Biblical Hebrew Forum

[K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Joseph:

On Mon, Feb 1, 2010 at 12:13 PM, Joseph Justiss <jljustiss AT msn.com> wrote:

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> List members
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> I propose this definition for "tense" in BH narrative texts. …


Why even use the word “tense” at all in Biblical Hebrew? Why not just use
“qatal” and “yiqtol”, and for those who make the difference “wayyiqtol” and
“weqatal”? That avoids the difficulties of a non-standard definition, and
allows for that the function of these forms is disputed at best. It is
almost universally recognized that Biblical Hebrew verbal forms did not
refer to tense, so the use the term “tense” to refer to those forms is …
well … foolish, at best.

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> Joseph Justiss
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Karl W. Randolph.