An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax

epresent the pluperfect. David Qimhi in the early period of Hebrew studies already
pointed out this use. 14
1. אֹ ל םתֹב ֑ ָ א ֲ הטֵּ ַמ ל ְ םִ יּוִ ְלהַ וְ
ר ֵבּדְי ַ ו ַ ׃ם ָכוֹת ְבּ וּד ְק ָפּ תְ הָ
׃רֹמא ֵלּ ה ֶשֹׁמ־לא ֶ הוהי
אֹ ל יוִ ֵל הטֵ מ־ת ַ א ֶ ךְאַ דֹק ְפ תִ
2. י ִכֹנ אָ ו ְ ךְ֑ ל ֵ התָּ ַעוְ . . .
ךָיתי ִ֫
רוֹה ֵ ו ְ ךָיפּ־ם ִ֫
ִע הֶיהְ אֶ
ךְ ֶל ֵיּ֫ וַ
. . . ׃ר
ֵבּד ַתּ
ְ ר ֶשׁ אֲ
וֹרתִי־ל ְ א ֶ ב ָשׁ ָיּ֫ ו ַ ה ֶשֹׁמ
ה ָכלְ א ֵ֫
וֹל ר ֶמאֹ יּ֫ ו ַ וֹנתֹח ְ
יחַ א־ל ַ א ֶ ה ָבוּ ֫שׁ אָ ו ְ אנָּ . . . םִי ר֫ ַ ְצ ִמ ְבּ־ר ֶשׁ אֲ
ה ֶשֹׁמ־לא ֶ הוהי ר ֶמאֹ יּ֫ וַ
םִי ר֑ ֫ ָ ְצ ִמ ב ֻשׁ ךְ ֵל ן ֶָידְ
מִ ְבּ
םי ִשׁ נָ אֲ ה־ל ָ ָכּ וּת ֵמ־י ֫ ִכּ
םי ִשׁ ְק בַ ְמ הַ
ֶףּה ָלאָ דָ
מ׃ךָ ֶשׁ ֫ פְ ַנ־תאֶ וֹיּא ַ ֫ ֶמר יהוה אֵ ָליו םי ִ ָשׂמ
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3.
םהי ֶ בִ א ֲ םהֶ ֵלא ֲ ר ֵבּדְי ַ וַ
וּארִיּ ְ ו ַ ךְ֑ לָ ה ָ ךְרֶ דֶּ֫ ה ַ הז־י ֶ אֵ
ךְרֶ דֶּ֫ ה־ת ַ א ֶ וינָ ָב
The families of the tribe of Levi, however, were not
counted along with the others. YHWH had said to
Moses: “You must not count the tribe of Levi.”
Num 1:47–49
YHWH said to him, “Who gave people
mouths?…Now go; I will help you speak…” Then
Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said
to him, “Let me go back to my own people in
Egypt…” YHWH had said to Moses in Midian, “Go
back to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you
are dead.”
Exod 4:11–12, 18 [Sam]-19
Their father asked them, “Which way did he go?” His
sons had seen the way…
1 Kgs 13:12
33.2.4 After Circumstantial Phrases and Clauses
a Even as relative wqtl can represent a dependent (con)sequential situation in future
time after adverbial expressions (32.2.6), so also wayyqtl can express a dependent
(con)sequential situation in past time. The function of wayyqtl after non-finite verbal
constructions is similar to its use after היה in the leading clause (33.2.2b). The
preceding expression provides “a starting-point for a development” and represents the
circumstance in which the narrative unfolds. 15 In most cases the expression is
temporal (## 1–5), but other phrases, used in casus pendens, are found (## 6–8;
ַ ַ ַ
33.3.4).
1. א ָשִּׂיּ ו י ִשׁי ִל ְשּׁ ה םוֹיּבּ On the third day Abraham looked up.
14 Cited by McFall, Hebrew Verbal System, 8–9.
15 Davidson, Hebrew Syntax, 74.