The Qal Imperfect

PerfectPerfect

Completed or Completed or simple actionsimple action

Can be…Can be…PastPastPresentPresentFutureFuture

ImperfectImperfect

Incomplete actionIncomplete action

• Continuous action in the presentContinuous action in the present

• Future tenseFuture tense

• Habitual or customary action in Habitual or customary action in the pastthe past

PerfectPerfect ImperfectImperfect

Normally has a Normally has a suffixsuffix Always has a prefixAlways has a prefix

yTil.yTil.j;q'j;q'Wnl.Wnl.j;q'j;q'

ljoq.ljoq.a,a,ljoq.ljoq.nInI

SingularSingular PluralPlural

lj;q'lj;q' He killedHe killed

hl'j.hl'j.q'q'

She killedShe killed

T'l.j;T'l.j;q'q'

You killedYou killed

T.l.j;T.l.j;q'q'

You killedYou killed

yTil.yTil.j;q'j;q'

I killedI killed

Wlj.Wlj.q'q'

They killedThey killed

~T,l~T,l.j;q..j;q.

Ya’ll killedYa’ll killed

!!T,l.j;T,l.j;q.q.

Ya’ll killedYa’ll killed

Wnl.Wnl.j;q'j;q'

We killedWe killed


ljoq.ljoq.yIyI

He will killHe will kill

ljoq.ljoq.TiTi

She will killShe will kill

You will killYou will kill


I will killI will kill

Wlj.Wlj.q.yIq.yI

They will killThey will kill

Wlj.Wlj.q.Tiq.Ti

Ya’ll will killYa’ll will kill


ljoq.ljoq.nInI

We will killWe will kill

ljoq.ljoq.TiTiylij.ylij.

q.Tiq.Tiljoq.ljoq.a,a,

hn"l.jhn"l.joq.Tioq.Ti

They will killThey will killhn"l.jhn"l.joq.Tioq.Ti


ljoq.ljoq.yIyI


ljoq.ljoq.TiTi





Wlj.Wlj.q.yIq.yI


Wlj.Wlj.q.Tiq.Ti



ljoq.ljoq.nInI







ljoq.ljoq.yIyI


ljoq.ljoq.TiTi





Wlj.Wlj.q.yIq.yI


Wlj.Wlj.q.Tiq.Ti



ljoq.ljoq.nInI






Observations on the Imperfect Observations on the Imperfect FormForm

• The Imperfect has a preformativeThe Imperfect has a preformative

• Nearly all Imperfects begin with the Hireq Nearly all Imperfects begin with the Hireq Vowel. The exception is the first common Vowel. The exception is the first common singular ( ).singular ( ).ljoq.a,ljoq.a,



• Nearly all Imperfects begin with the Hireq Nearly all Imperfects begin with the Hireq Vowel. The exception is the first common Vowel. The exception is the first common singular ( ).singular ( ).

• Most Imperfects have with an “o” sound Most Imperfects have with an “o” sound after the second radical.after the second radical.

ljoq.a,ljoq.a,



• Nearly all Imperfects begin with the Hireq Nearly all Imperfects begin with the Hireq Vowel. The exception is the first common Vowel. The exception is the first common singular ( ).singular ( ).

• Most Imperfects have with an “o” sound Most Imperfects have with an “o” sound after the second radical (statives are an after the second radical (statives are an exception).exception).

• On certain occasions the 3mp and 2mp On certain occasions the 3mp and 2mp forms will be followed by a final .forms will be followed by a final .

ljoq.a,ljoq.a,

!!

Ten commandments Ten commandments (Exodus 20 & (Exodus 20 &

Deuteronomy 5)Deuteronomy 5)

alal{{

lala;;Used for an absolute Used for an absolute

or permanent or permanent prohibitionprohibition

Used for an Used for an immediate or non immediate or non specific prohibitionspecific prohibition

““Fear not” (Genesis Fear not” (Genesis 15:1).15:1).

hy"x'hy"x'

To live, be aliveTo live, be alive

hy"x'hy"x'God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”

hv,mo-la, ~yhil{a/ hv,mo-la, ~yhil{a/ rm,aYOw: rm,aYOw: hy<h.a, rv,a] hy<h.a, rv,a] hy<h.a,hy<h.a,

lkoy"lkoy"

To be able to, to endure,To be able to, to endure,

““can do”can do”

lkoy"lkoy"And the land could not sustain And the land could not sustain

them while dwelling together, for them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great their possessions were so great

that they were not that they were not ableable to remain to remain together (Genesis 13:6).together (Genesis 13:6).

lkoy"lkoy"I will make your descendants as I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if the dust of the earth, so that if

anyone anyone cancan number the dust of number the dust of the earth, then your descendants the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered (Genesis can also be numbered (Genesis

13:16).13:16).

lkoy"lkoy"And he said, “Your name shall no And he said, “Your name shall no

longer be Jacob, but Israel; for longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and you have striven with God and with men and have with men and have prevailedprevailed” ”

(Genesis 13:16).(Genesis 13:16).

lkoy"lkoy"hw"hy> yPi-ta, hw"hy> yPi-ta, rbo[]l; lk;Wa al{rbo[]l; lk;Wa al{

I will not be ableI will not be able(Imperfect)(Imperfect)

To pass over To pass over (go beyond)(go beyond)

the mouththe mouthof the of the LORDLORD

(Balaam speaking)(Balaam speaking)

tr;K'tr;K'

To cutTo cut

tr;K'tr;K'In the same day the LORD In the same day the LORD mademade a a

covenant with Abram (Genesis 15:18).covenant with Abram (Genesis 15:18).

hw"hy> tr:K' hw"hy> tr:K' aWhh; ~AYB;aWhh; ~AYB;tyrIB. ~r"b.a;-ta, tyrIB. ~r"b.a;-ta,

tr;K'tr;K'There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, where the LORD

made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of Egypt (2 Chronicles 5:10).

laer"f.yI ynEB.-laer"f.yI ynEB.-~[i hw"hy> tr:K'~[i hw"hy> tr:K'

tr;K'tr;K'I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David (Isaiah 55:3).

~l'A[ tyrIB. ~k,l' ~l'A[ tyrIB. ~k,l' ht'r>k.a,w>ht'r>k.a,w>~ynIm'a/N<h; ~ynIm'a/N<h;

dwId" ydEs.x;dwId" ydEs.x;

rWsrWs

To turn aside, leaveTo turn aside, leave

rWsrWs

So Moses said, “I must turn aside now So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.” (Exodus 3:3).bush is not burned up.” (Exodus 3:3).

rWsrWsBut whenever Moses went in But whenever Moses went in

before the LORD to speak with before the LORD to speak with Him, he would Him, he would take offtake off the veil the veil

until he came out; and whenever until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the he came out and spoke to the

sons of Israel what he had been sons of Israel what he had been commanded (Exodus 34:34).commanded (Exodus 34:34).

rWsrWs……but My lovingkindness shall not but My lovingkindness shall not

departdepart from him, as I from him, as I took took it it awayaway from Saul, whom I from Saul, whom I removedremoved from before you (2 Samuel 7:15). from before you (2 Samuel 7:15).

db;['db;['

To work or serveTo work or serve

db,db,[,[,

BB A slave A slave

db;['db;['Then the LORD God took the man Then the LORD God took the man

and put him into the garden of and put him into the garden of Eden to Eden to cultivatecultivate it and keep it. it and keep it.

(Genesis 2:15).(Genesis 2:15).

db;['db;['Again, she gave birth to his

brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a

tiller of the ground (Genesis 4:2).

db;['db;['And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I

who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship

God at this mountain.” (Exodus 3:12).

hZ<h; rh'h' l[; hZ<h; rh'h' l[; ~yhil{a/h'-ta, !Wdb.~yhil{a/h'-ta, !Wdb.

[;T;[;T;

hn"['hn"['

To answerTo answer

!z<ao!z<ao

EarEar

!!z:a'z:a'

BB Listen, give ear Listen, give ear

!z<ao!z<aoThey have ears [ ], but they They have ears [ ], but they

do not hear [ ] do not hear [ ]

(Psalm 135:17).(Psalm 135:17).

WnyzIaWnyzIa]y: ]y:

al{w>al{w>

~yIn~yIn:z>a:z>a

''

lyIa;lyIa;

Ram, rulerRam, ruler

ly"aly"a//

BB Strength Strength

lyIa;lyIa;Then Abraham raised his eyes Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind and looked, and behold, behind

him him a a ramram caught in the thicket by caught in the thicket by his horns (Genesis 22:13).his horns (Genesis 22:13).

rABGIrABGI

Strong, mightyStrong, mighty

rABGIrABGIThe Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those

were the mighty men [ ] who were of old, men of renown (Genesis 6:4).

~yrIBo~yrIBoGIh;GIh;

rABGIrABGIThe LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors [ ]” (Joshua 6:2).

lyIx'h, lyIx'h, yrEABGyrEABG

II

rABGIrABGINow Jephthah the Gileadite was a valiant

warrior [ ], but he was the son

of a harlot (Judges 11:1).

lyIx; lyIx; rABGIrABGI

xb;z<xb;z<

SacrificeSacrifice

xb;zxb;z""

B To slaughter or sacrifice

xb;z<xb;z<So Israel set out with all that he had,

and came to Beersheba, and offered

sacrifices [ ] to the

God of his father Isaac (Genesis

46:1).

~yxib'z> ~yxib'z> xB;z>YIw:xB;z>YIw:

xb;z<xb;z<Now the king and all Israel with him offered

sacrifice before the LORD (1 Kings 8:62).

AM[i laer"f.yI-lk'w> AM[i laer"f.yI-lk'w> %l,M,h;w>%l,M,h;w>hw"hy> ynEp.li hw"hy> ynEp.li

xb;z< ~yxib.zOxb;z< ~yxib.zO

xb;z<xb;z<Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,

And trust in the LORD (Psalm 4:5).

qd<c,-yxeb.zI qd<c,-yxeb.zI Wxb.zIWxb.zI

hw"hy>-la, Wxj.biWhw"hy>-la, Wxj.biW

hq'd'c.hq'd'c.

RighteousnessRighteousness

qd,cqd,c,,

B Righteous

!Apc'!Apc'

NorthNorth!!p;c',p;c',

B To hide !!ypicypic

''B A treasure

!Apc'!Apc'bg<bg<n<n<

B South

~d,~d,q,q,

B East (in front of)

~y~y""

B West

za'za'

Then, since, beforeThen, since, before

@a;@a;

Also, indeed, evenAlso, indeed, even

-!P,-!P,

Lest, otherwiseLest, otherwise

Documents

The Qal Imperfect