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  • From: "B. M. Rocine" <brocine AT twcny.rr.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] David: strings of qatals (1 Sam 17:34-36)
  • Date: Thu, 08 Mar 2007 22:39:49 -0500

Dear Peter, see below:

Peter Kirk wrote:
On 08/03/2007 15:08, B. M. Rocine wrote:
...

I see that David uses a string of qatals (or weqatals) in 1 Sam 17:34-36. Traditionally, the string is considered to be repetitive action in the past for which weqatal is a conventional choice. However, In my book, I suggest that David is indeed telling a story (see _Learning BH_ pp. 345-347). However, I suggest he is telling a story in an unconventional way in a very special circumstance. Essentially, he is telling a story using the conventions of expository discourse in order to apply for a job. He is basically giving Saul his resume. I am not ashamed for bringing such a literary consideration into a linguistic discussion.

Do you mean that David is telling what happened once but deliberately making it sound as if this was commonplace, something which he did all the time? I'm sure that sort of thing happens when people write resumes.

No. There are actually enough technicalities in the text to disqualify it as a procedural discourse, one which recounts repeated action in the past.

David, rather than tell a story about the time he killed a lion using the conventional string of wayyiqtols, uses a string of weqatals referring to one-off events. He does so to highlight the kind of person he is rather than what happened once with a lion (and again with a bear). If you recall, I view the qatal and weqatal as a peculiar brand of perfective aspect, as attributive or adjectival. For instance:

1 Sam 17:35 veyatsa'ti 'axarayv vehikkitiyv vehitstsaltiy mippiyv

READ: I was a going-out-kind-of-guy after him and I was a smiting-kind-of-guy of him and I was a delivering-kind-of-guy from his mouth.

(I am *not* trying to translate here. I am trying to represent a concept for the the b-hebrew list.)

David is speaking skillfully to secure a chance to challenge Goliath. IOW, he is applying for a job, and he wants to express that he is just the *kind of guy* that Israel is looking for.
I likened David's speech to a "resume." This is because in a resume in English, one might highlight that he is the right kind of guy for a job by describing himself: "I am a team-player..." rather than recounting: "I teamed with..."
Shalom,
Bryan

--
B.M. Rocine
Living Word Church
6101 Court St. Rd.
Syracuse, NY 13206
W: (315) 437-6744





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