Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Lee R. Martin" <lmartin AT vol.com>]

Dear Professor,
In looking over your list of negations (Feb.23), I did not see an
indication of negative commands.  How do you interpret the Decalogue?
In Exo. 20, we see the following
verse 3, lo'+yiqtol
verse 4, lo'+yiqtol
verse 5, lo'+yiqtol
verse 7, lo'+yiqtol
verse 8, infinitive
verse 9, x-yiqtol
verse 12, imperative
verse 13, lo'+yiqtol
verse 14, lo'+yiqtol
verse 15, lo'+yiqtol
verse 16, lo'+yiqtol
verse 17, lo'+yiqtol

You have said (Feb.23) that lo'+yiqtol is negative weqatal, but if
weqatal is non-volitive, then lo'+yiqtol is also non-volitive.  If so,
the 10 Commandments are not commandments at all.  Verse 12, however, is
an imperative, so it is a commandment. Please explain how you understand
these verses.

--
Lee R. Martin
Pastor, Prospect Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee
Instructor in Hebrew and Old Testament
Church of God Theological Seminary
http://earth.vol.com/~lmartin/