# BBH Chapter 13 — Qal Perfect Strong Verbs

## Files

### Reference Files

File | Description
--- | ---
qal-perfect-paradigm.md | Full PGN paradigm: fientive and stative verb classes with key-marker notes

### Exercises

Exercise | Description
--- | ---
exercises/ch13-parsing-drill/ | 25-item parsing drill — identify PGN and root for each Qal Perfect form
exercises/ch13-passage-exercise/ | 15 Qal Perfect verbs from early Genesis to parse (PGN + root) and identify usage type
exercises/ch13-qal-perfect-paradigm-drill/ | Paradigm drill — write all 9 inflected Qal Perfect forms of קטל from memory

### Flashcards

File | Format | Description
--- | --- | ---
ch13-morphology-deck.md | Markdown | 28-card morphology deck — Qal Perfect forms across all 9 PGN cells for 3 high-frequency roots
ch13-morphology-deck.txt | Anki import | Morphology deck — tab-separated, ready for Anki File → Import (28 cards)
ch13-morphology-deck-fd.txt | Flashcards Deluxe | Morphology deck — tab-separated, ready for Flashcards Deluxe import (28 cards)
ch13-vocab-deck.md | Markdown | Vocabulary deck — 16 words (13 verbs, 3 adverbs) with POS tags and frequency
ch13-vocab-deck.txt | Anki import | Vocabulary deck — tab-separated, ready for Anki File → Import (16 cards)
ch13-vocab-deck-fd.txt | Flashcards Deluxe | Vocabulary deck — tab-separated, ready for Flashcards Deluxe import (16 cards)

### Notebooks

Notebook | What it shows
--- | ---
ot/verbs/qal.ipynb | Qal stem notebook
both/survey/book_profiles.ipynb | Per-book language profiles

Basics of Biblical Hebrew, Pratico & Van Pelt
Data: MACULA Hebrew WLC (~10,097 Qal Perfect tokens OT-wide)

> Context: The Qal Perfect accounts for 20.1% of all Qal verb tokens in the OT
> (~50,179 total Qal). It is the second most frequent Qal form after the Wayyiqtol (22.9%).

## 1. The Hebrew Verb System: An Overview (BBH §13.1–13.2)

Before studying individual conjugations, a brief map of the whole system:

- Roots: Most Hebrew verbs are built on a three-consonant root (triliteral). The root
  carries the basic semantic meaning; vowels and affixes signal stem and conjugation.
- Stems (binyanim): The seven major stems transform the basic root meaning — Qal (base),
  Niphal (passive/reflexive), Piel (intensive), Pual (passive of Piel), Hiphil (causative),
  Hophal (passive of Hiphil), Hithpael (reflexive intensive). The Qal is the base stem.
- Aspect: Biblical Hebrew verbs express aspect, not tense per se. The Perfect describes
  an action as complete; the Imperfect describes an action as incomplete or ongoing.
  Context determines whether "complete" means past, present, or even future.
- Word order: Hebrew typically places the verb first (Verb–Subject–Object), though the
  disjunctive clause (noun/pronoun first) signals background information.

> Roadmap: This chapter introduces the Perfect. The Imperfect follows in Ch15; Imperative
> in Ch18; Infinitives in Ch20–21; Participle in Ch22. Derived stems begin in Ch24.

## 2. Function (BBH §13.3)

The Qal Perfect expresses an action or state viewed as complete or whole.

Use | Description | Example
--- | --- | ---
Simple Past | A completed action in the past; the most common use | בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים — "God created" (Gen 1:1)
Perfect of Experience | A state acquired by experience, still in effect | יָדַעְתִּי — "I know / have come to know"
Stative | A present state or condition (especially with stative roots) | כָּבֵד לִבּוֹ — "his heart is heavy"
Perfect of Certainty (Prophetic) | A future event described as so certain it is treated as done | נָפְלָה לֹא תוֹסִיף — "She has fallen, shall rise no more" (Amos 5:2)

> Key diagnostic: When you see a Hebrew verb with person/number/gender suffixes and
> no imperfect prefix, it is the Perfect. The 3ms form has neither prefix nor suffix and
> must be recognized by its vowel pattern alone (qamets under R1 for fientive roots).

## 3. Form: Diagnostic Markers (BBH §13.4–13.6)

- No prefix consonant — the Perfect never carries a prefix letter (contrast Imperfect יִקְטֹל)
- Person/number/gender suffixes — attached directly to the root; the 3ms has no suffix
- Qamets (ā) under R1 — the "type-A" theme vowel for most fientive (action) roots: קָטַל
- Tsere (ē) under R2 — the "type-B" stative theme vowel: כָּבֵד
- Holem (ō) under R2 — the "type-C" stative theme vowel: קָטֹן
- Accent on ultima for most suffixed forms — but 3ms, 3fs, 2ms accent on penult
- Sufformatives with vocal shewa cause the preceding vowel to reduce: קָטַל → קָטַלְתִּי
  (qamets → vocal shewa under R1 when a syllable is added)

→ Full paradigm with stative comparison: qal-perfect-paradigm.md

## 4. Paradigm Summary

Strong root model: קָטַל ("to kill" — a teaching root, not common in the OT).

Person | Fientive (קָטַל) | Stative-e (כָּבֵד) | Stative-o (קָטֹן) | Suffix
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
3ms | קָטַל | כָּבֵד | קָטֹן | —
3fs | קָטְלָה | כָּבְדָה | קָטְנָה | ָה-
2ms | קָטַלְתָּ | כָּבַדְתָּ | קָטֹנְתָּ | ָתּ-
2fs | קָטַלְתְּ | כָּבַדְתְּ | קָטֹנְתְּ | תְּ-
1cs | קָטַלְתִּי | כָּבַדְתִּי | קָטֹנְתִּי | תִּי-
3cp | קָטְלוּ | כָּבְדוּ | קָטְנוּ | וּ-
2mp | קְטַלְתֶּם | כְּבַדְתֶּם | קְטֹנְתֶּם | תֶּם-
2fp | קְטַלְתֶּן | כְּבַדְתֶּן | קְטֹנְתֶּן | תֶּן-
1cp | קָטַלְנוּ | כָּבַדְנוּ | קָטֹנְנוּ | נוּ-

→ Full paradigm with attested OT forms: qal-perfect-paradigm.md

## 5. Stative vs. Fientive Verbs (BBH §13.7)

Type | Description | 3ms marker | Common roots
--- | --- | --- | ---
Fientive | Describes an action or event | qamets under R1 (קָ–) | כָּתַב, שָׁמַר, לָקַח
Stative-e | Describes a state (often adjective-like) | tsere under R2 (–ֵ–) | כָּבֵד, גָּדֵל, זָקֵן
Stative-o | Describes a state (often smaller/lesser) | holem under R2 (–ֹ–) | קָטֹן, יָכֹל

- Stative verbs with tsere (type-e) lose the tsere in all forms except 3ms/3fs — it reduces to
  a vocal shewa: כָּבֵד → כָּבְדָה, כָּבַדְתָּ.
- Many stative roots can also take a type-A (qamets) pattern in certain forms or in poetry.
- A verb that is stative in the Qal typically takes the Hiphil factitive (not a simple
  Hiphil causative) to make a state come into existence.

## 6. Most Common Lemmas — Torah Qal Perfect (BBH §13.8)

Source: MACULA Hebrew WLC, Genesis–Deuteronomy, Qal Perfect (qatal) tokens.

Lemma | Hebrew | Torah (×) | Gloss | Notes
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
עָשָׂה | עָשָׂה | 171 | he did/made | III-ה weak; high-frequency strong form: עָשָׂה
הָיָה | הָיָה | 143 | it was/became | III-ה weak; existential copula
נָתַן | נָתַן | 112 | he gave/set | I-נ weak; nun assimilates in imperfect
אָמַר | אָמַר | 98 | he said | I-guttural; dominant speech verb
יָדַע | יָדַע | 83 | he knew | I-י weak; important theological verb
בּוֹא | בּוֹא | 64 | he came | biconsonantal; irregular perfect
שָׁמַע | שָׁמַע | 52 | he heard | III-guttural; patach furtive in some forms
רָאָה | רָאָה | 47 | he saw | III-ה weak
מָצָא | מָצָא | 43 | he found | III-א weak
יָלַד | יָלַד | 42 | he begat/bore | I-י weak; genealogical verb
לָקַח | לָקַח | 40 | he took | I-guttural; irregular in some forms
יָצָא | יָצָא | 32 | he went out | I-י weak
חָטָא | חָטָא | 31 | he sinned | III-א weak
שָׁלַח | שָׁלַח | 29 | he sent | III-guttural
קָרָא | קָרָא | 28 | he called/read | III-א weak

> Note on weak forms: Most of the highest-frequency Torah Qal Perfects are weak verbs.
> This is expected — the most common Hebrew verbs are often irregular. Chapter 14 covers
> how each weak class modifies the strong Perfect paradigm above. For now, focus on
> recognizing the suffix pattern; the vowels will vary for weak roots.

## 7. Example Passages

Examples of each major usage type. All from Torah where possible.

### Simple Past

The most common use of the Qal Perfect — a completed action in narrative.

Gen 1:1 — בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ
"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
→ בָּרָא: root בּרא, Qal Perfect 3ms. First verb in the OT; definitively past action.

Gen 4:1 — וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם יָדַ֖ע אֶת־חַוָּ֑ה אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ
"And the man knew Eve his wife."
→ יָדַע: root ידע, Qal Perfect 3ms. Narrative past; use of the perfect for a single completed event.

Exo 14:28 — לֹֽא־נִשְׁאַ֥ר בָּהֶ֖ם עַד־אֶחָֽד
"There did not remain among them even one."
→ נִשְׁאַר: Niphal Perfect 3ms of שאר; included here as a contrast — perfect of narrative completion.

### Perfect of Experience

The subject has come to know, possess, or be in a state through prior experience.

Gen 22:12 — עַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֗עְתִּי כִּֽי־יְרֵ֤א אֱלֹהִים֙ אַתָּ֔ה
"Now I know that you fear God."
→ יָדַעְתִּי: root ידע, Qal Perfect 1cs. God speaks to Abraham: "I have come to know
(through this event) that you fear me." The experience of the Akedah has produced the knowledge.

Gen 30:29 — אַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֔עְתָּ אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲבַדְתִּ֑יךָ
"You know how I have served you."
→ יָדַעְתָּ: root ידע, Qal Perfect 2ms. Jacob to Laban: the knowledge is present,
acquired through years of experience.

### Stative

A present state described as if it were already established fact.

Exo 7:14 — כָּבֵ֥ד לֵ֖ב פַּרְעֹ֑ה
"The heart of Pharaoh is heavy/hardened."
→ כָּבֵד: root כבד, Qal Perfect 3ms (stative-e type). A state of being, not a past event;
best translated as a present state.

Gen 25:23 — וְרַ֖ב יַעֲבֹ֥ד צָעִֽיר
"and the older shall serve the younger."
→ רַב ("the older") + יַעֲבֹד ("shall serve"): the preceding clause uses גָּדוֹל as an
attributive adjective to compare. Stative roots commonly appear as adjectives in the same
context as stative Perfects.

### Prophetic Perfect (Perfect of Certainty)

A future event described as so certain that the prophet describes it in the Perfect.

Amos 5:2 — נָֽפְלָה֙ לֹא־תֹוסִ֣יף ק֔וּם בְּתוּלַ֖ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
"Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin of Israel."
→ נָפְלָה: root נפל, Qal Perfect 3fs. Amos predicts Israel's destruction using the Perfect;
the fall is so certain it is described as already accomplished. (Fall back: Torah examples are
rare; Amos is the clearest Prophetic Perfect in the OT.)

Isa 9:5 (Eng. 9:6) — כִּי־יֶ֣לֶד יֻלַּד־לָ֗נוּ
"For a child is born to us."
→ יֻלַּד: Pual Perfect (passive), but the use is Prophetic Perfect. Noted here for comparison;
Qal examples of Prophetic Perfect are most common in the Prophets.

## 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 Perfect (qatal) and Wayyiqtol together account for 43% of all Qal tokens — reflecting
> the centrality of narrative discourse in the OT. The Wayyiqtol is covered in Ch17; it is
> the sequential narrative form that always follows the Perfect logically and often temporally.

## 9. Practice

Resource | Description
--- | ---
Morphology Flashcard Deck | Qal Perfect forms across all 9 PGN cells for 3 high-frequency roots. Import into Anki for spaced-repetition drilling.
Passage Exercise — Genesis 1–4 | 15 Qal Perfect verbs from early Genesis to parse (PGN + root) and identify usage type. Answer key included.
Parsing Drill | 25 pointed Hebrew forms — identify PGN and root for each Qal Perfect form.

## 10. Links

Resource | Link
--- | ---
Anki (free flashcard app — Windows, Mac, iOS, Android) | apps.ankiweb.net
Morphology import file for this chapter | ch13-morphology-deck.txt