Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Bryan Rocine" <596547 AT ican.net>]

Hi Lee,

I would only add to Prof. Niccacci's excellent commentary that all the
X-qatals is this passage mark the beginnings of new paragraphs (In fact I
may simply be re-wording his analysis because he called them "breaks in the
flow of the communication").  I am not suggesting that X-qatal always and
only marks the onset of a new paragraph, but that it is one of its
functions.  How to identify when X-qatal marks the beginning of a new
paragraph?  When it is connected down rather than up (i.e.,  forward rather
than backward).  The directionality of the X-qatal can be determined
somewhat morphologically and somewhat semantically.  If the "X" is
temporal, the clause will be connected downwardly (new paragraph).  If the
"X" is an adverb of manner, the clause will be connected upwardly (comment
within paragraph).  If the "X" names a new character or cast of characters,
it will be connected downwardly (new paragraph).  These are a sampling of
criterion. The three X-qatals introduce a brand new object (#5), a brand
new subject/object (#6), and a new time (setting) (#16).

Hoping to help and shalom,
Bryan

you wrote:
> Both of you have recently mentioned  a very important point in regard to
> x-qatal: That it does not occur alone in narrative, it is always found
> in conjunction with wayyiqtol.  Please look at the following section
> from Joshua 24:28-Judges 1:2
> 
> (narrative of the covenant renewal precedes v.24)
> wayyiqtol - So Joshua let the people depart ...
> 
> 1 VaYiHi - And it came to pass after these things( = new paragraph)
> 2 wayyiqtol - that Joshua ... died...
> 3 wayyiqtol -And they buried him ...
> 4 wayyiqtol -And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua...
> 
> 5 x-qatal - And the bones of Joseph ...buried they in Shechem,
>                   in a parcel of ground ...
> 6 wayyiqtol - and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
> 
> 7 x-qatal - And Eleazar the son of Aaron died
> 8 wayyiqtol -and they buried him...
> 
> 9 VaYiHi - After the death of Joshua it came to pass (= new paragraph)
> 10 wayyiqtol - that the children of Israel asked the LORD...
> 11 wayyiqtol - And the LORD said ..
> (omit series of wayyiqtols)
> 12 wayyiqtol - Now the children of Judah  fought against Jerusalem,
> 13 wayyiqtol - and they took  it,
> 14 wayyiqtol - and they smote it  with the edge of the sword,
> 15 wayyiqtol - and set the city on fire.
> 
> 16 x-qatal - And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight
>                    against the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain,
>                    and in the south, and in the valley.
> 17 wayyiqtol - And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt
>                         in Hebron: ... and they slew Sheshai, and .....
> 
> In this short section, there are three pairs of x-qatal + wayyiqtol
> (5&6, 7&8, 16&17).  Comments anyone?
> 



B. M. Rocine
Associate Pastor
Living Word Church
6101 Court St. Rd.
Syracuse, NY 13208

315-437-6744(w)
315-479-8267(h)