Biblical Hebrew Forum

[John Ronning <ronning AT ilink.nis.za>]

Bryan, you wrote, re. 1 Kgs15:13||2 Chr 16:15

>
> I think we are seeing the qatal tend to converge in meaning with the
> wayyiqtol in 2 Chr. as compared to standard BH.

That would explain what the chronicler is doing, but I wonder if this 
explanation
doesn't undermine to some extent the theoretical foundations of your 
position, which,
if I understand it correctly, is that languages use a preferred form for 
mainline
narrative (thus wayyiqtol in BH).  The chronicler is still using wayyiqtol for
mainline, isn't he?  Then shouldn't he still instinctively reserve the qatal 
for
offline stuff?

Another example - Gen 22:23-24:
23 uBethu'el yalad 'eth Ribqah . . .
24 upilagsho ushemah Re'umah watteled . . .

Any difference between yalad and watteled? (aside from yalad meaning beget, 
etc.)
(also, in 23 yalad is used for chronologically sequential information, while 
watteled
in 24 is probably not?).


Yours,

John