Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Brian Tucker" <editor AT journalofbiblicalstudies.org>]

Do you agree that Anson Rainey has been able to show that in Northwest
Semitic languages the prefix forms (yqtl) expressed tenses rather than
aspects?

Rainey. The Prefix Conjugation Patterns of Early Northwest Semitic, in
Abush, Z. et al. (eds.), Lingering Over Words, Atlanta, Georgia, pp.
407-420).
_____. Canaanite in the Amarna Tablets, a Linguistic Analysis of the Mixed
Dialect Used by the Scribes from Canaan, vol. 2, pp. 221-264).


Rainey sees two modes, the indicative (including preterite, imperfect, and
energic forms) and the injunctive (including jussive, volitive, and
energic forms).

What do you think? Is this a good and helpful approach to BH verbal
system?

Thanks,
Brian Tucker
Riverview, MI
editor AT journalofbiblicalstudies.org
http://journalofbiblicalstudies.org