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  • From: Rolf Furuli <furuli AT online.no>
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: The "times" of Isaiah
  • Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 23:17:58 +0200


Max Rogland wrote:

>> > 240 QATALs with future meaning.
>> > 201 QATALs with present meaning (including 22% with the words "Thus
>>says YHWH")
>> > (This means that 41% of all qatals are somewhat problematic.)
>
> The _koh 'amar yhwh_ formula is in fact a past tense, not a
> performative utterance in the third person (which can occur under
> limited conditions). J. Krispenz has noted that in a number of
> cases the formula occurs with the prepositional phrase "to me",
> and writes: "Versucht man, die Botenformel in dieser Gestalt als
> Koinzidenzfall zu verstehen, so ergibt sich, dass dann nicht nur
> Sprechen und Handeln sowie Sprecher und Subjekt identisch sind,
> sondern dass hier Sprecher, Subjekt und Angeredeter in eins
> fallen. Der Prophet spricht in der Rolle Jahwes den Propheten an
> -- eine bizarre Konstruktion!" ("Grammatik und Theologie in der
> Botenformel", ZAH 11.2 [1998] 133-139, p.137).
>
>
>> > 34 WAYYIQTOLs with future meaning.
>> > 37 WAYYIQTOLs with present meaning.
>
> Would it be possible to get a listing of these qatals/wayyiqtols
> with future or present meaning? I'm curious to see how it would
> agree or disagree with my own analysis.
>


Dear Max,

I agree with your quote from Krispenz, that in contexts with "to me" the
_koh 'amar yhwh_ formula does not have a present meaning, but rather a
perfect or past meaning. However, I think we should distinguish between
"past tense" (=grammaticalized location in time) and "past meaning"
(location in time based on either pragmatic or semantic factors). In some
cases the _koh 'amar yhwh_ formula evidently represents God's "voice" and
must have a present meaning. Based on such examples I think that most of
the occurences of the formula have present meaning.

At present I am slowly working my way through the whole Bible, while I make
lists of all the "anaomalous" forms. After I have gathered all my examples,
I will scrutinize them a second time while I get comments from my close
collegues, and then I am ready to send a list to others. As a scholar
working with the text, I think you understand that I am not ready to share
my material with others at "the first catch", so to speak. But I will
allways happy to exchange opinions.


Regards
Rolf

Rolf Furuli
University of Oslo








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