# Ch20 Passage Exercise — Qal Infinitive Construct in Context

*For each highlighted IC form: (a) Root, (b) Root class, (c) Preposition, (d) Function (Purpose / Temporal-when / Temporal-as / Complementary / Quotative / From / Until / Epexegetical).*

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## Passage 1 — Genesis 2:16–17 (The Garden Command)

> וַיְצַ֞ו יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהִ֛ים עַל\-הָאָדָ֖ם **לֵאמֹ֑ר** מִכֹּ֛ל עֵ֥ץ הַגָּ֖ן אָכֹ֥ל תֹּאכֵֽל׃ וּמֵעֵ֗ץ הַדַּ֤עַת טוֹב֙ וָרָ֔ע לֹ֥א תֹאכַ֖ל מִמֶּ֑נּוּ

*"And the LORD God commanded the man, **saying**: 'From every tree of the garden you may surely eat; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat from it…'"*

| # | Form | Root | Root Class | Prep | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | לֵאמֹ֑ר | | | | | |

---

## Passage 2 — Genesis 11:5 (Babel)

> וַיֵּ֣רֶד יְהוָ֔ה **לִרְאֹ֥ת** אֶת\-הָעִ֖יר וְאֶת\-הַמִּגְדָּ֑ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּנ֖וּ בְּנֵ֥י הָאָדָֽם׃

*"And the LORD came down **to see** the city and the tower that the sons of men had built."*

| # | Form | Root | Root Class | Prep | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | לִרְאֹ֥ת | | | | | |

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## Passage 3 — Genesis 19:22 (Sodom — Angel's Limitation)

> מַהֵ֣ר הִמָּלֵ֣ט שָׁ֑מָּה כִּ֣י לֹ֤א אוּכַל֙ **לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת** דָּבָ֔ר עַ֥ד בֹּאֲךָ֖ שָֽׁמָּה׃

*"Hurry, escape there! For I am not able **to do** anything until you arrive there."*

| # | Form | Root | Root Class | Prep | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת | | | | | |

---

## Passage 4 — Genesis 37:18 (Joseph's Brothers)

> וַיִּרְא֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ מֵרָחֹ֑ק וּבְטֶ֗רֶם יִקְרַ֤ב אֲלֵיהֶם֙ וַיִּֽתְנַכְּל֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ **לַהֲמִית֖וֹ**

*"They saw him from a distance, and before he came near them they conspired against him **to kill him**."*

| # | Form | Root | Root Class | Prep | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | לַהֲמִית֖וֹ | | | | | |

---

## Passage 5 — Genesis 39:18–19 (Potiphar's Wife)

> וַיְהִ֣י **כְשָׁמְע֣וֹ** אֶת\-קוֹלִ֗י וַיַּעֲזֹ֤ב בִּגְדוֹ֙ אֶצְלִ֔י
> …
> וַיְהִי֩ **כִשְׁמֹ֨עַ** אֲדֹנָ֜יו אֶת\-דִּבְרֵ֣י אִשְׁתּ֗וֹ … וַיִּ֥חַר אַפּֽוֹ׃

*"And **as/when he heard** my voice, he left his garment beside me…
…And **when** his master heard the words of his wife … his anger burned."*

| # | Form | Root | Root Class | Prep | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | כְשָׁמְע֣וֹ | | | | | |
| 6 | כִשְׁמֹ֨עַ | | | | | |

---

## Passage 6 — Exodus 3:8 (The Burning Bush)

> וָאֵרֵ֞ד **לְהַצִּיל֣וֹ** מִיַּ֣ד מִצְרַ֗יִם וּ**לְהַעֲלֹת֤וֹ** מִן\-הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ הַהִ֔וא אֶל\-אֶ֥רֶץ טוֹבָ֖ה וּרְחָבָ֑ה

*"And I came down **to deliver him** from the hand of Egypt and **to bring him up** from that land to a good and wide land…"*

| # | Form | Root | Root Class | Prep | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | לְהַצִּיל֣וֹ | | | | | |
| 8 | לְהַעֲלֹת֤וֹ | | | | | |

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## Passage 7 — Exodus 19:1 (Arrival at Sinai)

> בַּחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י **לְצֵ֥את** בְּנֵי\-יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם בַּיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה בָּ֖אוּ מִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי׃

*"In the third month **after the going out** of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, on this day they came into the wilderness of Sinai."*

| # | Form | Root | Root Class | Prep | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | לְצֵ֥את | | | | | |

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## Passage 8 — Deuteronomy 6:18 (Land Possession)

> וְעָשִׂ֛יתָ הַיָּשָׁ֥ר וְהַטּ֖וֹב בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה **לְמַ֣עַן** יִיטַב֙ לָ֔ךְ וּבָ֕אתָ וִירַשְׁתָּ֖ אֶת\-הָאָ֣רֶץ הַטֹּבָ֑ה

*"And you shall do what is right and good in the eyes of the LORD, **in order that** it may go well with you, and you may go in and possess the good land…"*

| # | Form | Root | Root Class | Prep | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | לְמַ֣עַן + יִיטַב | — | — | לְמַעַן | Purpose | Not IC — purpose particle + finite verb; contrast with לְ + IC purpose |

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## Passage 9 — Ecclesiastes 3:1–2 (A Time for Everything)

> לַכֹּ֖ל זְמָ֑ן וְעֵ֥ת לְכָל\-חֵ֖פֶץ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ עֵ֥ת **לָלֶ֖דֶת** וְעֵ֣ת **לָמ֑וּת** עֵ֤ת **לִנְטֹ֙עַ֙** וְעֵ֣ת **לַעֲק֔וֹר** נָטֽוּעַ׃

*"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time **to be born**, and a time **to die**; a time **to plant**, and a time **to uproot** what is planted."*

| # | Form | Root | Root Class | Prep | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | לָלֶ֖דֶת | | | | | |
| 12 | לָמ֑וּת | | | | | |
| 13 | לִנְטֹ֙עַ֙ | | | | | |
| 14 | לַעֲק֔וֹר | | | | | |

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## Passage 10 — Genesis 45:4–5 (Joseph Reveals Himself)

> וַיֹּ֗אמֶר יוֹסֵ֞ף אֶל\-אֶחָ֤יו גְּשׁוּ\-נָ֣א אֵלַ֔י וַיִּגָּ֑שׁוּ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר … וְאַתָּ֖ה **לְמָכְרֵ֥נִי** הֵ֖נָּה׃ וְעַתָּ֣ה׀ אַל\-תֵּֽעָצְב֗וּ … כִּ֣י **לְמִחְיָ֔ה** שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֱלֹהִ֖ים לִפְנֵיכֶֽם׃

*"…and you [sold me] **to sell me** here; but now do not be distressed … because God sent me before you **for preservation of life**."*

| # | Form | Root | Root Class | Prep | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | לְמָכְרֵ֥נִי | | | | | |
| 16 | לְמִחְיָ֔ה | | | | | |

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## Answer Key

### Passage 1 — Gen 2:16–17

| # | Form | Root | Class | Prep | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | לֵאמֹ֑ר | אמר | I-aleph | לְ | Quotative | "saying"; introduces God's direct speech; tsere under ל (ל + hateph-seghol = tsere) |

### Passage 2 — Gen 11:5

| # | Form | Root | Class | Prep | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | לִרְאֹ֥ת | ראה | III-ה | לְ | Purpose | "to see"; וֹת alternates with תּ spelling (לִרְאֹת); purpose of divine descent |

### Passage 3 — Gen 19:22

| # | Form | Root | Class | Prep | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת | עשה | III-ה + I-gutt. | לְ | Complementary | "to do"; completes יכל ("able to"); chateph under ע; וֹת ending |

### Passage 4 — Gen 37:18

| # | Form | Root | Class | Prep | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | לַהֲמִית֖וֹ | מות | Biconsonantal (Hiphil IC) | לְ | Purpose | "to kill him"; Hiphil IC of מות + 3ms obj. suffix; purpose of the brothers' conspiracy |

### Passage 5 — Gen 39:18–19

| # | Form | Root | Class | Prep | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | כְשָׁמְע֣וֹ | שמע | Strong B (gutt.) | כְּ | Temporal (as/when) | "as/when he heard"; IC + 3ms subject suffix; כְּ + IC + suffix = temporal |
| 6 | כִשְׁמֹ֨עַ | שמע | Strong B (gutt.) | כְּ | Temporal (when) | "when he heard"; bare IC (no suffix); כְּ + IC = temporal clause |

### Passage 6 — Exo 3:8

| # | Form | Root | Class | Prep | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | לְהַצִּיל֣וֹ | נצל | Hiphil (I-gutt.) | לְ | Purpose | "to deliver him"; Hiphil IC of נצל + 3ms obj. suffix; God's stated purpose |
| 8 | לְהַעֲלֹת֤וֹ | עלה | Hiphil (III-ה) | לְ | Purpose | "to bring him up"; Hiphil IC of עלה + 3ms obj. suffix; parallel purpose clause |

### Passage 7 — Exo 19:1

| # | Form | Root | Class | Prep | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | לְצֵ֥את | יצא | I-י + III-א | לְ | Epexegetical/Temporal | "after the going out of"; I-י IC (צֵאת); לְ after temporal noun = epexegetical or temporal marker |

### Passage 8 — Deu 6:18

| # | Form | Root | Class | Prep | Function | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | לְמַ֣עַן + יִיטַב | — | — | לְמַעַן | Purpose | לְמַעַן is a purpose particle followed by a *finite* verb (Imperfect), NOT an IC — included for contrast with לְ + IC purpose pattern |

### Passage 9 — Ecc 3:1–2

| # | Form | Root | Class | Prep | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | לָלֶ֖דֶת | ילד | I-י | לְ | Epexegetical | "to bear/give birth"; I-י IC (seghol-dalet-taw); follows עֵת = "a time to…" |
| 12 | לָמ֑וּת | מות | Biconsonantal | לְ | Epexegetical | "to die"; full shureq; לָ prefix before biconsonantal IC; follows עֵת |
| 13 | לִנְטֹ֙עַ֙ | נטע | Strong B (gutt. R3) | לְ | Epexegetical | "to plant"; gutt. patach at R3 (ע); follows עֵת |
| 14 | לַעֲק֔וֹר | עקר | I-gutt. | לְ | Epexegetical | "to uproot"; chateph under ע; follows עֵת; all four IC forms in this verse share the same epexegetical function |

### Passage 10 — Gen 45:4–5

| # | Form | Root | Class | Prep | Function | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | לְמָכְרֵ֥נִי | מכר | Strong A | לְ | Purpose | "to sell me"; IC + 1cs obj. suffix; states the brothers' purpose — God overrode it |
| 16 | לְמִחְיָ֔ה | חיה | III-ה | לְ | Purpose | "for preservation of life"; IC as abstract verbal noun; Joseph's theological reframing of his sale |

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## Reflection Questions

1. How does לֵאמֹר (Gen 2:16) function differently from other לְ + IC forms in these passages? What makes it a "quotative formula" rather than a purpose clause?

2. In Gen 39:19, both כְשָׁמְעוֹ (with subject suffix) and כִשְׁמֹעַ (bare) express temporal meaning. What structural difference do you observe, and does the meaning change?

3. Compare the four IC forms in Ecc 3:1–2 (לָלֶדֶת / לָמוּת / לִנְטֹעַ / לַעֲקוֹר). They share the same syntactic function (epexegetical after עֵת). What does the variety in IC forms (different root classes, vowel patterns) illustrate about Hebrew IC morphology?
