26: The Verb: Vav-Relative

Question 1

What is the vav-relative?

Answer 1

• The vav-relative is a special use of the conjunction vav (ו) when attached to a pf or impf verb.
• This vav “relates” the verb to which it is attached to a previous verb.

Question 2

How is the vav-relative impf formed?

Answer 2

• Vav-relative impf (wayyiqtol) is made up of vav + patach + strong dagesh ( ּּ וַ ), prefixed to the impf/jus.

Question 3

What is the verb form used on the vav-relative impf?

Answer 3

• The verb form used is actually the jus not the impf, as is clear from the vav-relative impf of some forms of III Hey and Hollow verbs.

Question 4

What happens often, but not always, with the accent on vav-relative Imperfect forms?

Answer 4

• Often, but not always, the accent moves to the right, thus explaining the difference between the jus יָקֹם ; and the vav-relative impf וַיָּקָם (the second qamets = qamets-chatuf )

Question 5

How is the form of the vav-relative perfect made up?

Answer 5

• Vav-relative perfect (weqatal) is made up of the simple vav ( וְ ) prefixed to the pf.

Question 6

What happens often, but not always, with the accent on vav-relative Perfect forms?

Answer 6

• Often, but not always, the accent will move to the final syllable.

Question 7

What is the use of the vav-relative?

Answer 7

• Vav-relative is used in a variety of ways, but the most frequent use is to express temporal succession: “The next thing that happened (or will happen).”

Question 8

How many kinds of vav-relative imperfect there are in hebrew?

Answer 8

there were two imperfects:

1. a “long imperfect” and
2. a “short imperfect.”

Question 9

How was the vav-relative long imperfect used?

Answer 9

• The long imperfect was used as a present and a future.
• This long imperfect is found in Biblical Hebrew as the imperfect (“and this will happen”)

Question 10

How was the short vav-relative imperfect used?

Answer 10

• The short imperfect was used as a jussive and for past time.
• This short imperfect is found in Biblical Hebrew as a jussive ( יָקֹם ) and in the vav-relative impf ( וַיָּקָם ), which expresses temporal succession in past time. (“and this happened”)
• The vav-relative imperfect = past time is simply the preservation of an old use of the short imperfect.

Question 11

What is the use of the vav-relative perfect (weqatal)?

Answer 11

• The original use of the vav-relative pf was probably to mark the “then” clause in an “if . . . then” statement.
• Because the “then” clause is by definition a future situation, the vav- relative pf is used to express temporal succession in future time when following an impf verb.

Question 12

Recite the Wayyiqtol and Weqatal paradigms

Answer 12

Question 13

Summary of Vav-relative use

Answer 13

1. The vav-relative flips the meaning of the perfect/imperfect
   
   • Perfect: Weqatal (weq): וְמָלַךְ
     
     • “and he will rule” (imperfect meaning)
   • Imperfect: Wayyiqtol (way): וַיִּמְלֹךְ
     
     • “and he ruled” (perfect meaning)

Question 14

אַחֲרֵי

Answer 14

after, behind

Question 15

כַּאֲשֶׁר

Answer 15

just as, when

Question 16

מָה

Answer 16

what

Question 17

מִי

Answer 17

who

Question 18

מִנְחָה

Answer 18

gift, grain offering

Question 19

עוֹלָה

Answer 19

burnt offering

Question 20

גָּדַל

Answer 20

he was great, he was wealthy

(stative verb)

Question 21

לָבַשׁ

Answer 21

he clothed, he dressed, he wore

Question 22

נָטָה

Answer 22

he reached out, he extended

Question 23

רָבָה

Answer 23

he was much, he was many