Edition 1.

20 September 2011

Observations on Tenses in Archaizing Poetry

by David Steinberg

David.Steinberg@houseofdavid.ca

Home page http://www.houseofdavid.ca/

To print use PDF file here

Return to Table of Contents

See Tenses or Aspects in Biblical Hebrew

 

Table E

PCpretWC[1]  and SC  in the Same Verse Referring to the Past

Chapter/

Verse

Comments and Time Reference

(Reconstructed JEH Style Spelling; */EBHP/+ shown for PC)

English Translation(s)[2]

Masoretic Text[3]

N.b.  In /EBHP/ PCpretWC was distinguished from the PCimp in */EBHP/+ by the germination of the prefix consonant and, additionally, in forms not suffixed, by placement of stress.

Gen 49:15

PCpretWC– past

- וירא - wayˈyịrʾ(:wạyiˈrê PCimp
:wạˈyịrʾ PCjus)

- ויט - wayˈyiṭṭ (:wạyiṭˈṭê PCimp
:wạˈyiṭṭ PCjus)

- ויהי - wayˈyihy (:wạyihˈyê PCimp
:wạˈyihy PCjus)

SCstate – past (נעמה)

he saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant; so he bowed his shoulder to the burden, and became a slave at forced labor

וַיַּרְא מְנֻחָה כִּי טֹוב וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ כִּי נָעֵמָה וַיֵּט שִׁכְמֹו לִסְבֹּל וַיְהִי לְמַס־עֹבֵד

Gen 49:23

PCpretWC – past.

- וימררהו - wayyạmarrịˈruːhu(ː)  
(:wạyạmarrịˈruːhu(ː) PCimp/PCjus)

- וישטמהו - wayyiśṭụˈmuːhu(ː)
(:wạyiśṭụˈmuːhu(ː) PCimp/PCjus).

SCstate – past (ורבו)

The archers fiercely attacked him; they shot at him and pressed him hard.

וַיְמָרֲרֻהוּ וָרֹבּוּ וַיִּשְׂטְמֻהוּ בַּעֲלֵי חִצִּים

Dt 32:15

PCpretWC - past

- ויבעט - wayˈyibcat
(:wạyibˈcat PCimp  :wạˈyibcat PCjus)

- וישמנ - wayˈyišman
(:wạyišˈman PCimp  :wạˈyišman PCjus)

- ויטש - wayˈyiṭṭuš
(:wayyiṭˈṭuš PCimp  :wạˈyiṭṭuš PCjus)

- וינבל - wayyạˈnabbil (:wạyạnabˈbil PCimp  :wạyạˈnabbil PCjus)

SCstate – past (שמנת)

SCpast - past (כשת עבת עשהו)

But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked. You are grown fat, thick, and sleek. Then he forsook God who made him,
and scorned the Rock of his salvation.

וַיִּשְׁמַן יְשֻׁרוּן וַיִּבְעָט שָׁמַנְתָּ עָבִיתָ כָּשִׂיתָ וַיִּטֹּשׁ אֱלֹוהַ עָשָׂהוּ וַיְנַבֵּל צוּר יְשֻׁעָתֹו

Dt 32:18

Table A, Table C, Table D    

SCpast - past (ילדכ)

PCpret_sim - past  תשי ˈtišy (:tiˈšê PCimp)

PCpretWC  - past ( ותשכח ) - watˈtiškaḥ (:wạtišˈkaḥ PCimp  :wạˈtiškaḥ PCjus)

You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.

צוּר יְלָדְךָ [4]תֶּשִׁי וַתִּשְׁכַּח אֵל מְחֹלְלֶךָ

Dt 32:22

Table A, Table B    

Either -

1) SCpast - past (קדחה)

PCpretWC - past

ותיקד - watˈtîqad (:watîˈqad PCimp :wạˈtîqad PCjus)

ותאכל watˈtôkịl (:wạtôˈkịl PCimp
:wạˈtôkịl PCjus)

ותלהט wattạˈlahhiṭ
(:watạlahˈhiṭ PCimp  :wạtạˈlahhiṭ PCjus)

OR,

2) SCstate- present (קדחה)

PCpretWC - present mirroring the meaning of the accompanying SCstate

(ותיקד ותאכל ותלהט)

For a fire was/is kindled by my anger, and burned/burns to the depths of Sheol; it has consumed/consumes the earth and its increase, and set/sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.

כִּי־אֵשׁ קָדְחָה בְאַפִּי וַתִּיקַד עַד־שְׁאֹול תַּחְתִּית וַתֹּאכַל אֶרֶץ וִיבֻלָהּ וַתְּלַהֵט מֹוסְדֵי הָרִים

Dt 33:21

PCpretWC– past

וירא - wayˈyịrʾ (:wayirˈʾê PCimp 
:wạˈyịrʾ PCjus)

יתא - wayˈyêtaʾ (:wayêˈtaʾ PCimp 
:wạˈyêtaʾ PCjus)

SCpast - past (עשה)

Then he provided the first part for himself. For there the ruler's portion was reserved and he came with the leaders of the people. He executed the justice of the LORD and His ordinances with Israel.

וַיַּרְא רֵאשִׁית לֹו כִּי־שָׁם חֶלְקַת מְחֹקֵק סָפוּן וַיֵּתֵא רָאשֵׁי עָם צִדְקַת יְהוָה עָשָׂה וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל

Ju 5:28

Table H  

SCpast - past (נשקפה)

PCpretWC - past ותיבב wattạˈyabbib (:wạtạyabˈbib PCimp  :wạtạˈyabbib PCjus)  

SCstate- present (אחרו)

Out of the window she peered, the mother of Sisera gazed through the lattice: 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the hoofbeats of his chariots?'

בְּעַד הַחַלֹּון נִשְׁקְפָה וַתְּיַבֵּב אֵם סִיסְרָא בְּעַד הָאֶשְׁנָב מַדּוּעַ בֹּשֵׁשׁ רִכְבֹּו לָבֹוא מַדּוּעַ אֶחֱרוּ פַּעֲמֵי מַרְכְּבֹותָיו

 


[1] IN EBHP and LBHP THE JUSSIVE (PCjus), COHORTATIVE (PCcoh), IMPERFECT (PCimp) AND PRETERITE (PCpret_sim/PCpretWC) are, in some forms, distinguished by the placement of syllabic stress when not carrying object suffixes. See -
-  http://www.adath-shalom.ca/history_of_hebrew3a.htm#indic_jus AND
-  http://www.adath-shalom.ca/history_of_hebrew3a.htm#Prefix_Conjugation

[2] For convenience, I have used NASB or NRSV as the basis of my translation modifying the wording and layout as appropriate.

[3] From The Westminster Leningrad Codex.

[4] 2ms PCpret_nonWC תֶּ֑שִׁי  i s dialectial variant or archaic form or Aramized form of normal תִּשֶּׁא