# BBH Chapter 15 — Qal Imperfect Strong Verbs

## Files

### Reference Files

File | Description
--- | ---
qal-imperfect-paradigm.md | Full PGN paradigm: A/B/C vowel classes, jussive forms, with key-marker notes

### Exercises

Exercise | Description
--- | ---
exercises/ch15-parsing-drill/ | 25 pointed forms — identify prefix, PGN, and root for each Qal Imperfect
exercises/ch15-passage-exercise/ | 15 Qal Imperfect verbs from the burning bush narrative to parse (PGN + root) and identify usage type
exercises/ch15-qal-imperfect-paradigm-drill/ | Paradigm drill — write all 10 Qal Imperfect forms of שמר from memory

### Flashcards

File | Format | Description
--- | --- | ---
ch15-morphology-deck.md | Markdown | 25-card morphology deck — Qal Imperfect Strong forms across all 14 PGN cells
ch15-morphology-deck.txt | Anki import | Morphology deck — tab-separated, ready for Anki File → Import (25 cards)
ch15-morphology-deck-fd.txt | Flashcards Deluxe | Morphology deck — tab-separated, ready for Flashcards Deluxe import (25 cards)
ch15-vocab-deck.md | Markdown | Vocabulary deck — 16 words (6 verbs, 6 nouns, 4 other) with POS tags and frequency
ch15-vocab-deck.txt | Anki import | Vocabulary deck — tab-separated, ready for Anki File → Import (16 cards)
ch15-vocab-deck-fd.txt | Flashcards Deluxe | Vocabulary deck — tab-separated, ready for Flashcards Deluxe import (16 cards)

### Notebooks

Notebook | What it shows
--- | ---
Qal Stem | Qal stem: conjugation profile showing Imperfect (yiqtol) distribution

Basics of Biblical Hebrew, Pratico & Van Pelt
Data: MACULA Hebrew WLC (~9,156 Qal Imperfect tokens OT-wide)

> Context: The Qal Imperfect (yiqtol) accounts for 18.2% of all Qal verb tokens.
> When the sequential Wayyiqtol (22.9%) — which is built on the Imperfect — is included,
> Imperfect-derived forms account for over 41% of all Qal usage.

## 1. Function (BBH §15.2)

The Qal Imperfect expresses an action or state viewed as incomplete, ongoing, or not yet
fully realized. Unlike English tense markers, Hebrew aspect is context-driven; the
same Imperfect form can express future, habitual, or modal nuance.

Use | Description | Example
--- | --- | ---
Simple Future | An action expected to happen | יִמְלֹךְ — "he will reign"
Habitual/Repeated | An action that recurs or is customary | יִקְרְאוּ — "they used to call / they call"
Jussive | A wish or mild command (3rd person) | יְהִי אֹור — "Let there be light" (Gen 1:3)
Cohortative | A volitional declaration (1st person) | אֶשְׁמְרָה — "Let me keep / I will keep"
Modal / Conditional | Possibility, necessity, or conditionality | לֹא תִּגְנֹב — "You shall not steal"
Negated with לֹא | Prohibition of a future act | לֹא תִּרְצָח — "You shall not murder"
Negated with אַל | Prohibition of an immediate act | אַל תִּירָא — "Do not fear!"

> Key diagnostic: The Imperfect always has a prefix letter (יִ/תִּ/אֶ/נִ) before the
> root. This is the single most reliable feature. The Perfect has no prefix.
> The Wayyiqtol (Ch17) is a special sequential Imperfect — same prefix, with וַ- plus
> dagesh forte in the prefix consonant.

## 2. Form: Diagnostic Markers (BBH §15.3–15.5)

- Prefix consonant required — one of: יִ (3ms/3mp), תִּ (3fs/2ms/2fs/2mp/2fp), אֶ (1cs), נִ (1cp)
- A-class theme vowel (holem) under R2 for most verbs: יִקְטֹל
- B-class theme vowel (tsere) under R2 for some transitive verbs: יִשְׁמַע → יִשְׁמָע
- C-class (patach) under R2 for some stative roots in imperfect
- Vocal shewa under prefix consonant in most persons (יִקְטֹל, תִּקְטֹל)
- Patach under prefix consonant only in the 1cs (אֶקְטֹל)
- Energic nun (נ-) can be added before pronominal suffixes (less common; BBH notes it)
- Short Imperfect (Jussive): in some verbs, the 3ms/3fs and 2ms forms shorten (tsere → patach, final vowel shortens)

→ Full paradigm: qal-imperfect-paradigm.md

## 3. Paradigm Summary

Strong root model: קָטַל / יִקְטֹל (A-class, holem).

Person | Form | Prefix | Notes
--- | --- | --- | ---
3ms | יִקְטֹל | יִ | No ending
3fs | תִּקְטֹל | תִּ | Same prefix as 2ms
2ms | תִּקְטֹל | תִּ | Same form as 3fs — context distinguishes
2fs | תִּקְטְלִי | תִּ | Hireq-yod suffix
1cs | אֶקְטֹל | אֶ | Patach under prefix (not hireq)
3mp | יִקְטְלוּ | יִ | Shureq suffix
3fp | תִּקְטֹלְנָה | תִּ | Nah-ending
2mp | תִּקְטְלוּ | תִּ | Shureq suffix
2fp | תִּקְטֹלְנָה | תִּ | Nah-ending; same as 3fp
1cp | נִקְטֹל | נִ | Nun prefix

> 3ms = 3fs ambiguity — both are תִּקְטֹל. This is resolved by context: the grammatical
> subject of the clause will indicate whether the actor is masculine or feminine.

→ Full paradigm with A/B/C vowel classes: qal-imperfect-paradigm.md

## 4. A-Class, B-Class, and Stative Imperfects (BBH §15.6)

Type | Theme vowel under R2 | 3ms example | Common roots
--- | --- | --- | ---
A-class (holem) | holem (ō) | יִקְטֹל | Most action verbs: שמר, כתב, למד
B-class (patach) | patach (a) | יִשְׁמַע | Some transitive verbs: שמע, ידע
B-class (tsere) | tsere (ē) | יִשְׁכַּב | A few verbs; less predictable

The theme vowel of the Imperfect is not fully predictable from the Perfect. A verb may
have qamets in the Perfect and holem in the Imperfect (type A/A), or qamets in the Perfect
and patach in the Imperfect (type A/B). The lexicon entry gives both.

## 5. Stative vs. Fientive in the Imperfect (BBH §15.7)

Stative roots that had type-B (tsere) or type-C (holem) in the Perfect often take
patach in the Imperfect under R2:

Root | Perfect 3ms | Imperfect 3ms | Meaning
--- | --- | --- | ---
כָּבֵד | כָּבֵד | יִכְבַּד | to be heavy/honored
גָּדֵל | גָּדֵל | יִגְדַּל | to be great
קָטֹן | קָטֹן | יִקְטַן | to be small
יָרֵא | יָרֵא | יִירָא | to fear/revere

## 6. Most Common Lemmas — Torah Qal Imperfect (BBH §15.8)

Source: MACULA Hebrew WLC, Genesis–Deuteronomy, Qal Imperfect (yiqtol) tokens.

Lemma | Hebrew | Torah (×) | Gloss | Class | Notes
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
הָיָה | הָיָה | 358 | be, become | III-ה | Dominant existential verb
עָשָׂה | עָשָׂה | 228 | do, make | III-ה |
אָכַל | אָכַל | 143 | eat | I-gutt. |
נָתַן | נָתַן | 125 | give | I-נ | Nun assimilates in imperfect
בּוֹא | בּוֹא | 89 | come, go in | Biconsonantal |
לָקַח | לָקַח | 73 | take | I-gutt. |
שָׁמַע | שָׁמַע | 54 | hear | III-gutt. |
מוּת | מוּת | 53 | die | Biconsonantal |
הָלַך | הָלַך | 52 | walk, go | I-gutt. |
אָמַר | אָמַר | 43 | say | I-gutt. |
נָשָׂא | נָשָׂא | 43 | lift, carry | I-נ / III-א |
רָאָה | רָאָה | 42 | see | III-ה |
יָכֹל | יָכֹל | 42 | be able | Stative-C |
יָצָא | יָצָא | 35 | go out | I-י |
שָׁמַר | שָׁמַר | 31 | keep, guard | III-gutt. |

> Note on I-נ in the Imperfect: נָתַן becomes יִתֵּן (not יִנְתֵּן) — the nun assimilates
> into the tav by dagesh forte. This is the key I-נ pattern in the Imperfect. Chapter 16
> covers all weak classes in the Imperfect in detail.

## 7. Example Passages

### Simple Future

Gen 2:17 — כִּ֗י בְּיֹ֛ום אֲכָלְךָ֥ מִמֶּ֖נּוּ מֹ֥ות תָּמֽוּת
"For on the day you eat of it, you will surely die."
→ מוּת: root מות, Qal Imperfect 2ms. Biconsonantal weak; preceded by inf. absolute for emphasis.

Gen 3:5 — וִֽהְיִיתֶ֖ם כֵּֽאלֹהִ֑ים יֹדְעֵ֖י טֹ֥וב וָרָֽע
"and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
→ (participial clause in this verse; Imperfect is in the surrounding context)

Exo 3:12 — כִּֽי אֶֽהְיֶ֣ה עִמָּ֔ך
"For I will be with you."
→ הָיָה: Qal Imperfect 1cs. God's promise to Moses; simple future.

### Habitual/Repeated

Gen 2:10 — וְנָהָר֙ יֹצֵ֣א מֵעֵ֔דֶן לְהַשְׁקֹ֖ות אֶת־הַגָּ֑ן
"A river continually went out from Eden to water the garden."
→ יָצָא: Qal Imperfect 3ms (I-י weak). Habitual/repeated past action — the river flowed
continuously.

Exo 13:21 — יְהוָ֡ה הֹלֵ֣ךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם֩ יֹומָ֨ם בְּעַמּ֤וּד עָנָן֙
"The LORD was going before them by day in a pillar of cloud."
→ הֹלֵךְ: Qal Participle 3ms (habitual/ongoing; the Participle competes with the Imperfect
for habitual meaning). Included for comparison.

### Jussive (3rd Person Wish/Command)

Gen 1:3 — וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֖ים יְהִ֣י אֹ֑ור
"And God said: 'Let there be light.'"
→ הָיָה: Qal Jussive 3ms (III-ה weak; short jussive = יְהִי without final ה).
Classic jussive — God speaks a third-person volitional command into existence.

Gen 1:6 — יְהִ֣י רָקִ֔יעַ בְּת֖וֹךְ הַמָּ֑יִם
"Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters."
→ הָיָה: Jussive 3ms again; demonstrates the standard creation formula.

### Cohortative (1st Person Volitional)

Gen 1:26 — נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֛ם בְּצַלְמֵ֖נוּ
"Let us make man in our image."
→ עָשָׂה: Qal Cohortative 1cp (III-ה; the נַ- prefix + ה-ending marks cohortative).
The cohortative expresses the divine resolve.

Gen 37:17 — נֵלְכָ֣ה דֹתָ֑יְנָה
"Let us go to Dothan."
→ הָלַך: Qal Cohortative 1cp. A volitional statement ("Let us go").

### Modal / Prohibition (לֹא + Imperfect)

Exo 20:13 — לֹ֖א תִּרְצָֽח
"You shall not murder."
→ רָצַח: Qal Imperfect 2ms. The Ten Commandments use לֹא + Imperfect for absolute
prohibition — a categorical, ongoing prohibition, not a one-time command.

Exo 20:14 — לֹ֣א תִנְאָ֑ף
"You shall not commit adultery."
→ נָאַף: Qal Imperfect 2ms. Same pattern.

### Negation with אַל (Immediate Prohibition)

Gen 21:17 — אַל־תִּ֣ירְאִ֔י
"Do not fear!"
→ יָרֵא: Qal Imperfect 2fs with אַל. Immediate command to Hagar not to be afraid —
אַל + Imperfect (or Jussive) is more urgent than לֹא + Imperfect.

Gen 22:12 — אַל תִּשְׁלַ֤ח יָדְךָ֙ אֶל הַנַּ֔עַר
"Do not lay your hand on the boy."
→ שָׁלַח: Qal Imperfect 2ms with אַל. The angel stops Abraham at the moment of action.

## 8. Conjugation Distribution — OT-wide Qal

Conjugation | Count | % of all Qal
--- | --- | ---
Wayyiqtol | 11,505 | 22.9%
Perfect (qatal) | 10,097 | 20.1%
Imperfect (yiqtol) | 9,156 | 18.2%
Participle (active) | 5,532 | 11.0%
Infinitive Construct | 4,525 | 9.0%
Weqatal | 3,828 | 7.6%
Imperative | 2,882 | 5.7%
Participle (passive) | 987 | 2.0%
Jussive | 787 | 1.6%
Infinitive Absolute | 510 | 1.0%
Cohortative | 370 | 0.7%

Total OT Qal tokens: ~50,179 across 39 books.

> The Imperfect's 18.2% share increases substantially when the Wayyiqtol (an Imperfect-based
> form) is counted: together they are over 41% of all Qal usage. The Imperfect is also the
> base form for the Jussive (1.6%) and Cohortative (0.7%), bringing the total Imperfect family
> to roughly 43%.

## 9. Practice

Resource | Description
--- | ---
Morphology Flashcard Deck | Qal Imperfect forms across all 14 PGN cells for 3 high-frequency roots.
Passage Exercise — Exodus 3–4 | 15 Qal Imperfect verbs from the burning bush narrative to parse (PGN + root) and identify usage type.
Parsing Drill | 25 pointed forms — identify prefix, PGN, and root for each Qal Imperfect.

## 10. Links

Resource | URL
--- | ---
Anki (free flashcard app — Windows, Mac, iOS, Android) | apps.ankiweb.net
Morphology import file for this chapter | ch15-morphology-deck.txt