# Ch21 Passage Exercise — Qal Infinitive Absolute in Context

*For each highlighted IA form: (a) Root, (b) Root class, (c) Function (Emphatic / Imperatival / Manner / Progressive / Serial), (d) Full gloss of the construction.*

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## Passage 1 — Genesis 2:16–17 (The Garden — Permission and Prohibition)

> וַיְצַ֞ו יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהִ֛ים … מִכֹּ֛ל עֵ֥ץ הַגָּ֖ן **אָכֹ֥ל תֹּאכֵֽל**׃
> וּמֵעֵ֗ץ הַדַּ֤עַת טוֹב֙ וָרָ֔ע לֹ֥א תֹאכַ֖ל … **מ֥וֹת תָּמוּת**׃

*"…from every tree of the garden **you may freely eat**; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat … **you shall surely die**."*

| # | Form | Root | Root Class | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | אָכֹ֥ל (in אָכֹ֥ל תֹּאכֵֽל) | | | | |
| 2 | מ֥וֹת (in מ֥וֹת תָּמוּת) | | | | |

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## Passage 2 — Exodus 3:7 (The Burning Bush)

> וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֔ה **רָאֹ֣ה רָאִ֛יתִי** אֶת\-עֳנִ֥י עַמִּ֖י אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם

*"And the LORD said, '**I have surely seen** the affliction of my people who are in Egypt…'"*

| # | Form | Root | Root Class | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | רָאֹ֣ה (in רָאֹ֣ה רָאִ֛יתִי) | | | | |

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## Passage 3 — Exodus 20:8 and Deuteronomy 5:12 (The Sabbath Command)

> **זָכ֕וֹר** אֶת\-יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּ֖ת לְקַדְּשֽׁוֹ׃ (Exo 20:8)

> **שָׁמ֗וֹר** אֶת\-יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת לְקַדְּשׁ֑וֹ (Deu 5:12)

*"**Remember** the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." (Exo 20:8)*
*"**Keep/Observe** the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." (Deu 5:12)*

| # | Form | Root | Root Class | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | זָכ֕וֹר | | | | |
| 5 | שָׁמ֗וֹר | | | | |

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## Passage 4 — Genesis 8:3, 5 (The Flood Waters Recede)

> וַיָּשֻׁ֧בוּ הַמַּ֛יִם מֵעַ֥ל הָאָ֖רֶץ **הָל֣וֹךְ וָ/שׁ֑וֹב** (Gen 8:3)

> וְהַמַּ֗יִם הָי֤וּ **הָל֣וֹךְ וְ/חָס֔וֹר** (Gen 8:5)

*"And the waters receded from the earth, **going and returning** steadily." (Gen 8:3)*
*"And the waters kept **receding / going and decreasing** steadily." (Gen 8:5)*

| # | Form | Root | Root Class | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | הָל֣וֹךְ (Gen 8:3) | | | | |
| 7 | וָ/שׁ֑וֹב | | | | |
| 8 | הָל֣וֹךְ (Gen 8:5) | | | | |
| 9 | וְ/חָס֔וֹר | | | | |

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## Passage 5 — Genesis 26:13 (Isaac's Prosperity)

> וַיִּגְדַּ֣ל הָאִ֔ישׁ **הָלוֹךְ֙ וְ/גָדֵ֔ל** עַ֥ד כִּֽי\-גָדַ֖ל מְאֹֽד

*"The man grew **greater and greater** until he became very wealthy."*

| # | Form | Root | Root Class | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | הָלוֹךְ֙ | | | | |
| 11 | וְ/גָדֵ֔ל | | | | |

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## Passage 6 — Genesis 44:28 (Jacob on Joseph)

> וַיֵּצֵ֣א הָאֶחָ֔ד מֵאִתִּ֖י וָ/אֹמַ֑ר אַ֚ךְ **טָרֹ֥ף טֹרַ֖ף** וְלֹ֥א רְאִיתִ֖יו עַד\-הֵֽנָּה׃

*"…the one went out from me, and I said, 'Surely **he has been torn to pieces**,' and I have not seen him since."*

| # | Form | Root | Root Class | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | טָרֹ֥ף (in טָרֹ֥ף טֹרַ֖ף) | | | | |

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## Passage 7 — Deuteronomy 6:17 (Covenant Obedience)

> **שָׁמ֣וֹר תִּשְׁמְר֗וּן** אֶת\-מִצְוֹ֤ת יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֔ם

*"You shall **diligently keep** the commandments of the LORD your God…"*

| # | Form | Root | Root Class | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | שָׁמ֣וֹר (in שָׁמ֣וֹר תִּשְׁמְר֗וּן) | | | | |

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## Passage 8 — Deuteronomy 8:19 (Warning of Apostasy)

> וְהָיָ֗ה אִם\-שָׁכֹ֤חַ תִּשְׁכַּח֙ אֶת\-יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ

*"And if you **ever forget** the LORD your God…"*

| # | Form | Root | Root Class | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | שָׁכֹ֤חַ (in שָׁכֹ֤חַ תִּשְׁכַּח֙) | | | | |

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## Passage 9 — Numbers 15:35 (Death Penalty Formula)

> וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל\-מֹשֶׁ֔ה **מ֥וֹת יוּמַ֖ת** הָאִ֑ישׁ

*"And the LORD said to Moses, 'The man shall **surely be put to death**…'"*

| # | Form | Root | Root Class | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | מ֥וֹת (in מ֥וֹת יוּמַ֖ת) | | | | |

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## Answer Key

### Passage 1 — Gen 2:16–17

| # | Form | Root | Class | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | אָכֹ֥ל | אכל | I-aleph | Emphatic | "you may freely eat"; IA + Imperfect of same root = emphatic permission; qamets under aleph |
| 2 | מ֥וֹת | מות | Biconsonantal | Emphatic | "you shall surely die"; IA + Imperfect 2ms of same root = certain death; biconsonantal IA identical to bare IC — context (no preposition, paired verb) = IA |

### Passage 2 — Exo 3:7

| # | Form | Root | Class | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | רָאֹ֣ה | ראה | III-ה | Emphatic | "I have surely seen"; III-ה IA ends in ה (contrast IC: רְאוֹת); qamets + holem; God's emphatic declaration of attentive concern |

### Passage 3 — Exo 20:8 / Deu 5:12

| # | Form | Root | Class | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | זָכ֕וֹר | זכר | Strong A | Imperatival | "Remember!"; IA used as stand-alone command; no paired finite verb of same root; qamets + holem-waw |
| 5 | שָׁמ֗וֹר | שמר | Strong A | Imperatival | "Keep/Observe!"; same imperatival IA construction; Deu version of the Sabbath command; the two forms (זָכ֕וֹר / שָׁמ֗וֹר) show that IA can express the Sabbath command in both its forms |

### Passage 4 — Gen 8:3, 5

| # | Form | Root | Class | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | הָל֣וֹךְ | הלך | I-י | Manner/Progressive | "going"; I-י IA retains full form; paired with שׁוֹב = "going to and fro" (steady recession) |
| 7 | וָ/שׁ֑וֹב | שוב | Biconsonantal | Manner | "returning"; second IA in the pair; full shureq |
| 8 | הָל֣וֹךְ | הלך | I-י | Progressive | same form; second paired IA sequence describing continued recession |
| 9 | וְ/חָס֔וֹר | חסר | Strong A | Progressive | "decreasing"; IA of חסר; holem on R2; the IA pair describes ongoing diminishment |

### Passage 5 — Gen 26:13

| # | Form | Root | Class | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | הָלוֹךְ֙ | הלך | I-י | Progressive | "going"; I-י IA; introduces the progressive growth description |
| 11 | וְ/גָדֵ֔ל | גדל | Strong A | Progressive | "growing"; IA paired with הָלוֹךְ; "growing greater and greater" — iterative/progressive idiom |

### Passage 6 — Gen 44:28

| # | Form | Root | Class | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | טָרֹ֥ף | טרף | Strong A | Emphatic | "he has surely been torn"; IA + Passive Perfect of same root; Jacob's certainty about Joseph's death (wrong — dramatic irony) |

### Passage 7 — Deu 6:17

| # | Form | Root | Class | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | שָׁמ֣וֹר | שמר | Strong A | Emphatic | "diligently keep"; IA + Imperfect 2mp; Deuteronomic command style; qamets + holem-waw |

### Passage 8 — Deu 8:19

| # | Form | Root | Class | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | שָׁכֹ֤חַ | שכח | Strong B (gutt. R3) | Emphatic | "ever forget"; IA + Imperfect of same root in conditional clause; qamets + holem + patach before gutt. ח |

### Passage 9 — Num 15:35

| # | Form | Root | Class | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | מ֥וֹת | מות | Biconsonantal | Emphatic | "shall surely be put to death"; IA + Hophal Imperfect (יוּמַת) = Hiphil/Hophal death formula; same IA as Gen 2:17 but now with Hophal = "be put to death" |

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## Reflection Questions

1. Genesis 2:16–17 uses the same IA + finite verb construction for both the permission (אָכֹ֥ל תֹּאכֵֽל, "freely eat") and the prohibition/consequence (מ֥וֹת תָּמוּת, "surely die"). What does this parallel structure communicate about how Hebrew uses the IA to express certainty?

2. The Sabbath commandment appears in two versions: Exodus 20:8 uses זָכ֕וֹר ("remember") and Deuteronomy 5:12 uses שָׁמ֗וֹר ("keep/observe"). Both are imperatival IAs. Why do you think both forms are IAs rather than true imperatives? What effect might the IA create in a command?

3. The flood narrative in Genesis 8 strings together pairs of IAs (הָל֣וֹךְ וָשׁ֑וֹב, הָל֣וֹךְ וְחָס֔וֹר, הָלוֹךְ וְגָדֵ֔ל in ch. 26). How does this "paired IA" idiom differ semantically from simply using two finite verbs? What literary effect does it create?
