Biblical Hebrew Forum

[yochanan bitan-buth <ButhFam AT compuserve.com>]

rolf katav: In 1 Kings
>6:2, an example in a previous post, the WAYYIQTOL of BNH *must*
>betranslated ingressively "he started to build". The example from Genesis
>2:21  *should be* translated "while he slept, God took... closed
>up...formed".

Actually 1K6.1 by itself is ambiguous as to 'start'. It just says 'he
built'. It could also refer to its completion or the completion of the
basic structure. The following clause, of course uses "bana" to refer to
vayyiven "and he built", because they are the same aspect/tense. And it
refers to the whole building in order for the measurements to make sense. 
Later on there will be thematic overlay in "and he built and he completed",
used on more than one occasion.

ON Gn 2.21 vayyishan just says "and he slept/fell asleep". It is not
subordinate  "while sleeping" nor marking imperfectivity in relation to
'take', 'closed'.

Randall Buth