Chapter
1 INTRODUCTION How to study the Hebrew verbs
1.1 The Chirp Hopefully the beginner student who has no previous contact with the Hebrew language, or anyone who wished to have a quick revision or overview of the Hebrew verbal system, would nd it useful what would be suggested here. Those who nd it committing the intricacies of Hebrew verb to rote is out of the task will nd the approach presented here helpful, too. 1.2 Only the main, principal shaft of the Hebrew verb is introduced and . d discussed. Once the student has learned up the primary pattern of the e s i v verb would he be happy to appreciate the language and further generate e r 1 interest wish to learn more.
1 0 2 y r 1.3 a u n First, a quick overview covering the entire spectrum of the Hebrew a J n verbal system is presented. In this way the student will have a snapshot ב ב a ר ר H of the overall picture. Fasten such an overview in the mind, it enables the ו ו ך ך n e f ה ה f student to anticipate what lies ahead and would know what to look out e ש ש t ם ם S
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for during the journey into the study of Hebrew verb. Some details with glimpses into the intricacies of the Hebrew verb would be revealed at the next leg. The reader should not be disappointed if he does not nd what he wanted: full treatment will be ladled out in the main course. The enterprise of the study of the Hebrew verb is going to be like a box inside a box inside a box. 1.4 Step 1: The Overture Hebrew is very vocalic. What is meant by this is that each form of the verb, namely, the Innitive, the Imperative, the Participle, the Perfect or the Imperfect, etc., in whatever derived stem of the verb ( ָןְיּנב ִ ) it may be, came with a xed vowel pattern. In short, each of the verbal form is identied by the vowel pattern, the default vowels, usually came in a pair of two, for each form of the verb, xed, immutable but could be shortened or lengthened. 1.5 The nature of the default vowels determines the form of the verb, that is, the form of the verb is more or less controlled by the types of default vowels. By knowing the given vowel pattern, you could identify each form of the verb, or by draping the default vowels under the triconsonantal root, the ש ׁ ֵ ר ׁׂו ש, you could turn it into the verbal form that you want it to work for you. Look out for the default vowels in each form of the verb and in each derived stem. This is going to be the chief ׁ ), S end of your treasure hunt journey. It is really simple: the shewa ( ָאו ְש t e f f the dagesh (ש ֵׁג ּד ָ ) and stem vowels are the only three areas that would n e H likely to present some obstacles to the learning of Hebrew verbs.
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n J a n 1.6 u a To use and maneuver a Hebrew verb, what a student has to do is: (i) to r y 2 master up the default vowel scheme: there are ve pairs of these vowels 0 1 1 in the Qal stem, (one or two in each of the other verbal stems); (ii) the r e rules that govern the dagesh ( ): (a) compensatory lengthening of v i s e d the vowel beneath the preceding consonant or syllable, usually of the .
ש ֵׁג ּד ָ
stem or theme vowel, due to the presence of a guttural consonant which
CHAPTER ONE: A Quick Guide
could not take dagesh דגשfor doubling, or (b) virtual doubling which relinquishes the דגשwithout lengthening the vowel of the preceding syllable; (iii) the rules that govern (a) (a) contiguous contiguous ( ;שוואיםb) how ָע( שווא נvocal shewa) is changed to ָאו ְָף ׁשט ֲח (composite shewa) in response to the presence of a guttural or weak consonant whenever one such alphabet shows up in the root in a position where normally שווא נע sits, usually the head consonant; (iv) the breaking up of and recast the pillion syllable to form a new hind syllable when adding pronominal sufxes to the verb. These are the four main areas that a student needs to learn about. 1.7 The shift of accent, sometimes known as the stress or the tone, adds changes to the default vowels, chiefly in matters pertaining to the lengthening or shortening the propretonic vowel, and or closing the pillion syllable by shortening the stem, theme vowel while adding afxes of personal pronouns to the verb. 1.8 The patterns that dictate where and which default vowel would be placed ִ ), (singular—binyan ִ ), which in a root are called binyanim (ִיםָנְינ ּב (singular—binyan ָןי ְּנב means building , or the derived stems of the verb. There are seven of ָפ ּ or ַלק ), the Niph’al them for each verbal form: the Paal or Qal ( ַלע (ַלע ְפ ִנ ), the Pi’el ( ֵלע ּפ ִ ), the Pu’al ( ַלע ֻפ ּ ), the Hithpa’el ( ֵלע ַפ ְת ִה ), the Hiphil (ִילְעפ ִה ), the Hophal (ַלע ְפ ָה ) and the Huphal; (ַלע ְפ ֻה ). The last two are actually counted as one. . d
1.9 For convenient and practical purpose, ַלע ָפ ּ has been known all along as ַלק , which means “light” or “simple”, and the other בנייניםare known as ִיםד ֵב ּכ ְ , which means “grave” or “heavy”. These terms are meant to help the student to manage, use and have a sense of control over the Hebrew verbal system. e si v er 1 1 0 2 yr a u n a J n
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1.10 Step 2: Ground Zero In the Hebrew verbal system, there are ve primary forms of the verb for each binyan : two Innitives (the Innitive Absolute and the Innitive Construct), two Participles (the Active Participle and the Passive Participle), and one Perfect Tense. Each of these forms requires a denite pair of default vowels (two vowels must be taken together) to converse the root into each of these verbal forms. 1.11 Other verbal forms: the Imperative, the Cohortative, the Jussive, and the Imperfect are really derivatives from the Innitive Construct (Innitive derivatives). These later forms, which enjoy a fairly consistent pattern of vowel structure, could be termed the secondary forms. 1.12 Of the seven derived stems of the verb, learn up rst the default vowels of the Innitive Construct for all the binyanim , which is actually the vowels already used in the name of each binyan . Learning other forms of the verb will rely upon how well have you mastered up the default vowels in the Innitives, especially the Innitive Construct, which is really the natural base form of the verb. This is going to help you to manage the whole verbal system later. Difculties arise only when one or more weak consonants appear in the root. 1.13 The Hebrew verb is very fundamental: it came in a cluster of three consonants known as the root ( ֵשר ׁׂו )שwithout vowels—some words in Modern Hebrew would have up to four or ve consonants—for you to install the verb. Onto the consonantal root vowels are added to congure it into each form of the verb: the Innitive, the Participle, the Perfect Tense in the case of the primary forms. Two other are hidden in these three. The ve of them are known as the primary forms. Out of the Innitive Construct further four forms are to be educed: the Imperative, the Jussive, the Cohortative and the Imperfect Tense. Or, you may want
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CHAPTER ONE: A Quick Guide
Sample
The scheme
Hebrew names ←
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קָטול
קָטַל
קָטול
קטֵל
קְטל
[ו+ָ○]
[ַ○+ָ○]
Default vowel scheme to be used in Hebrew verbs in the Qal Stem.
read this direction
חולֶם+קָּמֶץ
פָּ֫תַח+קָּמֶץ
To be used in the Qal Innitive Absolute, as the vowels in the sample word: מָקור To be used in the Qal Perfect Tense, as the vowels in the sample word: עָבַר
שוׁרֶך+קָּמֶץ
To be used in the Qal Passive Participle, as the vowels in the the sample word: פָּעול
[ֵ○+○] צֵרֶי+חולֶם
To be used in the Qal Active Participle, as the vowels in the sample word: פּעֵל
[ו+ָ○]
[○+ְ○]
חולֶם+שְוָׁא
To be used in the Qal Innitive Construct and other educed forms of the verb, i.e. the Qal Imperative, the Qal Jussive, the Qal Cohortative and the Imperfect, as the vowels in the sample word: בְּנות.
to reverse the order for secondary forms: the Imperfect, the Imperative, the Jussive and the Cohortative. The latter sequence is used in most grammar textbooks. 1.14 The vowels to be added to the root came in a pair of two: there are ve
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pairs of the distinctive, default vowels for the primary forms, as could be seen in the Qal binyan . In Hebrew Verbal System it must be remembered that originally the language was used more for listening, aural effect, than written, visual format. 1.15 The pattern of vowellization operative in the Qal binyan would be applicable to other binyanim. The same procedure could, like wise, be used on the study of Biblical Aramaic, a lauguage closely akin to Hebrew.
1.16 Step 3: Where to begin To learn the Hebrew verbal system is really an easy job. All that you need to do is to begin with the Innitive. The Innitive is the base form of the verb: other secondary forms of the verb are really derived from the Innitive. What you need to learn up at this stage would be the vowels for the Innitive of each derived stem of the verb ( binyan ). ). Two Innitives are in use in Hebrew: The Innitive Absolute and the Innitive Construct for each binyan , as there are two Innitives in the English language: the full innitive “to go” and the bare Innitive “go”. A separate section that discusses the Innitives in some details is given Hoph Ho phal al
Hiph Hi phil il
Hitp Hi tpa’ a’el el
Pu’a Pu ’all
Piel Pi el
Niph Ni ph’a ’all
Qall Qa
ַלע ְפ ָ ה
ִ לְִיע פ ִה ֵלע ַפ ְּת ִה
ַלע ֻפ ּ
ֵלע ּפ ִ
ַלע ְפ ִנ
ַלע ָפ ּ
←
read from right to left . d
in the main course. e si v er
1.17 Take note of the name of the vowels in each stem, which actually is the Innitive Construct of each respective binyan : how each one is written in Hebrew and its English transliteration. The cues would be found in the default vowel pattern in the name of each בניין.
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1.18 ֵ +○ִ ] It is interesting to note that the vowels given in Pi’el the dyad of [ ○ (צרי+ִיקִירה ) where the דגשis omitted —due to the presence of guttural that induced virtual lengthening to have occured —is in fact the default vowels assigned to the Pi’el Perfect Tense, third person masculine singular; not the Pi’el Innitive per se . The actual default vowels for ֵּ +○ַ ] (צרי+דגש+)פתח the Hebrew Pi’el Innitive is given a pair of [ ○ as shown by the vowels in the sample word: לט ֵּ ק ַ , thus the Pi’el innitive in Hebrew would be sounded as Pa’el. Coincidentally, the same pair of vowel combination, namely, [ ○ ֵּ +○ַ ] (צרי+דגש+)פתח, is used to install the Aramaic intensive binyan, the D stem, in Biblical
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Active
Passive
Simple
Qal G Stem
Niph’al N Stem
Intensive
Pi’el D Stem
Pu’al Dp Stem
Causative
Hiphil H Stem
Hophal Hp Stem
Reflective
Hitpa’el HtD Stem
Side Note Actually, the Hithpa’el should belong to the Reflexive stem; for reason it is a lot similar to the vowel pattern used in Pi’el, a member of the Intensive stem, thus for practical purpose, Hithpa’el is placed together with the Intensive group,
Aramaic, and named as Pa’el, Perfect Tense third person masculine singular. The vowels in D stem stem of Aramaic is equivalent to the Hebrew Pi’el stem, thus rendered the Hebrew Pi’el Innitive should be aligned more akin to Pa’el, and should be read as such in the Innitive of the Hebrew Intensive binyan . Together with this, the same approach of looking at the vowel structure in the Hebrew verbs in terms of schematic pairing of default vowels could be made applicable to the study of Aramaic verbs.
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1.19 You may want, for functional purpose, to re-group the stems ( )בניינים into three or four groupings: the Simple Stems (two members: the Qal and Niph’al), the Intensive Stems (three members: the Pi’el and Pual, and the Hithpa’el) and the Causative stems (two members: namely, the Hiphil and the Hophals). In some textbooks, Hophal is also sounded as Huphal or have the two placed together. 1.20 With fewer groups to handle, it makes your leaning task less complicated. To be sure, there are other minor groups, but those less frequently used stem groups of the verb should not be a bother to you at the beginning stage of your learning. 1.21 Step 4: The Flow From the Innitive, you may go directly to gure out the Imperative. Learning the Imperative is even more so an easy job for the Imperative is really the Innitive, as the case with the English language: the word “go” is both the Imperative as well as the bare Innitive for the word “to go”. In Hebrew, the Innitive Construct is used as the Imperative, even in the derived stems of the verb. Learn up the vowel patterns for all the seven Imperatives of the strong verb; later, the weak verbs will not sham a problem. During your learning session, compare the vowel pattern in the Imperative of each of the derived stem ( )בנייןwith that of the respective Innitive Construct: take note of the similarity and, of course, the differences as well. In the case of a weak verb in Qal binyan , look out for the שווא נעunder the rst syllable, and for that matter, all occurrence of שווא נעwith a weak consonant. The principles operative in the case for vowel changes in the Imperative, both the strong and the weak verbs, shall apply to all other forms of the derived stems. The default vowel scheme for the Imperative in each derived stem is fairly stable. Make it a point to distinguish dynamic verbs from the stative verb. At the level of the Imperative, dynamic verb and stative verb would assume different vowel with the stem or theme vowel, as some textbooks called it by this name. A section discussing the stative verbs
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could be found in the main course. 1.22 A Choice is available After having learned well these two: the Innitives and the Imperative, you may make a choice: either you go over to learn the Participles or you may begin to learn the Perfect Tense. Why must you learn the Participle rst is for a simple reason: The Active Participle in Hebrew is used as the Present Tense, as there is no separate form for the Present Tense in the Hebrew verb. Some other forms of the verb could be used to express the present aspect of the verb, for sure. With the Present Tense learned, you may begin to make sentences on you yo u own. You may be able to speak and write Hebrew now. The default vowels for the Participles, Active as well as Passive Participle, are quite consistent in all stems of the verb. Do some experiments with Hebrew sentences.
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1.23 Step 5: Or… You may shun from the Innitive Construct directly into the Perfect Tense. The pairing of default vowels for the Perfect Tense is fairly ַ +○ָ ] consistent in all binyanim . In the case of Qal binyan , the pair of [ ○ (ַחת ּ֫פ ַּ -ֶץָמק ) combination is used to congure the regular verbs, while א”( לlamed-aleph) verbs and ה”( לlamed-heh) verbs, the other duce [○ ָ +○ָ ] (ֶץמ ָק -ֶץָמק ) is used. Details would be given under separate headings in the main course. The Perfect Tense is the form of the verb that is used the most frequently in the Tanakh ך”תנ, that is, the Old Testament. Naturally it must be so as the ך” תנis mostly about history. If you have learned the Innitive Construct and the Participles, learning the Perfect Tense and the Imperfect Tense, etc., will pose no problem. 1.24 Step 6: The Last but not the least… The Imperfect may come last, as it involves quite a bit of maneuver of changes to שווא נעappearing under a weak consonant in the root, head position or otherwise. Already hidden inside the vowel scheme of the Innitive Construct of each binyan, or the Innitive Absolute in
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the case of single syllable verbs, would be the default vowels for the Imperfect Tense of each binyan . It will not be a problem when you have sufcient experience working with the rules of vowel changes with weak consonants during the course while learning other forms of the derived stem of the verb. 1.25 In short, not unlike the English language, there are some ve main forms fo rms and three sub-forms in each of the seven stems of the verb need to be learned. The pattern for each form is rather consistent, following a set of xed pattern and rules. 1.26 It is not necessary to rote up all paradigms: the most important matter is to master up the default vowel scheme for each בניין, which is already found in the name of each stem of the verb. The next step would be learning the rules for שו ׁוא , and the mechanics of its changes when a שוואoccurs presumably under a weak consonant. After that, learn up the rules for דגשand compensatory lengthening. 1.27 Steps and procedures for conjugation would be related to the breaking up of the pillion syllable and reuse the hind consonant of the root to form a new syllable tailing behind the former pillion syllable, chiefly involving vocalic sufformative conjugation. It would involve shifting of accent and shortening of the stem vowel or closing the pillion syllable with a שווא. . d e si
1.28 By the time a student has gone thus far and be able to yield an understanding of the intricacies of Hebrew verbal system, he should proceed to read the ך”תנ. v er 1 1 0 2 yr a u n a J
Bon Voyage!
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