Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Dave Washburn <davidlwashburn AT gmail.com>]

I tend to agree with that assessment. I do not see any kind of sequentiality in the form itself; sequentiality or lack thereof comes from the context, not from the verb form. In my 1994 Hebrew Studies paper I suggested that it denotes a simple declarative statement, not syntactically connected with what precedes. This is why it can be the choice for narrative prose, but can also begin a section, paragraph, or even an entire book. In my analysis, the WA component isn't a conjunction, it's a specified grammatical formative that happens to bear a consonantal resemblance to the conjunction, much like interrogative-HE bears a consonantal resemblance to the definite article. This is where I part company with Galia Hatav: she concluded that it does encode sequence, in that each new wayyiqtol advances "R-time," or moves the reference time frame forward in some way. But when we're at the beginning of a book, there's no R-time to advance. Same when it's used at the beginning of a pericope, such as Genesis 22. So I suggest that time advancement, like other kinds of sequentiality, come from the context and the semantics of the various statements, rather than being encoded in the form itself.

On Tue, May 14, 2013 at 9:21 AM, Ken Penner <kpenner AT stfx.ca> wrote:

I tend to agree with Jan Joosten.

His short description: “WAYYIQTOL is defined as an indicative preterite. This basic function accounts for the use of the form, which nearly always implies a past-tense interpretation. At the same time, the preterite definition avoids attributing to WAYYIQTOL functional traits that are not necessarily present (such as punctuality, sequentiality, foregrounding, or narrativity).”

Joosten, Jan. 2012. The Verbal System of Biblical Hebrew : a New Synthesis Elaborated on the Basis of Classical Prose. Jerusalem: Simor.

 

 

From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Jerry Shepherd
Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 12:17 PM
To: b-hebrew
Subject: [b-hebrew] wayyiqtol

 

Hi List,

 

In our recent discussions about “meaning,” one of the things that Karl and I discussed was the wayyiqtol.  Without starting a debate or any kind of lengthy discussion, I’d like to know what some of the various scholars on the list think the function of the wayyiqtol is.  I know that Rolf has done extensive work here, and I’d love to see a short summary of his conclusions here.  And I seem to remember that George has shared his views here as well.  In any case, I’m not looking for a debate, but just a survey of the range of opinions as to what wayyiqtol’s function is.

 

Here’s my own brief summary.  I think that the most likely basic significance of wayyiqtol is that of indicating consecutiveness, succession, or sequencing.  This succession can take place in a discourse that relates either past, present, or future events.  But it is narrative, more than any other genre, that makes the most use of the idea of succession, and therefore makes the most use of the wayyiqtol.  Because of this usage and the close association of narrative and wayyiqtol, the form, for all practical purposes, in narrative, comes to indicate past tense.  This is so much the case that individual narratives can start with the wayyiqtol, and even in non-narrative texts, the wayyiqtol can indicate a past event, even without a sequence of verbs before it.  Thus I am in agreement with Joüon-Muraoka that “the wayyiqtol form became so strongly associated with its past tense function that it was even used at the beginning, or at least at the relative beginning of some narratives.” (sect 118b).

 

Again, no debate, or even back and forth discussion, just a survey of opinions.

 

Blessings,

 

Jerry

Jerry Shepherd

Taylor Seminary

Edmonton, Alberta

jshepherd53 AT gmail.com

 

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Dave Washburn

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