Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

> 3 weqatal , instruction = You shall love the LORD thy God
> 4 weqatal , instruction = And these words . . . shall be in thine  heart
> 6 weqatal , instruction = And thou shalt teach them
> 7 weqatal , instruction = and shalt talk of them
> 12 weqatal, instruction = And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine
> hand,
> 13 weqatal, instruction = and they shall be as frontlets between thine
> eyes.
> 14 weqatal, instruction = And thou shalt write them upon the posts of
> thy house, and on thy gates.
>
> 15 weqatal, new parag. = And it shall be,
> 16 ki+yiqtol, protasis = when the LORD thy God brings thee into the
> land
> 26 weqatal ,apodosis = then you shall eat
> 27 weqatal ,hendiadys = and be satisfied;
>
> 28 imperative , command= Guard yourself
> 29 pen+yiqtol, future = lest thou forget the LORD,
> 31 x+yiqtol , instruction = The LORD thy God you shall fear,
> 32 x+yiqtol , instruction = and him you shall serve,
> 33 x+yiqtol , instruction = and on his name you shall swear.
> 34 lo'+yiqtol , neg.injunct. = Ye shall not go after other gods, of the
> gods of the people
> 36 ki+nominal , reason = Because the LORD thy God is a jealous God
> among you.
> 37 pen+yiqtol ,future = lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled
> against thee,
> 39 lo'+yiqtol, neg.injunct. = Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God,
> 41 inf.+yiqtol, instruction = Ye shall diligently keep the commandments
> of the LORD your God,
> 43 weqatal, instruction =And thou shalt do the right and the good in
> the sight of the LORD:
> 44 lam`an+imf., purpose = that it may be well with thee,
> 45 weqatal , instruction = and you shall go in
> 46 weqatal , instruction = and you shall possess the good land

Studium Biblicum Franciscanum wrote:

>
> Dear Lee Martin,
>
> here is some comment on your analysis.
>
> 18 infinitive *latet lak* is governed by *ni$ba`*. What follows, **`arîm 
> gedolot* etc. until *'a$er lo'-naTa`ta* is an apposition to, not object of, 
> *latet lak*. Note that under *lak* there is the Atnah.

Yes, I see that now.  I found several other examples in the Torah  with 
similar patterns.

> 21-25 a past tense is needed. Are these past tenses?

Yes, they are.  I'm sorry; I should not have used the KJV which has archaic 
language.

> 26-27 are still Protasis: "and then you shall eat and be satisfied." The 
> apodosis begins with *hi$$amer* in the next sentence.

I have a problem with your analysis here.  I do not believe that imperatives 
can be found as apodosis.

> 34 lo'+yiqtol, neg. weqatal, the rest OK
> 39 lo'+yiqtol, neg. weqatal, the rest OK
> 41 inf. +yiqtol = x-yiqtol, the rest OK

> Line 3: thw weqatals convey instruction; they are not injuctions if this 
> term has a specific volitive nuance. Weqatal is found after an imperative 
> or jussive but does not carry on the volitive force of it. This is affirmed 
> on the light of the evidence gathered elsewhere.

I am still having difficulty with your distinction between "instruction" and 
"volition" as used in your  _Syntax_.   In line 3, above, YHVH says, "You 
shall love the Lord...." (weqatal).  It is very hard for me to conceive of 
such a statement as entirely non-volitional.  It
appears from my study of various grammars and translations, that the use of  
weqatal, yiqtol, and x-yiqtol in direct speech are utterly confused.  I see 
no consistency in the translations and grammars.  You are consistent, 
however, but I am not fully convinced that you are
right. Would you comment, for example on lines 39-46?  Would you suggest the 
following translation:

39 lo'+yiqtol, neg. weqatal, simple future = You will not tempt the LORD your 
God,
41 inf.+yiqtol, instruction, simple future = You will diligently keep the 
commandments ...
43 weqatal, instruction, simple future = and  you will [be able to] do the 
right and the good...
44 lam`an+imf., purpose = in order that it may be well with you
45 weqatal , instruction, simple future = and you will [be able to] go in
46 weqatal , instruction, simple future = and you will [be able to] possess 
the good land
(Note that in formal English, in the 2nd person, "will" is non-volitive, 
while "shall" is volitive, but in the 1st person the opposite is true.  
_World Book Dictionary_, s.v. "will")

Just as you propose two kinds of wayyiqtol (narrative and continuative), I 
have wondered if  weqatal may also be of two types.  In some cases, weqatal 
may continue the tense and aspect of the preceding verb.  Have you considered 
such an idea?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another situation that causes confusion is when a series of weqatals occur 
within a double sentence, e.g.  Deu. 26:1-4, that says:

1-when thou art come in unto the land (x-yiqtol)
2-which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance,
3-and possessest it, (weqatal)
4-and dwellest therein; (weqatal)
5-That thou shalt take  (weqatal) of the first of all the fruit of the earth,
6-which thou shalt bring  (weqatal) of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth 
thee,
7-and shalt put (weqatal) it in a basket,
8-and shalt go (weqatal) unto the place
9-which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there.
10-And thou shalt go  (weqatal)unto the priest that shall be in those days,
11-and say  (weqatal)unto him, ...
12-And the priest shall take (weqatal) the basket out of thine hand,
13-and set it down  (weqatal)before the altar of the LORD thy God.

Line 1 is the protasis, but how do we know where the apodosis begins? Does 
the apodosis begin with line 3, or line 5 (RSV),  or line 10, or line 12?  
There are numerous examples of this problem. (Num 15:2-3; Deu 7:1-2; 
12:29-30; 17:14-15; 19:1-2, etc).


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/