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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Basic observations on WAYYIQTOL

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  • From: Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
  • To: Yitzhak Sapir <yitzhaksapir AT gmail.com>
  • Cc: Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Basic observations on WAYYIQTOL
  • Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2005 00:27:30 +0100

On 17/08/2005 00:03, Yitzhak Sapir wrote:

...

I am looking over Eliezer Rubinstein's booklet and it seems that the
interpretation is different from his point of view, and as I was "merely rehashing" his description, I think that should be clarified: A QATAL following a WAYYIQTOL suggests past perfect. But a WAYYIQTOL
following a QATAL suggests simple sequence. So in Gen 18:1, Abraham
still sits down because that is the end state of the verb "to sit down."
When I ask you to sit down and you complete my request you are seated. It would be a sort of smart-aleck response for you to sit
down and stand up and say "I sat down!" A similar example is Gen
18:7 where Abraham ran to the cattle and then took a calf.


Thanks for this. I tend to agree with Rubinstein, at least to a first approximation. But in 18:1 Abraham sitting is not QATAL but a participle and so stative. However, 18:7 is a QATAL followed by a participle and these are presumably sequential. The interesting point, however, is that this QATAL is not apparently a past perfect preceding the previous WAYYIQTOL, as presumably Abraham told Sarah what to do before running off. This is more like a contrasting pair WAYYIQTOL followed by X-QATAL, the contrast being between Sarah's job of making the bread and Abraham's of getting the kebabs ready. It is interesting how in that culture as well as so many modern ones cooking a barbecue is the man's work, although most other food preparation is women's work.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/



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