# Chapter 22 — Qal Participle (Active and Passive) in Context

For each highlighted participle: (a) Active or Passive, (b) Root, (c) Root class, (d) Gender/Number, (e) Function (Attributive / Predicate / Substantive / Progressive / Occupational / Resultant state), (f) Gloss. Click ▶ Answer to reveal.

Active ptc. ms: holem-waw + tsere (שֹׁמֵ֖ר). Passive ptc. ms: qamets + shureq (בָּר֥וּךְ). III-ה active: holem-waw + seghol + ה (רֹעֶ֛ה). I-י active: yod visible (יוֹשֵׁ֖ב).

## Passage 1 — Genesis 3:14 / 4:11 (Curse Formulas)

Gen 3:14 / Gen 4:11

אָר֤וּר אַתָּה֙ מִכָּל-הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה

"Cursed are you more than all livestock." (Gen 3:14)

וְעַתָּ֖ה אָר֤וּר אָ֙תָּה֙ מִן-הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה

"And now, cursed are you from the ground…" (Gen 4:11)

# | Form | Act./Pass. | Root | Root Class | G/N | Function | Gloss |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
1 | אָר֤וּר |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Passive · ארר · Geminate · ms · Predicate — "you are cursed"; qamets + shureq (qatûl); predicate of אַתָּה in verbless clause
2 | אָר֤וּר (4:11) |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Passive · ארר · Geminate · ms · Predicate — identical form and function; curse formula applied to Cain

## Passage 2 — Genesis 14:19 / 24:27 (Blessing Formulas)

Gen 14:19 / Gen 24:27

בָּר֤וּךְ אַבְרָם֙ לְאֵ֣ל עֶלְי֔וֹן

"Blessed be Abram by God Most High." (Gen 14:19)

בָּר֤וּךְ יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲדֹנִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֔ם

"Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham." (Gen 24:27)

# | Form | Act./Pass. | Root | Root Class | G/N | Function | Gloss |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
3 | בָּר֤וּךְ |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Passive · ברך · Strong A · ms · Predicate — "blessed is Abram"; blessing formula
4 | בָּר֤וּךְ (24:27) |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Passive · ברך · Strong A · ms · Predicate — "blessed is the LORD"; same form applied to God; fixed blessing formula

## Passage 3 — Genesis 18:1 (Abraham at the Tent)

Gen 18:1

וְהוּא יֹשֵׁ֤ב פֶּֽתַח-הָאֹ֙הֶל֙ כְּחֹ֣ם הַיּ֔וֹם

"…while he was sitting at the entrance of the tent in the heat of the day."

# | Form | Act./Pass. | Root | Root Class | G/N | Function | Gloss |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
5 | יֹשֵׁ֤ב |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Active · ישב · I-י · ms · Predicate (circumstantial) — "sitting"; describes Abraham's ongoing posture; circumstantial clause

## Passage 4 — Genesis 4:9 (Am I My Brother's Keeper?)

Gen 4:9

הֲשֹׁמֵ֥ר אָחִ֖י אָנֹֽכִי

"Am I my brother's keeper?"

# | Form | Act./Pass. | Root | Root Class | G/N | Function | Gloss |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
6 | שֹׁמֵ֥ר |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Active · שמר · Strong A · ms · Substantive — "keeper"; used as a noun; predicate of אָנֹכִי in verbless question

## Passage 5 — Exodus 3:2 (The Burning Bush)

Exo 3:2

וְהִנֵּ֤ה הַסְּנֶה֙ בֹּעֵ֣ר בָּאֵ֔שׁ וְהַסְּנֶ֖ה אֵינֶ֥נּוּ אֻכָּֽל

"…behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed."

# | Form | Act./Pass. | Root | Root Class | G/N | Function | Gloss |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
7 | בֹּעֵ֣ר |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Active · בער · Strong A · ms · Predicate/Progressive — "burning"; describes ongoing state of the bush; introduced by וְהִנֵּה

## Passage 6 — Exodus 6:6 (Outstretched Arm Formula)

Exo 6:6

בִּ/זְר֥וֹעַ נְטוּיָ֖ה

"…with an outstretched arm."

# | Form | Act./Pass. | Root | Root Class | G/N | Function | Gloss |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
8 | נְטוּיָ֖ה |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Passive · נטה · III-ה · fs · Attributive — "outstretched"; agrees with זְרוֹעַ (arm, fs); fixed formula 15+ times in Torah; shewa + shureq + יָה

## Passage 7 — Deuteronomy 9:10 (Tablets Written by God)

Deu 9:10

אֶת-שְׁנֵ֛י לוּחֹ֥ת הָאֲבָנִ֖ים כְּתֻבִ֣ים בְּאֶצְבַּ֣ע אֱלֹהִ֑ים

"…the two stone tablets written with the finger of God."

# | Form | Act./Pass. | Root | Root Class | G/N | Function | Gloss |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
9 | כְּתֻבִ֣ים |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Passive · כתב · Strong A · mp · Attributive — "written"; agrees with לוּחֹת (tablets, mp); shewa + shureq + ִים

## Passage 8 — Leviticus 2:4–5 (Grain Offering)

Lev 2:4–5

חַלּ֥וֹת מַצּ֛וֹת בְּלוּלֹ֥ת בַּשֶּׁ֖מֶן

"…unleavened loaves mixed with oil."

# | Form | Act./Pass. | Root | Root Class | G/N | Function | Gloss |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
10 | בְּלוּלֹ֥ת |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Passive · בלל · Geminate · fp · Attributive — "mixed with oil"; agrees with חַלּוֹת (loaves, fp); most common passive ptc. in Torah (38×); shewa + shureq + וֹת

## Passage 9 — Genesis 37:2 / Numbers 27:17 (Shepherd)

Gen 37:2 / Num 27:17

וְיוֹסֵ֡ף הָיָ֣ה רֹעֶ֩ה֩ אֶת-אֶחָ֨יו

"Now Joseph was shepherding his brothers…" (Gen 37:2)

לֹא-תִהְיֶ֞ה עֲדַ֤ת יְהוָה֙ כַּצֹּ֣אן אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין-לָהֶ֖ם רֹעֶ֖ה

"…that the congregation of the LORD may not be as sheep that have no shepherd." (Num 27:17)

# | Form | Act./Pass. | Root | Root Class | G/N | Function | Gloss |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
11 | רֹעֶ֩ה (Gen 37:2) |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Active · רעה · III-ה · ms · Predicate/Progressive — "was shepherding"; describes Joseph's occupation; III-ה (holem-waw + seghol + ה)
12 | רֹעֶ֖ה (Num 27:17) |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Active · רעה · III-ה · ms · Substantive — "shepherd"; used as a noun; same form as Gen 37:2 but different syntactic function

## Passage 10 — Leviticus 25:25 (Kinsman-Redeemer)

Lev 25:25

וּבָ֤א גֹאֲל֔וֹ הַקָּרֹ֥ב אֵלָ֖יו

"…then his redeemer, the one near to him, shall come…"

# | Form | Act./Pass. | Root | Root Class | G/N | Function | Gloss |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
13 | גֹאֲל֔וֹ |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Active · גאל · Strong A · ms + 3ms suffix · Substantive — "his redeemer"; ptc. used as title + possessive suffix; kinsman-redeemer institution; holem-waw + tsere

## Passage 11 — Numbers 14:14 / Numbers 2:17 (Standing Cloud / Inhabitants)

Num 14:14 / Num 2:17

וַ/עֲנָנְךָ֙ עֹמֵ֣ד עֲלֵהֶ֔ם

"…and your cloud stands over them." (Num 14:14)

שָֽׁמְע֗וּ … אֶל-יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את

"…they have heard … from the inhabitants of this land." (Num 14:14)

# | Form | Act./Pass. | Root | Root Class | G/N | Function | Gloss |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
14 | עֹמֵ֣ד |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Active · עמד · Strong A · ms · Predicate — "standing"; describes the cloud's ongoing position; I-gutt. (ע) with chateph
15 | יֹשְׁבֵ֣י |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Active · ישב · I-י · mp construct · Substantive — "inhabitants of"; mp construct form (tsere-yod); I-י ptc. (yod + holem-waw in ms, shewa in construct)

## Reflection Questions

1. In Genesis 4:9, Cain uses שֹׁמֵ֥ר as a substantive noun. In Genesis 18:1, יֹשֵׁ֤ב functions as a predicate participle. In Genesis 37:2, רֹעֶ֩ה is a predicate describing occupation, while in Numbers 27:17 the same form is a pure substantive (noun). Without context, how would you determine the function of a participle?
2. The passive participles אָר֤וּר and בָּר֤וּךְ appear as predicates in verbless clauses (e.g., "cursed are you," "blessed is the LORD"). These are states, not events. How does expressing a blessing or curse as a participle (rather than a finite verb like "I curse you") change the theological weight of the formula?
3. Compare the passive participles in these passages: נְטוּיָ֖ה (outstretched arm), כְּתֻבִ֣ים (written tablets), בְּלוּלֹ֥ת (loaves mixed with oil). All are attributive participles modifying a noun. What do they share in describing a resultant state, and how does this usage differ from an attributive adjective?