Biblical Hebrew Forum

[K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

In this discussion, I think we need to be careful not to oversimplify, thereby making inaccurate, what we are talking about.

While I haven’t made an exhaustive study like Rolf, I notice that the Wayyiqtol and Yiqtol are used in the same manner, so they’re not separate conjugations.

When reading the consonantal text, there’s no difference between the Wayyiqtol and Weyiqtol, nor any discernable difference in the ways they are used.

When used in the indicative mood, the Yiqtol / Wayyiqtol seems to indicate “in addition” or more information. In narrative that usually, though not always, comes out as sequencing, what comes next, e.g. Genesis 22:1, though even in narrative the “in addition” can refer to multiple actions that happened simultaneously as in 2 Kings 17.

Biblical Hebrew didn’t have a multiplicity of forms, so the Yiqtol / Wayyiqtol conjugation is reused to indicate non-indicative uses of the verbs, such as subjunctive mood, commands, intent, expectation, possibility, and possibly some other nuances to the actions indicated by the verbs.

Both Qatal and Yiqtol are used in optative mood.

Language is complicated, so again I urge people not to try to make one overarching understanding apply to these conjugations, rather see how they are used.

Karl W. Randolph.