Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Studium Biblicum Franciscanum <sbfnet AT netvision.net.il>]

 On  05/05/99 (Volitive weyiqtol) Lee R. Martin wrote:


> Help!
> These numbers do not make sense.
> In looking at Alviero Niccacci's outline of volitives vs. non-volitives,
> he listed weyiqtol as the volitive continuation of cohortative,
> imperative, and jussive. I did a computer search, and the results are
> interesting. Can someone confirm them.
> Imperatives = 4288
> weqatals = 1129
> weyiqtol (2d person) = 69
> 
> I could not find a single volitive weyiqtol that continued an
> imperative.  There were 2 or three that showed result (Ps.144:5,6).
> However, there are hundreds of imperatives followed by imperatives.
> Conclusion: The imperative is continued by the imperative.

_______________________________REPLY__________________________________________

Dear Lee Martin,

weyiqtol continues a preceding volitive verbform--i.e.  cohortative, imperative, or jussive-- in the sense that it carries on its volitive force.
Differently from weyiqtol, weqatal discontinues a preceding volitive form in the sens that it does not carry on its volitive force; it rather conveys a consequence--i.e. a nonvolitive result.
This conclusion is reached from two considerations. First, there are clear cases that suggest this relative functions of weyiqtol versus weqatal. Second, it it to be inferred that the same functions apply when these verbform are used unless this is excluded.

See e.g. 1Kgs. 22:6b (= 2Chron. 18:5b): 
`aleh---------------------> weyitten 'adonay beyad hammelek
"Go up--------------------> and may Adonau place (the city) in the hand of the king!"

versus 1Kgs. 22:15b
`aleh wehaTSlax-----------> wenatan YHWH beyad hammelek
"Go up and be successful--> because the Lord  shall place it in the hand of the king."

And contrast 2Chron. 18:14b (parallel passage):
`alû wehaTSlîxû-----------> weyinnatenû be yedkem
"Go up and be successful--> and may they be placed in your hand!".

Two parallel passages make this difference clear by substituting weqatal with kî + yiqtol:
1Chron. 14:10
`aleh---------------------> ûnetattîm beyadeka
"Go up--------------------> because I will place them in your hand."

versus 2Sam. 5:19
`aleh---------------------> kî naton 'etten 'et-happeli$tîm  beyadeka
"Go up--------------------> because I will certainly place the Philistines in your hand."

See my _Syntax_ #61, where other examples of imperative---> weyiqtol are examined. Also see #63.

Peace and all good.
Alviero Niccacci