An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax

5. ל ַכ ָשׂ םתא ָ ֵצ ידֵּ מ ִ יהְי ִ וַ
לוּא ָשׁ ידֵ בְ ַע לֹכּ ִמ דוִ דָּ
6. יתֹא ִ םתֶּ רְ ַכ ְמ־ר ֶשׁ אֲ
׃ה ָמְ יר֫ ָ ְצ ִמ
As often as they came out, David met with more
success than all the (other) servants of Saul.
1 Sam 18:30
the one whom you sold (me) into Egypt
Gen 45:4
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When the perfective form represents a situation that occurred in the recent past,
English idiom often requires the use of the auxiliary ‘has/have.’ 12 Though the form
appears to be perfect, the idea is simple past (“recent perfective”).
7. תי ָ שׂ֑ ִ֫
ָע ה ֶמ ר ֶמאֹ יּ֫ ו ַ And he said, “What have you done?”
8.
9.
וּניא֫ ִ ר ָ הזֶּ ה ַ םוֹי ַ
׃ךָיתִּ ֫ דְ ִלְי םוֹיּה ַ ינִ ֲ
Gen 4:10
ה Today we have seen…
Deut 5:21
א Today I have begotten you.
Ps 2:7
The perfective form may represent a past situation which the speaker is either
unwilling or unable to specify precisely (“indefinite perfective”). For this use, too,
English idiom normally adds the auxiliary’has/have. 13
10. וֹ ֑לּ התָּ תַ ֫ ָנ וֹבּל ִ תוַ אֲ תּ ַ You have given him his heart’s desire.
11.
ץיר֑ ִ ָע ע ָשׁ ר ָ יתי ִ א֫ ִ ָ
Ps 21:3
ר I have seen a ruthless wicked person.
Ps 37:35
The context may suggest an emphasis on the uniqueness of an act in the indefinite
past. In this case, the translation may be assisted by adding an English adverb, ‘ever’
or ‘never.’
12. יתִּ חְ קַ֫ ָל ימ ִ רוֹשׁ־תאֶ Whose ox have I ever taken?
13.
תאֹ ז ָכּ ע ַמ ָשׁ־י ִ
14. התְי ָ הְ ִשׂ־אֹ ל
תאֹ ז ָכּ התָ אֲ רְ ִנ־אֹ לוְ 1 Sam 12:3
מ Who has ever heard such a thing?
Isa 66:8
Such a thing has never been seen or done
12 On this and the next several points, see both Joüon §112c-e / pp. 296–97 and S. R.
Driver, A Treatise on the Use of the Tenses in Hebrew (3d ed.; Oxford: Clarendon,
1892) 14–16.
13 Comrie refers to the “experiential perfect,” which indicates “that a given situation
has held at least once during some time in the past leading up to the present”; Aspect,
58.