An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax

It is, at the same time, to be freely granted that there are many instances in which in our
apprehension, there exists no apparent reason why the one form rather than the other should
be employed, as e.g.…אוֹבתּ ָ ןִיא֫ ַ ֵמ, and… תא ָ ָבּ ןִיא֫ ַ ֵמ. 23
McFall, however, nicely explains the difference.
The verb forms have been determined by the actual situation then prevailing, for in Gen. 16:8
א). It
Hagar was resting when the angel asked her, ‘Whence camest thou?’ (תא ָב הזֶּ מ־י ִ ֵ
would have been inappropriate to have used the yqtl form since that would have implied that
she was going somewhere at that moment; though it is possible that Hagar could have been
viewed as on a journey, and her present situation ignored.[Page 505]
Joseph uses the qtl form in Gen. 42:7, ‘Whence came ye?’ (םתא ֶ ָבּ ןִיא֫ ַ ֵמ), because at that
precise moment it was obvious they were not on a journey, but had arrived. Notice, however,
the difference in Jos. 9:8, ‘Who are you? And where do you come from?’ (וּאֹב֫ תּ ָ ןִיא֫ ַ ֵמוּ). It
is obvious to Joshua that these men are on a journey, that is their present activity. Joshua’s
question is: From where did you start out on your journey? He does not know yet that he is
the goal of their journey; but this comes out in the choice of verb form they use: ‘From a very
far country your servants have come,וּא ָבּ…, implying that they had finished their journey
and had reached their destination. 24
Progressive non-perfective forms in poetry can be used in association with similar
forms (## 1–2) or with a persistent (present) perfective form (# 3; 30.5.1c).
1. ץרֶ ֶפ ֫ ינִ ֵצ֫ רְ ְפִי
י ַל ָע ץרָי ֻ ץר֑ ֶ ָפ־ ֫ ינֵ ְפּ־ל ַע
׃רוֹבּ ִג ְכּ
2. ר ֶמ ֹא ֫ עי ַ בַּ ִ י םוֹי ְל םוֹי
ה ָלְי ַל֫ ְלּ ה ָלְי ַל֫ וְ
׃ת ַעדּ־ה ָ֫ וֶּ חְי ַ
3. לא־ת ֑ ֵ דַ ֲע ַבּ ב ָצּ ִנ םיהלֹ ִ אֱ
׃טֹפּ ְשִׁי םיהלֹ ִ א ֱ ברֶ קֶ֫ בְּ
Again and again he bursts upon me; he rushes at me
like a warrior.
Job 16:14
Day after day they (the heavens) pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
Ps 19:3
God presides (pfv.) in the great assembly; he gives
judgment (non-pfv.) among the divine beings.
Ps 82:1
c A stative non-perfective represents the internal temporal structure of a stative (nonchanging)
present situation. This use differs from the participle in that the latter
occurs in dynamic situations.
4. ינִּ ֶמּ ֫ ִמ םוּרָי־רוּצ ְבּ
׃ינִ חֵ֫ ְנתַ 23 Quoted in McFall, Hebrew Verbal System, 84
24 McFall, Hebrew Verbal System, 84–85.
non-pfv. non-perfective
Lead me to a rock that is higher than I.