Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Paul Zellmer <zellmer AT cag.pworld.net.ph>]

Rolf Furuli wrote:

> Dear Paul,
>
> I do not like to challenge persons who have written something before I know
> if they want to discuss the particular topic they have written about. So
> before I give some references to those who claim that genre change the
> meaning of verbs, I have to think it over if I should do that at all. I
> like to discuss topics rather than challenge persons.
>
> However, you have sharpened your weapons, and I want to challenge you
> regarding your view of the topic we are discussing by using one form as an
> example:
>
> (1) Does wayyiqtol have a particular semantic meaning which is the same in
> any context regardless of genre?
>

First of all, Rolf, let's state the obvious.  This term "genre" means is used
differently in the discourse analysis arena.  There it means things like 
historical
narrative, predictive narrative, instructional discourse, hortatory discourse 
(the
"big four" in Biblical Hebrew), and the like.  And the wayyiqtol is 
identified by many
if not most as the mainline form of the genre "historical narrative."  
However, I
believe you are using genre here to refer to prose vs. poetry, right?

Short answer, yes.  But some uses may emphasize one part of the semantic (or 
I prefer
inherent) meaning while other uses may emphasize another.  And poetry, by 
nature of
its artistic characteristics, may well make this form swim on the very edge 
of its
domain.  (Blue stays blue as you gradually add yellow.  That is, until it 
comes to the
point of being a green.  But some of these blues are so close to being green 
that you
wonder if they're still blue!)

> (2) Is wayyiqtol a preterite, and does it always code for past tense also
> in non-narrative contexts?
>

You're assuming that preterite is the one and only defining characteristic of 
the
wayyiqtol.  I know you have referred in the past to Bryan's grammar, so I 
would guess
that you have a copy.  Why don't you check out Lesson 14 to see a simplified
description of other things that a wayyiqtol does.

> (3) Is sequentarity a part of the meaning of wayyiqtol in all kinds of 
> genre?
>

(See the response to question 2)

> (4) Will "poetic licence" only change the function of wayyiqtol, but never
> its meaning, or can it also change its meaning?
>

"Wayyiqtol" means a yiqtol with waw-pathah-dagesh, right?  Genre doesn't 
change that!
;^>

Seriously, Rolf, I know what you are asking, but I'm not sure how to define 
wayyiqtol
(or X-qatal or imperative or whatever) apart from its function.  And "poetic 
license,"
which may be used in other areas than just poetry, BTW, doesn't even change 
the
function.  It just uses an inherent characteristic of the form, perhaps 
ignoring a
characteristic which is normally considered more dominant.

Hey, rather than try to pull down the theory, why don't you help us expand our
understanding of all that a wayyiqtol is, so we can better understand what 
actually
*is* happening in these situations.  I personally would find that much more 
beneficial
than lists of apparent or supposed cases where the normally predominate 
feature does
not dominate the form's function.  Or maybe you are of the opinion that the 
wayyiqtol
is *never* causes a clause to be preterite and *never* brings sequentiality 
into the
picture.  We can always make these forms so bland that they convey no meaning 
at all!

Regards in return,

Paul