Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>]

On 29/06/2006 15:33, Awohili AT aol.com wrote:
>  
> ...
>  
> In the book, _201 Hebrew Verbs_ Abraham S. Halkin lists ehyeh as the future  
> aspect of the kal of HYH. ...

Is this a book of MODERN Hebrew? Of course in modern Hebrew the 
"imperfect" or YIQTOL form is a future tense, and so the meaning is 
uncontestably "I will be". But in biblical Hebrew, at least as 
understood by most scholars, this verb form indicates not so much a 
tense as the imperfective or continuous aspect, meaning in the context 
something like "I was and I am and I always will be", or, in simpler 
English, "I am".

--
Peter Kirk
E-mail:  peter AT qaya.org
Blog:    http://speakertruth.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.qaya.org/