Ch17 Passage Exercise — Wayyiqtol and Weqatal in Context¶
For each highlighted form, give: (a) Form Type (Wayyiqtol / Weqatal / Imperfect / Perfect), (b) Person, (c) Number, (d) Gender, (e) Root (3ms lexical form), (f) Usage Note (Sequential Past / Sequential Future / Simple Future / Prohibition / etc.).
Passage A — Genesis 1:1–5 (Creation Narrative)¶
בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֖ים יְהִ֣י א֑וֹר וַֽיְהִי־אֹֽור׃ וַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הָאֹ֖ור כִּי־טֹ֑וב וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים לָאֹור֙ יֹ֔ום
| # | Form | Form Type | Person | Number | Gender | Root | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | בָּרָ֣א | ||||||
| 2 | וַֽיְהִי | ||||||
| 3 | וַיַּ֧רְא | ||||||
| 4 | וַיִּקְרָא |
Passage B — Genesis 22:1–4 (Binding of Isaac)¶
וַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם אַבְרָהָ֧ם בַּבֹּ֛קֶר וַיָּ֣קׇם וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ אֶל־הַמָּקֹ֛ום וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּ֤רְא אֶת־הַמָּקֹום֙ מֵרָחֹֽק
| # | Form | Form Type | Person | Number | Gender | Root | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | וַיְהִי | ||||||
| 6 | וַיַּשְׁכֵּם | ||||||
| 7 | וַיָּקׇם | ||||||
| 8 | וַיַּרְא |
Passage C — Deuteronomy 6:4–7 (The Shema — Weqatal chain)¶
שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה אֶחָֽד׃ וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ וְשִׁנַּנְתָּ֣ם לְבָנֶ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֣ בָּ֔ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֥ בְבֵיתֶ֖ךָ
| # | Form | Form Type | Person | Number | Gender | Root | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | וְאָהַבְתָּ | ||||||
| 10 | וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם | ||||||
| 11 | וְדִבַּרְתָּ |
Passage D — Exodus 3:1–6 (Moses and the Burning Bush)¶
וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ מֹשֶׁ֛ה וּרְעֵ֥ה אֶת־הַצֹּ֖אן וַיַּ֥רְא מַלְאַ֧ךְ יְהוָ֛ה אֵלָ֖יו בְּלַבַּת־אֵ֑שׁ וַיֵּ֨פֶן מֹשֶׁ֜ה לִרְאֹ֗ות וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֵלָ֤יו אֱלֹהִים֙ … וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִנֵּ֥נִי
| # | Form | Form Type | Person | Number | Gender | Root | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | וַיֵּלֶךְ | ||||||
| 13 | וַיַּרְא | ||||||
| 14 | וַיֵּפֶן | ||||||
| 15 | וַיִּקְרָא | ||||||
| 16 | וַיֹּאמֶר |
Answer Key¶
| # | Form | Form Type | Pers. | Num. | Gen. | Root | Usage Note | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | בָּרָ֣א | Perfect | 3 | s | m | ברא | Simple Past | No waw; opening statement — background, not sequential narration; III-א weak |
| 2 | וַֽיְהִי | Wayyiqtol | 3 | s | m | היה | Sequential Past | III-ה short Wayyiqtol of היה; "and there was light" — the creation result |
| 3 | וַיַּ֧רְא | Wayyiqtol | 3 | s | m | ראה | Sequential Past | III-ה short form: ה dropped → וַיַּרְא; "and God saw" |
| 4 | וַיִּקְרָא | Wayyiqtol | 3 | s | m | קרא | Sequential Past | III-א weak; aleph quiesces; "and God called" |
| 5 | וַיְהִי | Wayyiqtol | 3 | s | m | היה | Sequential Past | Opening formula for a new narrative episode; III-ה short form |
| 6 | וַיַּשְׁכֵּם | Wayyiqtol | 3 | s | m | שכם | Sequential Past | "And Abraham rose early"; Piel-like vowel but Qal of שׁכם; dagesh forte in כּ |
| 7 | וַיָּקׇם | Wayyiqtol | 3 | s | m | קום | Sequential Past | Biconsonantal short form; qamets hatuf in root; "and he arose" |
| 8 | וַיַּרְא | Wayyiqtol | 3 | s | m | ראה | Sequential Past | III-ה short form; "and he saw the place from a distance" |
| 9 | וְאָהַבְתָּ | Weqatal | 2 | s | m | אהב | Sequential Future | Follows שְׁמַע (imperative); stress on final -tā; "and you shall love" |
| 10 | וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם | Weqatal | 2 | s | m | שנן | Sequential Future | Piel Weqatal; "and you shall teach them diligently"; continues Shema command chain |
| 11 | וְדִבַּרְתָּ | Weqatal | 2 | s | m | דבר | Sequential Future | Piel Weqatal; "and you shall speak of them"; command chain Deu 6:7 |
| 12 | וַיֵּלֶךְ | Wayyiqtol | 3 | s | m | הלך | Sequential Past | I-י: tsere prefix (יֵ–); ה at R1 absent; "and Moses went" |
| 13 | וַיַּרְא | Wayyiqtol | 3 | s | m | ראה | Sequential Past | III-ה short form; "and the angel of the LORD appeared" |
| 14 | וַיֵּפֶן | Wayyiqtol | 3 | s | m | פנה | Sequential Past | III-ה short form: ה dropped, seghol under נ; "and Moses turned aside" |
| 15 | וַיִּקְרָא | Wayyiqtol | 3 | s | m | קרא | Sequential Past | III-א; "and God called out to him" |
| 16 | וַיֹּאמֶר | Wayyiqtol | 3 | s | m | אמר | Sequential Past | I-aleph; holem prefix; most frequent wayyiqtol in the Bible; "and he said" |
Reflection Questions¶
-
In Passage A, Form #1 (בָּרָא) is a Qal Perfect, not a Wayyiqtol. Why does Genesis 1:1 use the Perfect for the opening statement, while the rest of the creation narrative uses Wayyiqtol? What does this tell you about the narrative function of the Perfect vs. the Wayyiqtol?
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The Shema passage (Deu 6:4–7) opens with an imperative (שְׁמַע) followed by a chain of Weqatal forms. What does this grammatical structure communicate about the relationship between the commands? How does the Weqatal chain differ from a series of separate imperatives?
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In Passage D (Exodus 3), Moses's encounter with the burning bush is narrated entirely through Wayyiqtol forms. What effect does this sequential chaining produce in the storytelling? How would the passage read differently if each action were expressed with a separate Perfect (qatal)?