Biblical Hebrew Forum

[peter_kirk AT SIL.ORG]

Dear Rolf,

I understand that you are looking for a change of paradigm. I also see 
that there are data hard to explain on the "traditional" paradigm. My 
point is, however, that the data you presented seem to me even harder 
to explain in your proposed new paradigm. Perhaps that is because I 
have not understood it properly; but I think I am not the only one, 
which suggests that you at least need to find a clearer presentation.

In the Hebrew Bible there are many differences of pointing between 
parallel passages, and between different manuscripts of the same 
passages, which are best explained as errors by the Masoretes or by 
later copyists. The wayyiqtol/weyiqtol doublet we mentioned is very 
likely one of these.

You wrote:

"To the best of my knowledge, nobody has ever demonstrated that the meaning 
of verbs is different in poetry that in prose. If you have some references, 
I appreciate that. I would also add that to date portions of the text on 
linguistic grounds, is extremely difficult if not impossible, perhaps 
except the latest books."

I do not have references or other proof for this. I am not trying to 
date any materials. But I recognise that there is a variety in 
language, which is at least in part because of language shift with 
time. My suggestion is that the meaning of verb forms changed with 
time and that this may account for some of the differences between 
poetry and prose. I accept that this is hard to demonstrate. But there 
is at least the evidence that the overwhelming majority of wayyiqtols 
in prose are (whether semantically or pragmatically) sequential and 
(according to the commonest definition) perfective, but the picture in 
poetry is rather different. I am offering an explanation which is 
different from yours and in my mind more convincing. I will leave it 
to others to judge between them.

Peter Kirk