Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Dave Washburn" <dwashbur AT nyx.net>]

> Hebrew word order is (usually) V-S-O. Verb, subject, object.
> Greek word order is (usually) S-O-V, Subject, object, verb. 

Well, maybe and maybe not, particularly for Hebrew.  The main 
reason that it is often asserted that Hebrew order is VSO is 
because of the predominance of the wayyiqtol form in the Bible.  
This does not mean, however, that VSO was the "normal" word 
order in conversational classical hebrew was VSO, merely that in 
narrative prose that's the order we have preserved most often.  My 
own view is that the wayyiqtol is the result of a transformation that 
moves the verb to first position from a "base" SVO order.  But 
that's just my view.

Dave Washburn
http://www.nyx.net/~dwashbur
This time, like all times, is a very good one if we but know what to do with 
it.
                  -Emerson