An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax

a One of the most common types of logical relation between clauses is the conditional.
“Any two clauses, the first of which states a real or hypothetical condition, and the
second of which states a real or hypothetical consequence thereof, may be taken as a
conditional sentence,” T. O. Lambdin states. 16 Note the following alignment of
relevant terms.
situation condition consequence
logic protasis apodosis
clause subordinate main
English ‘If… then…’
b In our discussion of the wəqataltí construction (32.2.1) we noted that the wawrelative
in that construction often serves as an apodosis waw, introducing the
consequential independent clause (the apodosis) after the conditional dependent
clause (the protasis). Many of the uses of w«qataltí discussed there satisfy the
definition of a conditional sentence. We will not review all of those constructions
here. Moreover, in that chapter we also noted the various constructions that occur in
the protasis. 17
c There are two classes of conditionals, depending on whether the condition is real
(whether fulfilled in the past or still capable of being fulfilled) or irreal (whether
contrary to the facts of a previous situation or incapable of fulfillment). 18
d The protasis of a real conditional is usually introduced by םא (## 1–2) 19 or, in the
negative, אל םא (## 1, 3); the verb of the protasis may be non-perfective (# 1) or
perfective (## 2–3).
֫ ְ ִ ִ
ָ ֵ֫
ֶ ַ֫
ְ
ָ ַ ִ ֵ ֶ ְ
ְ ִ ֫ ְ
1. . . . וּנֹמ ָכ וּיהתּ םא ם ֶכל וּניתֹנ ְבּ־תא וּנּת ָנ
If you become like us…,
וּנ֑ ל־חקּנ ם ֶכיתֹנ ְבּ־תאו and take your daughters;
ם ֶכתּא וּנ ְב ַשָׁי
ו then we will give you our daughters
ו and we will dwell with you
16 T. O. Lambdin, Introduction to Biblical Hebrew (New York: Scribner, 1971) 276.
17 On the use of both yqtl and qtl forms in the protases of conditional sentences, see
Joüon §167/ pp. 512–18; note also the variation in the Ugaritic hippiatric texts—see
D. Pardee, Les Textes hippiatriques (Paris: Editions Recherche sur les Civilisations,
1985) 17–18, 41–42.
18 Lambdin, Introduction to Biblical Hebrew, 276–77. Some scholars distinguish from
real conditionals a class of concessive clauses (anglice ‘though, even though, even
if’); see, e.g., R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax: An Outline (2d ed.; Toronto: University
of Toronto 1976) 88.
19 On this particle, see C. van Leeuwen, “Die Partikel ם ִ
א,” Oudtestamentische
Studiën 18 (1973) 15–48; on conditional clauses, see pp. 16–27. There are 1,060
occurrences of ˒m (SA/THAT). On the Ugaritic particles ˒im (prose only) and hm
(verse and prose), see Kjell Aartun, Die Partikeln des Ugaritischen. 2. Präpositionen,
Konjunktionen (Kevelaer: Butzon und Bercker/Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener
Verlag, 1978) 95–97.