Biblical Hebrew Forum

[spedrson AT juno.com (Trevor M Peterson)]

This may be a case of the blind leading the blind (or more likely, the
mostly blind leading the mostly sighted), but since I haven't seen anyone
else say much about this inquiry, I guess I'll take a crack at it.

On Wed, 16 Dec 1998 12:02:18 -0500 "Lee R. Martin" <lmartin AT vol.com>
writes:

[snipped]

>1- What is the significance of the vayyiqtol, "VaYeHi" in verse two?  

I'd say it's mainline in embedded narrative.  Once we're given the bit of
information about his having two wives in the first half of the verse, it
seems like this next clause refers much more particularly to that than
all the way back to the beginning of v. 1, to pick up the mainline there.
 I suppose it might be possible to go back to v. 1, but it doesn't seem
likely, since the wives weren't introduced until we hit the
sub-narrative.  Furthermore, v. 3 continues to give us information about
Elkanah himself, not the wives, so I don't think we could just pull one
clause out of the middle of all this introductory material and make it
part of the real mainline of the narrative.

[snipped]
>
>2- The habitual yiqtols and veqatals seem to be used in the same way, 
>=
>the writer's choice depending upon whether or not he wanted the verb 
>in =
>first place.  Do you see any difference in the two?

In v.3, it seems like the choice of weqatal fits better with the emphasis
on Elkanah as the subject under consideration.  Particularly since the
focus has just momentarily shifted to his wives, it is significant to
bring the focus back to him individually.  In the latter part of v. 4,
the weqatal again keeps the focus on Elkanah as the giver, rather than
any individual recipient.  This may be for convenience, since there is a
compound indirect object, or it may be to keep the focus on Elkanah's
relationship with Hannah.  In fact, it is in v. 6 that the focus shifts
to Peninah, and so here the weqatal again helps to point us in the right
direction.

Now, I'm not quite sure what you're looking at in terms of habitual
yiqtols.  I don't know with certainty, but their purpose in v. 7 (two of
them) may be simply to fit with the use of K"N.  That leaves only v. 5,
where the focus shifts to Hannah (after all, the story is more or less
about her) as the recipient; thus, I would say here that it is to get her
name to the front of the line that he uses yiqtol.
>
>3- Why is the yiqtol used in v.7 (To'KaL), why not the qatal?

Good question.  I could only take a guess at it.
>
>4- Why are yiqtols used in v. 8 indicating present actions, why not =
>participles?

Could it be to fit with the yiqtol from the end of v. 7?  Again, I'm not
sure here.  I suppose it's even possible that he might have seemed too
annoyed with her incessant crying, if he were to use participles!  ;-)
>
>5- Vv. 10 and 11 both have an infinitive absolute with yiqtol. V. 10 
>is =
>usually translated past tense, and v. 11 future.   Inf.+ yiqtol is =
>usually future, so why is it used in v.10?

Again, we may be dealing with a similar reason for this question as for
the other two.  Since we're already dealing with her weeping in yiqtol,
it probably fits to keep going with the same.  But I guess context says a
lot about the tenses here.  It helps to keep in mind that one is
narrative, while the other comes within her embedded oath.
>
>6- In verse 11, VaTo'MaR is not consecutive with VaTiDoR, it is =
>contemporaneous, or, explanatory.  So, why use the vayyiqtol.  Why not 
>=
>use LeMoR?

But couldn't they be consecutive in a sense?  Perhaps there is more to
the substance of her vow than this particular statement.  In any event, I
seem to remember seeing this sort of thing quite often, where the
consecution may be more logical than chronological.  I don't know that I
have a good reason why that might be at this point, though.
>
>7- Why is the veqatal (VeHaYaH) used in v. 12 instead of vayyiqtol =
>(VaYeHi)?

Is there any consecution going on here?  We've just been looking at the
content of her prayer, and now we're seeing what goes on at the same time
while she prays and Eli watches.

I hope some of this is helpful.  I'm really more interested in other
comments, but maybe my pathetic attempt will spark some input.

Trevor Peterson
Bible/Theology Department
Washington Bible College
Lanham, MD

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