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  • From: Peter_Kirk AT SIL.ORG
  • To: sbfnet AT netvision.net.il, b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re[2]: WEQATAL NONVOLITIVE
  • Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 20:52:42 -0500 (EST)


Dear Prof. Niccacci,

Thank you for your helpful and clear explanations on this list.

I was rather surprised by your explanation of weqatal as non-volitive.
I have recently worked through the instructional and legal material in
Exodus-Deuteronomy. There there are many x-yiqtol followed by weqatal
sequences, e.g. Exodus 26:1ff with its repeated t.a(:a&eh and
w:(f&iytf. I had assumed that these sequences were in some sense
volitional, i.e. instructions, rather than simply predictions. But
according to your theory these are non-volitive. How do you account
for this?

Surely also the matrix for the priestly blessing, Numbers 6:23,27, as
well as the blessing itself, is volitive?

Peter Kirk


______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
Subject: Re: WEQATAL NONVOLITIVE
Author: sbfnet AT netvision.net.il at internet
Date: 26/02/1999 02:50

<snip>

Dear Lee R. Martin,

I think that BH has two distinct sets of "future" verbforms:

- Non-volitive set (simple future):
= speech-initial form: x-yiqtol (or non-verbal sentence)
= continuation form: weqatal
= secondary-line (or background of a preceding weqatal): x-yiqtol;

- Volitive set:
= speech-initial: (sentence-initial) yiqtol, or x-yiqtol
= continuation form: weyiqtol
= secondary-line (or background to a preceding weyiqtol): x-yiqtol.

<snip>

The best syntactic setting for the volitive verbforms is the priestly
blessing in Num. 6:24-26: "May the Lord bless you [SENTECE INITIAL YIQTOL]
and keep you [WEYIQTOL]" etc. (two more times the same sequence).
Note that the blessing formula is framed by an instruction by God to Moses
which begins with non-volitve x-yiqtol ("Thus you shall bless the
Israelites", v. 22) and ends with a non-volitive weqatal followed by its
background/secondary-line counterpart x-yiqtol: "Thus (Aaron and his sons)
shall put my name upon the Israelites [WEQATAL] and I, on my part, I will
bless them [WAW-X-YIQTOL]" (v. 27).

<snip>

Peace and all good.

Alviero Niccacci

Studium Biblicum Franciscanum Tel. +972 - 2 - 6282 936
POB 19424 - 91193 - Jerusalem Fax +972 - 2 - 6264 519
Israel

Home Page: http://198.62.75.1/www1/ofm/sbf/SBFmain.html
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