfect.
The preterite use of the yiqtol form is clearly evident in the fol-
lowing situations.

a. In poetic, and especially archaic, texts.

lirn' tl'P~ i~QW the peoples heard, they trembled

(Exod 15:14)

Note: Here the preterite meaning of the yiqtol form qirtl') is evi-
dent in its close association with a qiital form.

b. After the adverb TI$ (then, at that time).

i1,P? ,!)W8n i~ at that time, Libnah revolted (2 Kgs 8:22)

c. In the wayyiqtol form (see below).

'1~~i}-n~JiJ?] and he drove the flock (Exod 3: I)

I. For simplicity's sake, we refer to the afformative inflections in general as qatal and
the preformative inflections as yiqt61, but one must remember that there are variations for
different verb types and verbal patterns.

Even though Hebrew verbs do not by themselves indicate tense,
they may be found in certain constructions to refer to specific sit-
uations in the past or the future.
Note: The -J became a convenient way to distinguish the preterite
from the imperfect. It should not, therefore, be translated slavishly
as "and"; sometimes it is best to leave it untranslated.

a. In the narration of past situations, the sequence qiital + wayyiq-

a. Since the qiital + wayyiqtal sequence is used in the narration of
tal is used. Since the wayyiqtal form follows the perfect in this
past situations, the yiqta! + weqiital sequence may be perceived to
sequence and refers to a past situation, it is sometimes said to be
be its logical opposite. Thus, in contrast to the wayyiqta! form
"converted" (i.e., by the perfect). Hence, the wayyiqtal form
(which overlaps in function with the perfect), the weqata! form in
is called the wiiw-conversive or wiiw-consecutive, although the
a. yiq~al + .weqiita! sequence is understood to refer to an imperfec-
form is really from an original "'yaqtu! (i.e., the preterite) and has
tive sItuatiOn.
not been "converted."

n,~p-n~1f'?~}l'i) n~~, Nobah went and captured Kenath

1p rn"'] "n"'i)' k~~ I will go forth, and I will be
a lying spirit (1 Kgs 22:22)
(Num 32:42)
Note: In the 2 ms and 1 cs of the weqiital form, the accent is usu-
The meaning of the wayyiqta! verb is not necessarily tied to such
ally on the ultima, rather than the preceding syllable. Compare:
a sequence, however. Even when it does not follow a qiita! form,
the wayyiqtal must be interpreted as referring to a past situation. Simple perfect Consecutive perfect

i1Wb-'?~ ~lP~} (YHWH) called to Moses (Lev 1:1) 'DizOl and I will go
b. The 1 used with the consecutive form appears as follows. OiZOl and you went ~~?Ol and you will go
i. It is normally J (wa-) + doubling of the next consonant: Nli?~J
and he called. .
b. A weqatal form following a participle may refer to something
ii. If the next consonant has a sewii~ it is J without doubling
that is not yet complete.
(see VI.7): '~1;J and he spoke.
11~iT'?~ I o\!# ,;rJ.~'?'-lOll ')Ji1
I will stand before you on the
iii. If the preformative of the verb is N, it is 1 without doubling:
rock at Horeb and you shall
7:J~1and I ate.
T
T 0'9 IJQa I~~" 11~~n'~i1'J1h:l
I. I. T. T J"

strike the rock,' and water

.: ..:

shall flow from it (Exod 17:6)

The wayyiqta! form should not be confused with the simple con-
junction + imperfect (i.e., weyiqtal). Compare the following.

l'~o/~J and he heard The Waw-consecutive forms of the prefixed verbal forms are easy
to recognize because they are always preceded by wa- (plus
l'~o/~l and he will hear dages) or wa- (see 2.b above), as opposed to we-. For most verbs,
228 / Lesson X X

there is no distinction in form between the imperfect and the

Waw-consecutive forms.

Imperfect

(and) he found

(and) he fell
There is no retraction of accent, however, in the Waw-consecu-
tive form of N;::J (thus, Nj~l). A few verbs with III-Guttural show
a retraction of accent, but the final vowel is shortened to a, not to
The following peculiarities should be noted, however. o or e.
a. The I-JA!ep verbs '~l$ (to eat) and '~l$ (to say) show a retrac- Imperfect
tion of the accent from the ultima to the pen ultima in the forms
without endings. This retraction results in a slight change in
vocalization for the verb '~l$, but not '~l$.

Imperfect

'7.?N~l (and) he said

'~N~l (and) he ate

d. The III-He forms are characterized by three things.

i. Apocope (cutting off) of the final i1.

b. I-Waw verbs usually show a retraction of the accent in the ii. After the apocope of i1, a segal is usually inserted to prevent
forms without endings. This retraction typically results in the a consonant cluster at the end of the new form.
shortening of the final vowel from .. to ....

Imperfect Wiiw-consecutive
:JW~l
'7.61
(and) he dwelled/sat

(and) she bore

,:.,~~ > '~~1 (and) he uncovered

,;.
p' > 1?~1 (and) he built

Note: The verb l7~ (to go) behaves like a I-Waw verb (thus, l7.~l
he went). Beyond these basic characteristics, however, the forms of III-He
verbs are quite unpredictable. Even within the same root there
c. II -Waw / Y ocj verbs without endings generally show a retrac- may be differences in vocalization. Some III-He verbs have e C.)
tion of the accent and the consequent shortening of to 0 and u in the preformative (instead of i) and no segal inserted.
ItO e.
 :1;P~ ':'1~~
> l~~J (not ';1~~J) he wept ':.:1\9t > :1~~ (and) he stretched out

:1~~~ ':'I;l~~ > I;l~~J (not ':'r-lW~J) he drank ':.:1TJ' > :11'
.::' .... (and) he sprinkled

III-He verbs that are also I-Guttural generally have p(#a~ instead Finally, it should be noted that the Waw-consecutive form of :1Ni T T

of segal inserted, although there is some variation in the vocal- (to see) is Nl~J. Since this form occurs very frequently, it should
ization of the preformative (sometimes an i-vowel appears in- be committed to memory. The 3 fS/2 ms form, however, is N~.6J.
stead of the expected a-vowel).

':'1~~
> l~~J (and) he answered In a discourse, context may be provided in a number of ways.
A past event is typically introduced by '0;J, literally, "and it was/
:1W~ ,:tv~ > tv~~J (and) he made/ did
came to pass." Future events are introduced by :1;;:11, literally,
:1m~ ':'m~> m~J (and) he camped "and it shall be." Further indication of the context usually fol-
lows: a prepositional or adverbial expression giving a specific
time (e.g., after these things), a reference to some event intro-

The verbs :1':1 (to

be) and :1'n (to live) are peculiar in their Waw-
duced by iW~~ (even as) or ':P (when), or the like. The event that
TT TT
happened or will happen is then introduced by the conjunction
consecutive forms. Because they occur frequently, they should be
-,. Literally, the sequence -, ... '0;J means "(and) it came to
memorized.
pass ... that;' and the sequence -, ... :1;01 means "(and) it shall
be ... that." It is often best, however, to avoid a literal translation.
Study the following examples.
(and) he lived

(and) I was
in~ il~'Tn~ 'ni?"J ~1i'~ 'fn In the evening, he took Leah
his daughter (Gen 29:23)
III-He verbs that are also I-Nun may pose a problem to the be- P1)~' 'j~.p '1~J:J ~1iiiJ Di~:JI 'iTJ On that day, the servants of
ginning student: in addition to the apocope of He, the form may Isaac came (Gen 26:32)
also lose the diiges in the second radical which normally indicates
il11il' T!,"J ~liliJ np'~'-il',J At that time, Judah went
the assimilated Nun (compare V.r).
down (Gen 38:r)

"l9i'-n~ ?rn ill?: 1W~~'fn When Rachel bore Joseph,

Jacob said
'~p.p:10~:}
(Gen 30:25)
 'i1I:Tn~J.J1i'?9iT?~1j~;J-':;)'i1~.J When we came to the lodge, we
opened our saddle bags
1J'rlhnD~-n~
(Gen43:2I)
b. Future Events i17t~:p (cs: n~~#; with sfx. iPl7?V:p)wild animal, beast, cattle

'l:J,p? 'n~JRl ~1i)iJOi~:;li1,:~il
lilJ~rl~iT?~ 1~~rT'?i1:~il
0i? i1,1i1~1fT
lp1 llt.i~~
n~~iJ i11j.;lQ-n~ OQlOtD1
On that day, I will summon my 'i~q (he- lass
servant (Isa 22:20)
lVl~~ pasture land
When you enter the land which
i1R (also i1R) extremity, end
YHWH will give to you, even
as he has spoken, you shall i1W lamb, kid
keep this service (Exod 12: 2 5)
vW sack

FtW oil, fat

Verbs:
Clauses describing circumstances concomitant with the main
event may be introduced by the conjunction -\ in which case the l'~~ to split
conjunction may be translated as "while;' "when;' or "as."
i1n to act like a prostitute, be promiscuous. Noun: i1~t pros-
l:J~'J'r.n~-i9:J:J
'")~1~-?,p?$'} He fell on the neck of Benja- titute, promiscuous woman
min his brother and wept, as
""J~1~-?,p i1;?:;J 1D:J:J1 Benjamin wept on his neck
i1!';J to see (a vision). Noun: liTO vision

(Gen 45:14) 1WO to restrain, withhold

:Jll1:;J'i19l0 O'?~?OiJ '~tD 1~j:}o The two angels came to Sod om O~7t to reject
in the evening, while Lot was
0lO-l,pWJ :Jy.J' ~i~' l'~~ to touch, strike (object of the verb usually indicated
sitting by the gate of Sodom
(Gen 19:1)
by :pl. Idiom: -'?~ l'~~reach. Noun: 1'~1plague, stroke

C1~ to fast. Noun: ci~ fast, fasting

'~m-p1ptziOl 'l)~'?~ ~~:} Elisha came to Damascus when
Ben-Hadad the king of Aram Prepositions:
i1jh Ol~-l?P
was sick (2 Kgs 8:7)
'1:l~ for the sake of, on account of
As noted in IX.5.b, i1~0 very often introduces the circumstances
mqp7 toward, against
of something that is happening.
'?~~ above
He came to the man while (he
was) standing by the camels
(Gen 24:30)
 I. 'HT:1J 6. l7.6J II. 1~~J 16. :llv5,
T T-
We have already learned in XVIII+b that there is no difference
2. :JW~J 7 1'1~J 12. :JW;'
T T- 17 7:;)N'
.. T
between the jussives and the corresponding imperfect forms of
most verbs. For two root types, however, the jussives are clearly
3 l7.~J 8. l~~J 13 10~'
-T-
18. iu,SNi:lJ
T :-
distinguished: III-He and II-Waw/Y6<j.
4 n~~J 9 Tom 14 N1~' 19 i1J'Jm,
0.0: .-
T
a. The jussives of III-He verbs are usually identical to the corre-
5 '0;J 10. 1~~J 15 W~~J 20. N1'N' T 'T sponding Waw-consecutive forms without the conjunction (see
XX+d).
Wdw-
Root Imperfect consec. ]ussive
I. (and) he rejected 9 (and) he saw
2. (and) she touched 10. (and) I took ilJ:J ila~: P~J 1~: let him build

3 (and) he fasted II. (and) he died il71 il7.~: 7~~J 7~~ let him uncover
4 (and) she went 12. (and) she came il'il il~~: ';:t;J '0; let him be, become
5 (and) we came 13 (and) you (ms) said
il'n il~r;t: 'I};J '1}; let him live
6. (and) she saw 14 (and) he gave
il1n illn~ 10~J 10: let him be angry
7 (and) she sat 15 (and) he went up
8. (and) he was afraid 16. (and) he camped ilm il~: ~~J ~~ let him stretch

c.Translate Gen 22:1-15 with the help of a dictionary and these il71' il7.~~ 7~~J 7~~ let him go up
notes. ilWl' ilWl"
0." _:_ W~~J W~~ let him do, make
Notes: ilnw il~tp: r;ttp~J r;ttp~ let him drink
v 2: ~tnj? take!; lL;-l~1go! li1)~iJl and offer him up!

v 3: D~iD~}(subject) got up early; ')iD-n~ two of; ',!)f2~l'} he split.

For the verb ill$1 (to see), however, there is a slight difference in
v 5: D??-,JiD you stay!; i1,100iD,Jl
and we will worship. vocalization between Waw-consecutive and 3 ms jussive forms.
v 8: D(niD the two of them. Nl~ let him see
v 10: ~~iD~ to slay. b. The jussives of II-Waw/Y6g verbs are normally distinguished
v 13: iD~J. caught; li1)~~} and offered it up. from the Waw-consecutive forms.

v 14: 19~' it is said; i1~T it will be seen.

236 / Lesson X X 1

Waw-
Root Imperfect consec. Jussive

m~ m~~ m,,~'
T- T
nb'T let him die
It is easiest at this stage to think of the imperative forms as re-
lated to the corresponding imperfect forms, inasmuch as the pre-
tl1~' tl"PT let him be exalted formative is lacking in the imperative.
m1 011~ TT-
:J,1Li :J~1Li' :J1Li;' :JUob let him return Imperfect Imperative
T T-
T T
!;l') !;l')' !;l);, !;l~~ let him rejoice ms !;lbPD !;lbp
o T ':T-
2 (see I I.6.a.i)
:J1~' :J1' let him quarrel fs '!;ltpPD
:J'1 :J'!~ ':T- O'T 2 ';O'?lPP> '?lPP
0
(see II.6.a.i; VI.3.a)

tl'W'. T tlW;' tlW~ let him set mp ~!;llPPD ::'~!;lt?P> ~!;lt?P (see I I.6.a.i; VI-}-a)
tl'W .: T-
2

2 fp i1~7GpD i1~7Gp (see I I.6.a.i)

2. The Qal Cohortative of Weak Verbs

a. The Qal imperatives ofthe strong verbs 1~tp (to keep) and :J;ltp
The Qal cohortative forms of weak verbs occasion no surprises, (to lie down) are inflected as follows.
but a few forms are noteworthy.

ms 1btp :J;ltp
i1!;l::lNlet me eat
T: fs '"17?W ':;JiW
i1l-\,l-\ let me see i1~l~ let us see
.: :.: mp ~'7?W ~:JiW
Notes:
i. The cohortatives of I-Guttural verbs like ,~ are formed ac- fp i1nb1Li
T: : i1J:JS1Li
T: - :

cording to rules (see XIX.I.d.i).

::0 i1'~1'l-\ > i1'~1'l-\ let me stand
b. The Qal imperatives of the I-Guttural verbs ,~ (to stand), prQ
T: ':: ': T: ': ':

::.i1'~l'J > i1'~l'J

T : -; - T : --
let us stand (to be strong), and !;l;l~ (to eat) are inflected as follows.
11. The I cs cohortatives of I-JAlep verbs like !;l;l~ are formed ac-
cording to rules (see XIX.I.d.iii).
'b~ prq !;lj~
::'i1!;l::ll-\N>
i1!;l::lNlet me eat
T : T :
'17? 'PFJ '?i~
lll. Instead of special cohortative forms, III-He verbs use the ap-
~'7? ~PFJ ~!;li~
propriate imperfect forms; they are without the final i1 T -

that marks most cohortatives. i1J,bl'

T : i1~P!q i1J!;lSl-\
T: '::

i1~l~ we will see (imperfect) or let us see (cohortative)

Notes: is _::'not _:' After the conjunction" however, it is silent: ;"I~~J
I. Although the 2 ms imperfect of PIO is pm!), the imperative we~ye(h); ~'~1wi~ya.
is pIq, not ':-pm
e.The Qal imperative ofthe I-Wiiw verbs :21P~ (to dwell) and Y1~
11. In I-JA!ep verbs, the vowel in the first syllable is .::'
(to know), and the verb 170 are inflected as follows.
111. Regardless of the guttural, the fs and mp forms have the
i-vowel in the first syllable.

"~Y not ':-"~Y

ms :lW Y'1 1~
.: . . : -: > ':-"~Y
. : - (see XIX.I.d.i)
fs ':;IlP '+'1 '~7
'j?FJ not ::-'j?n:1 or ':-'j?TO
c. The Qal imperative of the II-Guttural verb 1lJ~ (choose) is
mp ~:l1p ~Y1 ~:J7
inflected as follows. fp ;"I):lW
T :
;"I)Yi-
T:
;"I):J7
T: ..

ms 1lJ:P Notes:
I. As in the imperfect (XIX.5.a.i), the first radical does not ap-
fs '!q~
pear in the imperative.
mp ~1q~ 11. As previously noted (XIX.5.C), the verb 170 behaves like an
fp m1n::2
T : - :
original I-Waw verb in the Qal imperfect. So, too, it is
treated like a I-Waw verb in the imperative.
111. The 3 fpl2 fp imperfect of :lW~ is ;"I~~WlJ,but the imperative
Note: The fs and mp are formed according to rules (see VI.3.b): is ;"I~~W, not ':-;"I~~W (also ;"IP?lJ but ;"IP7). The imperfect 3
thus ,"-'1n::2 fp/2 fp of :q~ is ;"I~N*lJ, but the corresponding imperative
.-: : > '1n::2'
.-: - , ::-~1n::2
> ~1n::2.
-: -
is irregular, ;"Ir~.
-: :

d. The Qal imperatives of the III-He verbs ;"I~~ (to build), ;"Io/ (to IV. Although W1~ (to possess) behaves like an original I-Y6~
do), and ;"I~O (to be) are inflected as follows. verb in the imperfect (see XIX.5.d), the imperatives are, with
only one exception, typical of I-Waw verbs (i.e., W")., ~Wl).
;"Ii..vy-: ;"I~W The verb N)_~ (to be afraid), on the other hand, does not lose
ms ;"I~:P
the first radical in the imperative (NT; ~N1~) .
fs '~:p 'ivY
. -: '~W
f. The Qal imperatives of the I-Nun verbs ,;>~(to fall), YQ~ (to set
mp ~):P ~iv ~'W out), and 1m (to give) are inflected as follows.
fp ;"1)')::2 ;"I)'WY ;"1)";"1
T : T ',' -: T .: .::

ms 'b) YQ 1lJ
Notes:
I. The ending in the ms is always ;"I .. -, not ;"I _. -, as in the im- fs '?~~ '+'9 '~I;l
perfect 2 ms. mp :,,~~ ~Y9 m:,
11. For the verbs ;"I~O (to be) and it~O (to live), the first syllable ;"1),6) ;"I)YO
fp T : : T : -
;"I~lJ
Notes:
4. Imperative Forms with Final;, -
I. There are two basic types of I-Nun verbs evident in the Qal

imperative forms: those with the first radical (like

those that lose the first radical (like l't;? and H~)
1), and ,b a. The ms of the imperative may take the final i1 like the cohor-
T
-,
T

tative. When it does, the base form is shortened, contracted, or

11. The verb nj2? (to take) behaves like a I-Nun verb: thus, nj2
reduced before the final i1 unless it is a I I-Waw /Y 64 verb, in
-,

(ms), 'DP (fs), 1np (mp). The fp form is unattested.

T

which case it remains unchanged. There is no difference in mean-

g. The Qal imperatives of the II-Waw verbs mp (to arise) and ing between an imperative with the final i1 and one without.
T
-

Ni::J(to come), and the II-Y64 verb O'l?' (to put) are inflected as b. The following are the forms of the Qal imperative with the
follows. final i1 -.
T

ms mp Ni::J O'l?'

fs '~1P
<

'~'::J '~'ip
.<
,b1p Keep!
< .<

mp 1~1P 1N'::J 1~'ip 'b~ Stand!

fp i1~7?P
,j~
n?1p i1n,w
T :

Notes:
:JW
i. I I-Waw verbs are clearly distinguished from I I-Y 64 verbs.
ii. The fp form of mp is i1~7?jS,even though the 2 fp imperfect is l'o::!

usually i1r~1pI;l. ,b1 i1'~JT : T

An imperative form may be vocalized slightly differently in cer-

l't;?
tain situations. When linked to a following word or particle by
means of the maqqefJ, it loses its stress and the last syllable may
be shortened from <5to a or from e to e. mp
,b1p but 9?-'7?1p Keep! Ni::J
:JW but mp-:JW Stay there!

When the imperative is in pause, the thematic vowel may not be

reduced; it may, in fact, be lengthened.
Note: The III-He imperative never takes the final i1 (compare
1:J1p but 1:JW Stay! T
-

2. Note iii above).

l'~1p but l'~W

T :
Hear!

1'~~ but 1'S~ Eat!

 :J~l~O.:J'T1~ Go from your country (Gen 12:r)
The imperative forms are not negated in Hebrew. For negative 'r~jir~~ :1~-nl:lC1j?1 Now go on! Flee to Laban my
commands, the negative particles 1'\'1; and I;~are used with the sec- brother (Gen 27:43)
ond person imperfect (see XVIII.5.b-c).
8. Commands in Narrative Sequence
n~lT:l 1'\'1; You shall not murder! (not ::'n~l 1'\'1;)

n~tpT:l-I;~ Do not rejoice! (not ::'n~tp 1'\'1;) a. A series of imperatives or imperatival phrases may occur, with
or without the conjunction -, linking them.

D~1 1~j~1
.J:
'n:liD D~
'::1'"''
Come, buy food and eat! Come
<:

buy food without money!

~O?-~i~:l YlJiLi
A few imperative forms are used as interjections and, therefore, (Isa 5 5:r)
should not be taken literally. When so used, the imperative form
In such a sequence, the imperatives joined by -, mayor may not
may be masculine singular even though the subject may be femi-
be consequent to one another.
nine or plural.
b. By analogy with other narrative sequences (XX.2-3), an imper-
ative form preceding a perfect, causes the perfect to have an im-
rrJ:;) 'JJ 1'1'J 'il~l Ah! The smell of my son is like the smell perative force.
of a field which YHWH has blessed!
iliil' i~l:l liLi~ illtu Go on and enter the land of Judah
IT \ -:'. ": -; ';T

(Gen 27:27)
(r Sam 22:5)
b. mp (arise)
DD'?r;d?Qill D?ipJ 1'9iD Heed their voice and cause a king
'il,?~~l il~iLi~rD1p
to reign for them
c. :lD; (give) 179 (r Sam 8:22)

T7~ ~i:;l~
'~ril:;lV Come! Let me come into you! In this sequence, the weqiital form is consequent to the impera-
(Gen 38:r6) tive form: Go (and then) enter! Heed (and then) cause a king to
d.l?D (go) reign!
nO"]JilDl~J il~~ Come on! Let us make a covenant!
c. If the imperative is followed by an imperfect or cohortative, the
(Gen 3r:44)
latter begins a purpose or result clause and should, therefore, be
translated by "that ... " or "so that ... "
7. The Imperative with a Redundant ~
mQ~ ~!l 'il:m1 l'lt-jnl Provide the seed so that we may
After the imperative, the preposition I; with the second person live and not die! (Gen 47:r9)
pronominal suffix may occur redundantly to indicate the subject
Like the imperative, the jussive may be followed by an imperfect
of the action commanded. In any case, this redundant I; is nor-
or cohortative. In this case, the imperfect or cohortative also in-
mally not translated into English.
troduces a purpose or result clause.
 tD' ':;l .!J'1'1
,.. 0" _ .. :
,'?~~r~j'
-.. JT I T
Let him come to me that he may
know there is a prophet in Israel
(2 Kgs 5:8)

d. The jussive may also be followed by an imperative. In this se-

quence, the imperative introduces a result or purpose clause and
should not, therefore, be translated as a command.

May YHWH grant that you may

find a resting place (Ruth 1:9)

9. W~~
3 '7~ 10. ;,~~ 17
m~N (with sfx.: ;n~~) truth, reliability, firmness mm
0::
4 OW~ II.
- T-
18.
;,m~ high place (a sanctuary)
T T 5 ,~~
O;,t! (pI. n;~;'1J)dream. Verb: O?O to dream
13 ~~
'Q;' remainder, excess 14. ;,n'w
T

W::l~
...... lamb
b. Write the following forms:
m, (pI. n;m,) tablet

'WY wealth. Adjective: "!p rich

I. Qal impv. ms of "!p II. Qal impv. ms of ;,m
T T

Verbs:
2. Qal impv. ms of ;'~f 12. Qal juss. 3 ms of ::lW~
3 Qal juss. 3 ms of nm 13 Qal impv. mp of ::lW~
~Q~ to gather, remove
4 Qal impv. ms of m~ 14 Qal impv. mp of ::liW
,;,~ to be clean. Adjective: ,;;,t; clean, pure
5 Qal impv. ms of m;:llp fs of ::lW~
T
15 Qal impv.
::lD~ to give, ascribe (occurs only in the imperative forms) 6. Qal impv. mp of ;,ip 16. Qal impv. fp of ::liW
p'~ to pour out (see XVI.8.c) 7 Qal juss. 3 fs of ::liW 17 Qal impv. fs of 1?0
8. Qal impv. mp of ;'~1 18. Qal impv. ms of ni2?
0:1:;'
-T
Pi.: to wash, clean
9 Qal impv. ms of ;':0 19 Qal impv. mp of YQ~
'W:;' to stumble
- T
10. Qal impv. mp of ;':0 20. Qal impv. mp of m~
246/ Lesson XXI

c. Translate I Kgs 3 :4-1 5 with the help of a dictionary and these

notes.
r. The Imperfect and Imperative with Object Suffixes
njT? to sacrifice; ilJ~t (subject) offered.
-J :. . . As with the perfect (XVII), imperfect and imperative forms may
il~1J (subject) appeared. indicate direct objects by means of suffixed pronouns.
ST :.

n:h1:lil have caused to be king; ~~1n~~ to go out and to

T : J- : .
9q?iP~= 9J;lN n~iP~ I will send you

'Jr17W = 'nN n7W

T : - :
Send me!
v 8: 180~ t6l ilJQ~-~?cannot be numbered
," T' I: "r: T' I
and cannot be a. The imperfect form may undergo certain vowel changes before
counted. the object suffix.
v 9: ~8tD?to judge; r;J~? to discern. i. The thematic vowel is reduced to sewi{J before the object
v I I: l19tD?r;J~ discernment (lit. discerning) to hear. suffix, if it is not already reduced.

v 12: 1tl~l
and intelligent. 1biP:he will keep but '~~.7?iP:
he will keep me

19tD?to Before the 2 ms and 2 mp suffixes, however, is usually not

v 14:

Yi?-"] = ri2'~J;?~,~]and
keep.
reduced. Instead,
is shortened to 0: thus, 9l~iP: (he will keep
v 15: he offered up. you); C?l~iP:(he will keep you).

ii. The thematic e vowel is reduced to sewliJ

before the object
suffix, if it is not already reduced.

n=J: he will give but '~).J:l:he will give me

Before the 2 ms and 2 mp suffixes, however, e is usually not
reduced. Instead, e is shortened to e. Thus, 9~~J:
(he will give
you); C?~ry:(he will give you).

iii. The a thematic vowel is not reduced. It is lengthened to Ii

before the object suffix.

~mw'he
- :
will hear but 'Ji'~w'he
T :
will hear me

b. The imperative form may undergo certain changes before the

object suffix.

i. The Qal ms imperative of the qeto! type becomes qotl- before

the object suffix.

,b1p Keep! but '~~.7?l.P

Keep me!
 The mp (qitlu) and fs (qitli), however, remain unchanged: thus, Like the preposition I~'which also take suffixes of Type B in
'~iWT!(Seek me!). IX.2.b, the object suffixes used with imperfects and imperatives
ii. All Qal imperative forms of the qeral type lengthen the a may have an additional -en- element before the suffix. The fol-
vowel to a before the object suffix. lowing forms of the object suffixes (with -en-) are attested.

:~mwHear!
- :
but 'r~~wHear
T :
me! ':liY~W Hear me!
T: <

3 ms i~ - ( ".-enhu > -ennu)

SO, too, all imperatives with the a-vowel will lengthen that <

vowel to a before the object suffix. 3 fs il~

T'"
- ("'-enha[h] > -enna[h])
<

:171Know! but iilY1 Know him!

T
2 ms l: ("'-enka > -ekka)
<

nj2 Take! but iilf.t~ Take him! I cs '~-

.:
(-enni)
<

iii. The e-vowel is normally reduced to sewaJ. [ cp i~ - (-linnu)

11]Give! but iil~J;lGive it!

c. The same set of object suffixes is used with the imperfect and There is no difference in meaning between the suffixes with the
imperative. The suffixes are essentially those of Type B in IX.2.b, additional -en- element and those without.
except for the 3 mp and 3 fp forms. If a "connecting vowel" ap-
ii1l1l;!W' = i~nl;!w' he will send him
pears before the object suffix, it will be either ..or .,'(as opposed to . T : . T : .

the a-vowel used to connect object suffixes to verbs in the per-

fect). The object suffixes are as follows.
i1:l:JN I will build
',': ',' lP~ I will build you
<
il~T he will see 'n~T He will see me
3 ms iil .. - 3 mp C -

3 fs il
<

- 3 fp 1..- il~~ answer! '~~~

Answer me!
T '.'

2 ms 9- 2 mp C::J -
2 fs 1- 2 fp -not attested-
There are two forms in Hebrew that are called infinitives: the
< <

I cs ':l - [ cp
Notes:
1. If the imperfect or imperative form ends in a vowel (i.e., in
the 2 fs, 2 mp, 3 mp), the "connecting vowel" is omitted.
II. The 3 fpl2 fp imperfect and imperative forms (i.e., il~?6pJ:l,
il~?6p) are not attested with object suffixes; they are re-
placed by their mp counterparts (i.e., il;!tpP\ il;!tpj?).
i:l.. - infinitive absolute and the infinitive construct. The infinitive con-
struct will be treated in the Lesson XXIII.
The infinitive absolute is not inflected for gender, number, or
person.
a. The proper form of the Qal infinitive absolute is l;!b~, but it is
most often written as l;!;~~.
b. The weak roots occasion no surprises, but note the following.
 Uses of the Infinitive Absolute I 251

i. In III-Guttural roots, the Qal infinitive absolute has the with the second one indicating an action occurring simultane-
furtive pata~, as one would expect, e.g, ~;7;)W. ously with the first.

ii. In III-He roots, the Qal infinitive absolute is either like ;,~ "):)~1'li")Q l7,"1 And he went along eating
or ii'~.
T
(Judg 14:9)

iii. There is no distinction in the Qal infinitive absolute be- ii1~.'l")Q :q")Q they went along lowing (I Sam 6: 12)
tween II-Waw and II-Y6g verbs, e.g., o;p, o;W.
Probably because of the frequent use of 1;'0 in such construc-
tions, this particular form functions as an adverb indicating
continuance.

The infinitive absolute is used in the following ways. 1ibD1 li?Q 'i'Q 0'OiJ1 Now, the water was continually
abating (Gen8:5)
a. It may simply be a verbal noun.
Note: In some instances, the participle form 1?;' is used in place
1~~~~t91'1j?:;JI )lQ slaying cattle and slaughtering sheep
of the infinitive absolute form 1;'0, with no discernible differ-
(Isa 22:13)
ence in meaning. Compare the following examples.
ni~1iJ iD~'1")~~ eating honey abundantly is not good =
J')j?l li?Q l7,"1 he kept approaching (2 Sam 18:25)
It is not good to eat much honey
Ji~-~")
(Prav 25:27) J")j?1l;h 'niD")9iJ'l7'~J the Philistine kept approaching
(I Sam 17:41)
b. Most commonly the infinitive absolute stands before a finite
verb of the same root to emphasize the certainty or decisiveness e. The infinitive absolute is frequently used as a substitute for an
of the verbal idea of the root. imperative.

mQD niQ You shall certainly die (Gen 2:17) n~~iJ Oi:-n~ '1i?! Remember the sabbath day!
(Exod 20:8)
Ji9~ Jiy I will certainly return (Gen 18:10)
n~~iJ bi:-n~ 1iqt9 Observe the sabbath day!
Occasionally, however, the infinitive absolute may also come after
(Deut 5:12)
the finite verb.
In a narrative sequence, an infinitive absolute used as a substitute
~i~:
~?~ he would surely come out (2 Kgs 5: II)
for an imperative form will also cause a weqdtal form following
c. The infinitive absolute may come after an imperative to it to have an imperative force (see XXI.8.b).
intensify it.
1iT")~ [11:;:111li'5Q Go and speak to David
)lQ '~~ ':J}1Q Kill me right away! (Num 11:15) (2 Sam 24:12)

\?~ ~i~t9 illaiD Really listen to me! (Isa 55:2) f. An infinitive absolute may describe an action occurring concur-
rently with the main verb and, thus, may take the place of a finite
d. Frequently two different infinitive absolute forms are used,
verb, whether perfect or imperfect.
 n::J;nD:l in~:l?Tl He made him ride in the chariot of ~~~ to add; Hi.: to continue, increase
(his) second-in-command ... and set
t; in~ lii)~1.. .';"1J.tDDiJ
him over all the land of Egypt
,~~ to discipline, chasten. Noun: '9~~discipline;
chastening
D'"J~Drl~-t;~ (Gen 41:43)

T'l~R to acquire, buy, create. Nouns: T'l~~~possession,

property; 1~~~property.
lJl$ wickedness, trouble, sorrow Preposition:

,~tt (also T'l1??l;t)

word, saying '~ near, beside. Also with suffixes: '7~ near me, ete.
T'lt:;l understanding, perception. Verb: 1':;lto understand,
perceive Exercise 22

'~ lord, master, husband, owner; frequently used as

proper name of a god, Baal. Verb: '# to rule, lord,
a. Parse the following forms:

marry I. li1'1~ 6. 9l7?o/ II. T'l~J:JN

TO":

'~:J~ territ9ry, boundary 2. iJR 7 'J1mV

: T
12. ,~~,tp~
i"t:! bosom 3 9~~P 8. ~T'l,~iV
: T 13 o 'J,??o/T:1
T'l1' distress. Verb: '1' to be hard pressed, be in distress 4 ~T'lm 9 ~T'lp: 14 'J~~iV
T :

:J1P. inward part, inner parts, middle, midst 5 0~J;l 10. ~T'l~~: 15 T'l,;\n'
T : : -

1'1'i?hrJ. first

Ory~.!01]'1 (fs; fd: 0'D7?J;l1)/womb, mercy. 0'~q1 compassion.

Verb: ODl Pi.: to have compassion I. Prav 4:1-6
:J''''! controversy, dispute. Verb: :J''''!to dispute, be in Notes:
law-suit
v I: ~:l'i8PiJ'land pay attention; n.?"J? to know.

v 4: 'J'i~lhe instructed me.

'~T to be a stranger (pte. '!, T'l1!, etc.: stranger, foreigner;
also pte. as adjective" strange, foreign") 2. Amos 7:10-17
,~o to gird Notes:
N~tf to be unclean v 10: t;'?ijt; to endure.
 V I 2: ~;:J~n
you may prophesy.

v 13: ~'9in-~~ you shall not continue; ~,;l~il? to prophesy.

v 15: ~;J~i1Prophesy!
a. The regular form of the Qal infinitive construct is ~b~.
v 16: '~::qn~!
you shall not prophesy; ~'PO ~~1 you shall
not preach.

v 17: P1Qn shall be divided up. Note: A qe?al type infinitive construct is attested very rarely
(e.g., :J~o/to lie down, lying down).
c. Translate I Kgs 3:16-28 with the help of a dictionary.
b. In contrast to the infinitive absolute, the infinitive construct
Notes: may take a suffixed pronoun. Since the infinitive is a verbal noun,
the suffixes used are normally those attached to nouns (X 11. I).
v 16: Cl'DtDtwo.
Certain changes to the base form may take place in the
v 17: 'j1~ 'f} Please, my lord! (an introductory formula used presuffix form.
to begin conversation with a male superior).
i. The infinitive construct usually becomes - ~t?~ (qatl-), but be-
v 18: 'rll?? of my child-bearing; 'fl71i except; Cl'DtDtwo. fore the 2 ms and 2 mp suffixes it is - ~t;~(qe?ol-).

v 20: 1il;:J':ltDO]and she laid him. "??W my keeping 9!~o/ your keeping

v 21: p',J'i1? to nurse; pi:m~1 I looked closely. 'l?? my standing 91~~ your standing

v 22: iln;Jlt;1] and they spoke. '7?~ my eating 97~~your eating

v 24: 1~;J:]and they brought. ii. The infinitive construct of III-Guttural roots remains as qatl-
throughout; it does not change to (qe?ol-) before the 2 ms and
v 25: Cl]tD? into two.
2 mp suffix.

v 26: 110~J (subject) were moved; 1ilD'0n-?~ npi)1 you shall

'~??W my hearing 9~??W your hearing
certainly not kill him.

, v 27: 1il[1'On ~'? npi)1 you shall certainly not kill him.
'lJ7W my sending 907W your sending
iii. Infrequently, the infinitive construct form before the suffix
v 28: nit~~ to do.
is qitl- or qatl- instead of qotl-.

c. The suffix appended to the infinitive construct may be subjec-

tive or objective. One must rely on context to determine which is
the case. Thus, the 2 fs suffix in the first example below indicates
the subject (the one who abandons), but in the second example
the 2 fs suffix indicates the object (the one abandoned).
 i1Ji1'-n~ 'l;lW your abandoning YHWH (Jer 2:r7) Notes:
I. The verb l~O (to go, walk) behaves like ~ I-Waw verb. Hence,
TJO~Q :J1YI l;:1W' to abandon you, to turn from following
the Qal infinitive construct is usually I'9? (the infinitive con-
you (Ruth r:r6)
struct form l~Dis attested rarely), With a suffix it is always
Occasionally, clarity is achieved when a verbal object suffix -I=l~?, not ':--I=l~7,as one might expect: thus, 'D~?,iN?, etc.
(XXII.r.c) is used instead of a suffix used with nouns (XII.r). 11. Th~ -Qal infinitive construct of N~ (to go forth) shows the
quiescence of N: thus, ':-nN~> nN~.
'J)1;'1~to kill me
:T :
'rWl17 to seek me
Ill. The Qal infinitive construct of W1~ (to possess) is regular: nW~_ .
IV. The verb N1' (to be afraid, fear), which behaves like a I-Yog
verb in the ;-~perfect and imperative (XIX'5.d; XXI-3-e.iv), has
Ni~ twice as the infinitive construct. More commonly the func-
a. The Qal infinitive construct forms of verbs with gutturals are
tio~ of the infinitive is taken over by the noun ;'1?$T (fearing).
predictable, except that I-JAlep roots have _::instead of _:in the
v. The Qal infinitive construct of ~j~ (to be able) is irregular:
first syllable.
n?5;.
'b~ to stand, standing 1hf to choose, choosing
d. There are two types of Qal infinitive construct for I-Nun verbs.
~j~ to eat, eating l1~o/ to send, sending
i. Most I-Nun verbs retain the first radical.

~b~ to fall, falling i~m his falling

: T

ni~~ to uncover, uncoverIng niw~ to make, making

:'J;'~to strike, striking i~:nhis striking,
: T

niJf to build, building ni'~ to be, being striking him

c. The infinitive construct of I-Waw verbs generally does not DYDJ

T : T
their setting out
show the initial radical (see XIX. 5.a.i). It also takes an anom-
ii. Some I-Nun verbs lose the initial J. These behave like I-Waw
alous n- ending. The resulting forms (with n at the end acting
verbs. The verb nj?? (to take), which behaves like a I-Nun verb
like the third radical) behave like qitl-segolates (see V.2.b;
in the Qal imperfect and imperatives (XIX-4-d; XXI.3.f.ii), also
XII.2.c). Verbs that are the III-Guttural, however, are like qa#-
loses the initial radical.
segolates.
~:q/n~~ to touch, touching iy:n his touching,
n~W to dwell, dwelling 'D~lP my dwelling : T

touching him
n1? to bear, bearing 'Dl? my bearing
nNW
.. : INWJ: to lift, lifting in~tp his lifting, lifting
nN~ to go out, going out 'DN~ my going out nNWI him
- <

nw~_ to possess, possessIng 'Do/! my possessIng nD/Ti1~ to give, giving 'DD my giving, giving me
n~1 to know, knowing 'N'1 my knowing nw~ to draw near, DI=lW,;J,
T:
their drawing near,
drawing near drawing near them
ntlj? to take, taking 'Dr;Jj?my taking, taking me
Notes: d. Sometimes the infinitive construct after' indicates an event
I. m'\w is derived from original ':.m~tp (see 2.c.ii, above); n15ip is that is about to happen.
a variant of nNW.
!;$J!; !;~:;J-D~ Babylon is about to fall (Jer sr:49)
11. nD is derived from original ':tint (i.e., ':-tint > ~titt > tef).
e. Whereas no distinction is made between 11- Waw and 11- Y 04
~l:J;'iDOilJiJ 'iT] the sun was about to set (Gen 15:12)
verbs in the Qal infinitive absolute, the infinitive construct forms e. The infinitive construct is used very frequently in temporal
of these two types are clearly distinguished. clauses. The clause may be introduced by ::J or :D together with an
adverbial expression followed by an infinitive construct, or sim-
mp to arise, arising '~~P my ansmg
ply by ::J or :D with the infinitive construct. In such cases, the tem-
N;::J to come, coming '~;::Jmy commg poral clause should be introduced in translation by "when ... " or
"as .... "
n'w to put, putting 'I}'W my putting
iJpO :l!;:;J~Dl::J when you eat from it ... (Gen 2:17)
rl~:;J'!;~l[)'1~iDJ 'ii'] when Israel dwelled in that
land ...
The infinitive construct may be used in the following ways.
(Gen 35:22)
a. It may simply be a verbal noun.
as Abram was entering Egypt ...
:J;~ri::;J}O '~biD obeying is better than sacrifice (Gen 12:14)
(I Sam 15:22)

~~1n~~ ,i)1~~"? I do not know going out or coming in =

I do not know (how) to go out or come
in (I Kgs 3:7)
a. The infinitive construct is usually negated by 'f:'l7:;l7 (not).

iJpO-?:;J~T1?:J!; ~'r.n~ I commanded you not to eat from it

b. Most commonly it stands after' to express intention.
(Gen 3:II)
n;~""1!;""19 he had turned aside to see (Exod 3:4)
b. Much less frequently, the infinitive construct may be negated
WP ;"l~""1~ 'n::,; to go to the land of Canaan (Gen 12:5) by N'f (without), or '7f/'7f~ (without).

n;~""1 ~"?J without seeing (Nurn

n,~~
c. Sometimes the infinitive construct after' elaborates on a preced- 35: 23)
ing statement and clarifies it.
;"l1;"l~ "!;JO without Y H W H being able ...
D'~ph DNi) ;"l,J.;"l the people are sinning against YHWH (Deut 9:28)
by eating (meat) with blood
D]i:r!;j)
!;~~';"lJ;"l';
(I Sam 14:33)

~"? ""1b~,'~';n'i~ I commanded you, (by) saying, "You shall

not eat from it!"
iJpO ?~~h
(Gen 3:17)
We have now learned all the "principle parts" of the verb. The
following synopsis is provided to aid the student in learning the l;>~ to turn, overturn
various forms. Some forms below are not attested and have been
reconstructed by analogy from extant verbs of the same class. iV~~ to be dry. Noun: ;'W#~dry ground

n~~ Hi.: to reprove

,b1p O~f to be irritated, angry

,b1p' ,imp ,b1p
P7/1'7 to lodge. Noun: li77f lodging place
,~?~ ,~?~ '~:p ,iJf ,:J::l
,~? to capture
lbj? lt2P~ lt2P' lt2P li~j? lbp lbj?
l'~~ to meet, befall, encounter. Noun: l'~~ happening
'i? 'b~~ 'b~~ 'b~ ,i7J 'b~ '~i'
;'1~ to ransom
pro pm~
PHT pm piTO pTt) PIO
7~1$ 7:l~; 7~~; 7j~ 7i:l~ 7j~ 7;;>i-t
r1~ to break, breach, increase
T

tzi1~ to spread out

,n::l-T 'O~~ 'O~~ ,n::l ,in# ,hf 'oj
n7iV
n?:; to succeed, prosper; Hi.: to make prosperous
- T
n?1p~ n?1p~ n?1p l}i7W rj71p I}?tzl
l'1j? to rend, tear
~~7J'
T :
~~7J'
T :
~~7J
T :
~i~7J T
~~m ~~b
~~, to heal
;,?~, 7'"':'
;,?~ i7~/ii7~ ni7~ ;'7~
..
T T

7p'j
;':;1 to be pleased
7b~ 7b1 7i~~ 7b1
n~l to murder, slay
l'9. l'io)
- T
l'b)lr1l'o
-: --
~9.j
POtp / PO:; to laugh; Pi.: to play, make fun of
It-)' lin~ nr-l lDj
JiV'
C~W Hi.: to do something early, arise early
..... JiiV' nJw..
','

tzi;>lJ to catch, seize

tnp cip
~':l ~i::l
niiV
ni7J
 Notes:
a. Give the Qal infinitive construct form of the following:
v 5: 'iD't'I; ::l~:n'-~~
no one shall stand (lit.: a man shall not
1. ,~W I 1. ,~ 21. ,~W + 3 ms sfx.
stand); :l9"'~~~ I will not fail you.
2. l'~W I 2. ~~~ 22. TJJ~ + I cs sfx. v 6: '?'mo you will cause (object) to inherit; 'rll';liDJ I swore.
3 ,~! 13 ;,~# 23 TJJ~ + 3 ms sfx. v 7: '1':;)00 you will have success (also in v 8).
4 ni2? 14 ;,?~ 24 1?;:t+ 3 ms sfx. v 8: rr!~oyou will make (object) prosper.
5 ~~,
TT 15 ;'Wl'
T T 25 :lTP~+ I cs sfx. v 9: nDn.-?~ido not be dismayed.
6. '?~ 16. 1?;:t 26. W1~ + 3 ms sfx.
d. Translate Gen 3:1-14 with the help of a dictionary.
7 W1~ 17 ::JW'
- T 27 ~;::l+ 2 ms sfx.
Notes:
8. 1m 18. PIO 28. ~~ + 2 ms sfx.
v 5: IQP9Ji and (subject) will open.
9 1'1~ 19 ", -T 29 ~:l~+ 2 ms sfx.
- T

v 6: IQmi and desirable' ?':JOi1? to make wise/ successful.

10 ,n::l
-T
20. ~:l~
- T 3 ni2? + I cs sfx.
<T : ':; , .; - ;

and (subject) opened; o;-niD two of them.

v 7: 'i1~n'p~rl]
b. Translate Eccl 3:1-9 with the help of a dictionary.
v 8: l/iJnQ walking about; t'I;~on"](subject) hid himself.
Notes:
v 10: t'I;;:JQ~1and I hid myself.
v 5: T;iDiJ? for casting (also in v 6); P;lOO from embracing.
v 6: 'iDp:;l?for seeking; 1:J~? for destroying.

v 7: "';Jl? for speaking.


As in the Piel perfect and participle, the Piel imperfect is charac-
terized by the doubling of the second radical (XV).
a. Strong Verbs
The Pie1imperfect of the strong verb is inflected as follows.
Since gutturals prefer a-class vowels, the Piel imperfect forms of
these verbs tend to have the yeqattal pattern, instead of yeqattel
(e.g., n1W~; l'jr~~). In pause, however, the yeqattel pattern is
found, but, of c~urse, with the furtive para/:; (e.g., l}~W~; ~i?~~).
e. II I-He Verbs
The imperfect forms of these verbs are regular for their type
(see XIX.3). The Piel imperfect of ;,?~
(to uncover) is inflected
as follows.

3 ms

3 fs
~~iZ~
~~iZD
3 mp

3 fp
~~tpiZ~
;'~7~iZI;! 3 ms ;,7.~~ 3 mp ~,~~
2 ms ~~iZD 2 mp ~~tpiZI;! 3 fs ;,7.~I;! 3 fp ;,)'1i"r-l
T - :

2 fs '7tpiZI;! 2 fp ;'~7~iZI;! 2 ms ;,7.~I;! 2 mp ~'~I;!

I cs ~~iZ~ I cp ~~iZ~ 2 fs '~~I;! 2 fp ;'P1i"r-l
T - :

I cs ;,7.~~ I cp ;,7.~~
Notes:
J. In addition to the characteristic doubling of the second radi-
cal, the Piel imperfect is marked by the sewi{) in the prefor- f. I-Waw Verbs
mative and the a-vowel under the first radical. Original I-Waw verbs merge with those of I-Y6g in the imperfect,
II. In a few verbs, the dages may be lost if the second radical even though the first radical (original ':'w) is no longer in the ini-
takes a sewa:J (VI.7). tial position (IV.2.c.ii). Thus, we get forms like ,~~~ (he will disci-
b. I I-Guttural and I I-Res Verbs pline), instead of ':"~J~, as one might expect. Otherwise, the Piel
imperfect of I-Waw verbs is inflected regularly.
Since gutturals and Res do not take the dages, the Piel imperfect
forms of such verbs will have either compensatory lengthening or 2. The Piel Jussive, Waw-Consecutive, and Cohortative
virtual doubling (see XV.3.a), e.g., H~7t~
(he will refuse); '07d~ (he
will hurry). a. The Piel jussive and Waw-consecutive forms are predictable. In
general they are similar to their corresponding imperfect forms
c. II I-::JAlepVerbs (XVIII+b). The forms of III-He verbs, however, are without the
final He (XX+d.i). As a result of this loss of He, the dages is also
The Piel imperfect forms of these verbs are regular, except that
lost because Hebrew does not tolerate a word ending in a doubled
the 3 fph fp form is ;'~N~7dI;!, not ':';'~N~~I;!,
as one might expect.
consonant (I I.6.b.i. Note), e.g., ,:.,~~> ~~~. The resulting forms,
 Piel Infinitives / 267

thus, are without the expected doubling, the most conspicuous Abs. Cs. Cs. with Suffixes
marker of the Piel verbal pattern. The sew(f) under the preforma-
tive and the a-vowel, however, remain as valuable indicators.
7'1~ 71.~ i71~, 971~
11~ 11~ ;:>~~,9~~.~
b. The Piel cohortative is regular: il?tp~~.
,~~ ,~~ ;'~9, 9l~
1J~W n!pw ;n7W,9Q!PW

We learned in XXI.3 that the Qal imperative forms are like their
N~~ N~~ iN~~, 9~~~
corresponding forms in the imperfect, except that the preforma- il~~ n;~~ in;~~, 9lJ;~~
tive is lacking in the imperative. The Piel imperative forms, like-
wise, correspond to the forms of the imperfect - minus the
,(;)~ ,~~ ;'~~, 9!~~
preformative.
The following is a synopsis of the Piel imperative forms. Notes:
1. Besides the regular qattel infinitive absolute, a qattol type is
attested for a few verbs (e.g., N~~; ,(;)~).
Root iVp:l 1N~ 'il~ n7iV N7~ il7:1 '0' Il. The infinitive construct of III-Guttural verbs is usually like
ms iVi?~ 1~!? 'D~ n!pw N~~ il~~ ,~~ n!pw, but the form for n;;n (to sacrifice) is mn.
Ill. For III-He verbs, in addition to the infinitive absolute of the
fs 'tPP~ ')N~
-: T '!t1~ 'lJ7W 't:t7~ '~~ '!9~
il~~ type, there is also il~~.
mp ~iVp~ ~'t1~ ~n7W ~N7~ ~~~ ~'9~ IV. The infinitive absolute form 'D~ is used as an adverb mean-

fp il~tp~~ il)'il~
T : -
ilm~iV
T: - -
ilJN~~
T '.'-
ilJ'~~ ilJ't:l'
T - T : -
ing "quickly."

5. Synopsis of Verbs in Piel

Note: In some verbs, the dages may be lost (VI.7), e.g., ':'~N~~>
The following is a synopsis of the forms of the verbs in Piel.
~N7~ (fill!).On the other hand, we have forms like ~n7W (s~nd!),
where the dages is retained. Moreover, we get the form ~iVp~ Root Perf Impf fuss. Impv. Inf. Abs. Inf Cs. Ptc.
(seek!), even though the 2 mp imperfect is ~iVP~I;1(with loss of iVi?~ iVi?~~
iVp:l iVi?~ iVi?~; iVi?~: iVi?~ iVi?~
the dageS). The ms Piel imperative may also take the final il T
-

(XXI.4). In that case, the e-vowel under the second radical re- 1N~ 1~~ 1~!?; 1~!?; 1~!? 1~!? 1~!? 1~!?7?
duces to sewa:J: thus, 'P.Q but ill~Q (tell!); 'D~ but illt1~ (hurry!). 'D~ 'D~; 'il~' 'D~ 'il~~
'il~ .. - : 'D~ 'D~ .. -
:

n7iV n!ptP n!pw; n!pw; n!pw 1J~W n!pw n~iV~

- .. -:

N7~ N~~ N~~; N~~; N~~ N~~ N~~ N~~7?

There is normally no distinction in form between the Piel infini- il7:1 il~~ il~~; 7~; 7~/il~~ ;~~/il~~ n;~~ il~:I~
... -
:

,~~ ,~~
T'

tive absolute and the infinitive construct; the form qattel may be
either absolute or construct. '0' ,~: '\?~; '\?~; ,(;)~ ,t:l'~
.. -
:
 These words may also be used as substantives in the con-
struct state. In such cases, the absolute noun will typically
There are two sets of numerals in Hebrew: the cardinals (one, be plural.
two, three, etc.) and the ordinals (first, second, third, etc.). In
each set there are masculine and feminine forms. The cardinals
also have absolute and construct forms.
13. The Hebrew words for the number "two" are substantives.
They may be in construct or in apposition with other nouns.
In either case, there is agreement of gender.

Masculine Feminine
Abs. Abs.

ntt~
tJ~~o/ '~o/ tJ:Bo/ 'l30/ tJ'WJN
. T-:
tJ,iw two men tJ'WJ tJ'nw
T - :
two women
tzi,w T W'o/ i1W"'W
T : n\;f50/ tJ'nw tJ'WJ two women
T

four l'~l~ l'~l~ n~~l~ Note that '~W and 'l3W may take the suffixed pronoun, e.g.,
five W7Jn w~q nwl3n tJ~T~o/ two ~f them; "tJV'l3o/ two of them
"" T ..
': -:

W? W? nww.. ','
'Y. The Hebrew words for "three" through "ten" are also
treated as substantives, but there is no agreement in gender.
l'~W l'~o/ n~~W The forms are singular but the nouns (except for collectives)
i1JbW are plural. Moreover, the feminine form of the number is al-
i1abo/ .. : n;bo/
ways used with the masculine noun, and the masculine form
l'WD l'W~ n~o/T:1 is always used with the feminine noun. The construct form
always precedes the noun it modifies. The absolute, which is
1tvi'
... ',' 1W mwl'
...... -:
in apposition, usually also precedes the noun .

C'WJN nw"5w three men

T -: :
tJ'WJ W",W three women
T :

Notes:
C'WJN i1W"'W three men
T-: T :
tJ'WJ
" T
w",w T
three women
I.X. The Hebrew words for the number "one" are most fre-
quently used as attributive adjectives. They normally fol-
low the nouns they modify and agree with them in gender
and definiteness.
 t::l:5i::21twenty thousand
i11tp nD~
i11tp 'lJ1p~ ni::21 iZf71p thirty thousand

i11WY
.. :... tJ'mv
..;
ni::2"'!Y:;ll~ forty thousand

i11tp lZi71p thirteen

i1'}otpY:;ll~ fourteen

Tiwl'\"'!
,~W n'~w
t::l'"'!tp twenty
'tP'71p n'W'7W / i1~W'7W
.: T'
third
t::l'i?f71p thirty
'~':;Jl n'~':;Jl fourth
t::l'~#l~ forty
'tP'~q n'tP'~q
'tPtP n'tPtP
i11$~ (cs. n~7?) one hundred '~':;J1p n'~':;J1p
t::l'nl'\i'.)two hundred '?~1p n'p~1p eighth
- T

nil'\~ W 71p three hundred

0

'~'tP~ n'~'tP~ ninth

nil'\~ Y:;ll~ four hundred

'",!'ip~ n'1'WY / i1~1'WY
-: T'
tenth

Notes:

~o
7<
~
one thousand u. The ordinal numbers are treated as attributive adjectives.
They stand after the noun and agree with the noun in gen-
t::l:~7~two thousand der and, usually, in definiteness.
t::l'071'\nw 5w
o

three thousand
T -: :
,~W p a second son n'~w n:;l a second daughter
t::l'071'\nY~11'\ four thousand
T -: - - :-
13. The cardinal number 'O~ (one) may occasionally be used
instead of TiWI'\"1.
 ii. eleventh and beyond

Beyond the first ten numbers, Hebrew uses the cardinals to

serve the function of ordinals.

n1N (pI. n;n1~) path

a. The distributive is expressed by the repetition of substantives. T;X~ pride. Verb: ;'I~~ to be proud, arrogant

w'jili D'~ili two by two (Gen 7=9) ;'I~~ (pI. n;Y~~) hill

ii,~~ii,~Y year by year / each year (Deut 14:22) ~;1T (fs; pI. usually n;Y;1Tl arm

Di: I Di: day after day/each day (Gen 39:10) nn;~ (ms) sign, omen

D';JP iliy)D'~P ilirp six wings each (Isa 6:2) 79~ idol

b. The preposition 7 may also be used to indicate the distributive. 7;;!i? assembly. Verb: 7tlK to assemble
Xltzj emptiness, vanity. Idiom: X1W7 in vain
D'9: niP~ili~ every three days (Amos 4:4) :T : T -

D'j~ ili?~~ every three years (1 Kgs 10: 22) (irreg. pI. O'''1Jo/) bull

c. The noun llh~ may be used idiomatically for each one. left, left hand, left side

in:>~~QQili'~-ili'~
,. _.. , , eac h one f rom h'IS tas k (Exo d 36:4) n#lP (ms or fs; pI. n;r9lP) Sabbath, rest

i~ti~~iD'~ each one by his own language Verbs:

(Gen 10:5) ;'110 to be(come) angry. Idioms: x7 ~15 ;'110, X became angry
'ib~O ili'~ each his own dream (Gen 40: 5) (lit.: the nose of X became hot),' hence also X7 ;'I1n X
, TT'

became angry; but X::J ;'110, be/become angry with X

When ll..b~ is used in this way, it may refer not only to men, but
also to women and inanimate objects. Only infrequently is ;'Itf~ tzj~~ to draw near, approach
used in this manner. j?lP~ to kiss (object marked by 7)
Related to this use of iLh~ are the expressions of reciprocity
1'TJ~ tzj,~ (lit.: each ... his brother) and ~;'I~!,
...tzj,~ (lit.: '~Y Hi.: to bear witness, testify. Nouns: ,~ witness;
each his friend). n;,~testimonies.
','n~-~~iD'~ i"lQ~'J they said one to another ... (Exod 16: 15) Adjective:

I'rr~:J-ili'~ ',?ili~' and they shall stumble over one another X~iZ jealous. Verb: X~K Pi.: to be jealous, be zealous. Noun:
(Lev 26:37) ;'I~~i?jealousy.

'iiPi~-ili'~ '~~ili"J they asked each other (Exod 18:7)

 I. Pi. impf. 3 ms of YiZ~ 16. Pi. impv. fs of '1~
2. Pi. impf. 2 fs of tzjiZ~
info cs. of tzjiZ~
17 Pi. impv. mp of '1~
;'9f
As in the Hiphil
longer apparent
ably in a manner
participle (XVI.I2), the characteristic h is no
in the Hiphil imperfect; it has dropped out prob-
similar to the disappearance of the h of the defi-
3 Pi. 18. Pi. impf. 3 ms of
nite article after a prefixed preposition (VI.2.b): thus, ':-~'l:'j?D:
>
4 Pi. impv. ms of tzjiZ~ 19 Pi. impf. I cs of ;,c~ TT ~'l:'~~. . .
5 Pi. coho I cs of tzjiZ~ 20. Pi. in. cs. of ;,c~TT
a. Strong Verbs
6. Pi. info cs. of i~~ 21. Pi. impv. mp of ;'?f
i~~ 22. Pi. impv. ms of ;,,~ Unlike the Qal imperfect (XVIII.2), there is no distinction be-
7 Pi. impf. 3 mp of TT
tween the imperfect of dynamic and stative verbs. The Hiphil
8. Pi. impf. 3 mp of 'D~ 23 Pi. info cs. of ;,,~ TT
imperfect of all strong verbs is inflected the same way.
9 Pi. impv. ms of 'D~ 24 Pi. juss. 3 ms of;,W
10. Pi. impv. fs of 'D~ 25 Pi. impv. ms of'l;);
3 ms ~,~~~ 3 mp ~~,~~~
II. Pi. info cs. of ,;,~ - T
26. Pi. impf. 3 ms of PW~
12. Pi. impf. 3 fp of 'D~ PW~ 3 fs ~'l:'j?1J 3 fp ;'~7~~1J
27 Pi. impv. mp of
13 Pi. impf. 3 ms of '1~
'1~
28. Pi. act. pte. fs of ,~;
;,?~
2 ms ~'l:'j?1J 2 mp ~~'~~1J
14 Pi. imp. I cs of 29 Pi. impf. 3 ms of fs
15 Pi. info cs. of '1~ 3 Pi. impv. fs of ;,?~
2

I cs
'7'~j?1J
~'l:'~~
2

I
fp

cp
;'~7~~1J
~'~~~
b.Translate Deut 5:1-33 with the help of a dictionary.
Notes:
Note: Whereas the long i in the perfect appears only in the third
v 5: l'}iJ"l to tell. person forms (XVI.r), it appears in all forms of the imperfect, ex-
cept the 3 fp/2 fp.
v 9: jnODcblT~"l you shall not bow down;DJ:l~D ~?'1and you
shall not be made to serve them. b. I-Guttural Verbs

v 15: 7r~~~J but (subject) brought you out. Unlike the Qal imperfect (XIX. I), there is no distinction in the
Hiphil imperfect between verbs of the ,~ type and those of the
v 16: P''l~~(subject) may be prolonged.
pro and ~~~ types. The Hiphil imperfect of the I-Guttural verb
v 2 I: i1i~nn ~e;,'1you shall not covet. ,~ (to stand) is inflected as follows.
v 27: n~'1 (read ~~l).
v 29: 16'-'9 would that (or "if only ..."; a common idiom).
276/ Lesson XXV

3 ms "7;)~ 3 mp 1"7;)~
The Hiphil imperfect forms of such verbs are regular, except that
3 fs "7;)!3 3 fp ;'J'~l'tl
T : -: -
the 3 fph fp form is ;'~~7?!3, not ':';'~~*7?!3,as one might expect.
2 ms "7;)!3 2 mp 1"7;)!3 e. III-He Verbs
2 fs '1'7;)!3 2 fp ;'J'~l'tl
T : -; -
The Hiphil imperfect forms of such verbs are regular for their
I CS "7;)~ I Cp "7;)~ type (XIX.3) The Hiphil imperfect of III-He verbs ;':Ji (to be
many) and ;,?(to go up) are inflected as follows. T T

Note: Even though the Qal imperfect of ,~ also has the a-vowel
;"l"
-:-
"."
in the preformative, there should be no confusion between the im-
perfect forms of Qal and Hiphil. The thematic vowel in the Hiphil ;,~n13 ;'?13
imperfect is always i or e, whereas in Qal it is always <5 or a.
;'~113 ;'?13
Hiphil
'~113 '713
'b~ he will stand "7;)~ he will cause to stand ;'~1~ ;,?~
;"lJ,51'tl
T: -:-
they / you will ;'J'~l'tl
T : -: -
they/you will cause to
stand
1::.11~ 1'~
stand
;"lJ'::.1itl
T '," :-
;"lJ'51'tl
T "." -: -

1::.1113 1'13
In the I cs forms, the distinction between the Qal and Hiphil is
clear in the preformative, as well. ;'J'::.1itl
T
;"lJ'51'tl
T

Note: Whereas the Hiphil imperfect of ;'~l(i.e., ;'~1~) is easily

c. I II -Guttural Verbs
The Hiphil imperfect forms of such verbs are predictable: the
furtive pata~ appears, as expected, e.g.,
distinguished from the Qal (i.e., ;,~!~), the same is not true for
doubly weak verbs that are both I~Guttural and III-He (like ;,?).
In the case of such doubly weak verbs, the Hiphil imperfect
forms (e.g., ;,?~)are generally identical to their Qal counter-
l}'7'P~.
parts; only in the I cs forms are they distinguished from one an-
other, since the vowel in the preformative of the Hiphil is a,
whereas it is e in Qal.
 Qal Hiphil imperfect. The forms of the Hiphil imperfect of mp (to arise) and
o'ip (to place) are as follows.
;'l?~ I will go up ;'l?15 I will cause to go up

3 ms O'i?~ O'W' T

3 fs O'i?~ o'ipr-l T

Given what we have learned so far of the Hiphil of I-Wilw verbs ms o'ipr-l
2 O'i?~ T
(see XV1.8), the imperfect forms are predictable. The first radical .<

2 fs '7;)'i?~ '7;)'Wr-l
(w) contracts with the a-vowel of the preformative to form 6, in T

accordance with IV.2.c.iii.l3. For the root :nv' (original ~wsb, I cs O'i?l$ O'WN T

dwell, sit), therefore, we get ':yawsib > y6sib. Thus, the Hiphil
imperfect forms are :J'l[Ji', :J'l[Jir-l, and so forth.
.<

3 mp 1~'i?~ 1~'lZ)'
T

Note: The verb l?O behaves like a I-Waw verb (XIX.5.C); the 3 fp ;'l~'~'i?~ ;'lJ'S'Wr-l:
T ".'

imperfect forms are l'7i', l'7ir-l, and so forth. mp

.<

2 1~'i?~ 1~'W~
g. I-Yog Verbs 2 fp ;'lt~'i?~ ;'lJ'S'Wr-l:
T

Given what we have learned so far of the Hiphil of I-Yog verbs cp

I O'i?~ O'WJ
(XV1.9), the imperfect forms are predictable. The first radical (y) T

contracts with the a-vowel of the preformative to form e,in accor-

dance with IV.2.c.iv.l3. For the root :JD' (to do well), therefore, Notes:
we get "yaytib > yetib. Thus, the Hiphil imperfect forms are :J'~'\ 1. Occasionally, a shorter form of the 3 fpl2 fp form is found,
:J'~'l], and so forth. e.g., ;'l~7?~~
instead of ;'lt~'i?~.
11. The vowel of the preformative is normally T' but when it is
propretonic (as when a suffix is added), it is reduced to : .
Given what we have learned so far of the Hiphil of I-Nun verbs
(X V 1.7), the imperfect forms are predicta ble: the first radical n is O'i?~ but ;'l~'~'i?~ (Hi. impf. 3 fp 12 fp)
assimilated into the next radical. For the root ,,,J (to tell), we get O'i?~ but 1~~'i?~(Hi. impf. 3 ms + obj. sfx. 3 ms II cp)
~yangid > yaggicJ,. Hence, we have the forms "~~, "~!],and so
forth. Doubly weak verbs that are both I-Nun and III-He will, of N':;J1$ but 1~~':;J~
(Hi. impf. I cs + obj. sfx. 3 ms)
course, show characteristics of both root types. Thus, for the verb
;'l~~(smite), the imperfect forms are ;'lf~';'If!], and so forth. 2. The Hiphil Jussive, Waw-Consecutive,
j. II-Waw/Yog Verbs and Cohortative
Whereas the II-Waw and II-Yog verbs are distinguished in the a. Unlike the Qal and Piel, the Hiphil jussive and Waw-consecu-
Qal imperfect (XIX.7.b), they are not distinguished in the Hiphil tive forms are clearly distinguished from their counterparts in the
imperfect inflection.
 i. In most cases, the difference is merely a shift from yaqtil to
yaqtel.
::ITJ and he became
Root Impf fuss. Waw consec. Meaning of root many

1~lV 1'~tp~ 1~tp~ 1~tp~J to destroy

1)) 1'~~ 1~~ 1~~J to tell

Qat Hiphil

ii. Verbs that are III-Gutturals prefer the a-vowel instead of e. 7~~J and he went up 7~~J and he caused to go up
Root Impf fuss. Waw consec. Meaning of root
Nl~J and he saw Nl~J and he showed
n7lV r:!'7tp~ n?tp~ n?tp~J to send

l')) ~'~~ l'~~ l'~~J to touch -y. The form ,~ (let him strike) developed as follows:
"yanke(h) > yakke(h) (IV.2.b) > "yakk > ya~ (V.r.a).
n1) n')'
- "T
m'-T
m~,
-T-
to rest
iv. I-Waw verbs generally show retraction of the accent in the
Waw-consecutive forms, but not in the jussive.
iii. III-He verbs lose the final 71,and the accent is retracted. Root Impf fuss. Waw consec. Meaning of root

Root Impf. fuss. Waw consec. Meaning of root ::IlV' <

::I'Wi' ::IWi' ::IW'~J to dwell

71::11 71~l~ ::IT ::I~.~J to be many l'1' ~'!i' l'1i'
<

l'1'~J to know
7171' 71?~ 7~~ 7~~J to go up 711' 71~.i' 1i' 1i~J to throw
71:J) 71:;" 1~ 1~J to strike

b. The Hiphil cohortative is predictable: 71?'~p~.

Notes:
a. The form ::I1~developed as follows: yarbe(h) > ':'yarb 3. The Hiphil Imperative
(XX+d.i; XXI.r.a) > yereb. We may note that the develop- a. As we have already learned, the Qal and Piel imperatives are
ment of "yarb > yereb is analogous to the development of closely related to their corresponding imperfect forms. In fact,
':'malk > mele~ (see V.2.a). By the same token, the form 7~~, it looks as if the imperative form is the imperfect without the
because of the presence of the guttural, developed like preformative.
"'nacr> nacar (V.2.a.Note): "yacl> yaCal.
13. The Hiphil forms can often be distinguished from the Qal
(see XX+d).
 Impf

7bj?I:!
Whereas in other verbal patterns, the infinitive construct form
7~iZI;1 tends to coincide with the ms imperative, in the Hiphil it is the
infinitive absolute that coincides with the ms imperative.

The Hiphil imperative may be thought of in the same way, but Root Impv. Inf. abs. Inf. cs.
one should also remember that the characteristic h of the Hiphil
'~W '~'PD '~'PD "i?'PD
has disappeared in the imperfect. For instance, the 2 fp imperfect
T1~?~PlJis derived from an earlier form, ':-T1~?~PDI;1.
Thus, the fp T17:1 T1?~D T1?~D ni7~D
imperative is T1~?~pD.In other words, the imperative is still ,:lJ '~D '~D "~D
marked by the characteristic h, even though the imperfect is not.
::lW' ::lWiT1 ::lWiT1 ::l'!piT1
The Hiphil imperative of strong verbs, therefore, is inflected as
follows. tJ,p tJi?iJ tJi?iJ tJ'j?iJ

ms 7~j?D mp ~7'~PD
fs '7'~j?D fp T1~?~PD Note: The infinitive absolute form T1~lD (from T1~1be numerous)
is often used adverbially, meaning "abundantly" or "frequently."

Note: The ms imperative is 7~j?D, even though the 2 ms imper- 5. Synopsis of Verbs in Hiphil
fect is 7't,'j?lJ.
The following is a synopsis of the principle forms of verbs in the
b. The forms of the Hiphil imperative are as follows. Hiphil verbal pattern.

mp

"'~WT1
.. : - ~"~'PD T1J'~WT1
T : : - '~W "i?tpD "i?tp~ ,~tp~ '~tpD '~tpD "i?tpD "i?tp~
~"i?~D '~l'"i?V "i?~~ ,~~~ '~~D '~~D "i?~D "i?~~
n?'PD ~n'7'PD n7W 1"1'7tpD 1}'7tp~ n?tp~ n?tpD l}?tpD 1}'7tpD 1}'7tp~
N~~T1
.. -
:
~N'~~T1
. -
: N~~ N'~??D N'~??~ N~??~ N~??D N~??D N'~??D N'~??~
T1~lD ':;11D ~::llD T1::l1 T1flD T1f.l~ ::IT T1~lD T1~lD ni::llD T1f.l~
'~D '''1'~D ~"~D ,:lJ "~D "~~ ,~~ '~D '~D "~D "~~
::lWiT1 ':;!'WiT1 ~::l'WiT1 T1J::lwiT1
T: . ::lW' ::l'!piT1 ::l'!pi' ::lWi' ::lWiT1 ::lWiT1 ::l'!piT1 ::l'!pi~
':;!'t,"D ~::l't,"D ::lU' ::l't,"D ::l't,"~ ::l~'~ ::l~'D ::l~'D ::l't,"D ::l't,"~
'i?'i?iJ ~~'j?iJ mp C'j?D C'i?~ Ci?~ Ci?iJ Ci?iJ C'j?iJ tJ'i?~
 0i1'.l)1-0lJ Oi?tD '1J1
,..:: .. I'" T \ J":
those who speak peace with their
friends, while evil is in their heart
OJJ?J i1.!J11
T T:
(Ps 28:3)
IT T ;.

We have learned so far that the conjunction 1 (in its various

forms) means "and" or "but." However, it must also be apparent In some instances, it is appropriate to translate the 1 as if it were
that 1 cannot always be translated just so. a relative particle.

a. Often one must rely on the context to tell what the function of i,i? i9tDi n~ i1j?,J1?i Now Rebecca had a brother whose
the 1 is. It is, in fact, used in a variety of ways. name was Laban (Gen 24:29)

b. When 1 links verbal clauses in a narrative sequence, there are of-

1~iJ~1i1Wb
Note: In a series of nouns, the copulative 1 is usually repeated
before each noun. Occasionally,
with the last noun.
ten more clues as to their function.
Moses and Aaron (Exod 4:29)
i. 1+ verb that is inflected for number and gender (including the
Waw-consecutive) indicates a conjunctive sequence. In this case,
however, it may appear only
the conjunction may be translated as "and;' "then;' "that," or
"so that" - according to the rules given in XX.2-3, 5; XXI.8;
XXIII-3-e.

'~n9~1';]1J.!l your male servant or female ii. 1 + any other form - including participles, infinitives, the neg-
servant (Exod 20:10) ative particle N7, and so forth - indicates a disjunctive. In that
case, the 1may serve several functions (see XIII+b; XX.6).

(Y. to highlight contrast

D;?~npOD 17: a poor but wise youth (Eccl 4: 13)
13. to introduce a new scene
'Y. to introduce a parenthetical comment

i!-1iZ,i~ 0'p1i) '?~J in the shepherds' vessel which he Note: Occasionally the disjunctive 1 may clarify its preceding
had, that is, in his pouch clause by giving a reason.
~iP?~~i
(1 Sam 17:40)
Do not detain me since YHWH
has prospered my way
(Gen 24:56)
and he went with all the wealth
of his master in his charge
(Gen 24:10)
PO~7 r1~j on7,0'9i (As) the heaven for height and the earth
liDD '?ipiTn~O?J.'DV;;~';i~1 and when you heard the voice
from the midst of the darkness,
1PD n~0':)70' J/I
for depth, so is the mind of kings
unsearchable (Prov 25:3)
tD~:;J1pj 1Vi)1 liZ,ihi]
while the mountain was burning
with fire (Deut 5:23)
'J::l.l) ::l~~t .i)9~ ilD.l)i But now hear, 0 Jacob, my servant,
Israel whom I have chosen
i::l 'rnn:J ~~1(L.n
I :,- T

(Isa 44:1)
\ T:

I. Hi. impf. 3 mp of l'~W 16. Hi. impf. 3 ms of ;'i~

2. Hi. impv. mp of l'~W 17 Hi. impf. I cs of ;':;'J TT

3 Hi. impf. 3 fp of ,~ 18. Hi. juss. 3 ms of ;'i~

4 Qal impf. 3 fp of ,~ 19 Hi. impf. I cp of ,~~
5 Hi. impf. 3 ms of ;'~l'
TT
20. Hi. impv. ms of ,~~
1~n# young man 6. Qal impf. 3 ms of ;,? 2I. Hi. info abs. of ,~~
;,~~n!lyoung woman
T :
7 Hi. impv. fs of ;'~l'
TT
22. Hi. impf. 3 fp of Ni!l

N;~ (pI. ni'~~) valley 8. Hi. impf. I cs of ;'~l'

TT 23 Qal impf. 3 fp of Ni!l

:\/J festival
9 Qal impf. I cs of ;,? 24 Hi. juss. 3 ms of ;,?~
10. Hi. impf. I cs of :I1P~ 25 Hi. juss. 3 ms of ;,?
II. Hi. impf. I cs of :mv 26. Qal juss. 3 ms of ;,?
12. Qal impf. I cs of :mv 27 Hi. info cs. of :J~'
-T

t:lN7 (pI.: t:l'?P~7) people 13 Hi. impv. ms of :JW) 28. Hi. impv. fs of :J~~
14 Hi. info cs. of ;'~l'
TT 29 Hi. impv. ms of ;':J1 T T

15 Hi. info abs. of ;'~l'

TT
30. Hi. info cs. of ;':J1
T T

N'tp~ prInce
t:l~~ step, occurrence
c. Translate Psalm 23 with the help of a dictionary.
107W table Note:
Verbs:

d. Translate Psalm 148 with the help of a dictionary.

Notes:
n~o
-T
to forgive
v 5: I~J::lJland they were created.
v 13: ::lAtDJ exalted.
 Meaning of Verbs in Niphal / 289

In many instances, the Niphal passive is impersonal - no subject

is explicitly stated.

'~~ait was eaten

The Niphal verbal pattern is characterized by the presence of d. Resultative. In some instances, the Niphal indicates a state re-
a Nun that is either prefixed or infixed and assimilated. sulting from the action produced by the verb. In this usage, the
Niphal sometimes indicates potential.
a. The Nun is prefixed in the perfect, participle, and one form
of the infinitive absolute: '~P~,'tfPL 'bp~. '~~ais eaten> is edible
b. The Nun is infixed and assimilated in the imperfect, imperative, ;'~'J is seen> is visible
T :"

the infinitive construct, and one form of the infinitive absolute:

Since the Niphal may indicate resulting state, it is not surprising
'~re' ':"~K~')' '~re;:t ':"~K~;:t),etc. that many Niphal participles function as adjectives.

Root Niphal Participle

a. Reflexive. The Niphal verb frequently indicates action for or

concerning oneself. Thus, the subject is also the object of the verb.
~" to fear, be afraid ~';J feared,
T
terrible
1':1 to perceive T;:1~perceptive
'~7?~he sold himself T~~ to be firm Ft~a firm
'~l?~he shut himself in

Also subsumed under this category are a few verbs that may be re-
e. Middle. Some verbs are used in such a way that the object ap-
garded as tolerative, where the subject allows an action to affect
pears to be the active subject.
himself or herself.

,;,n he let himself be warned

D?'~'P. '~P8:l1 and your eyes will open (Gen 3: 5 )
D~Oi9iJ',nn8:l the heavens opened (Ezek r:r)
wyP he let himself be sought
1JV j)j?-:ln61 but no cloud split open (Job 26:8)
b. Reciprocal. In some instances, the Niphal verb suggests
reciprocity. Although it is possible to interpret the same verbs in other con-
1'fl~ they spoke with one another texts as passives (i.e., "to be opened;' "to be split open"), they are
clearly not passive in the above examples. Whereas an agentive
1~t17~they fought with one another
subject is involved in the passive, there is no agent in the middle.
c. Passive. The Niphal is frequently used as the passive of a verb The point in the middle verb is not that someone acts on the
that is active in Qal. object (active), nor that the subject is acted upon (passive), but
that the object acts on its own as the subject.
 3.The Niphal Perfect 11. Some verbs tolerate a silent : under the guttural, but the
vowel under the Nun is still .:'
a. Strong Verbs

The original ::-naqtal pattern has been dissimilated to niqtal. The

Niphal perfect of the strong root, then, is inflected as follows. Ill. Occasionally, the original na- prefix prevails.

ON~~~(you hid yourself).

3 ms I;~p~ 3 cp 11;t?P~
3 fs i1?t?P~ Since the original pattern was ,onaqtal, we understand the Niphal
ms mp cn7~p~ perfect form n6lacj (from ,1;' < original ,~,I;,)to have developed
2 ~7~P~ 2
as follows: ::onawlacj > n6lacj (IV.2.c.iii.(3). The Niphal perfect of
2 fs ~7~P~ 2 fp 1n7~p~ ,~~ (to bear), then, is inflected as follows.
I cs 'I:l?~i?~ I cp 1J?~i?~
3 ms '~;J 3 cp 1'7;J
3 fs i1,I;;J T:
b. I-Guttural Verbs
2 ms 11,5;J
T :-
2 mp Cnl~;J
When the first radical is a guttural, one usually finds the compos-
ite sewif) 0:: , instead of the silent: . Moreover, the vowel with the
2 fs ~l~;J 2 fp 1nl~;J
prefixed Nun is influenced by the composite sewi{) 0::' so that it is I cs 'I:ll~;J I cp 1Jl~;J
changed from. to.: {thus, '~~m.The Niphal perfect of ,~ (to
stand), then, is inflected as follows.

'~:a II-Waw and II-Y6g verbs are not distinguished from one another
in the Niphal perfect. The Niphal perfect of 11:;) (to prepare) is
i1'~l'J
T: ".' '.'
inflected as follows.
2 mp Cnl~:a
2 fp 1nl~:a 3 ms 1;:J~ 3 cp m:JJ
0<

i1J,:JJ
0<

I cp 1Jl~:a 3 fs T T

.<

2 ms mJ1:JJ
T :
2 mp C~;J;:J~
2 fs l"l;J1:J~ 2 fp l~;J;:J~
Notes:
1. The 3 fs i1F?f.7a
and 3 cp 1'??f.7aare formed in accordance I CS 'J:l;31:J~ I cp
.<

mJ1:J~
with XIx.I.d.i.
292/ Lesson XXVI

Note: An additional 6 (i) precedes every consonantal afformative,

thus opening the syllable and causing the afformative r-l to be spi- Since the original first radical (') is preceded, it is retained
rantized (see XVI.ro.ii). (I V.2.c.ii). The Niphal imperfect of '?~ (to bear) is inflected
as follows.
Other weak roots are regular for their types (see XIV.2,3)

4. The Niphal Imperfect 3 ms ,,~, T"

3 mp ~,,~, : IT"

a. Strong Verbs 3 fs "m T 3 fp i1J,5~r-l

T :- T

The characteristic Nun is infixed and assimilated: ':'yinqatel >

2 ms "~r-l T
2 mp ~"~r-l : IT
yiqqatel. The Niphal imperfect of the strong verb, then, is
inflected as follows. 2

I CS
fs
,,~~
'"m
: IT

T'"

2

I
fp

cp
i1J,5~11
T : -

"~J
T

T'

3 ms '~re~ 3 mp ~'t?i?~
3 fs '~reJ:l 3 fp i1~7~reJ:l
2 ms '~reJ:l 2 mp ~'t?i?J:l
II-Wiiw and II-Yog verbs are not distinguished from one another.
2 fs '?t?i?J:l 2 fp i1~7~reJ:l The Niphal imperfect of p~ (prepare) is inflected as follows.
I cs '~re~ I cp '~re~
<

3 ms Ti~~ 3 mp m~~
b. I-Guttural Verbs 3 fs Ti~J:l 3fp -not attested-
Since gutturals and Res
cannot take the strong dages, the i-vowel 2 ms Ti~J:l 2 mp
<

~J'~J:l
in the preformative is compensatorily lengthened. The Niphal im- <

perfect of :J! (to forsake) is as follows.

2 fs '~'~J:l 2 fp -not attested-

I cs Ti~~ I cp Ti~~
3 ms :mr "T
3 mp ~:JTl" :IT"

3 fs :JTl'l1 3 fp i1J:JTl'l1
T: - T
"T

2 ms :JTl'r-l 2 mp ~:JTl'r-l
: IT"
"T

2 fs ':JTl'l1
: IT"
2 fp i1J:JTl'l1
T: - T O'

I cs :JTl'~ I cp :JTl'J
"T
"T
There is an anomalous hi- prefix in the Niphal imperative forms,
which sometimes causes confusion with the hi- prefix in the
Hiphil. The difference between the Hiphil imperative and Niphal
imperative forms, however, is in the assimilated Nun in the first Note: The ms participle 't;?P~should not to be confused with the
radical. perfect 3 ms '~i?~;the former has a long ii. Since the vowel be-
The following is a synopsis of the Niphal imperative forms. fore III-JAlep is iengthened (':'N~~~ > N~~), however, the partici-
mp fp ple of II I-JAlep verbs cannot be distinguished from the perfect 3
Roots ms fs
ms. The ms participle of II-Waw /Y6~ verbs (Ti::J~) also cannot be
'~IV '~W;,
T
"~W;,
: IT
~'~W;,
: IT'
m,73w;,
T : - T
distinguished from the perfect 3 ms qi::J~).

::m7 :mm "T

':mm :IT"
~:mm : IT"
m:JTYi1 T: -T
b. The Niphal participle of the III-He verb ;,?~(to uncover) is
inflected as follows.
Y~IV y~w;,
- T
'y~w;,
: IT
~y~w;,: IT
;'Jy73w;,
T: - T

N'~ N'~;' 'N'~;' ~N'~;' ;'JN7~;'

T : IT' : IT' T '.' T

ms ;,~~~ mp C'7~~
;',;1,;' ',;1,;' ~';I,;' ;'J'7;1,;'
;"" T' T' T' T ',' T
fs ;""J fp ni'~~
Tm HHi) 'Jm;, : IT
~mm : IT'
;,mm T -T
T :

", "~;, T' "'~;, ~"~;, : IT'

<
:1T'

<
;'J'7~;'
T : -IT'

p::J Ti::Di) '~'::Di) ~J'::Di)

6. The Niphal Infinitives '~o/~

a. There are two forms of the infinitive absolute, one with a pre-
:JTY :J!?
fixed Nun and the other with an infixed and assimilated Nun: Y:JIV Y~o/~
'bp~ and 'brei).
b. The infinitive construct is i~rei)
N'~ N'~J
T :
N7~: N7~i) lbm/N'~;'
:. T N'~;'
T N'~JT :

;"" ;',;1,'
T"
;',;1,;'
T'
;,~~~
The infinitives of weak roots are regular for their types (see
XXII.2.b; XXIII.2).
Tm m~ HW HHi) Tir:WT1J~i) HHi) T~~
", '~iJ "~' "~;,
T' T
-not attested- "~;, T' "iJ T

7.The Niphal Participle Ti::J~

a. The Niphal participle of the strong verb is inflected as follows.

ms ,t;?P~ mp C'7t;?P~

fs n~~p~ fp ni't;?p~ ;
 Exercise 26 / 297

Exercise 26

a. Write the following forms in Hebrew:

i1~1~ (also '!~;pI.: C'~1~) lion I. Ni. perf. 3 ms of ~~W IS Ni. perf. I cs of CO?
19~ (fs; with sfx: iJt?:;J) belly, body Ni. ptc. ms of ~~W
2. 16. Ni. perf. I cs of ~~W
'~i~ meeting-place, assembly
3 Ni. perf. 3 fs of ~Ql$ 17 Ni. impv. mp of ~~W
T~ (fs; fp.: c'nn (she-)goat 4 Ni. perf. 3 cp of ~Ql$ 18. Ni. perf. 3 ms of i1~7f
Verbs:
5 Ni. info cs. of :JT~
-T 19 Ni. info cs. of i1mTT

Hi.: to devote to the ban, utterly destroy. Noun: c~.6ban 6. Ni. impv. fs of ~Ql$ 20. Ni. impf. I cp of i1~7f
to suckle. Noun: j?~i'infant
7 Ni. perf. 3 ms of 11::J 2I. Ni. perf. 2 ms of N~~
to remain; Ni.: to be left
8. Ni. ptc. ms of 1~::J 22. Ni. impv. ms of N:JJ TT

1~::J Ni.: to be prepared, established, firm; Hi.: to prepare, in-

r~S
9 Ni. perf. 3 fs of 23 Ni. info cs. of N:JJ
stall, establish. Noun: li:J7f place, support TT

10. Ni. pte. fs of r~S 24 Ni. impf. I cp of N~~

to do battle; Ni.: to fight
II. Ni. impf. 3 mp of r~S 25 Ni. perf. 3 fs of ~1;
12. Ni. impf. I cs of r~S 26. Ni. pte. ms of ~1;
13 Ni. perf. 2 mp of r~S 27 Ni. info cs. of ~" -T

14 Ni. impf. 3 mp of CO? 28. Ni. perf. 3 cp of ~~~

Ni.: to be dispersed, scattered
Ni.: to be marvelous, extraordinary (fp. ptc: niN?~~won-
ders). Noun: N7~
wonder
to encounter, meet (= II N1~;info cs. nN1r'? to meet)
v 5: 1D~! < ':"O~~~
Ni.: to be exterminated; Hi.: to exterminate
V 8: ;"l 1~"1 and he became anxious.
\'J"-
 Meaning of Hithpael Verbs / 299

d. Estimative. Sometimes a Hithpael verb describes how one

shows oneself or regards oneself, whether in truth or in pretense.

;,?O sick ni~lJI;10 to pretend to be sick

The Hithpael verbal pattern is characterized throughout by an
infixed t and the doubling of the second radical: hitqattel.
3.The Hithpael of the Strong Verb
Apart from the characteristic elements mentioned in section I
a. Reflexive. The Hithpael verb frequently describes action on or (above), there are no surprises in the inflections of the strong verb.
for oneself - that is, the subject of the verb is also its object. a. Perfect
~NflJI;10 they hid themselves
Wj1~I:10 they sanctified themselves 3 ms '~~I;10 3 cp ~'tp~I;10
There are some reflexive verbs, however, where the subject is not 3(P ;,?tp~I;10
the direct object. Indeed, a direct object (something) may be
2 ms ~7~~I;10 2 mp C~7tp~I;10
specified.

~W~I;1~J and he stripped (something) from himself

2 fs T;l7tp~I;10 2 fp m7tp~I:10

~i'1~I;10 they tore (something) from thems~lves

I cs 'I:17~~I;10 I cp ~J7~~I;10

Also subsumed under this category of reflexives are a few verbs

that may be regarded as tolerative, where the subject allows an b. Imperfect
action to affect himself or herself.

'~~I;10 he let himself be sold

3 ms '~~I;1: 3 mp ~'tp~I;1:
b. Reciprocal. In some instances, the Hithpael verb implies reci-
procity.
3 fs '~~I;1I:1 3 fp ;'~7~~I;1I:1
2 ms '~~I;1I:1 2 mp ~'tp~I;1I:1
~'O/~I;10 they conspired with one another
~N1I;10 they looked at one another 2 fs '7tp~I;1I:1 2 fp ;'~7~~I;1I:1
I cs '~~I;1~ I cp '~~I;1~
c. Iterative. Often the Hithpael verb suggests repeated activity.

1~DI;10 he walked about

1~DI:10 he turned back and forth
 b. Verbs with one of the dentals (1, ~, n) as the first radical show
assimilation of the infixed t into that dental.

ms ~~~r}0 mp ~~tp~r}0 *'~11;1~ > '~1~ (one) conversing

fs '7tp~1;10 fp :1~7~~1;10 "'~'n~1;10 > ~'n~0 they purified themselves

':'C~1]1;1J:l
> C~1]J:l you show yourself blameless

Assimilation also occurs sporadically with other radicals, notably

d. Infinitive
Nun and Kap.
Absolute: ~~~1;10
':.NW~1;1:> NW~: he shall exalt himself
e. Participle
"~Nf~1;10> ~Nf~0 they prophesied
':.:1~~1;1J:l
> :1~~J:l it will be concealed
ms ~~~r}~ mp C'7tp~1;1~
fs n?W~1;1~ fp ni~tp~1;1~

Since gutturals and Res

cannot take the strong dages, the vowel
4. The Metathesis and Assimilation of the Infixed Taw preceding the second radical is compensatorily lengthened (X V.3).

In some environments, the infixed t undergoes some changes. 11~1;1:he will bless himself
a. Verbs with one of the sibilants (C, ~, tv, tV) as the first radical 'J:lIJl1;10 I washed myself
show a metathesis (transposition) of the infixed t and that sibi-
There are also a few instances where one finds virtual doubling
lant in the Hithpael forms.
instead of compensatory lengthening.
':"1icn~
.. - : . > '1i1iC~
.. -: . one who hides himself ~jliJ~0 we cleansed ourselves
':"~W1;1~> '~1]tp~ one who hires himself out

""~W1;1: > '~1]iP: he will be on guard

Since the first radical of the root is preceded by -1;10, -1;1:, or -1;1~,
In addition to the metathesis, the presence of the emphatic sibi- it is retained (IV.2.c.ii), e.g., Y1J1;1~I will make myself known
lant ? causes the infixed t to change to to (Hith. impf. I cs of Y1' < original "Y1'). On the other hand, the
original w is irregularly changed to y in some instances, e.g., ~~~~1;1:
~'v1~1;1~
> v1~~ we will show ourselves innocent
they consult with one another (Hith. impf. 3 mp of fY' < "fY').
':'~j1;~n:1
:- - : .
> ~j1;~~:1
:- - : .
we took provisions
302/ Lesson XXVII

6. Synopsis of Verbs in Hithpael

Root Perf Impf fuss. Impv. Inf Ptc.
3 mp ~'qtltp:
llhi' tV1iZ1;1i:l tV1iZl? tV1.iZ1;1: tV1iZ1;1i:l tV1iZ1;1i:l tV1iZD~ 2 mp ~'qtltpl:1
,~tV '~tltpi:l '~tltp: ,~tltp: ,~tltpi:l ,~tltpi:l ,~tltp~ I cs ;'1n.. r-ltV).
-: -:

1':l 11~1;1i:l 1'J.#1;1: 11#1;1: 1'J.#1;1i:l 11# 1;1

i:l 11#1;1~
;,~" ;,Inn;, ;'~~1;1: ~~1;1: ;'~~1;1i:l n;~~1;1i:l ;'~~1;1~
T-: .

There is another reflexive verbal pattern in Hebrew known as

Hishtaphel. It is, however, attested only for the root ;"n, which
occurs only in this pattern, meaning "to bow down, do obei-
sance, worship." This verb (which occurs 170 times) has been ana-
lyzed in BDB as a reflexive of the root ;'O\P, with the metathesis
of the infixed t and the sibilant (5').From external evidence dis-
covered in this century, however, most scholars have concluded
that this important verb is traced to the root ;"n. There is, to be
sure, a root ;'O\P (to bow down) attested once in Qal and once in
Hiphil, but that root appears to have been secondarily derived
from ;"nr-ltV;,.
T-: -: .

The following forms of ;"I1n are attested.

a. Perfect

Note: ~nilw: and ~nilWl:1 are derived from the apocopated forms
':-,ntltp: and ':'1ntltpl:1, ~espectively. They should not be identified
as plural forms, which would be ~'qtltp: and ~'qtltpl:1.
 Oaths / 305

i. If the oath is affirmative, the oath formula is followed by '~.

a. An oath may be introduced simply by some form of the verb 'i1~i1f1

DlO~ J~;O-'? ... 'J~-'D As I live: "Moab shall become
l'~tp~(i.e., Ni. of the root l':nv to swear). like Sodom" (Zeph 2:9)

i. If the oath is positive, the substance of the oath is introduced Sometimes the oath formula is followed by O~ '~ or ~6O~, in-
by '::l (surely). stead of '~.

'? ;iblj?:J 'mi1' ]'1~ ,\)~v:.iJMy lord YHWH swears by his As YHWH lives: "YHWH will
D~'?,\) D'~:J 0'0' i1Ji1 holiness: "The days are coming smite him!" (1 Sam 26:10)
A - rT 'T ,. upon you!" (Amos 4:2) Dn1:J1 1v:.i~~~?-D~ ... '.,j~-'n As I live: "What
\": : -. r: -: - .. T - you have spoken
~il9~?'~'ii?~ i1<~i1'~
i),\)~v:.iJ You swore by YHWH your God to
D?; i1\L.'l.'~ P '1\~:J into my ears I will do!"

'JO~ 1: 0' l,~J i1Q?v:.i-'?

your servant: "Solomon your son
shall reign after me!" (1 Kgs 1:17)
(Num 14:28)

ii. If the oath is negative, the oath formula is followed by O~,

Sometimes instead of'~ one finds o~ '~ or N' O~. instead of '~.

'? ;i?i~J:Jn;~;J~ i1,)i1',\)~v:.iJYHWH of Hosts swears by i1to ~~r.nJ~

'i1:IJ1;l'[1 By the life of Pharaoh, "You
Tr~?O-D~ himself: "I will fill you" shall not depart from here!"
(Jer 51 :14) (Gen 42:15)

YHWH of Hosts swears, saying: c. A maledictory oath (a curse) may be introduced by one of the
"As I have intended, so shall it be" following curse formulae.
(1sa 14:24) ~'t;l;'jl:>l :1J:1; :1W~:1~ Thus YHWH will do and add
ii. If the oath is negative, l'~tp~is followed by o~ instead of '~. more!

1$~n'-D~ '!3) n';:J? n,\)~v:.ij I swear as regards the house of Eli: ~'t;l;':1:>1 O';:f'~:1W~:1~ Thus will God do and add more!
'!3)-n'::l 1)3) "The guilt of the house of Eli will T~O't;l;' jl:>l O';:f'~ T~tv~ jl~ Thus the gods will do and add
not be expiated" (1 Sam 3:14) more!
b. An oath may also be introduced by one of the following oath i. If the statement is affirmative, the substance of the curse is
formulae, instead of l'~tp~.
usually preceded by '~.
:1,:1' 'n-
T :
As YHWH lives 'IN
T
'n- As I live :'19;' i1~'1D'0?~ i1\L.',l):-i1~ Thus God will do and add
O';:f'~ '0 As God lives 9tp~~ '1] By your life more: "You will surely die!"
(1 Sam 14:44).
'tt '0 As God lives :1i71~ '1] By Pharaoh's life
 Sometimes the substance of the curse is introduced by N' c~, ['?~) (Qal perf. 3 ms
;,??~ curse
'iZ) to be slight, swift; Pi.: to curse. Noun:
instead of '~.

Thus will God do to me and add more: l'~o/ to be satisfied, satiated. Adjective: ~~o/full, satisfied
"You will certainly become the com- l':JW Ni.: to swear
-T
mander of the army" (2 Sam 19:14)
Conjunction:
ii. If the statement is negative, the substance of the curse is intro-
duced by c~, instead of'~ or c~. N' 1~~ because, on account of (also 'W~ 1~~because [that))
Adverb:
il~' b~ii?~;j?-il(q: ilf Thus God will do to you and add
1~l"jOD ifprTDtol: "l~6i~ more: "You shall not hide any
thing from me" (I Sam 3:17)

'iN (mp: ni,iN) treasure, treasury, storehouse I. Hith. perf. 3 ms of ';J7t 12. Hith. ptc. mp of ;", TT

fp: nin?l) door 2. Hith. impf. 3 mp of ';J7t 13 Hith. impf. l'"

cs of
n" "." ... (fs;
'~tf
I

I cp of P1
-T

male 3 Hith. impf. I cs of 14 Hith. impf.

4 Hith. perf. 3 cp of l'iZ# Hith. impf. 3 fs of 1~tf
'1~
IS
(pI. C'tpl:1) wheat
5 Hith. perf. I cs of 16. Hith. info cs. of ;";J. TT

lamp 6. Hith. ptc. ms of '~1 11#

17 Hith. impf. 3 ms of

"~~ harvest. Verb: ,~~ to harvest. 7 Hith. perf. 3 ms of ;'l~ 18. Hith. ptc. ms of 11#
;,lmr-t beginning. Verb: '?O Ni.: to be profaned; Pi.: to profane; 'D~
8. Hith. perf. 3 cp of 19 Hisht. perf. 3 ms of ;-nn TT
T :

Hi.: to begin 9 Hith. impf. 3 mp of 'D~ 20. Hisht. impf. 3 ms of ;,~O

10. Hith. ptc. ms of 'D~ 21. Hith. juss. 3 ms of ;";J.
TT

;'90 to seek refuge

II. Hith. impv. mp of 'D~ 22. Hisht. impv. ms of ;"n TT

:J~~ Hith.: to position oneself, stand b. Translate I Samuel 3 with the help of a dictionary.

'I]f Ni.: to be hidden, effaced; Pi.: to hide; Hi. to hide Notes:

';J~ Ni.: to be recognized; Hi.: to recognize, acknowledge. v 2: '?nil began.

Noun: '!~~ foreigner
v II: ilr!~t;1(subject) will tingle.
:J~~ Ni.: to stand. Noun: ;':;1~~
standing stone
v 12: ?[.TiJ the beginning.
 Geminate Verbs in Qal / 309
LessonXXVIII
Type A Type B

3 ms ::J::l0 01]
I. Geminate Verbs in Qal -T

3 fs i1::l::J0
T-:IT
i1~1]
Like geminate nouns (V.I), geminate verbs have identical second <

2 ms !'l1:;JQ I'li~1]
and third radicals. There are generally two types of geminate T T

verbs in Qal: one corresponding to the qatal-yiqtol (dynamic verb) 2 fs I'li:;JQ I'li~1]
type in strong roots, and another corresponding to the qatel- <

I CS 'l}i~Q 'l}'~1]
yiqtal (stative verb) type (XVIIL2). The following are some im-
portant examples of the two types.
3 cp 1::l::J0
-:IT
1~1]
Type A Type B
2 mp OlJi:;JQ lJi~1]
::l~9 to surround 01] to be complete 2 fp 7lJi:;JQ 7lJi~1]
'1~ to curse I'l0 to be shattered .<

1J,:;JQ
<

I cp 1J'~1]
,,:;J to mix
-T
,~ to be bitter
,,~to measure
-T
'i2 to be small, be swift Notes:
I. Besides forms like 1::J~~, we also get 1'1~ (with the simple
"J to wander ::l1to be numerous
sewa
-T
J
vocal ).
"tzj
-T
to devastate 1'1 to be bad H. Before the consonantal suffix, one again finds the additional
i (see XVLIO.ii), although it may occasionally be omitted,
e.g., 1J7?6 (from earlier ':-mp6, see VL?) for 1Ji~1] (we are
finished).
HI. If the second radical cannot be doubled by a dages, one gets
In Type A (e.g., ::l~9to surround) the geminate radical is repeated
compensatory lengthening (e.g., 'l}i"~ I cursed).
in the third person forms, whereas the other forms indicate gemi-
IV. There are inconsistencies in the representation of gemina-
nation only by means of the dages. Type B verbs (e.g., the root
tion: sometimes the geminate radical is repeated, but some-
0~I'l to be complete, Qal perfect 3 ms 01]) indicate gemination in
times gemination is indicated only by a dages. For example,
all forms by the dages. The 3 ms form of this type shows the loss
one finds 'J1~::J0 and 'J1~Q as alternate forms without any
of gemination in a manner similar to the noun O~ (see v.r.a):
difference in ~~aning. Moreover, for the 3 ms, we get the
thus, "-tamm > tam. The Qal perfect of the geminate roots ::J~9(to
surround) and 01] (to be complete), representing Types A and B,
form no, but the forms with suffixes show gemination by
the dages (e.g., '~)Ohe has been gracious to me).
respectively, are as follows.
b. Imperfect
The proper inflections of the imperfect of ::l::J0and 0~I'l are pro-
vided below. Many geminate verbs, however, form all or some of
310/ Lesson XXVIII

their imperfect forms so that they end up looking like I-Nun verbs, is added to a form without the afformative, the gemination is,
,b:;
e.g., :l~: (like XIX-4-a) instead of :l0:; ~~tl: ~~5:.
instead of again, indicated by a dages. Thus, :l0: he will surround (Qal
Most grammars, therefore, present the alternate forms (those that impf3 ms) but '~~p.~ he will surround me (Qal impf. 3 ms +
look like I-Nun imperfects) alongside the regular forms, and one I cs object suffix).
is expected to learn two possible inflections of the imperfect for
each verb. It is easier, however, for the student not to memorize a c. Imperative
second set of imperfect forms for each of the types. Rather, one The imperative forms are, as one would expect (XXI.3), like the
should simply assume the following inflections as paradigmatic for corresponding imperfect forms without the preformative: thus,
geminate verbs, and take the alternate forms as secondary. Should :l0I;} (imperfect) but :l0 (imperative); ClJ~ (imperfect) but ClJ
a form like ci: be encountered in reading, one who does not rec- (imperative).
ognize the verb may assume a I-Nun root C,J; but failing to locate Type A Type B
such a root in the dictionary, one may then conjecture that the
root is actually C~, (to be silent, with the imperfect formed as ms :l0 ClJ
if the root were C'J). The Qal imperfect of the verbs :l:lO (to sur-
fs ':;20 '7plJ
round) and c~n (to be complete) are inflected as follows:
mp ~::JO ~~lJ
fp :1J:lO
T :
:1mT-l
T: -

Notes:
1. Some forms that are normally stressed on the penultima are
anomalously stressed on the ultima. Hence, we get the 2 fs
forms '~O~oggi (celebrate!), 'n
ronni (shout!), 'H gozzi
(shear!), etc.
11. When a suffix is appended to the imperative, we get forms
~::JO: like ,~~O~onneni (be gracious to me!), O~'9 sollttha (pile
. up ')
It ..
:1J'::JOT-l
T ". :

d. Infinitive
~::JOI;}

:1J'~OT-l
T ", :

Note: Gemination (indicated by a dages) is evident only in the

forms with afformatives; forms without any endings do not show
gemination at all. Not surprisingly, too, when an object suffix
cal - that is, the qelol type (like ';1 "to wander, wandering")-
are also attested.

The accent is consistently retracted (from the ultima to the penult)

on the Waw-consecutive form of Type A, but not of Type B (see
ni~oJ
T -:
2 mp Oni~g1
XX.4). In Type A, the retraction of accent causes the long 0-
vowel in the ultima to shorten to 0, e.g., :Jb~yasol; (jussive) but ni~g1 2 fp lDi~g~
:J9~Jwayyasol; (Waw-consecutive). The Waw-consecutive form 'I:1i~g1 I cp ~Ji~g1
of Type B does not typically retract the accent, but forms like
'~J(from 11:lr "to be pressed") are attested.
Notes:
1. Besides the regular forms (with the a-vowel in the second

syllable), there are a few verbs with e in the second syllable,

e.g., O~~ (it melted), jl#~~ (it has turned itself). There are also
isolated examples of 3 cp forms with 0 in the second syllable
f. Participle (e.g., ~,l~ they were rolled together; ~15~they were
The participles of Type A geminates are regular (VIII.}.a). Those plundered).
11. A few geminate verbs have Niphal perfect forms with the
of Type B, however, are irregular.
':-niqtal pattern, such as ':-nin~at > nrq (it was shattered) and
Type A '>nin~alta >~76~ (you were profaned), both with virtual
doubling.
:J;b O':;J~b 013 0'7p13
b. Imperfect
n~~b ni:J~b jl~r-l
T -
ni~13

The Niphal forms of geminate verbs show the expected prefixed

or infixed and assimilated Nun (see XXV!.r): prefixed in the Per-
fect and Participle; infixed and assimilated in the Imperfect, Im-
perative, and Infinitive.
Notes:
1. Besides the regular forms (with a as the thematic vowel),
variants with <5 as the thematic vowel (like Ti~J:l) are also
attested.
11. When the first radical is a guttural or Res, there is compen-
satory lengthening, e.g., ';yin!Jat > ntl~(it shall be shattered);
~~.,~ (they shall rise), ~i~(he is ill-treated). 2 mp CDi~9q
2 fs ni~9q 2 fp TDi~9D
<

I cs 'Di~9q I cp ~J'~9q

Notes:
1. An a-vowel is sometimes found instead of e in the second
syllable, particularly when the geminate radical is a guttural:
1'1D (he acted wickedly).
11. When the geminate radical is a guttural or Res,the preced-
ing vowel in the second and first person forms is lengthened
Notes: When the first radical is a guttural or Res,
there is com- from i to e: Oi~'J.q(you acted wickedly).
pensatory lengthening, e.g., *hin!Jill > 't1D (to be profaned, pro-
b. Imperfect
faning).

e. Participle
3 mp

3 fs
mp C':;2Q~

fp ni~Q~
2 fs ':;291.;)
I cs ::JON
T

Note: We also find the type 'i?~(with the vowel e in the second
syllable), but the fs form is still ;'~R~,not ':-;'~i?~.
Notes:
1. An a-vowel is sometimes found instead of e in the second
syllable, particularly when the geminate radical is a guttural:
The Hiphil forms of geminate verbs show the expected h prefixed 1'1: (he will act wickedly).
in the Perfect, Imperative, and Infinitive forms, but not in the Im- 11. Besides the ::J9: type, a variant imperfect like ::J~~is also
perfect and Participle. attested.
 :If;)~ Qal impf. 3 ms of :1:10, not :10)

11'; Qal impf. 3 ms of P', not 1"

l'i'~Ni. perf. 3 ms of l'~',not l'"

'1U,hT Qal impf. 3 ms of "W, not ,'W
'l]~ Ni. impf. 3 fs of "n, not ,n'
'~1Qal Waw-consecutive 3 ms of "~, not ,~,

,~~,
"."
T-
Hi. Waw-consecutive 3 ms of "~, not ,,~

1~tr Qal impf. 3 mp of t:l~n,not imn

Note: An a-vowel is sometimes found instead of e in the second It is simplest at this stage in the study of Hebrew not to memorize
syllable, particularly when the geminate radical is a guttural: ~1D the exceptional or mixed forms. Rather, when an unknown form
(to act wickedly, acting wickedly). is encountered, the root should be reconstructed according to the
e. Participle regular paradigms. But when one is unable to locate the root in
the dictionary, one should consider a geminate root. Thus, for ex-
ample, '1W; is assumed first to be a Qal impf. form of "W, but
when it is learned that no such root is attested, one may then try
"W. By the same token, one may assume that l'i'~ is a Niphal
form of l"'; but when one learns that l'" never occurs in Niphal,
one may try l'~'. Many geminate verbs, it should be noted, have
genuine alternate roots (with the same semantic range) that are
Note: An a-vowel is sometimes found instead of e when the
II-Waw/Y6d or III-He. Examples include the following.
second radical is a guttural: ~1~ (one who acts wickedly).
t:l~~, mil to be in turmoil
f. Waw-consecutive
The Waw-consecutive forms of geminate roots are sometimes
'1, '1~to tie, be in distress
confused with the Hiphil Waw-consecutive of II-Waw/Y6d :I~l,
il~lto be numerous
verbs, e.g., ~1~1(and) he acted wickedly (root ~~') or (and) he
shouted (root ~").
,,~W,il~W to err, go astray, sin inadvertently

It is clear that geminate verbs are frequently confused with other

weak verb types, especially I-Nun and II-Waw/Y6d. Consider
the following examples.
 a. Write the following forms:
linl$ (fs; fp: niJin~) (she-)ass
11.~ herd, flock
I. Qal perf. 2 mp of :J~9 II. Hi. impf. I cs of~2~
2. Qal impf. 3 mp of :J~9 12. Hi. ptc. ms of ~2~
Verbs:
3 Qal perf. I ~2R
cs of 13 Qal perf. I cs of 111$
4 Qal perf. 3 cp of ~2R 14 Hi. perf. 2 ms of ~2~
~2~ to mix, confound 5 Hi. perf. 2 ms of :::J~9 IS Hi. info cs of ~~n
-T

[0~1] (Qal perf. 3 ms 01) to be silent 6. Ni. impf. 3 mp of ~2R 16. Hi. impf. 3 ms of ~2~
7 Qal perf. 3 ms of O~~ 17 Qal impv. mp of 111$
[mJ~] (Qal perf. 3 ms ntl) to be shattered, be dismayed
8. Ni. ptc. fs of ~2R 18. Qal impf. 3 ms of ~~1
117;? to measure. Noun: :117;) measure, measurement
9 Hi. perf. 3 ms of ~2~ 19 Ni. impf. 3 ms of ~~1
:::J~9 to surround, go around, turn 10. Hi. perf. 2 ms of ~~1 20. Hi. impf. 3 ms of ~~1
tJ2~ to escape; Pi., Hi.: to bring to safety. Nouns: tJ'?~ fugitive;
b. Translate Ruth with the help of a dictionary.
:1\r?~ escape, what has escaped/survived
I

119
-T
Hi.: to break, frustrate

In to jubilate, shout for joy

[1'~1] (Qal perf. 3 ms 1'1)to be bad, be evil; Hi. to act wickedly,

do mischief

11W to destroy, devastate

OI?W to be desolate, be appalled
:1RW Hi.: give drink, irrigate

[Ol?~] (Qal perf. 3 ms 013) to be complete, be whole, be finished.

Adjectives: O~, 0'7;)~ complete, blameless. Noun: oM in-
tegrity, completeness

Adverbs:

'21N perhaps
 3 ms 7\PP; 3 mp ~7tpi?:
3 fs 7\Pi?J:l 3 fp il~7~PI;l
2 ms 7\PPI;l 2 mp ~7tfPI;l
2 fs '7tfPI;l 2 fp il~7~PI;l
'::In he joined '~Q it was joined
,~~ he expiated ,~~ he was expiated
I cs 7\PP~ I cp 7\Pi?~

Note: Before gutturals and " we get compensatory lengthening

Like the Piel, the Pual verbal pattern is characterized by the dou-
of u > 6 (e.g., 11:J; he will be blessed), or virtual doubling
bling of the second radical, but verbs in the Pual pattern are also
(e.g., CI]~.;he will be pitied).
marked by an u-class vowel with first radical. The u-class vowel
in the verb, in fact, may be seen as an indicator of the passive - c. Participle
as we have already seen in the Qal passive participle, 7m~ qii~ul.

a. Perfect ms 7tfP7? mp C'7tfP7?

fs il?tfP7? fp n;7tfP7?
3 ms 7\PP 3 cp ~7tfP
3 fs il?tfP Notes:
2 ms ~7~P 2 mp CI.:!7\PP 1. The fs participle of the n?~P7? pattern is also attested.
II. Before gutturals and', we get compensatory lengthening
2 fs I;l7\PP 2 fp lI.:!7\PP
of u > 6 (e.g., n~l:J7?).
I cs 'J:l7~P I cp ~J7~P
Synopsis of Verbs in Pual

Root Perf Imp(. Inf. abs.

Notes:
1. Before gutturals and " we get compensatory lengthening of :m :m~
-".
:Hr
-". :
:Jt\ '"

u> 6 (e.g., 11~he was blessed; wjl~ they were driven out)
or virtual doubling (rl]~.he was washed; il7tl~n she was
1':J 11~ 11:J; 11:J7?
pitied). N7~ N~~ T ".
N~~'
T ' :
N~~~
T ", :

11. Occasionally, 0 ( ) may be found in the first syllable instead il7) il~~ il~)'.. il~)~
...... :
T

of u: as in ~l;)f they were covered (from ilC::l), instead of ':'~l;)?.

'7' ,~, ,~"
T ".

-".
": '

-".:
:

,~,~ TO,. :
 Root Perf. Imp(. Inf. abs.
The Hophal verbal pattern is the passive counterpart of the
Hiphil: ,~tzj ,~tzj;"l ,~tzj, ,~tzj;"l
- : T - :. T : T

1::ll' 1::ll';"I
-T: T
1::ll"-T:T
1::ll';"I
T: T

1'~0 he told ;"I~) ;"I~);"I ;"I~), ;"I~);"I ;"I~)~

T:T "0' : T : T .,' : T

;"1:;';"1 he struck
T'
10' 19~;"I 19~' 1~~;"I

1)J 1;1.;"1 1;1.' 1;1.;"1

.....
-". -".

C'ji C~~;"I C~~' Ci?~;"1

1?7?~ (Ho. Perf. 3 ms of 1~~)he was made king A few verbs which are frequently confused with Pual and Hophal
are, in fact, vestiges of an old Qal Passive verbal pattern. In gen-
Not infrequently, however, it is u instead of o.
eral, we know that these verbs are Qal Passives because they cor-
l?lPV (Ho. Perf. 3 ms of l~tzj) he was cast out respond to verbs in Qal, not Piel or Hiphil. If a form occurs in
Qal, but not in Piel or Hiphil, and seems to be the passive of the
ii. Before I-Guttural or I-Res it is o.
verb in Qal, then the verb is probably a Qal passive. For example,
N#r;t~ (Ho. Perf. 3 ms of N::ln) he was hidden since we know from context that ~:;'Nmeans "it was consumed"
- -"
(not "it was fed;' or the like), and the root does not appear in Piel,
D'~l~ (Ho. Perf. 2 ms of ;"IN') you were shown
forms like ~~~ are almost certainly Qal passives.
iii. Before I-Nun it is u. As another example, we note that the verb 1m does not occur at
all in Piel or Hiphil, but F3~(he/ it was given) occurs several times.
1~~ (Perf. 3 ms of 1)J) he was told
If the verb were Hophal, one would expect to find at least some
When the Nun is unassimilated, however, we find 0 instead of u. examples of 1m in Hiphil. Moreover, the meaning of 113~(derived

'T:l76~~(Perf. cs of ~nJ) I was alloted

from contexts) suggests that m~
is the passive of Qal, not Hiphil.
I
Analogous to m~,
we have a form like (he was taken). nre~
iv. For I-Waw/Y64, II-Waw/Y64, and Geminate verbs it is u. Again, the verb does not appear in Piel or Hiphil. The correspond-

10~;' (Perf. 3 ms of 10') it was founded

ing perfect is nre?, a form apparently pointed as a Pual, although
there is no evide~ce that the root nji~was formed like the I-Nun
n~~;,(Perf. 3 ms of m~) it was killed group outside the Qal verbal pattern (so the Niphal 3 ms is n~7~,
'1P~;'(Perf. 3 ms of "tzj) he was destroyed
not ~'nre~). nre~
If is a Pual imperfect, one would expect i'f it "'nre?'7;
were Hophal, the perfect of the nre?
type (i.e., without the pre- lJj1Jn ~'? 'iD'~~~on-'~
: T: J IT:' I'
If you meet someone, do not salute
fixed h-) is problematic. Finally, it should be noted that the partici- him; and if anyone salutes you, do
ple nre? is attested - without the -~ prefix that one would expect
1~J.~O ~!iD'~ :Pl~'-'?'I
not answer him (2 Kgs 4:29)
for the Pual or Hophal participles. Thus, it must be concluded that
forms like nre?
and nre;
are Qal passives, not Pual or Hophal.
"l~ Dl~~Y1~9 p'1::,\, m If the righteous on earth be recom-
pensed, how much more the wicked
The following are examples of Qal passive forms.: ~plm llWT'? sinner? (Prov I I: 3 I)
Root Perf Impf

':IN ,~~
,~,
'~N'
- ".:
':DN
,~~,
T ".
lilJ~
... D?,'JJ11?~iD'

D)'JJ-n~ Dnll1lil'l
J": .. \':. -
If your children should ask ... (then)
you shall let them know
(Josh 4:21-22)
", -".
b. Hypothetical Conditions
ni" nre? nre; nre? Conditions that are not real, realized or realizable are introduced
lliJ m; by~' (also "if" or (also N7)
"if not" in the first clause. '7~' N7~')
-~~ 'ljn'oiJ? ilJil~ YPQ'I'? IfYHWH had desired to kill us,
(then) he would not have taken an
l..," , l..,
ilnJOI il,)ll lJTO nji),) . .
T . offenng and a gIft from our hand
H' . ,- T

(Judg 13:23)
A conditional sentence consists of two clauses: a first that states
If they were wise, (then) they would
the condition or supposition (the "if-clause" or protasis), and a
understand this (Deut 32:29)
second that states the consequence (the "then-clause" or apodosis).
'tb'llJ
T :",.
DniD1n'~'?1'? If you had not plowed with my
a. Real Conditions
J';' - -: .

heifer, (then) you would not have

'n1'n Dn~~o ~'?
I' T' \': T: I
Conditions that are real, realized, or realizable are typically intro- found my riddle (Judg 14:18)
duced by t:l~ in the first clause. The second clause may be intro-
Sometimes a conditional clause may be introduced without any
duced by " but sometimes 1 is left out.
of the particles mentioned above. In such cases, the "if-clause"
-D~'I 'n)'?il'l 'Qll ')'?n-D~
.. : AT T: \'. ,"... .
If you will go with me, (then) I will and the "then-clause" may each be introduced simply by 1.
go; but if not, (then) I will not go
l!~ ~~'9ll ';:hr'l ~~ (Judg 4:8) il~;J'iD~~~l T)Jl If he blesses, (then) I cannot reverse
it (Num 23:20)
If you detain me, (then) I will not
no'l 'I'J~-n~
v
I" T
Jill'l T .. ,- T :
If he leaves his father, (then) he will
eat your food (Judg 13:r6)
die (Gen 44:22)
Less frequently, a real condition may be introduced by '~ or 10 or,
rarely, iW~.
 ~1;;l. (mp. n;~l;;l.)lot
I. Pu. perf. 3 cp of tV1~ II. Ho. ptc. mp of :ntV
~;l. wave, heap (of stone). Verb: ~?~to roll

", (also ;-n,) fish

2. Pu. impf. 3 mp of tV1~ 12. Pu. perf. 2 mp of '?;
T T T

3 Pu. perf. 3 cp of ;'9f 13 Pu. perf. 3 ms of ;'1$1

~~V idol, futility
4 Pu. impf. 3 ms of ;'0:;)TT 14 Ho. ptc. ms of ;'1$1
;'~}.; (with suff. -n~l~;du.: O'D~l~)rear, hindmost part 5 Ho. perf. 3 ms of i't~;l.
TT
IS Ho. juss. 3 ms of ,~~
O'~~ (always pl.) bowels, entrails 6. Ho. perf. 3 ms of i't:l)TT
16. Ho. perf. 3 cp of N~O
7 Ho. impf. 2 mp of ;,~~ 17 Pu. perf. 3 cp of N~O
Yi? end
8. Ho. perf. 3 cp of i't~~ 18. Pu. perf. I n?1f
cs of
,:lW reward, wages. Verb: ';:JW to hire
9 Ho. perf. 3 ms of :l~tV Pu. ptc. ms of n?1f
T T T

19
~;No/ Sheol, the underworld 10. Ho. impf. 3 ms of m7:) 20. Ho. perf. 3 fs of 1?1f
0;;'1;1 (fs or ms; fp: n;7:);;'1;I) deep, ocean, abyss

Verbs:

1:7: 'P?(ZjJ = '~?'W~~ (see dictionary under -W).

2:4,6: 'J;1:;l0' (subject) enveloped me.

;,~~ to be free, innocent. Adjective: 'P~ or N'P~innocent

~?~ Hith.: to pray. Noun: ;'!;>1;1 prayer

1'01 to wash
~mzj Pi.: to cry out for help
-T

Preposition:

,~~ (cs. '~f;with suffix. -'~) through, around, on behalf of

 II. We also get forms like ~J~~::l (they established) instead of ~J~;::l
and il77,h (it has been pie'rced) instead of il77h. '
b. Imperfect
Polel Polal Hithpolel
These verbal patterns are characterized by the presence of a long
vowel (0) after the first radical, the absence of the second radical,
3 ms C~;i'~ C~;i'; C~;i'J;1~
and the duplication of the third: qolel, q6lal, hitqolel. For II-Waw/
Y 6g roots, these patterns tend to replace Piel, Pual, and Hithpael, 3 fs C~;i'I:l O~;i'I:l C~;i'J;1I:l
respectively. Hence, although I I-Waw /Y6g verbs are attested in 2 ms C~;i'I:l C~;i'I;l C~;i'J;1I:l
Piel, Pual and Hithpael, they are relatively rare; the functions nor-
mally met by those verbal patterns are assumed by Polel, Polal,
2 fs '~~;i'I:l '~7?;i'I;l '~7?;i'nI:l
and Hithpolel forms. Geminate verbs, too, are sometimes found I cs c~;i'~ c~;i'~ O~;i'D~
in the Polel, Polal, and Hithpolel patterns, rather than Piel, Pual,
and Hithpael. 3 mp ~~~;i'~ ~~7?;i'; ~~~;i'n~
The various forms of the verb C~i'(to arise) are as follows. < < <

3 fp il~7?~'i'I;l il~7?~'i'I;l il~7?~'i'J;1I:l

a. Perfect 2 mp ~~7?;i'I;l ~~7?;i'I;l ~~7?;i'J;1I:l
Polel Polal Hithpolel < < <

2 fp il~7?~'i'I;l il~7?~'i'I;l il~7?~'i'J;1I:l

3 ms O~;i' C~;i' C~;i'J;10 I cp C~;i'~ C~;i'~ C~;i'J;1~
3 fs il7f7?;i' il7f7?;i' il7f7?;i'J;10
2 ms ~7?~;i' ~7?~;i' ~7?~;i'J;10
Notes:
2 fs I:l~~;i' I;l7?~;i' I;l7?~;i'J;10 I. Due to the reduction of the full vowel to sewiiJ, we cannot
I cs 'I:l~~;i' 'I:l7?~;i' 'I:l7?~;i'J;10 distinguish between the active (Polel) and passive (Polal)
forms in the 2 fs, 3 mp, and 2 mp.
3 cp ~~7?;i' ~~~;i' m7?;i'J;10 II. The frequently attested verb p::l (to establish) may show the
assimilation of n in some of the Hithpolel forms (see
2 mp Cn7?~;i' Ct-J~~;i' Cn7?~;i'J;10
XXVII.4), e.g., p;::lI:lfor P;::lDI:l.
2 fp in7?~;i' it-J~~;i' in7?~;i'J;10
< <. < c. Other Inflections
I cp ~J7?~'i' ~J7?~'i' ~J7?~'i'J;10
Impv. C~;i' C~;i'D0
Notes: Inf. CS. C~;i' O~;i'n0
I. Except for the 3 ms, Polel and Polal forms cannot be distin-
guished from one another (compare XIII.2.i). O~;i'~ O~;i'D~

These verbal patterns are characterized by the repetition of the
first and last radicals. Again, they correspond in function roughly
to Piel, Pual, and Hithpael, respectively. Verbs in these patterns
are mostly geminates, with a few that are II-Waw/Yog.
Root Pilpel
This verbal pattern retains all three radicals but also repeat the
last two: qe(a/tal.
Pealal perf. 3 ms 1010, it palpitates (Ps 38:rr)
Finally, there are isolated and sometimes disputed examples of
other patterns, including patterns based on four radicals and

',:1 ,~?~ '~?~J;l0 to roll

mixed forms. One should consult a reference grammar when
such forms are encountered.

"V 'i??i? 'i?7R~0 to shake swiftly

,,:J ,~?~
The particle '~ is used a variety of ways.

a. It may introduce a causal clause, and so should be translated as

"because" or "for."

There are a few uncommon patterns.

'i1D~ 1il~n~rD'\D~ 'f) because you have done this, you
are cursed (Gen 3:r4)
a. Poel, Poal, Hithpoel
'J~ !;7i.j~ ';J 'i11i1' 'J,~i) Be gracious to me, YHWH, for
These verbal patterns are similar to the Polel, Polal, Hithpolel se- I am languishing (Ps 6:3)
ries, but they are built on triliteral roots: qo(el, qo(al, hitqo(el.
b. It may introduce an object clause after verbs of perception (to
Poel perf. 3 ms lb'JtV it has taken root (Isa 40:24) see, hear, know, understand, etc.). In such cases, '~ may be trans-
lated as "that" or it may not be translated at all.
Poal perf. 3 cp ilbltV they have taken root (Jer r2:2)
i1D~ 'o'ii!;~~'J'-'?'nlli: i1!)11 now I know (that) you are a
Hithpoel impf. 3 mp ilb~~n' they surge (Jer 46:8)
fearer of God (Gen 22:r2)
b. Palal, Pulal
c. It may introduce a clause stating the result of an action, and so
These verbal patterns retain all three radicals but also repeat the should be translated as "(so) that."
third: qa(lal, qu#al.
What were you thinking that
Palal perf. 3 ms 1~~~it has been at ease (Jer 48:rr) you were doing this thing?
(Gen 20:ro)
Pulal perf. 3 ms !;Ji.j~it has failed (Joel r:ro)
 i19tzj-n~~lpn-~~ You shall not call her "Sarai;' but
(rather) "Sarah" shall be her name
i19tzjill({.1 'f. 'J({.1 '10 (also ;"rnLP splendor, grandeur, adornment
(Gen 17:15)
"~! (pI. ni'~T) song. Also 'bT~ psalm. Verb: ,~!Pi. to make
No, but you did laugh! (Gen 18:15) melody
,~~ forest
'1il' lp~'.':JP 2~ ~! Your name will no longer be called ~il' bird, fowl. Verb: ~~l'to fly
"Jacob;' but rather "Israel"
~~l~'-tJ~ '? ~atzj '~:!l rock (mountain)
(Gen 32:29)
,~ adversary
e. In temporal clauses (see xx. 5), '~ may be translated as "when."
PO~'1i?f'? "il'] When Isaac was old ... (Gen 27:1)
,~t') world
Verbs:
f. In conditional clauses (see XXIX-4), it states a real condition,
and is translated as "if." ,iN to become bright; Hi.: to illumine, shine

1J~l~n ~!
'tzj,~~~an-'? If you meet someone, do not salute m~ to test, try
him; and if anyone salutes you, do not 'W::J Pi.: to make known, bring news
1~WD~! tzj'~ :Pl~~-'?1answer him (2 Kgs 4:29) - T

,,~ to be joyful, rejoice

g. In some cases, it has an asseverative (emphatic) force, and may
be translated as "indeed," "surely," "truly," or the like. 1'1f to bend the knee
!lZ~J to shake, tremble
tD~;?-JliJ~~'1~!-'?Indeed, vexation kills the fool! (Job 5:2)
ilOJ Pi.: to test
Thus, too, '~ introduces affirmative statements in oaths (see TT

XXVII.8). !lZ~' Hi.: to shout. Noun: il~'I;1alarm, shout

h. Sometimes it has a concessive force, meaning "though?' ill'r-l

T T
to wander about, be confused

'na8 'n~~~'? though I have fallen, I will rise again Adverbs:

(Mic 7:8) ,~ not. Also '7f without
i. Sometimes it introduces direct speech and is, therefore, not
translated.
l~l'il,'.il!f'? 'lQ~'"] He said: "I will be with you"
(Exod 3:12)
 \.N
1. Strong Verbs \.N
.j:>.

Qal Niphal Pie I Pual Hithpael Hiphil Hophal

----
~
"\j
"\j
Perf. 3 ms 1;~R 1;~j?~ 1;~j? 1;~p 1;~iZ~D 1;'~PD 1;~PiJ 3 ms ~
;:::
k
3 fs ii?t?i? ~.
ii?t?P~ ii?ipj? ii?ipP ii?ipiZ~D ii?'~PD ii?t?PiJ 3 fs
2 ms ~?gR ~?gp~ ~?tPj? ~?tPp ~?tPiZ~D ~?gPD ~?gPiJ 2 ms
2 fs r:'?~R r:'?~P~ I:17~j? r:'?~P r:'?~iZ~D r:'?~PD r:'?~PiJ 2 fs
I cs 'I:1?gR 'I:17gj?~ 'I:17tPj? 'I:17tPP 'I:1?tPiZ~D 'I:1?gPD 'I:1?gPiJ I cs
3 cp ~1;t?i? ~1;~j?~ ~1;tpj? ~1;ipp ~1;ipiZ~D ~1;'~PD ~1;t?PiJ 3 cp
2 mp tJI)?~P tJD7~j?~ tJI)?~j? tJI)?~P tJI)?~iZ~D tJI)?~PD tJI)?~PiJ 2 mp
2 fp TI)?~P TD7~j?~ 1I)?~j? TI)?~P TI)?~iZ~D TI)?~PD TI)?~PiJ 2 fp
I cp ~)?gR ~)?gp~ ~)?tPj? ~)?tPp ~)?tPiZ~D ~)7gj?D ~)?gPiJ I cp

Impf. 3 ms 1;bp: 1;~re: 1;~iZ; 1;~p; 1;~iZJ;1: 1;'~p~ 1;~p~ 3 ms

3 fs 1;bPI:1 1;~reI:1 1;~iZr:' 1;~pI:1 1;~iZ~I:1 1;'~j?IJ 1;~p~ 3 fs
2 ms 1;bPI:1 1;~reI:1 1;~~r:' 1;~pr:' 1;~iZDI:1 1;'~pIJ 1;~p~ 2 ms
2 fs '7t?PI:1 '7t?~I:1 '7tpiZI:1 '7ipPr:' '7ipiZ~I:1 '7'~PIJ '7t?P~ 2 fs
I cs 1;bj?~ 1;~re~ 1;~iZ~ 1;~p~ 1;~iZ~~ 1;'~p~ 1;~pl$ I cs
3 mp ~1;~j?: ~1;t?~: ~1;ipiZ; ~1;tpp: ~1;ipiZJ;1: ~1;'~p~ ~1;t?P~ 3 mp

3 fp ii~?6pI:1 ii~?greI:1 ii~?~iZr:' ii~?tPPr:' ii~?~iZJ;1I:1 ii~?~PIJ ii~?~P~ 3 fp

2 mp ~1;~j?I:1 ~1;t?~I:1 ~1;tpjZI:1 ~1;ippr:' ~1;tpiZDI:1 ~1;'~j?IJ ~1;t?P~ 2mp
2 fp ii~?6pI:1 ii~?greI:1 ii~?~iZr:' ii~?tPPr:' ii~?~iZJ;1I:1 ii~?~PIJ ii~?gp~ 2 fp
I cp 1;bj?~ 1;~re~ 1;~iZ~ 1;~p~ 1;~iZD~ 1;'~j?~ 1;~p~ I cp

Impv. 2 ms 1;bj? 1;~reD 1;~iZ 1;~iZJ;1D 1;~PD 2 ms

2 fs '7t?j? '7t?~D '7tpjZ '7ipiZ~D '7'~j?D 2 fs
2 mp ~1;t?j? ~1;t?~D ~1;tpiZ ~1;tpiZDD ~1;'~j?D 2 mp
2 fp ii~?6p ii~?greD ii~?~iZ ii~?~iZ~D ii~?~PD 2 fp

Inf. Abs. 1;;~R 1;breD 1;t9iZ 1;t9p 1;~iZDD 1;~PD 1;~PiJ Abs.
1;bp~ 1;~iZ
Cs. 1;bj? 1;~reD 1;~iZ 1;~iZ~D 1;'~j?D Cs.

Pte. Act. 1;~p 1;~iZ?? 1;~iZ~~ 1;'~p~ Act.

Pass. 1;~~R 1;t;?p~ 1;t;P?? 1;t;?p~ Pass. ~
"\j
"\j
~
;:::
wyq# 1;bP~j 1;~re~j 1;~iZ;j 1;~p;j 1;~iZ~~j 1;~p~j 1;~p~j k
~.
Juss. 1;bp: 1;~re: 1;~iZ: 1;~p: 1;~iZ~: 1;~j?~ 1;~p~ ----
\.N
\.N
VI
 w
2. I-Guttural Verbs w
0'\
.......
Qal Niphal Hiphil Hophal ~
~
~~
Perf. 3 ms '~Y
-T i'!O 7:JN-T
:JTYJ
-'::1','
"~Yi1 '::1''-
'~Yi1 - T: IT
3 ms ;:s
\:l...
i17:JN i1:JTYJ ~.
3 fs i1'~Y T: IT i1i?TO T : IT T: ","":
i1"~Yi1 T '::1''-
i1'~Yi1 T: TIT
3 fs
2 ms T-'l'~Y T-'l7SN T-'l:JTYJ T-'l'~Yi1 T-'l'~Yi1 2 ms
T : - T ~~!O T: - T T : -'::1''- T : - ':: 1'," T : - T: IT

2 fs T-'l'~Y I;1~!O T-'l7:JN T-'l:JTYJ T-'l'~Yi1 T-'l'~Yi1 2 fs

: : - T : : - T : : -':n',' : : - '::1'" : : - T: IT
<
I CS 'l:J'~Y 'l:J~!O 'T-'l7SN
: - T
'T-'l:JTYJ 'T-'l'~Yi1 'T-'l'~Yi1 I CS
: - T : -'.o:,',' :- '::1''- : - T: IT

3 cp ~'~Y : IT ~i'm ~7:JN : IT

~:JTYJ :':",-
~"~Yi1
'::,''- ~'~Yi1 : TIT
3 cp
2 mp CT-'l7:JN CT-'l:JTYJ CT-'l'~Yi1 CT-'l'~Yi1 2 mp
C~l~~ C~~m ",'
: --: ","
: -'::,',- ",' : - "::1',' ',' : - T: IT

2 fp 2 fp
T~l~~ T~~m T~7~~ T~~H?,~. T~l~::J T~l~~m
I Cp ~J,73y : - T
~J~!O ~J7SN
:-T
~J:JTYJ : -'::1'
~J'~Yi1 ~J'~Yi1 I Cp
: - .::,': : - T: IT

Impf. 3 ms ,bY'-:1- i'm,;. 7~N; :JTY'

"TI"
"~Y' -:1- '~Y' - T:IT
3 ms
3 fs ,bYT-'l
-:1-
7~Ni:l :JTYT-'l "~YT-'l '~YT-'l 3 fs
i'mRl "T I" -:,- - T: IT

2 ms ,bYT-'l
-:1- i'mRl 7~Ni:l :JTYT-'l "T ,
"~YT-'l o _: ,_
'~YT-'l
- T: IT
2 ms
2 fs "~YT-'l
.: -,- 'i?TORl '7~Ni:l ':JTYT-'l
o :ITI"
','73yT-'l -:1-
"~YT-'l.: TIT
2 fs
I cs ,bYN .:: I":
7~N :JTYN "T I"~
"~YN o -: 1_ '~YN I CS
i'm~ - T: IT

3 mp ~'~Y'
: -,- ~i'm~ ~7~N; ~:JTY' :ITI"
~"~Y'. -:,- ~'~Y' : TIT
3 mp

i1n73~r- i1~~mRl i1J7SNi:l

T: -

2 mp ~'7,)~r- ~i'TORl ~7~Ni:l 2 mp

2 fp i1n73~r- i1~~mRl i1J7SNi:l i1J:JTYT-'l
T: -T ,
2 fp
T:-

'b~,~ i'np 7~N)

Impv. 2 ms 'b~ 7j~

i'm
2 fs ''''!7,)+' 'i?FJ '7~~
2 mp ~'7,)+' ~i'TlJ ~7~~
2 fp i1J,73y
T: -: i1~~m i1J75N
T: .

:JiTYJ
-:1-

7jNi1 Tl"

7j~
7~N
7~:JN T

wyq# i'm.~1 7~N;1

Juss. i'm.;. 7~N;
 Qat

,n::l -T '1]~~ 1~~ '07;) 11~ TJ.#1;1::J

;"n:n T-: : .
;,~~p. ;,,;,~ T-: .
;,~,~
T :
;'~'::ln;,
T :IT:

~11]~~ ~~15~ ~107;) ~~1~

'I:111]~~ 'I:1~15~ 'I:1107;) 'I:1~1~
1'q~~ 1)~~ 1'~7;) 1~1~
LJ~l1]:P LJ~l1]~~ LJ~~15~ LJ~107;) LJ~~1~
1~11]:P 1~11]~~ 1~~15~ 1~107;) 1~~1~ 1~~1~1;1::J
1),n::l :- T
1)11]~~ 1~15p' 1)107;) 1)~1~ 1)~'::ln;,
: -T :

Impf. 3 ms '1]~: 1~?f; 'D~; 11:J: 1'J.#1;1:

3 fs '1]~I:1 1~?f~ 'D~~ 11:J~ 11~1;1I:1
'1]~I:1 1~?f~ 'D~~ 11:JI:1 11#1;1I:1
'!q~I:1 ')~~Fl
-:IT : '!~~~ ':;J1:J~ '~'::lnFl
. :IT:

,n:J~
- ... : 1~?f~ 'D~~ 11:J~ TJ.#1;1~
1)~~' -:IT: 1'~~; 1~l:J; 1~'::ln' :IT: .

3 fp ;,),n:JFl
T : - :
m,n::lFl
T :- T
;'~~~Fl ;')';'~Fl
T" T : T : - :
;')~":JFl ;')~'::lnFl 3 fp
T: - : T: "T :

2 mp 1'q~I:1 1,n::lFl 1)~~Fl

-:IT' -: IT:
1~l:J~ 1~'::lnFl 2 mp
1'm~~ :IT:

2 fp ;,),n:m ;,),n::lFl
T : - : T : - T
;'~~~Fl ;')';1~Fl
T" T : T : - :
m~":JFl
T: - :
;')~'::lnFl
T: "T :
2 fp
I cp ,n::l)
'1]~~ T' 1~?f~ 'D~~ 11:J~ 11~1;1~ I cp

Impv. 2 ms '1]:p ,n::l;' T 1~?f 11~1;1::J 2 ms

'D~
2 fs ',n::l ',n::l;' ')~~ ,,;,~
'-:1- ':-:IT' -:IT '-:1- ':;J'::ln;, 2 fs
:IT: .

2 mp 1,n::l 1,n::l;' 1)~~

-:1- -:IT' -:IT 1';'~
-:,- 1~'::ln;, 2 mp
:IT: .

2 fp ;,),n::l m,n::l;' ;,~~~ m,;,~

T : - : T :- T T" - T : -
;')~'::ln;, 2 fp
T: "T :

Inf. Abs. ,in::l T 'in~~ 1~?f Abs.

'D~ 11~1;1::J
Cs. ,h:p ,n::l;' T 1~?f 11~1;1::J Cs .
'D~
Pte. Act. 't1~ 1~?f7,' 'D~7,' 11~1;17;) Act.
Pass. '1n::l T
,n:J) T : 11:J7,' Pass. ::t.
~
~~
wyqtl '1]~~J ,n::l~'
T'- 1~?f;J 'D~;J ;:l
11~1;1~J I:l..
~.
Juss. '1]~: ,n::l' T' 1~?f; 'D~; T91;1: .....
'-"
'-"\0
 Qal Niphal Hithpael Hiphil Hophal

3 ms n7W - T
n?tp~ n~w n~w
- -'. n~lJtp;:t l]'7tp;:t n7Wil - : T

3 fs iln7W T: IT
iln7Wj
T: :
iln~w
T:
iln~wT: '"
iln~T-lWil
T: - :
iln'7Wil
T :
iln7Wil
T: : T

r-m7W
T: - T
T-ln7Wj
T: - :
T-ln~w
T : -
T-ln~w
T: - '"
T-ln~T-lWil
T: - - :
T-ln7Wil
T : - :
T-ln7Wil
T: - : T

T-ln7W
: - - T
~tJ?tp~ ~tJ~W T-ln~w
: - - ".
~tJ~lJtp;:t ~tJ?tp;:t T-ln7Wil
: - - : T

'T-ln7W
: - T
'l:!~?tp~ 'l:!~~W 'T-ln5w
. :- ",
'l:!~~lJtp;:t 'l:!~?tp;:t 'T-ln7Wil
: - : T

~n7W : IT
~n7tp~ ~n?w m~w : ",
~n?lJtp;:t m'?tp;:t ~n7Wil : : T

tmn7W
... : - : OT-ln7Wj
... : - : . OT-ln~w
.,'
: - .
OT-ln~w
... : - '"
OT-ln~T-lWil
','
: - -: . O~~?tp;:t OT-ln7Wil
: - : T

i~~?tp i~~?tp~ i~~~W i~~~1P i~~~lJtp;:t jt-m?w;:t i~~?tpv

~m7W : - T
~j~?tp~ ~j~~W ~m~w
- : '"
~j~~lJtp;:t ~j~?tp;:t ~jn7Wil
: - : T

Impf. 3 ms n?tp: n7tV' -To n~w; n~w'

- ". :
n~lJtp: l]'7tp~ n7W' - : T

3 fs n?tpl:! n7tVT-l
- T 0
n~w~ n~WT-l
- : '"
n~lJtpl:! l]'7tplJ n7WT-l -: T

n?tpl:! n7tVT-l
- T
n~w~ n~WT-l
- : ",
n~lJtpl:! l]'7tplJ n7WT-l - : T

'lj7tpl:! 'n7tVT-l
: IT 'Ij?W~ 'n~WT-l
.: : '"
'lj?lJtpl:! '1j'?tplJ 'n7WT-l : : T

n?tp~ n7tVN - T .,' n~w~ n~WN

- -: ",
n~lJtp~ l]'7tp~ n7WN - : T

~n7tp: ~n7tV' : IT
~n?w; ~n~w' : '" :
~n?lJtp: ~n'?tp~ ~n7W' : : T

ilm7WT-l
T: -:
ilm7tVT-l
T: - T
mn~WT-l
T: - - :
mn'WT-l
T: - ". :
ilm'T-lWT-l
T: - - :
mn7WT-l
T: - : -
ilm7WT-l
T: - : T

~n7tpl:! ~n7tVT-l : IT ~n?w~ ~n~WT-l

: : '"
m?lJtpl:! ~n'?tplJ ~n7WT-l : : T

mn7WT-l
T: - :
mn7tVT-l
T: - T
ilm~WT-l
T: - - :
mn'WT-l
T: - ". :
mn'T-lWT-l
T: - - :
mn7WT-l
T: - : -
mn7WT-l
T: - : T

n?tp~ n7tVj - T 0
n~w~ n~Wj
- ". : n~lJtp~ l]'7tp~ n7Wj - : T

Impv. 2 ms n?tp n7tVil n~lJtp;:t n?tpD

- T
n~w
2 fs 'lj7W 'n7tVil
: IT 'Ij?W 'lj?lJtp;:t '1j'?tpD
~n7tVil ~n?lJtp;:t 2 mp
: IT
~n7W ~n?w ~n'?tpD
ilm7W mn~w mn, T-lWil ilm7Wil 2 fp
T: - : T: - - T: - - : T: - : -

l]i7tp~
n7tVil
- T

lj7tp n7tVil
- T
n~lJtp;:t
l]?W l]YlJtp~
m7W - T
n7Wj T:

wyq# n?tp~J n7tV~' - T .-

n~W;J n~w',
- '" :-
n~lJtp~J n?tp~J n7W~' - : T-

]uss. n?tp: n7tV' - T 0

n~w; n~w'
- ". :
n~lJtp: n?tp~ n7W' - : T
 5. III-:>Alep Verbs
Qat

N~~ T T
N~~ N~~J;10 N';;r7?0
i1N;)m
T:
i1N;)l~!1i1
T: - :
i1N'~~i1
T :

!1N~7?~ !1N~~ !1N~~J;10 !1N~7?0

'1}N~7?~ '1}N~~ '1}N~~J;10 '1}N~7?0
~N7?~ ~N~ ~N~J;10 ~N';;r7?0
CQN~7?~ C!1N;)l~
.. .. , CQN~~J;10 CQN~7?0
lQN7? lQN~7?~ lQN~~ lQN~ lQN~~J;10 lQN~7?0 lQN7?D
~JN~~ T T
~JN~7?~ ~JN~~ ~JN;)l~
T ".
~JN~~J;10 ~JN~7?0 ~JN~~i1
T : '"

Imp. 3 ms N~~; N~~J;1: N'~7?~

3 fs N~~T;l N~~J;1I:l N';;r7?I.:J
N~~T;l N~~J;1I:l N';;r7?I.:J
'~7?I:l '~~T;l 'N;)l~!1r:l
.:- : . '~';;r7?I.:J
N~~N
T: N~~~ N~~J;1~ N';;r7?~
~N~; ~N~J;1: ~N';;r7?~

~N7?I:l ~N~T;l ~N~J;1I:l ~N';;r7?I.:J 2 mp

mN~~r:l
T ".':
i1JN;)l~r:l
T .,. - :
i1JN;)l~!1r:l
T '.' - :
i1JN~~r:l
T
2 fp

Impv. 2 ms N~~ N~~J;10 N~7?D

2 fs '~~ '~~ '~~J;10 '~';;r7?D
~N~ ~N~ ~N~J;10 ~N';;r7?D
i1JN~~
T :
mN;)l~
T .,'-
i1JN;)l~!1i1
T .,' - :
i1JN~~i1
T '.':-

N~7?~ N~~J;10 N~7?D

N~~i1
T N~~J;10 N';;r7?D

wyq# N~~;J N~~J;1~J N~7?~J

Juss. N~~; N~~J;1: N~7?~
 Qal Niphal Hithpael Hiphil Hophal

i17;l. i17") i1;;l. i1;;l. TO"

i1;;l.ni1
T-: .
i17"i1T: .
i17"i1
TT T: T' T:T

i1n7;l. i1n7") i1n;;l. T:

i1n;;l. i1n;;l.ni1
T: -: .
i1n7"i1
T: : .
i1n7"i1
T :IT T: :. T : ", T: : T

n";l.
T ' T
n',,,)
T .0:.
n'~;l.
T '
n'~;l.
T '0,
n'5;l.ni1
T
n""i1
T :
n""i1
T : T

n'7;l. 'T n'7~~ n'~~ n';;l.

..... n'~~~;:t n'?~;:t n'7"i1 : T

'n,1.h
, , T 'l}'?~~ 'D'~~ 'n'~;l.
..... 'D'~~~;:t 'D'7~;:t 'n""i1
: T

~7;l. T
~7~~ ~;~ ~;;l. '"
~;~~;:t ~7~;:t ~7"i1 :T

e~'?~ e~'7~~ e~'~~ en';;l...... en';;l.ni1

'.' . -: . en'7"i1
'.'. :. en'7"i1
: T

T~'?~ T~'7~~ T~'~~ TD'~~ TD'~~D;:t T~'?~;:t T~'7~p

~)";l. , T ~)'?~~ ~)'~~ ~)'~;l.
..... ~)'~~~;:t ~)'7~;:t ~)""i1 ..: T

i17,,' i1;,,' : i1~~~: i17,~~ i17", .: : T

',' :' ......
i17,~T:1 i17;l.r-l
T'
i1~~I;l i1;"r-l i1~~~T:1 i17,~1J i17"r-l
...... : '.': T

i17,~T:1 i17;l.r-l
T'
i1~~I;l i1;"r-l
...... : i1~~~T:1 i17,~1J i17"r-l : T

'?~T:1 '7;l.r-l
, T'
'~~I;l ';"r-l
. .. ' : '~~~T:1 '?~1J '7"r-l
: T

i17"N i17;l.N
T '," i1~~~ i1;;l.N
.: ".-: i1~~~tt i17,~~ i17"N
.: : '.' ': : T

~7~: ~7;l.'T'
~;~; ~;",
-.. :
~;~~: ~7~~ 17", : T

i1)'1.J"r-l
T : -
il)'1.J"r-l
T .: : T

~7~T:1 ~;~I;l ~;~~T:1 ~7~1J

il)',,,r-l il)'5"r-l il)'5"r-l i1)'5;l.nr-l il),1.J"r-l
T : -
il)',,,r-l
T '.': T ',' - : T ". : T, , T ',': T

i17,~~ i1;,,)
... -:
i1;,,) i1~~~~ i17,,) .,. : T
...... :

i17~ i17;l.i1
T'
i1~~ i1~~~;:t i17~iJ

'?~ '7;l.i1
, T'
,~~ ,~~~;:t '?~iJ
~7~ 1;~ ~;~~;:t ~7~iJ
il)";l. i1)'5;l. i1)'~;l.ni1
T -:
i1)'1.J"i1
T : -
T .:: T '.'-

ii7~~ i1~~
i17;l.i1
T'
ii;~
ni7~ ni;~ ni;~~;:t ni7~iJ

i17,~ i1~~~?:, i17,~~

'~7;l. T

wyqtl ....
7"~' - 7"" - ".: 7~~~J 7~~J
Juss. 7~~ 7'" ".:
7~~: 7";
....
 w
7. I-Nun Verbs -l:>-
0\
"-
Qal Niphal Hiphil Hophal ~
"<::i
"<::i
Perf. 3 ms 7~~ 17~~ FJ~ 7~P 7'~Fl 7;:Zil
- -'. 3 ms ;:l
'"I::l...
il7m il7;:ZJ il7;:Zil ~.
3 fs T : IT
il17"J ilJ11J
T :IT T : IT T:
il7'~il
T
T: ".
3 fs
2 ms r-l7~J r-l17"J r-l11J r-l7~J r-l7~il r-l7~il 2 ms
T: - T T: -T T -T T: -. T: - T: - ".

2 fs r-l7m r-l17"J r-l11J r-l7;:Zil 2 fs

: : - T : --T : -T ~7~ ~7i} : : - '0.

r cs 'r-l70J
: - T : -T
'r-l17"J 'Dm 'D7~ 'D7i} 'r-l7~il
: - -0,
r cs
3 cp ~7m : IT
~17"J ~J11J: IT : IT
~7~ ~7'~i} ~7;:Zil". :
3 cp
2 mp tl~7i} tlr-l7;:Zil 2 mp
tl~7~~ tlN'~~ tl~lJ~ tl~7~ :
.,. - ".
2 fp 1~7~ 1~7i} 2 fp
1~7~~ 1~f'~~ l~lJ~ 1~70
I cp ~J70J ~J17"J m'n ~J7~il r cp
-T
: - T : -T
~J7~ ~J7i} - ". :

Impf. 3 ms 7b~ 17~~ lD~ 7~~' T' 7'~~ 7;:Z' -'0,

3 ms
3 fs 7bD 17~D lDD 7~~r-l T 7'~D 7;:Zr-l
- ". 3 fs
2 ms 7bD 17~D lDD 7~~D 7'~D 7;:Zr-l 2 ms
- ".
2 fs '7~m '7;:Zr-l 2 fs
'7~D '~~D '~~D : IT '7'~D : '0,

r cs 7b~ 17~~ m~ 7~~l'\ T ','

7'~~ 7;:Zl'\ - -0,
r cs
3 mp ~7~~ ~17~~ ~J~~ ~7~~' : IT'
~7'~~ ~7;:Z'
". :
3 mp

3 fp jlJ7~r-l
T:
ilJ17~r-l mr-lr-l
T: - TO'
jlJ7~m
T: - T
jlJ7~r-l
T: -
jlJ7~r-l
T: - "'.
3 fp
2 mp ~7~~r-l ~7;:Zr-l 2 mp
: IT
~7~D ~17~D ~J~D ~7'~D : '"

2 fp ilJ7~r-l ilJ17~r-l mr-lr-l jlJ7~m ilJ7~r-l ilJ7~r-l 2 fp

T: T: - T" T: - T T:.0 - T: - -0,

r cp 7b~ 17~~ 1m 7~n 0 T' 7'~~ 7;:ZJ

. -"
r cp

Impv. 2 ms 7b~ 17~ 7~m T 7~!J 2 ms

m
2 fs '7~~il 2 fs
'7~~ '~~ '~~ : IT' '7'~!J
1. mp ~7~~ ~17~ ~J~ ~7~~il ~7'~!J 2 mp
: IT'

2 fp jlJ75J jlJ17~ mr-l jlJ7~~il jlJ7~il 2 fp

T: : T: - T T: - T T: -

Inf. Abs. 7;:>J T

3Z;"J T
1;1"l~ 7~~il T 7~!J 7;:Zil
.. . "
Abs.
Cs. 7b~ 1"l~~ 1"lD 7~~il T'
7"~!J 7;:Zil
-. "
Cs.

3Zi~ ln~
Ptc. Act. 7Poi 3Z~i llJi 7'~~ Act.
Pass. 7~:>J T
17~"J
- T
111"l~ 7;:ZJ T'
7;:Z~ T ".
Pass. ~
"<::i
"<::i

7;:Z~' ;:l
'"
wyqtl 7b~J 17~~J lD~J 7~~~' T'- 7~~J - ..- ' I::l...
~.
Juss. 7b~ 17~~ lD' 7~~' T'
7~~ "-
w
-l:>-
'..1
 Niphal

:JWiJ :J'!pi;, :JW~;' :J'1,"i]

;':JwiJ
T:
;':J'wi;,
T
;':JW~;'
T: T
;':J'~';'

tl:JwiJ
T: -
tl:Jwi;'
T: -

J;l~WiJ J;l~Wi;' J;l~W~;' J;l~~'i]

'T:1~~;;J 'T:1~Wi;' 'T:1~W~;' 'tl:J~';'
. : - ..
~:J~iJ ~:J'1~;;;' ~:J~~;' ~:J'1,"i]
z mp OI)~W; Otl:JwiJ
... : - OI)~Wi;' OI)~W~;' Otl:J~';'
... -: ,.

z fp TI)~W; TI)~WiJ TI)~Wi;' m:;lW~;' TI)~~'i]

~J:Ji;, : - T
~J~~;;J ~J~Wi;' ~J~W~;' ~J~~'i]

Impf. 3 ms :JW~ :J'!pi' :JW~' :J~'~ :J'1,"~

3 fs :JW~ :J'!pitl :JW~tl :J~'T:1 :J'1,"~
:JW~ :J'!pitl :JW~tl :J~'T:1 :J'1,"~
':JWtl
: I"
':;l'Witl ':JW~tl
.: ':;l9'T:1 ':;l'1,"~
:JW~ :J'!piN :JW~N :J~'~ :J'1,"~
~:JW' : I"
~:J'Wi' ~:J~~' ~:J9'~ ~:J'~'~

... <
<.

m:Jw~tl ;'J:J1V'tl ;'J:J1V~tl m:J~'tl

T: -
m:J~'tl
T: .. .. 3 fp
3 fp m:J1Vtl
T: - T: - T' T: T: -
<

~:JWtl ~:JW~tl ~:J'1?"tl ~:J~~tl ~:J9'T:1 ~:J'1,"~ z mp

zmp : I" : IT'

<. < <.

<.
;'J:J1V~tl ;'J:J~'tl ;'J:J~'r-I
T: .. ..
z fp
z fp m:J1Vtl
T: - .
m:J1V~tl
T: - T'
;'J:J1V'tl
T: . T: - T: -

:JW~J :J~'~ :J'1,"~ I cp

I cp :JW~ :JW~J TO
:J'!piJ

:JW~;' :JWi;, :J~'i] z ms

Impv. z ms :JW .0 T'

<

':JW~;' ':;l'1?";' ':;l'1,"i] z fs

z fs ':;l~ : IT'

<

~:JW~;' ~:J'1?";' ~:J'1,"i] z mp

z mp ~:J~ : IT'

<. <. <

m:J1V~;' ;'J:J1V';' T:
m:J~';'....
z fp
z fp ;'J:J1V
T: .. T: - T' T: ..

:JW~;' :JWi;, :J~'i] Abs.

T'
Inf. Abs. :Jiw' T
<.
:JW~;' :J'!pi;, :JW~;' :J'1,"i] Cs.
Cs. n~w T'

:JW; :J'!pi~ :J~; :J'1,"~ Act.

Pte. Act.
:JwiJ :JW~~ Pass. ~
Pass. :J~W' T T
T '"1:::t
'"1:::t
<
('>
.< ;:l
:JW~~' :J1V'~' :JW~~1 :J~'~1 :Jt1';,
.. ,.- ~
wyq# :JW~1 . T'- '.0 -
~.
.< ........
:JW~ :JW~' T'
:JWi' :JW~' :J~'~ :J~'~
Juss. v.>
~
\D
 9. II-Waw Verbs
Qal Polel

Cj? 1i~~ c~ii' c~ii' C'i?D Ci2~il

miSJ T T il~7?ii' il~7?ii' il~'i?D il~P~il
~7?i2 l1ij~~J
T : ~7?~ii' ~7?~ii' Oi5'i?q ~7?i2~il
I;17?i2 l1iJ~~~ I;17?~ii' T:11;'~ii' l1i~'i?q I;17?i2~il
'T:17?i2 'I:1ij~~~ 'T:17?~ii' 'T:17?~ii' 'I:1i5'i?q 'T:17?i2~il
~~j? ~JiS~ ~~7?ii' ~~1;'ii' ~~'i?D ~~P~il
CJ.:!7?i2 C~iJ~~~ CJ.:!7?~ii' CJ.:!7?~ii' C~i~'i?q CJ.:!7?i2~il
1D1;'i2 1~iJ~~~ 1D1;'~ii' 1J.:!7?~ii' 1lJi~'i?1J 1J.:!7?i2~il
~J7?i2 ~Jij~~~ ~J1;'~ii' ~J1;'~ii' ~Ji5'i?q ~J7?iZ~il
Impf. 3 ms C~i'~ 1i::,.~ c~ii'; c~ii'; Ci2~'
C'i?~
3 fs C~i'~ 1i::>T:1 C~ii'I;1 C~ii'I;1 c'i?~ ci2~r-l
C~i'~ 1i::>T:1 C~ii'I;1 C~ii'I;1 c'i?~ Ci2~r-l
'1;'~i'~ '~i~T:1 ,1;'7?ii'I;1 ,1;'7?ii'I;1 '1;"i?~ '1;'P~r-l
C~i'l$ 1i::>~ c~ii'~ C~ii'~ C'i?l$ Ci2~N
~~~i'~ ~Ji~: ~~7?ii'; ~~7?ii'; ~~'i?~ ~~P~'

<

3 fp m'::>T:1 il~7?~ii'I;1 il~7?~ii'I;1 ilr~i?T;l il~7?iZ~r-l 3 fp

T
ilr~~i'I;1
. ~~P~r-l 2 mp
2 mp ~mi'~ m::>T:1 ~~7?ii'I;1 ~~1;'ii'T:1 ~~'i?~
<
il~7?iZ~r-l 2 fp
2 fp il~'~~i'I;1 m'::>T:1
T
il~7?~ii'I;1 il~7?~ii'I;1 ilr~i?I;1
I cp 1i::>~ c'i?~ Ci2~J I cp
C~i'~ c~ii'~ c~ii'~
2 ms
Impv. 2 ms c~i' 1i::>i:t c~ii' Ci2'V
<
2 fs
2 fs '1;'~i' ,~,::>i:t '1;'7?ii' ,1;"i?'V
. 2 mp
2 mp ~~~i' ~J,::>i:t ~~7?ii' ~~'i?'V
<
2 fp
2 fp il~7?P il~,:;,i:t
T
il~7?~ii' il~7?i2'V

Inf. Abs. cii' 1i:;,i:t Ci2'V Abs.

Cs. mi' 1i:;,i:t c~ii' C'i?'V Ci2~il Cs.

Pte. Act. Cj? c~ii'1;' C'i?~ Act.

Pass. C~i' 1i~~ C~ii'7? Cj?~~ Pass. ~

~
~<1>
Ci2~~J ;::
wyq# Cj?~J 1i:;'~J C~ii';J c~ii':J C~~J k
~.
1i:;,: Ci2~' ....
Juss. Cp~ C~ii'; c~ii'; Ci2~ <..N
VI
....
 Qat

:J~~ C13 :JPD :JQ~il

il:J:JO
T -:IT
il~r-1T -
il::JOil
T"
il::JO~il
T-

ni~o
T -
ni5r-1
T -
ni~oJ
T -:
ni~Oil
T -:
ni~O~il
T -

ni::JQ ni~13 ni::JQ~ ni::J~n ni::JQ~il

'1}i~Q '1}i513 '1}i~Q~ '1}i~~n '1}i~Q~il
~:J:JO-:IT
~~13 ~::JOJ -T
~::JPD ~::JQ~il
CDi~13 CDi::JQ~ CDi::J~n CDi::JQ~il 2 mp
lDi::JQ 1lJi~13 lDi::JQ~ lDi::J~n 1lJi::JQ~il 2 fp
~Ji~Q ~Ji513 ~Ji~Q~ ~Ji~~n ~Ji~Q~il

Impf. 3 ms ClJ~ :J~: :JQ~'

3 fs ClJD :J~D :JQ~r-1

ClJD :J~D :JQ~r-1
'?PlJD ':;I~D ':;IQ~r-1
ClJ~ :J~~ :JQ~~

~~lJ~ ~::J~: ~::JQ~'

ilJ'5nr-1
T - :

~::JQ~r-1
< <
ilJ'::J~r-1
T -
ilJ'::JOr-1
T :
ilJ'~O~r-1
T ":-

Impv. 2 ms :JO C13

<

2 fs ':;10 '?P~ ':;I~D

2 mp ~::JO ~~~ ~::J~D
<

2 fp ilJ:JO
T:
ilJ7Jr-1
T: -
ilJ'::J~il
T -

Abs. Abs.

Cs. Cs.

wyq#
Juss.
 English -He brew Glossary~:'
field i11W (IX)
"."T
judge (noun) ~p.tzj (III)
fill N~~ (XIV) judgment ~~1p~
(III)
fire W~ (IX)
be able ~j' (XIX) complete (verb) i1?:;l (XV)
keep ,~W (VIII)
T flee 01) (XIX)
kill ",i1 (XVI)
be afraid N" "T
(XIII) consecrate W1i? (XV) food 007. (IV)
-T

after
angel
'o~,'1t!~(V I)
ltt?~ (IV)
consume
count ,~O (X V)
~~tt(VIII) forget n~w (XVII)
kingdom
know l'1' (VIII)
-T
i1~?7?~ (II)

- T forsake :lll'
-T
(X II I)
announce 1'~;:1(XVI) covenant n''''!f (II) from 1~(VI) lad ,~~ (X)
anoint nip?? (XIII) criminal (adj.) l'W1 (VII)
fruit ',~ (IV) leave :m7 (XIII)
-T

another ,nN (VII) lie (recline) :l~W (X)

Daniel ~N)'1(IX)
garment 1~~(XI)
answer itJl' (XVII)

lWh
T '<

live (verb) i1;O (XIV)

be ashamed
TT

Wi!1 (XIV)
darkness (II) give m~(VIII) life o'~o(VII)
daughter n~ (V) go l?~(VIII)
ask ~NW (VIII) lift NW) (XIV)
- T
David 111 (VI) go forth N~ (VIII)
T T

;,mn~~(IV) light ,iN (IV)

battle T T : .
day oi' (V) good :li~(VII)
be ;''l'i1 (XIV) deed i1Wl'~
like (as) -f (VI)
TT ... -:- (V) govern -f ~W?? (X)
bear (beget) 1?~(VIII) die m~ (XIV) listen l'~W - T
(VIII)

bless 11~(XV) do i1Wl' (V)

hand l' (III)
T
little lbi? (VII)
T T

brother nN (V) drink i1nW (XVI) hasten 'iJ~(XV) love (verb) :liJtt (VIII)
T TT

build i1)!1 (VI II) hate N)W (XVII)

"T
make i1Wl' (V)
TT
ear 1!N (III) head WNi (V)
T T

burnt offering i1?il' (IV) :l1 (VII)

earth n.~(III) heaven o'73w (III)
many

camp i1~O (XII) eat ~:JN (VIII)

- T
master li1tt (IV)
-T heavy 1;f (VII)
matter ,:l'1 (I I)
cast out 1'71p;:1 (XVI) enter Ni!1 (VIII) holy Wi1i? (II)
T T

city "~ (V) evil l'1 (VII) messenger ltt?~ (IV)

hurry 'iJ~(XV)
charge i1~~(X V) eye r~(III) minister (serve) nlW (XV)

choose ,n!1 (XIV) important 1;f (VII) mother O~ (I II)

- T
face O')El (II I)
cloud H (XII)
T
in -f (VI) mountain 'iJ (VI)
famine :ll" (VII)
come Ni!1 (VIII) T T iniquity li (IV) mouth i1~ (III)
fast m~ (XX) inquire W11 (XVI)
command i11~ (XV) name OW (IX)
T'
father :IN (V)
T instead noe (VI) nation 'i;l. (II)
Israel ~N'W' (X)
,. This glossary is intended to assist students in doing the English-Hebrew exercises and
T:
new W1n TT
(II)
does not represent a complete list of words in the book. The verbs are gIven accordIng to
Jerusalem t;l?W117 (VI) night i1?7? (VI)
the pertinent verbal pattern, and the lesson in which the word appears In the Vocabulary
is given in parentheses. Judah i111i1~ (VI) nose ~15(XII)
 III

356 I Glossary
Scripture Index
old, be old 7i?! (VII; XIII) sign I1iN (X) (not including texts in the Exercises)
sin offering I1N\?lJ (VI)
palace 7~'tl (IV)
sit :IlP~ (VIII)
people c~ (V)
snatch (XVI)7';:! Genesis
perform 7~~ (XV) GENESIS Genesis
sojourn (XIV) '~;l. 18:9 III 33:15 74
place ciP7t (IV) 1:6 68
spirit (IV) m, 18:10 25 35:22 259
plant 3.'~~ (XVI) 1:3I 74
18:15 332 36:1 94
staff (V I I I) :19~ 2:9 123
possess W1~ (XIX) 2:17
18:17 82 37:4 151
stand (VIII) '7.)3.' 25,259 110
18:18 123 37:10
praise 7~;:! (X V) - T
3:1 124
stone (IV) 7~~ 19:1 232 37:36 15
precious ,~~ (VII) 3:5 289
19:5 III 38:1 231
strength (XII) TY 3:II 259 208
prevail P!1J (VII) 20:7 93 38:1 I
3:12 106
priest m~(III) stretch out :19~ (VIII);
n?W (IX)
3:14 331
20:10
21:1
331
148
38:16
39:6
242
122
prince 'W (V)
strike :1f;:! (XVI)
3:17 123,258
22:1 100 39:8 110
3:22 108
prophet N':;J~(II) 22:7 100 39:10 272
sword :J1!) (III) 4:1 15 22:12 148,165,331 4:3 153
4:9 III
ram 7~~ (IV) 24:10 284 4:5 272
take niZ~ (XIII) 6:17 123
record (write) :JDf (VIII) 24:29 285 41:35 15
7:9 272
tent 7VN (V) 24:3 232 41:43 252
recount '~9 (XV) 7:14 123
this I1N1 ,:1! (X) 24:34 II6 42:13 124
8:5 251
register (write) :lDf (VIII) 24:56 285 42:15 35
touch 3.'~~(XX) 8:22 68
reject O~7t (XX) 24:65 19 42:23 15
9:16 122
25:28 82 42:36 108
remember ,~! (XIII) very 'N?? (VII) 9:25 124
26:32 23 I 43:7 19
reside :JW~ (VIII) vessel '7:P (V) 10:5
10:1 I
272
27:1 332 43:21 232
153 123
righteous 27:19 242 43:34
P'1~ (II) II:9 166
where? :1~~ (X) 27:27 242 44:14 107,153
run y~' (XIX) who?
12:1 243
27:43 243 44:22 325
'~ (X) 12:5 258
28:12 81 44:33 117
sacrifice n~! (I X) whoever '~ (X) 12:14 259
28:16 17 45:14 232
save ~'iPi:1 (XVI) wicked 3.'Wl (V I I) 13:12 151
29:4 93, I I I 47:19 243
13:14 106
wife 29:23 23 I 48:11 188
say '~l$ (VIII) :1~~ (V)
14:24 151
3:25 23 I 49:3 I 166
see :11$1(VIII) be willing :1~1$(XIII) 15:I 166
3:34 100
seed 3.'1! (IX) wisdom :17t~1J (I I) 15:12 259 EXODUS
3:43 73
15:13 17
seek Wre:;J (XV) woman :1~~(V)
16:5 29
31:44 208, 242
2:1 I 74
31:5 108
send n?w (IX) word '~1(I I) 16:12 123
32:18 19
3:1 225
16:14 100 3:4 258
set C'W (XIV) write :JDf (VIII) 32:29 332
3:5 106
17=9 29
33:5 19 122
17:15 332 3:8

357
 358 / Scripture Index Scripture Index / 359

Exodus Numbers JUDGES 2 Samuel Isaiah DANIEL

3:12 332 17:27 149 17:11 148 6:13 122
4:8 324 10:17 II7
3:13 110 21:22 208 18:25 251 7:13 19
4:10 122 21:27 208 5:4 157
18:29 19 9:2 153
6:15 II6 HOSEA
4:20 153 23:20 325 19:14 36 14:12 III
284 13:16 324
4:29 24:6 158 20:17 19 14:24 34 9:1 29
5:2 208 13:23 325
25:12 100 24:12 251 18:3 29
5:10 108 14:9 251
27:4 108 19:4 74 JOEL
6:2 14:18 73,325
93 32:42 226 I KINGS I9:II 124
18:18 11O 1:10 33
7:4 29 33:55 106 21:11 84, 167
108 1:4 74
9:14 35:23 259 22:13 25
12:7 I SAMUEL 1:17 34 AMOS
74 22:20 232
12:25 1:24 27
232 DEUTERONOMY 2:23 III 29:19 124 1:2 159
14:5 III 1:46 151
3:8 82 35:3 73 4:2 34
1:35 73 2:1I 106
15:3 116 3:II 82 38:18 122 4:4 272
1:42 108 2:3I 116
15:5 158 3:14 4:7 148
4:6 34 188,258
15:13 15 3:7
17 3:17 306 4:24 33 JONAH
4:10 112,148 3:9 83
15:14 225 4:16 166 44:1 286
4:24 83 3:23 15 1:14 210
16:15 272 6:12 251 48:14 159
17:6 4:35 93 4:13 73
227 8:22 243 55:1 243
17:10 5:3 93,123 5:32 122 MICAH
153 9:2 166 55:2 25
5:12 25 I 7:14 131
18:7 272 14:33 258 2:7 19
20:8 5:23 284 10:22 272
251 14:44 JEREMIAH ]:8 332
6:21 165 35
20:10 284 15:19 149
15:22 258
20:13 9:28 259 21:1 I 85 2:17 256
29 16:18 II7 ZEPHANIAH
13:2 122 22:22 227 12:1 93
21:5 148 16:23 167
13:3 201 12:2 33 2:9 35
25:3 68 17:4 284
13:4 122 2 KINGS 22:8 15
26:33 124 17:41 251
2]:8 14:22 272 23:23 153 HAGGAI
188 17:46 108 1:14 151
28:45 IF 25:26 131
32:26 19 20:1 110 4:29 325,332 1:4 93
29:14 17 29:16 83
36:4 272 20:27 117 5:8 17,244
}2:6 108 31:38 171
22:5 243 5:1I 25 ZECHARIAH
32:21 108 33:15 15
LEVITICUS 188
25:37 166 7:6
32:29 325 33:20 153 9:9 159
1:1 226 26:10 35 8:7 232
42:11 165 11:17 158
26:37 28:14 82 8:22 225
272 JOSHUA 46:8 33
29:10 167 10:21 68
48:1 I 33 PSALMS
1:2 106 17:26 108
NUMBERS
51:3 171
2:8 208 2 SAMUEL 2:2 157
11:15 51:14 34
25 2:9 15 ISAIAH 6:3 331
14:28 1:21 153 51:49 259
35 4:9 II6 7:12 123
14:41 III 7:28 93 6:1 81,165
4:21-22 325 9:16 157
12:3 27 6:2 272 EZEKIEL
16:3 123 2}:2 148 10:1 I 148
12:7 93 6:3 15
1:1 289
 360 / Scripture Index
Subject Index
Psalms Proverbs EZRA
17:10 158 25:3 285
18:22 7:6 93
157 25:27 25
19:14 210
NEHEMIAH
28:3 285 ECCLESIASTES
Accents Massoretic accents, 64-66, 230,278, 288; of Lamed (for the
31:20 III 6:10 167
1:4 82 69; of Psalms, Proverbs and Job, verb nR7), 217; of infixed Taw in
38:1 I 331 10:35 85
1:7 107,153 65; retraction of, 67, 228-29, 280, Hithpael, 30r.
69:6 151 13:26 166
2:7 172 3I 2; on converted perfect, 227 Asyndeton asyndetic relative clause,
74:2 17
2:22 110 Adjectives inflection of, 70; pat- 107; asyndetic relative clauses in
98:2 188 I CHRONICLES
4:13 284 terns of, 7-71; uses of, 72; agree- poetry, 157.
17:43 29
5:4 112 5:9 74 ment, 73; with dual nouns, 70, 73;
137=4 110 BDB see DICTIONARIES.
8:14 17 comparative, 73; with collective
149:9 85 Begaq,kefja!Letters 3-4, II-H.
11:6 19 2 CHRONICLES nouns, 73; with the article, 72;
BHS I7l.
with 'N/? as intensifier, 74; in con-
JOB 12:5 149 Brown-Driver-Briggs see DICTIO-
RUTH struct chain, 121-22; superlative,
21:17 124 NARIES.
1:1 165 124; numbers as, 268-69, 27l.
1:9 244 24:17 15
5:2 332 Adverbs in general, 107,225; inter- Causative meaning of verbs in Hi-
1:12 108
26:8 289 rogative, IIO-II; indicating time, phil, 181-82, 188.
1:16 256 MATTHEW
147,149; adverbial use of i1~lD, Clauses verbless, 59; relative, 83,
PROVERBS
21:5 159 283. 106-107; negation of, 108; inter-
SONG OF SONGS
Adversative indicated by Waw, rogative, I09-II; asyndetic, see
10:14 208
1:8 124 284; indicated by '~, 332. ASYNDETON; concomitant, 232;
11:3 I 325
1:16 100 Afformatives of the perfect, 145; purpose (or, result), 243-44, 331;
20:8 83
2:5 122 of the imperfect, 25. temporal, 259, 332; causal, 331;
Agreement of adjective and noun, object, 3}I; conditional, 332;
73; of subject and verb, I5l. circumstantial, 100, 192, 232,
Alternative indicated by Waw, 284. 284-85.
Apocope of the jussive form of Cohortative in general, 208, 210;
III-He verbs, 229-30, 280-81,33. negation of, 210; Qal, 208-210,
Apposition 74; numerals in apposi- 236; Piel, 265-66; Hiphil, 281; in
tion,269 purpose clause, 243-44.
Archaisms 92,107,145,157,225. Collectives collective nouns, 19;
Article forms of the definite article, agreement with adjective, 73;
54-55; indicating vocative, 55; def- agreement with verb, 15 I.
inite article with prepositions, 55- Comparative expressed by F~,73;
56; definite article with adjectives, expressing the superlative, 124;
72; inftequency in poetry, 157; no may be indicated by Waw in po-
indefinite article, 54. etry, 285.
Aspect in relation to perfect, 147; Concessive use of '~, 332.
in relation to imperfect, 27. Conditional sentences real, 324-25;
Asseverative see EMPHASIS. hypothetical, 325; without intro-
Assimilation of Nun, 27, 35, 44 ductory particles, 325.
n. I, 136, 147, 184-85, 216, 217,
 Conjunction 58-59; 'W~ as con- Emphasis expressed by independent Hfreq compaginis I 58. construct forms before suffixes,
junction, 1II-I2. personal pronouns, 93, I05; in in- Hishtaphel 32-33. 255-56; as a verbal noun, 258;
Construct chain definite and indefi- terrogative, emphatic force of '~, Hithpael meaning of, 298-99; uses of, 258-59; negation of, 259.
nite, II6-17; participles and adjec- 332; double preposition, 60; em- forms, 299-301. Intensive meaning of Piel, 174.
tives in construct chains, 121-22; phatic questions, I I I. Hithpalpel 330. Interjections 242.
as adjectival construction, 122; to Estimative meaning of Hithpael, Hithpolel 328-29. Intransitive verbs 145, 182-83
express the superlative, 124; bro- 299 Hophal 322. Iterative meaning of Hithpael, 298.
ken construct chain, I 53; with a Exclamations Imperative Qal, 237-4I; Piel, 266;
Jerusalem spelling of, 19 n. 2, 171.
relative clause, I 53. Hiphil, 281-82; Niphal, 293-94;
Factitive meaning of verbs in Piel, Joiion-Muraoka see GRAMMARS.
Construct forms 1I7-2.I; numbers of geminate roots, 3 I I, 3 14, 3 16;
173-74; meaning of verbs in Hiphil, Jussive in general, 209-IO; nega-
in construct, 269. as interjection, 242; with redun-
182. tion of, 210; Qal, 235-36; Piel,
Contraction see DIPHTHONGS. dant le-, 242-43; in narrative se-
Final letters 1,2, 10 n. 1. 265-66; Hiphil, 279-8I; in pur-
quence, 243-44; with purpose
Dages in general, 3-4; in relation Full spelling see MATRES LEC- pose clauses, 244.
clause, 243-44; introducing pur-
to gutturals, 26; in geminate nouns, TIONIS.
pose clause, 244; with object suf- Ketfb-Qere 170-71.
38-40, loss of dages, 59, 100, 177,
Geminates definition of, 25; gemi- fixes, 247-49; negation of, 242; Ki uses of, 304-305, 331-32.
217, 264, 266; conjunctive dages,
nate nouns, 38-40; in BDB, 50-5I; with infinitive absolute, 250.
69; loss of dages in Piel, 173, In. Labials 58.
before suffixes, 13 6-3 7; verbs in Imperfect inflection of, 25; in fu-
Declarative meaning of verbs in Lengthening compensatory, 26, 38,
Qal, 308-I2; verbs in Niphal, 3 I2- ture discourse, 227; Qal, 205-207;
Piel, 174; meaning of verbs in Hi- 54,57, 7I, I05 n. I, II8, 175, 194,
14; verbs in Hiphil, 3 14-16; confu- weak verbs in Qal, 214-20; Piel,
phil, 182. 264, 292, 30I, 309, 314,32I.
sion of geminate verbal roots with 264-65; Hiphil, 275-79; Niphal,
Defective spelling see MATRES Lexicons see DICTIONARIES.
other roots, 316-17. 292-93; geminate roots, 309-II,
LECTIONIS.
GKC see GRAMMARS. 3 13-14, 3 I 5; similarity of doubly Macron 5.
Demonstratives I04-I05; express-
Grammars I 29-3 I. weak forms in Hiphil with Qal Mappiq 8, 69.
ing reciprocity, I05.
Gutturals definition of, IO; with forms, 277; of 'ij~, 220; negation Maqqe{J 16 n. 4, 57,66, II6, II7,
Denominative in Piel, 174; in Hi-
phil, 182.
composite sewa~,
10, 26; preferring of, 209; used in negative com- 123, 207, 240.
a-class vowels, 27; with furtive Pa- mands, 242; relation to preterite, Massoretes 170'
Dictionaries in general, 28, 30, 3 I,
!ah, I2-13; as weak radicals, 26- 225; in purpose clause, 243-44; Massoretic Text accents, 64-66, 69;
36 n. 2,90, 177 n. I, 186; intro-
27; unabled to be doubled, 26; with with object suffixes, 247-49; vowel marginal and final Massorah, 170.
duction to BDB, 46-52; verb list-
article, 54. changes with object suffixes, 247. Matres Lectionis 7-8, 29-30; defec-
ings in BDB, 90.
Impersonal impersonal construc- tive spelling, 194, 219
Diphthongs contraction
" 20 28-29
, Habitual 207.
tions, 84, 166-67, 188, 289. Medial letters I, 2.
35, II9-20, 139, 185-86, 278; be- He-III III-He roots as development
Indirect object 98, 150. Metathesis in Hithpael, 300.
fore suffixes, 139. ofIII-Waw/Y6g' roots, 30-3I; orig-
Infinitive absolute Qal,249-50; Me!eg 12, 66, 219.
Direct object marker 76, 98; infre- inal IIl-i'l roots, 30; perfect of III-He
Piel, 266-67; Hiphil, 283; Niphal, Middle meaning of Niphal, 289.
quency in poetry, 157; with suf- verbs with object suffixes, 199-200.
294; geminate roots, 3 I I-I 2, 3 14, Modal 208.
fixed pronouns, 99; syntax of, 150. Hiphil perfect of, 181-88; participle
Direct speech introduced by ':;l,
316; as a verbal noun, 250; uses Negation T'~ as particle of negation,
of, 188; imperfect of, 275-79; jus-
of, 250-52; as a substitute for im- I08; of verbless clauses, I08; of
1I3,332. sive of, 279-8I; Waw-consecutive
perative, 25 I verbal clauses, I08; of participles,
Directive :1 T
- 152-53. of, 279-8I; cohortative of, 28I;
Infinitive construct uses of, 258-59; I08; of perfect, I 52; of imperfect,
Disjunction disjunctive accents, 65; imperative of, 281-82; infinitives
Qal, 255-58; Piel, 266-67; Hiphil, 209; of cohortatives, 2IO; of jus-
marked by Waw, 150, 285. of, 283; geminate roots, 314-16;
283; Niphal, 294; geminate roots, sives, 210; of commands, 209-IO,
Distributive 272. semantic overlap with Piel, 183; as
3II-12, 3I4, 316; Qal infinitive 242; of infinitive construct, 259; of
Dual 17-19, 70, 79. doubly transitive, I 8 8.
oaths, 305-306.
Niphal meaning of, 288-89; per-
fect of, 290-92; imperfect of, 292-
93; imperative of, 293-94; infini-
tives of, 294; participle of 294-95;
geminate roots, 312-14.
Nouns gender and number of, 17;
endings of feminine nouns, 17-18,
30; endings of plural nouns, 18;
endings of dual nouns, 18-19; ir-
regular feminine nouns, 18; irregu-
lar plurals, 43; irregular nouns in
construct state, 121; vowel reduc-
tion in, 19-20; abstract nouns, 24;
with prefixes, 32-35, 46-50; gemi-
nate nouns, 38-40, 50-51; sego-
lates, 40-43; I-Yog nouns, 51;
agreement with adjective, 73; in
apposition, 74; with pronominal
suffixes, 132-42; irregular nouns
before suffixes, 14 1-42; collec-
tives, 19, 151.
Numerals cardinal, 268-71; ordi-
nal,271-72.
Nun assimilation into following
radical, see ASSIMILATION; in
pronominal suffixes, 96; in object
suffixes, 249; confusion of I-Nun
with geminate roots, 316-17.
Oaths 304-306.
Palal 330.
Parallelism 159.
Participle in general, 78-79; Qal
active, 79-81, 215; Qal passive,
84-85; Piel, 176; Hiphil, 188-89;
Niphal, 294-95; Piel, 176-77;
Pual, 321; geminate roots, 3 12,
314,316; as verbal adjective, 81,
85; in relation to tense, 81-82;
uses of, 81-83; agreement, 83;
with indefinite subject, 84; nega-
tion of, 108; in construct chain,
121-22; Qal stative participles,
164-65.
Particles ;,m, 99-100,232; particle
of existence (lZi~), 107-108; parti-
cle of negation 1'~,108; particle of
negation N~,108; interrogative
particle, 109; N~,210.
Partitive expressed by 1~,74.
Passive Qal passive participle, 84-
85; Niphal, 288-89; Pual, 320-21;
Hophal, 322-23; Qal passive pat-
tern, 323-24.
Patah furtive 12-13,80,183,25,
265,276.
Patterns in general, 23-24; of ad-
jectives, 7-71; of verbs, 78, 89-
9,91; nomenclature of verbal pat-
terns, 90.
Pausal form 67,68,92,95,197.
Pealal 331.
Perfect afformatives of, 145; Qal,
145-47; weak verbs of Qal, 160-
64; Piel, 173-77; Hiphil, 181-88;
Niphal, 290-93; geminate roots,
38-39,313,315; aspect of, 147;
in past discourse, 226-27; stative
verbs, 148; proverbial perfect, 148;
instantaneous occurrence, 148;
epistolary perfect, 147-48; nega-
tion of, 152; with object suffixes,
183-201; imperative force, 243.
Piel perfect, 173-77; participle,
176; imperfect, 264-65; jussive,
265-66; Waw-consecutive, 265-
66; cohortative, 266; imperative,
266; infinitives, 266-67; semantic
overlap with Hiphil, 183.
Pilpel 330.
Plural plural nouns with singular
meaning, 19,35,73,151; irregu-
lar plurals, 43.
Poal 330.
Poel 330.
Poetry 88,17,151,157-59,225,
285.
Polal 328-29.
Polel 328-29.
Polpal 330.
Possession expressed by particle of
existence, 108; use of -~ ;':iJ to in-
dicate possession in a past time,
166.
Preformatives of the imperfect, 25.
Prepositions prefixed, 55-56,68;
independent, 57-58; with interrog-
ative pronouns, 110; in reference
grammars, 131; breaking a con-
struct chain, 153; in poetry, 158-
59; double-duty preposition, 159
Preterite 225-26.
Pretonic syllable 9, 20.
Prohibition 209.
Pronouns independent personal pro-
nouns, 92; independent personal
pronouns as the subject of a verb-
less clause, 92-93; independent per-
sonal pronouns as demonstratives,
105; independent pronoun in par-
enthetical comments, 94; pausal
forms, 92; suffixed pronouns, 94-
98,132-33; suffixed pronouns with
marker of direct object, 99; inter-
rogative pronouns, 109-10.
Propretonic syllable 9,20, 66, 279
Pula I 320.
Purpose clause 243-44, 331.
Qal active participle, 79-8 I; pas-
sive participle, 84-85; perfect, 145-
47; irregular vocalization of perfect
before object suffixes, 200; imper-
fect, 205-207, 214-20; jussive,
235-36; cohortative, 236; impera-
tive, 237-4 I; infinitive absolute,
249-50; infinitive construct, 255-
58; geminate roots, 308-12; Qal
passives, 323-24.
Quiescent ~Alep 13,56,160-61,
183,214-15,257.
Qames lfatup 6, 12.
Questions 109- I I.
Rape(h) 69.
Reciprocity expressed by repetition
of demonstrative, 105; expressed
by lZi'~, 272; meaning of Niphal,
288; meaning of Hithpael, 298.
Reflexive meaning of Niphal, 288;
meaning of Hithpael, 298.
Relative clauses expressed by par-
ticiple, 83; introduced by 'w~,106;
introduced by -W, 106-107; indi-
cated by ~T, 107; asyndetic (without
markers), 107; indicated by 1, 285;
in a construct chain, 153.
Result clause see PURPOSE
CLAUSE
Resultative meaning of Niphal, 289.
Resumptive pronoun 106,201.
Roots types of, 24-25.
Segolates in general, 40-43; in con-
struct state, 120-21; before suf-
fixes, 137-39.
Sewa~ simple, 9-10, composite, lO-
11,162; vocal and silent, 9-10; re-
duction of full vowel, 20; Rule of
Sewa~, 56, II9, 134, 141, 215, 238.
Sop Pasuq 64.
Spelling full and defective, 8-9.
Spirants 3, II-12; see also Begag-
kepat LETTERS; spirantization,
160-61,176,183,187,292.
Stative verbs 146,148,164-65,
182-83,25-206,275,38.
Stops 3, II-12; see also Begag-
kepat LETTERS.
Stress in nouns, 5,6,8-9; with maq-
qep, 66; in pausal forms, 68; anom-
alous stress on ultima of some
geminate imperatives, 3 I I.
Suffixes with prepositions, 94-99;
with nouns, 132-33; object suffixes
with perfect, 193-201; redundant
object suffixes, 201; object suffixes
with imperfect and imperative,
 247-49; with infinitive construct, Vocative indicated by article, 55.
255-56. Voiced consonant 3.
Superlatives 124. Vowel Reduction 19-20,33-34,
Syllables characteristics of, 5; divi- 68,134,195-96,219,240,247,
sions of, 13-14; with primary 279
stress, 5, 6, 8; tonic, pretonic, and
propretonic, 9, 20; closed and un- Waltke-O'Connor see GRAM-
accented, 44. MARS.

Syntax adjective, 72-73,121-22; Wciw original I-Wciw, 27-28, 32,

participles, 82, 121-22; indepen- 186-87,218,265; as a matres lec-
dent personal pronouns, 92- 94; tionis, 7, 29-30; 11- Wciw roots, 30;
demonstratives, 14-15; con- original I1I-Wciw roots, 30-31;
struct chains, rr6-17; verb, 149- confusion of II-Wciw with gemi-
51; disrupted word order, 150-51; nate roots, 316-17.
poetry, I sr, 158-59. Wciw conjunctive forms, 13, 58-
59,162,239; in pause, 68; transla-
Thematic vowel J07, 214-J7, 240, tion of, 22, 227,232,284-86.
247, 276, 3J4. Wciw consecutive forms, 227-3 I;
Tolerative meaning of Niphal, 288; Qal, 235; Piel, 265-66; Hiphil,
meaning of Hithpael, 298. 279-81; geminate roots, 312, 316;
Tonic syllable 9. indicating preterite, 225; past dis-
Transitive verbs 145,188,182,188; course, 226.
doubly transitive, 188. Weak radicals in general, ix, 25-
Transliteration consonants, I; vow- 32,35,185.
els, 6; matres lectionis, 7; sewci:l,s,
9, I I; furtive pd!ah, 12; qcimes YHWH 45 n. 3, 61, 88; as perpet-
hcitup, 12; quiescent :lAlep, 13. ual Ketf!;J-Qere, 171.

Unvoiced consonant 3. Y6g. relation to diphthong, 29; as a

Verbless clauses 59,72,92-93; ne- mater, 7, 29-30; original 1- Y6g.,
gation of, 108. 219; 11- Y6g. roots, 30; original I1I-
Verbs classification, 90-91; agree- Y6g. roots, 30-3 I; 1- Y6g. nouns in
ment,151. BDB, 51; confusion of II-Y6g. with
Virtual doubling 26,38,54,57,78 geminate roots, 316-17.
n. 1,105 n. I, 175, 264, 321.