{"id":1193,"date":"2020-07-30T06:17:22","date_gmt":"2020-07-30T03:17:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thehebrewcafe.com\/main\/?p=1193"},"modified":"2020-08-01T19:40:12","modified_gmt":"2020-08-01T16:40:12","slug":"word-order-in-biblical-hebrew-pt-4-the-past-narrative-conjugation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thehebrewcafe.com\/main\/2020\/07\/word-order-in-biblical-hebrew-pt-4-the-past-narrative-conjugation\/","title":{"rendered":"Word order in Biblical Hebrew, pt. 4: The Past Narrative Conjugation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This post continues the series of word order in Biblical Hebrew.  Previously, we examined several features of Biblical Hebrew syntax that affect word order, namely grammatical words at the heads of clauses, and Irreal mood (parts available here<\/strong> <\/a>and here<\/a><\/strong>). If we accept that standard, unmarked word order in Biblical Hebrew is SV, each of these triggers inverted VS word order.<\/p>\n

Arguably the most common feature that triggers inverted word order is the traditionally-called wayyiqtol <\/em> or waw<\/em>-consecutive pattern. In the past, it was thought that the waw<\/em>-consecutive form “converts” the meaning of a usually present-tense verb to past; however, we now are reasonably certain that the wayyiqtol<\/em> form is, in fact, a true past-tense form, having evolved from the protosemitic form *yaqtulu, <\/em>distinctive from the imperfect *yaqtul<\/em>. Therefore, we should not think of this form as merely “converting” the verb tense from present to past; rather, we should see the wayyiqtol<\/em> form as its own unique form, independent from the imperfective yiqtol<\/em> form.<\/p>\n

That said, let’s look at some examples. Since unmarked Biblical Hebrew word order is relatively rare, I have constructed my own examples, showing how they would exist in unmarked word order, followed by how they exist in the past narrative form.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
(1)  <\/td>\n\u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b8\u05d3\u05b8\u05dd \u05d9\u05b8\u05d3\u05b7\u05e2 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05d0\u05b4\u05e9\u05c1\u05b0\u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9<\/td>\nNow, the man knew his wife.<\/strong> (Gen 4:1)
\n(unmarked, no inversion)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\n*\u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b5\u05d3\u05b7\u05e2 \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b8\u05d3\u05b8\u05dd<\/span> \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05d0\u05b4\u05e9\u05c1\u05b0\u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9<\/td>\nThe man knew his wife.<\/strong> (reconstructed)
\n(marked, triggered SVO inversion)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(2)  <\/td>\n*\u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b8\u05d1\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4\u05b8\u05dd \u05d4\u05b4\u05e9\u05c1\u05b0\u05db\u05bc\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05bc\u05b7\u05d1\u05b9\u05e7\u05b6\u05e8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d7\u05b8\u05d1\u05b7\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05d7\u05b2\u05de\u05b9\u05e8\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05e7\u05b7\u05d7 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05e9\u05c1\u05b0\u05e0\u05b5\u05d9 \u05e0\u05b0\u05e2\u05b8\u05e8\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05d0\u05b4\u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9<\/td>\nNow, Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and he took two of his youths with him.<\/strong> (reconstructed)
\n(unmarked, SV word order, no inversion)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\n\u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b7\u05bc\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05db\u05b5\u05bc\u05a8\u05dd \u05d0\u05b7\u05d1\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4\u05b8\u059c\u05dd<\/span> \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05d1\u05b9\u05bc\u0597\u05e7\u05b6\u05e8 \u05d5\u05b7\u05bd\u05d9\u05b7\u05bc\u05d7\u05b2\u05d1\u05b9\u05e9\u05c1\u0599 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05d7\u05b2\u05de\u05b9\u05e8\u0594\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05bc\u05e7\u05b7\u05bc\u059e\u05d7 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05e0\u05b5\u05a4\u05d9 \u05e0\u05b0\u05e2\u05b8\u05e8\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5\u0599 \u05d0\u05b4\u05ea\u05bc\u0594\u05d5\u05b9<\/td>\nAbraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and he took two of his youths with him<\/strong> (Gen 22:3a)
\n(past narrative wayyiqtol<\/em>, triggers SV inversion)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The presence of the Past Narrative vayyiqtol<\/em>, along with the frequency of grammatical words at the heads of clauses, contributes to the assumed conclusion that the standard word order is VS.  VS is certainly the “most common” word order in Hebrew narrative. However, just because it is the most common does not mean that we should assume that it is the “default” word order, which  grammarians have believed for hundreds of years. We should not be afraid to question the preconceived notions of medieval grammarians. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Up next, we will examine the final characteristic of Hebrew grammar that triggers inverted word order – the concepts of Topic and Focus.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This post continues the series of word order in Biblical Hebrew.  Previously, we examined several features of Biblical Hebrew syntax that affect word order, namely grammatical words at the heads of clauses, and Irreal mood (parts available here and here). If we accept that standard, unmarked word order in Biblical Hebrew is SV, each of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"bgseo_title":"","bgseo_description":"","bgseo_robots_index":"","bgseo_robots_follow":"","_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-categories"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t