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  • From: peter_kirk AT SIL.ORG
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Psalm 78: narrative verbs in poetry
  • Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 20:21:44 -0400


In our recent discussions of verb forms a distinction has sometimes
been made between verb forms in narrative and verb forms in poetry.
Well, this is perhaps a flase dichotomy. There are different types of
discourse, e.g. narrative, instructions, prophecy, and each of these
may in principle be expressed in either poetry or prose. In biblical
Hebrew it is rare to find narrative poetry, but this is found in
Psalms 78, 105 and 106. So, as I was anyway working on Psalm 78, I
decided to look at the verb forms found in it. See the table at the
end of this message for the data which I analysed.

I must make it clear that I am working on my own understanding of the
text, based on translations and commentaries. I recognise that there
may be alternative valid interpretations.

Verses 1-11 I am not taking as narrative. But from that point on until
the end of the psalm the text is basically a narrative, with some
exceptions e.g. the short speech verses 19b-20. And, interestingly
enough, the text basically uses the standard narrative verb form,
wayyiqtol, which is rare in other Hebrew poetry, and its negative
(according to Niccacci) W:LO)-qatal.

There are exceptions. The commonest is a pair of lines with wayyiqtol
and X-qatal (or sometimes X-yiqtol), the verb in the second line
commonly being at the very end to form a chiasmus, which probably
indicates some kind of completeness. This apparently occurs in verses
5,23,24,29,31,36,41,50,56,58,62,63,64,66,67,70b-71a,72. There are also
backgound clauses using X-qatal in verses 21[$FMA(],30,31,32,53;
LO)-qatal without waw appears to be background in verses 30,42, but
part of the narrative sequence in verse 50, where it is found next to
narrative yiqtols also without waw. I take verses 34 and 40 as special
construction indicating a repeated situation. It seems to me from the
verb forms that verse 38 is a generic statement about God's character
(note also the absence of pronouns, which reappear along with
wayyiqtol on verse 39).

There remain a number of unusual forms. The first group consists of
the X-qatals in verses 21 and 25, which cannot be background; I wonder
if this is some kind of marking of peak. And then there is yiqtol
where wayyiqtol would be expected in verses 15,45,47,49,50; could
these be a remnant of the alleged short form yiqtol with past meaning
which survives in prose only in wayyiqtol? There are also unexplained
qatals in verses 19,57.

But the overall picture is that narrative is narrative and uses the
regular narrative sequence verb forms even when put into poetic style.
There is little evidence of changes made to fit the poetic rhythm
etc., and it is certainly not true that (as some have come close to
alleging) any verb form can be used in poetry and there are no
distinctions. But there is evidence of yiqtol being used as a past
tense, like wayyiqtol without the conjunction. On this basis one would
expect to analyse other discourse types in poetry in the same way as
the same discourse type in prose, but allowing for this past yiqtol
and for some variation from strict norms.

I hope this is of interest to list members.

Peter Kirk


PSALM 78

1 MA&:K.IYL L:)FSFP verbless
HA):AZIYNFH (AM.IY T.OWRFTIY imperative
HA+.W. )FZ:N:KEM L:)IM:R"Y-PIY imperative
2 )EP:T.:XFH B:MF$FL P.IY cohortative
)AB.IY(FH XIYDOWT MIN.IY-QEDEM cohortative
3 ):A$ER $FMA(:NW. sub qatal
WAN."DF("M ... wayyiqtol
WA):ABOWT"YNW. SIP.:RW.-LFNW. ... w-X qatal
4 LO) N:KAX"D MIB.:N"YHEM neg yiqtol
L:DOWR )AX:AROWN M:SAP.:RIYM X participle
T.:HIL.OWT Y:HWFH
WE(:EZW.ZOW W:NIP:L:)OWTFYW
):A$ER (F&FH sub qatal
5 WAY.FQEM ("DW.T B.:YA(:AQOB wayyiqtol
W:TOWRFH &FM B.:YI&:RF)"L w-X qatal completeness?
):A$ER CIW.FH )ET-):ABOWT"YNW. sub qatal
L:HOWDIY(FM LIB:N"YHEM ... sub infinitive
6 L:MA(AN Y"D:(W. D.OWR )AX:AROWN sub qatal
B.FNIYM YIW.FL"DW. X yiqtol
YFQUMW. yiqtol
WIYSAP.:RW. LIB:N"YHEM weyiqtol
7 W:YF&IYMW. B")LOHIYM K.IS:LFM weyiqtol
W:LO) YI$:K.:XW. MA(AL:L"Y-)"L w-neg yiqtol
W.MIC:WOTFYW YIN:CORW. w-X yiqtol
8 W:LO) YIH:YW. K.A):ABOWTFM w-neg yiqtol
D.OWR SOWR"R W.MOREH verbless
D.OWR verbless
LO)-H"KIYN LIB.OW (sub) neg qatal
W:LO)-NE)EM:NFH )ET-)"L RW.XOW ... w-neg qatal
9 B.:N"Y-)EP:RAYIM (X, continues)
NOW$:Q"Y ROWM"Y-QF$ET (sub) participle
HFP:KW. B.:YOWM Q:RFB X qatal
10 LO) $FM:RW. B.:RIYT ):ELOHIYM neg qatal
W.B:TOWRFTOW M"):ANW. X qatal
LFLEKET sub infinitive
11 WAY.I$:K.:XW. (:ALIYLOWTFYW wayyiqtol
W:NIP:L:)OWTFYW
):A$ER HER:)FM sub qatal
12 NEGED ):ABOWTFM (F&FH PELE) X qatal NARRATIVE STARTS,
summary
B.:)EREC MIC:RAYIM &:D"H-CO(AN
13 B.FQA( YFM qatal start of details
WAY.A(:ABIYR"M wayyiqtol
WAY.AC.EB-MAYIM K.:MOW-N"D wayyiqtol
14 WAY.AN:X"M B.E(FNFN YOWMFM wayyiqtol
W:KFL-HAL.AY:LFH B.:)OWR )"$ w-verb implicit
15 Y:BAQ.A( CURIYM B.AM.ID:B.FR yiqtol odd!
WAY.A$:Q: K.IT:HOMOWT RAB.FH wayyiqtol
16 WAY.OWCI) NOWZ:LIYM MIS.FLA( wayyiqtol
WAY.OWRED K.AN.:HFROWT MFYIM wayyiqtol
17 WAY.OWSIYPW. (OWD wayyiqtol
LAX:A+O)-LOW sub infinitive
LAM:ROWT (EL:YOWN B.AC.IY.FH sub infinitive
18 WAY:NAS.W.-)"L B.IL:BFBFM wayyiqtol
LI$:)FL-)OKEL L:NAP:$FM sub infinitive
19 WAY:DAB.:RW. B.")LOHIYM wayyiqtol
)FM:RW. qatal odd!
H:AYW.KAL )"L (speech) yiqtol speech
LA(:AROK: $UL:XFN B.AM.ID:B.FR ... sub infinitive speech
20 H"N HIK.FH-CW.R ... X qatal speech
WAY.FZW.BW. MAYIM ... wayyiqtol speech
W.N:XFLIYM YI$:+OPW. ... X qatal speech
H:AGAM-LEXEM YW.KAL ... X yiqtol speech
T."T ... (sub) infinitive speech
)IM-YFKIYN $:)"R L:(AM.OW ... X yiqtol speech
21 LFK"N $FMA( Y:HWFH X qatal background
WAY.IT:(AB.FR wayyiqtol
W:)"$ NI&.:QFH B:YA(:AQOB X qatal peak?
W:GAM-)AP (FLFH B:YI&:RF)"L X qatal peak?
22 K.IY LO) HE):EMIYNW. B.")LOHIYM sub neg qatal
W:LO) BF+:XW. B.IY$W.(FTOW ... w-neg qatal
23 WAY:CAW $:XFQIYM MIM.F(AL wayyiqtol
W:DAL:T"Y $FMAYIM P.FTFX w-X qatal (final) completeness?
24 WAY.AM:+"R (:AL"YHEM MFN wayyiqtol
LE):EKOL sub infinitive
W.D:GAN-$FMAYIM NFTAN LFMOW w-X qatal completeness?
25 LEXEM )AB.IYRIYM )FKAL )IY$ X qatal peak?
C"YDFH $FLAX LFHEM LF&OBA( X qatal peak?
26 YAS.A( QFDIYM B.A$.FMFYIM wayyiqtol
WAY:NAH"G B.:(UZ.OW T"YMFN wayyiqtol
27 WAY.AM:+"R (:AL"YHEM wayyiqtol
K.E(FPFR $:)"R
W.K:XOWL YAM.IYM (OWP K.FNFP
28 WAY.AP."L B.:QEREB MAX:AN"HW. wayyiqtol
SFBIYB L:MI$:K.:NOTFYW
29 WAY.O)K:LW. wayyiqtol
WAY.I&:B.:(W. M:)OD wayyiqtol
W:TA):AWFTFM YFBI) LFHEM w-X yiqtol completeness?
30 LO)-ZFRW. MIT.A):AWFTFM neg qatal background
(OWD )FK:LFM B.:PIYHEM verbless background
31 W:)AP ):ELOHIYM (FLFH BFHEM w-X qatal background, see v.21
WAY.AH:AROG B.:MI$:MAN."YHEM wayyiqtol
W.BAXW.R"Y YI&:RF)"L HIK:RIY(A w-X qatal (final) completeness?
32 B.:KFL-ZO)T XF+:)W.-(OWD X qatal background?
W:LO)-HE):EMIYNW. B.:NIP:L:)OWTFYW w-neg qatal negative
33 WAY:KAL-B.AHEBEL Y:M"YHEM wayyiqtol
W.$:NOWTFM B.AB.EHFLFH w-verb implicit
34 )IM-H:ARFGFM X qatal repeated?
W.D:RF$W.HW. w-qatal repeated?
W:$FBW. w-qatal repeated?
W:$IX:ARW.-)"L w-qatal repeated?
35 WAY.IZ:K.:RW. wayyiqtol
K.IY-):ELOHIYM CW.RFM sub verbless
W:)"L (EL:YOWN G.O):ALFM ... w-verbless
36 WAY:PAT.W.HW. B.:PIYHEM wayyiqtol
W.BIL:$OWNFM Y:KAZ.:BW.-LOW w-X yiqtol completeness?
37 W:LIB.FM LO)-NFKOWN (IM.OW w-X neg qatal negative
W:LO) NE)EM:NW. B.IB:RIYTOW w-neg qatal negative
38 W:HW.) RAXW.M w-verbless generic
Y:KAP."R (FWON yiqtol generic
W:LO)-YA$:XIYT w-neg yiqtol generic
W:HIR:B.FH w-qatal generic
L:HF$IYB )AP.OW sub infinitive generic
W:LO)-YF(IYR K.FL-X:AMFTOW w-neg yiqtol generic
39 WAY.IZ:K.OR wayyiqtol
K.IY-BF&FR H"M.FH sub verbless
RW.XA HOWL"K: ... verbless
W:LO) YF$W.B ... w-neg yiqtol
40 K.AM.FH YAM:RW.HW. BAM.ID:B.FR X yiqtol repeated?
YA(:ACIYBW.HW. B.IY$IYMOWN yiqtol repeated?
41 WAY.F$W.BW. wayyiqtol
WAY:NAS.W. )"L wayyiqtol
W.Q:DOW$ YI&:RF)"L HIT:WW. w-X qatal (final) completeness?
42 LO)-ZFK:RW. )ET-YFDOW neg qatal background
YOWM
):A$ER-P.FDFM MIN.IY-CFR sub qatal
43 ):A$ER-&FM B.:MIC:RAYIM )OTOWTFYW sub qatal
W.MOWP:TFYW B.I&:D"H-CO(AN ... w-verb implicit
44 WAY.AH:APOK: L:DFM Y:)OR"YHEM wayyiqtol
W:NOZ:L"YHEM
B.AL-YI$:T.FYW.N sub yiqtol
45 Y:$AL.AX B.FHEM (FROB yiqtol odd!
WAY.O)K:L"M wayyiqtol
W.C:PAR:D."(A verb implicit
WAT.A$:XIYT"M wayyiqtol
46 WAY.IT."N LEXFSIYL Y:BW.LFM wayyiqtol
WIYGIY(FM LF)AR:B.EH w-verb implicit
47 YAH:AROG B.AB.FRFD G.AP:NFM yiqtol odd!
W:$IQ:MOWTFM B.AX:ANFMAL w-verb implicit
48 WAY.AS:G."R LAB.FRFD B.:(IYRFM wayyiqtol
W.MIQ:N"YHEM LFR:$FPIYM w-verb implicit
49 Y:$AL.AX-B.FM X:AROWN )AP.OW yiqtol odd!
(EB:RFH WFZA(AM W:CFRFH
MI$:LAXAT MAL:):AK"Y RF(IYM
50 Y:PAL."S NFTIYB L:)AP.OW yiqtol odd!
LO)-XF&AK: MIM.FWET NAP:$FM neg qatal negative
W:XAY.FTFM LAD.EBER HIS:G.IYR w-X qatal (final) completeness?
51 WAY.AK: K.FL-B.:KOWR B.:MIC:RFYIM wayyiqtol
R")$IYT )OWNIYM B.:)FH:FL"Y-XFM verb implicit
52 WAY.AS.A( K.AC.O)N (AM.OW wayyiqtol
WAY:NAH:AG"M K.A("DER B.AM.ID:B.FR wayyiqtol
53 WAY.AN:X"M LFBE+AX wayyiqtol
W:LO) PFXFDW. w-neg qatal negative
W:)ET-)OWY:B"YHEM K.IS.FH HAY.FM w-X qatal background
54 WAY:BIY)"M )EL-G.:BW.L QFD:$OW wayyiqtol
HAR-ZEH
QFN:TFH Y:MIYNOW (sub) qatal
55 WAY:GFRE$ MIP.:N"YHEM G.OWYIM wayyiqtol
WAY.AP.IYL"M B.:XEBEL NAX:ALFH wayyiqtol
WAY.A$:K."N B.:)FH:FL"YHEM wayyiqtol
$IB:+"Y YI&:RF)"L
56 WAY:NAS.W. wayyiqtol
WAY.AM:RW. wayyiqtol
)ET-):ELOHIYM (EL:YOWN
W:("DOWTFYW LO) $FMFRW. w-X neg qatal
negative,completeness?
57 WAY.IS.OGW. wayyiqtol
WAY.IB:G.:DW. K.A):ABOWTFM wayyiqtol
NEH:P.:KW. K.:QE$ET R:MIY.FH qatal odd!
58 WAY.AK:(IYSW.HW. B.:BFMOWTFM wayyiqtol
W.BIP:SIYL"YHEM YAQ:NIY)W.HW. w-X yiqtol (final) completeness?
59 $FMA( ):ELOHIYM qatal background
WAY.IT:(AB.FR wayyiqtol
WAY.IM:)AS M:)OD B.:YI&:RF)"L wayyiqtol
60 WAY.I+.O$ MI$:K.AN $ILOW wayyiqtol
)OHEL
$IK."N B.F)FDFM (sub) qatal
61 WAY.IT."N LA$.:BIY (UZ.OW wayyiqtol
W:TIP:)AR:T.OW B:YAD-CFR w-verb implicit
62 WAY.AS:G."R LAXEREB (AM.OW wayyiqtol
W.B:NAX:ALFTOW HIT:(AB.FR w-X qatal (final) completeness?
63 B.AXW.RFYW )FK:LFH-)"$ X qatal
W.B:TW.LOTFYW LO) HW.L.FLW. w-X neg qatal completeness?
64 K.OH:ANFYW B.AXEREB NFPFLW. X qatal
W:)AL:M:NOTFYW LO) TIB:K.EYNFH w-X neg yiqtol completeness?
65 WAY.IQAC K.:YF$"N ):ADONFY wayyiqtol
K.:GIB.OWR
MIT:ROWN"N MIY.FYIN (sub) participle
66 WAY.AK:-CFRFYW )FXOWR wayyiqtol
XER:P.AT (OWLFM NFTAN LFMOW X qatal completeness?
67 WAY.IM:)AS B.:)OHEL YOWS"P wayyiqtol
W.B:$"BE+ )EP:RAYIM LO) BFXFR w-X neg qatal completeness?
68 WAY.IB:XAR )ET-$"BE+ Y:HW.DFH wayyiqtol
)ET-HAR CIY.OWN
):A$ER )FH"B sub qatal
69 WAY.IBEN K.:MOW-RFMIYM MIQ:D.F$OW wayyiqtol
K.:)EREC
Y:SFDFH. L:(OWLFM (sub) qatal
70 WAY.IB:XAR B.:DFWID (AB:D.OW wayyiqtol
WAY.IQ.FX"HW. MIM.IK:L:)OT CO)N wayyiqtol
71 M")AXAR (FLOWT H:EBIY)OW X qatal (final) completeness?
LIR:(OWT B.:YA(:AQOB (AM.OW sub infinitive
W.B:YI&:RF)"L NAX:ALFTOW ... w-verb implicit
72 WAY.IR:("M K.:TOM L:BFBOW wayyiqtol
W.BIT:BW.NOWT K.AP.FYW YAN:X"M w-X yiqtol (final) completeness?




  • Psalm 78: narrative verbs in poetry, peter_kirk, 04/30/1999

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