Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Rolf Furuli <furuli AT online.no>]

Dear Randall,

Your words show that you know Syriac. Before I comment on your post, 
I have a question for you:
Do you deny that the QATAL form in Syriac can have future reference? 
In other words, do you claim that this form always refer to the past, 
to the point where it is a past tense (grammaticalized location in 
the past)? Please answer my questions with simple words, so the 
list-members can understand whether our  viewpoints are similar or 
different.


Best regards,

Rolf Furuli
University of Oslo



>  >Syriac QATAL is normally
> used with past reference, but in Matthew 24:33
> the QATAL form of the verb XZ) (to see) is used
> with future reference. >
>
> This sentence also illustrates the need to evaluate how an analyst
> divides and assigns data.
> The verb Hazaytun 'you saw' is in a subordinate clause mo d- 'what that'
> to main clause with an imperative "Know".
> The main command to 'know' indirectly relates to the future,
> but it is specifically in the volitional world,
> "i want you to know" the non-indicative world.
> The subordinate 'seeing' can also be viewed as relatively past to the
> 'knowing'. "When you would see, then you should know.."
>
> So one should not take this Syriac qatal as an unambiguous, simple
> 'future context'.
>
> braxot
> Yochanan
>
>
> --
> Randall Buth, PhD
> www.biblicalulpan.org
> randallbuth AT gmail.com
> Biblical Language Center
> Learn Easily - Progress Further - Remember for Life
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