B-Haveray,You have omitted an importan part of the context here, v.18. Vv.18,19a form a temporal sequence: they loathed food; then they drew near to death; then they cried to YHWH. Such sequences are regularly marked by WAYYIQTOL in prose, but are relatively rarely in poetry. After this short sequence, the language reverts to the more normal poetic verb forms in which WAYYIQTOL is rare.
I have a little passage here that may relate to our discussion of whether
wayyiqtol and weyiqtol are distinct. I would be interested in your comments
about the use/meaning of the verb
forms and syntax in this passage, shown translated below in the JPS Tanakh:
Psalm 107:19 In their adversity they cried (wayyiqtol) to the LORD and He
saved (X-yiqtol) them from their troubles. 20 He gave (yiqtol) an order and
healed (weyiqtol) them; He delivered (weyiqtol) them from the pits. 21 Let
them praise (clause-initial yiqtol) the LORD for His steadfast love
Shalom,
Bryan
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