An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax

a Stative verbs differ from fientive ones by capturing the subject in a state of being
rather than in a state of activity (22.2.1). 7 We have observed that English uses its
progressive construction with fientive verbs (e.g., ‘he is running,’ imperfective versus
‘he runs,’ perfective) but not with statives (e.g., ‘he knows’ but not ‘he is knowing’).
With fientive verbs the dynamic situation only continues as long as the subject or
agent continually puts new energy into it, whereas in static situations no effort is
required on its part (e.g., ‘he fills,’ dynamic versus ‘he is full,’ stative). Further, in
dynamic situations the internal structure of the situation entails different phases, but
this is generally not so in static situations, where the internal phases tend to be
uniform. If we say ‘God formed the man,’ the dynamic situation entails that God took
up the clay, molded the flesh, etc., but if we say ‘she fears’ (stative) or ‘he knows
best’ (quasi-fientive), the internal structure of the situation is the same wherever we
inspect it.
b When a curative state is expressed by a verb with a perfective aspect, the focus may
be on the inceptual moment (ingressive perfective) or on both inception and
continuation (constative perfective). Either way a certain dynamism is entailed, for
reference to the internal structure of the situation implies some change. Thus even a
stative situation may become an event.
30.3 Perfective Aspect and the Perfect State
a The terms perfective and perfect are used in different senses. By perfect (abbreviated
pf.) we mean a past, present, or future state related to a preceding situation or a past
situation relevant to a continuing later state. Contrast, for example, these two
sentences.
1. וּהֹת ֫ התָ ְיה ָ ץרֶ א֫ ָ הָ וְ
וּהֹב֫ ו ָ
2. דחַ אַ ְכּ הָיה ָ םדָ אָ ה ָ ןהֵ וּנּ ֶמּ ִמ
Now the earth was chaotic.
Gen 1:2
Adam has become as one of us.
Gen 3:22
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In # 1 a single situation is in view; in # 2 there are two things in view, both an
earlier situation and the resulting state. It would change the sense of both verses
radically if we interpreted them vice versa.
7 See Comrie, Aspect, 48–51; F. R. Blake, “The So-called Intransitive Verbal Forms in
Hebrew,” Journal of the American Oriental Society 24 (1903) 145–204. For another
approach to the material, see T. L. Fenton, “The Hebrew ‘tenses’ in the Light of
Ugaritic,” Proceedings of the Fifth World Congress of Jewish Studies (Jerusalem:
World Union of Jewish Studies, 1973), 4. 31–39.
pf. perfect