Biblical Hebrew Forum

["B. M. Rocine" <brocine AT twcny.rr.com>]

Dear Rolf, thank you for your thoughtful interaction.  I am happy to 
clarify.

Rolf Furuli wrote:

> There are several attractive sides with your model, but I will concentrate
> on two problems, 1) the lack of control mechanisms, and 2) the possibility
> of circularity.
>
> I will concentrate on Psalm 107: 17-20.
>
> NIV has the following translation:
>
> 17. Some became fools (nominal cl. ) through their rebellious ways
> and suffered affliction (YIQTOL) because of their iniquities.
> 18. They loathed (YIQTOL) all food and drew near (WAYYIQTOL) the
> gates of death.
> 19. Then they cried (WAYYIQTOL) to the LORD on their trouble,
> and he saved (YIQTOL) them from their distress.
> 20. He sent forth (YIQTOL) his word and healed them (WEYIQTOL), he
> rescued (WEYIQTOL) them from the grave (YIQTOL)

One thing I didn't do was translate.  Let me take a stab at this little 
section (17-20):

Fools they would be because of the way of their rebellion, and because 
of their iniquities they would suffer.  Any food they would loathe, so 
they arrived at the gates of death.  Then they cried to YHWH in their 
distress.  From their straights He would save them.

May He send forth His word and heal them and deliver them from their depths.

> It seems that the NIV translators viewed these verses as historical
> narrative. They are expressed by 5 YIQTOLs, 2 WEYIQTOLs, and 2 WAYYIQTOLs.
> You classify the first part of v 17 as historical narrative, and vv. 18, 19,
> as PD (repeated actions in the past), and v 20 has no classification.  Only
> the YIQTOL of v. 20 is sentence initial.

All three yiqtols are sentence-initial in my thinking.  Since the vav is 
 enclitic, it does not knock the yiqtol to second position of its sentence.

> Q 1: Do the WAYYIQTOLs, the WEYIQTOLs, and the YIQTOLs have the same
> semantic meaning (the imperfective aspect), or do they havve different
> meanings?

Same meanings.  the prefixed forms are imperfective, and the suffixed 
forms are perfective.

> Q 2: The WAYYIQTOLs and the WEYIQTOLs evidently have the same temporal
> reference, so what is the difference?

They don't have the same temporal reference.  The weyiqtols are part of 
the large hortatory which hosts this historical section.

>  How can we pinpoint repeated action in the past  when both the
> perefective and the imperfective aspect can portray repeated action? This is
> a rhetorical question.

When an x-yiqtol appears in a past time context, it will be repeated or 
customary action in the past.  I agree with you that the meaning 
"repeated action in the past" does not come from the conjugation alone, 
or the syntax of the sentence.  It comes from conjugation + syntax + the 
past time context.

<snipped>

At some point in your letter, you mentioned that v. 20 is not 
labelled--I have lost the spot.  In any case, look again below.  See the 
verticle line next to v. 20?  That means v. 20 is part of the Hortatory 
structure that is basic to the entire poem.  Then see my provocative 
translation above.  ;-)

The translations suggests an intrusion of the performer's own 
exclamation, which takes the form of a little prayer.  Sometimes such an 
intrusion in a play is called an aside.

Shalom,
Bryan



> >      _____
> > 1  H  |
> > 2     |
> > 3     | ____
> > 4     | | HN 1
> >      | | ____
> >      | | | E
> > 5     | | |____
> > 6a    | |
> > 6b    | | P
> > 7     | |____
> > 8     |
> > 9     | ____
> > 10    | | HN 2
> >      | | ____
> >      | | | E
> > 11    | | |____
> > 12    | |
> > 13a   | |
> > 13b   | |__P__
> > 14    |
> > 15    |
> > 16    | ____
> > 17    | | HN 3
> >      | | ____
> >      | | | P
> > 18a   | | |____
> > 18b   | |
> > 18c   | |
> > 19a   | |
> > 19b   | |__P__
> > 20    |
> > 21    |
> > 22    | ____
> > 23    | | HN 4
> >      | | ____
> >      | | | E
> > 24    | | |____
> > 25    | |
> >     ___________
> > 26   | Parenthetical H
> > 27   |__________
> > 28    | |
> > 29a   | | YHWH's H
> > 29b,c | |
> > 30    | |_____
> > 31    |
> > 32    |
> > 33    |
> > 34    |
> > 35    | ____
> > 36    | | HN 5
> > 37    | |
> > 38    | |
> > 39    | |
> > 40    | |
> > 41    | |____
> > 42    |
> > 43    |_____________


--
B. M. Rocine
Living Word Chruch
6101 Court St. Rd.
Syracuse, NY 13026
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