Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

See also Gen. 18:3, 43:10, 50:4, Ex 33:13, etc.
Judges 16:7-17 is very interesting, since you have a series of four "if"
clauses, three yiqtols followed by a qatal.
Lee R. Martin


> > (Washburn)
> >Hatav very effectively classifies habituals as modal as well.  Since I
> >can't get my hands on the JOTT article, could you give an example
> >or two of the irrealis suffix verb?
>
> 'lu' "remote if, contrafactual if" and 'lule' "contrafactual if not"
> strongly prefer the suffix tense.
>
> Cf. Judges 8.19 lu haHayitem ... lo haragti etxem
> 'if you had let them live (but you didn't), I didn't/wouldn't kill you
(but
> I am about to).
> I think most linguists would apply the term "irrealis" to this example.
>