An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax

12.
13.
ה֑ זֶּה ַ לאֵ רָ ְשִׂי־ינֵ ְב
ר ֶשׁ א ֲ ה ֶשׁ נָּ ה ַ דיגּ־ת ִ אֶ
םוֹיּה ַ ד ַע ךְרָיּ ֵ ה ַ ף ַכּ־ל ַע
םיחִ ְק ִפּ רוֵּ ַעְי דחֹשּׁ ַ ַ
tendon attached to the socket of the hip.
Gen 32:33
ה A bribe blinds officials.
Exod 23:8
בא־ח ֑ ָ ַמּ ַשְׂי ם ָכח ָ֫ ן ֵבּ A wise son makes his father glad.
Prov 10:1
31.4 Modal Uses of the Non-Perfective
a Whereas tense (Latin tempus) refers to the absolute temporal relationship of the
situation to the speaker, mood refers to a subjective judgment about the factuality of
the situation. It may be regarded as real (i.e., indicative in the classical languages) or
other than real (irreal or unreal mood, i.e., subjunctive and optative in the classical
languages). A situation may be regarded as irreal for one of two reasons: (1) because
the speaker is uncertain[Page 507] about the reality of the situation itself, or (2)
because the speaker is uncertain about the reality existing between the subject and its
predicate in the situation. That is, the situation may be contingent on the relationship
(1) of the speaker to the statement or (2) of the subject of the statement to that
predicated of it. For example, the speaker, wishing the subject to sing, may say,
‘Tubal-Cain should start singing now,’ but the situation proposed is not real, for it
depends on the subject’s willingness to accede to the speaker’s will. On the other
hand, the speaker, uncertain about the subject’s wish to sing may say,’Tubal-Cain
may sing when he sees Jubal.’ In either case the mood is irreal.
b In the Germanic languages (including English) the nature of the irreality is often
expressed by adding models such as ‘can, should, must, may,’ etc., to the infinitive of
the verb in question. 26 In Hebrew, while a construction involving a finite verb 27 with
an infinitive may be used, more often the simple prefix conjugation suffices, allowing
other indications in the context to decide its precise value.
c The non-perfective of capability denotes the subject’s capability to perform the action
expressed by the root. This use often overlaps with “consequential situations.”
1. ידּ֑ ִ בַ ל ְ א ָשּׂ א ֶ ה ָכיאֵ ם ֶכחֲ רְ ט ָ
How can I bear your problems all by myself?
Deut 1:12
The expression ם ֶכתְ א ֶ תאֵ ְשׂ ידִּ בַ ל ְ ל ַכוּא־אֹ ל in Deut 1:9 shows that this value
is relevant for the prefix conjugation in # 1.
26
The verb ykl ‘to be able’ is perhaps most similar to a Germanic modal. See
discussion of ## 1, 5.
27
See 36.2.31. Cf. GB 2. 35–36 (§7i); Joüon §1131-n / pp. 304–6.