Hebrew for Bible Readers

016

It is time to read a longer text; let’s try the account in Joshua 4:1–7. We will use what we have learned and also meet some new features of Hebrew in the process:

÷Der]Y”h’ëta, r/b[}l’ y/Ghëlk; WMTërv,a}K’ yhiyÒw” (1) µk,l; Wjq] (2) rmoale [‘vuwhyÒëla, hw:hyÒ rm,aOYw” dj;a,ëvyai dj;a,ëvyai µyvin:a} rc;[; µynEv] µ[;h;ë÷mi hZ (3) fb,V;miëµyTev] ÷ykih; µynIh}Koh’ ylegÒr’ bX”M’mi ÷Deor]Y”h’ J/Tmi µT,j]N”hiwÒ µk,M;[i µt;/a µT,r]b'[}h’wÒ µynIb;a} hrecu[, ar;q]YIw/ (4) hl;yÒL;h’ /b WnyliT;ërv,a} ÷/lM;B’ µt;/a ynEBÒmi ÷ykihe rv,a} vyai rc;[;h, µynEv]ëla, [‘vu/hyÒ rm,aOYw” (5) fb,V;mi dj;a,ëvyai dj;a,ëvyai laer;c]yI µk,yhe¿aÔ hw:hyÒ ÷/ra} ynEp]li Wrb][i [‘vuwhyÒ µh,l; tj’a’ ÷b,ae vyai µk,l; Wmyrh;wÒ ÷DeriY”h’ J/Tëla, ÷[‘miol] (6) laer;cuyIëynEb] yfeb]vi rP’s]mil] /mk]viël[‘ µk,ynEB] ÷Wla;v]yIëyKi µk,B]r]qiB] t/a taOz hy,h]Ti (7) µk,l; hL,aeh; µynIb;a}h; hm; rmoale rj;m; ynEP]mi ÷Der]Y”h’ ymeyme Wtr]k]nI rv,a} µh,l; µh,l; µT,r]m’a}w” yme Wtr]k]nI ÷Der]Y:B’ /rb][;B] hw:hyÒëtyriB] ÷/ra} ynEb]li ÷/rK;zIl] hL,aeh; µynIb;a}h; Wyh;wÒ ÷Der]Y”h’ µl;/[ëd[‘ laer;c]yI

(1) va-yehi ka-asher tam-mu chol-ha-goy la-avor et-ha-yar-den, va-yo-mer a-do-nay el-yeho-shu-ah- le-mor. (2) qe-chu la-chem min-ha-am shnem a-sar a-na-shim, ish-e-chad ish-e-chad mish-sha-vet. (3) ve-tsav-vu oh-tam le-mor: seu-la-chem miz-zeh mit-toch ha-yar-den mi-mats-tsav rag-leh ha-co-hanim ha-chin shtehm-es-reh a-va-nim, ve-ha-var-tem oh-tam im-ma-chem ve-hin-nach-tem oh-tam ba-ma-lohn a-sher ta-li-nu boh ha-lie-lah. (4) vay-yiq-rah yeho-shu-ah el-shnem he-a-sar ish a-sher he-chin mi-bney yis-ra-el, ish-e-chad ish-e-chad mish-sha-vet. (5) va-yo-mer la-hem yeho-shu-ah, iv-ru lif-neh aron a-donay e-loh-heh-chem el-toch hay-yar-den, ve-ha-ri-mu la-chem ish e-ven a-chat al-shich-moh le-mis-par shiv-teh vneh-yis-ra-el. (6) lmah-an tih-yeh zoht oht beqir-bchem, kiy-yish-a-lun bney-chem ma-char le-mor, mah ha-a-va-nim ha-e-leh la-chem. (7) va-amar-tem la-hem a-sher nich-retu meh-meh hay-yar-den, mip-peney a-ron brit-a-do-nay be-ov-roh bay-yar-den nich-retu meh-hay-yar-den, ve-ha-yu ha-a-va-nim ha-e-leh lezik-ka-ron li-vney yis-ra-el ahd-o-lam.

For the meaning, you may consult any English translation, but for instructional purposes we will follow a more literal rendition:

(1) And it was [that] when all the nation had finished crossing over the Jordan, then said the Lord to Joshua, saying: (2) “Take for yourselves from the people twelve men, one man from a [each] tribe. (3) And command them saying: ‘Take up for yourselves from this [place], from the middle of the Jordan, from the place [in which] the feet of the priests. [are] set firm, twelve stones, and you all shall bring them over with you, and you shall place them at the overnight-spot where you shall lodge tonight.’” (4) Then called Joshua to [the] ranged from [among] the Sons of Israel, one man from a [each] tribe. (5) And the Joshua said to them, “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God to the middle of the Jordan, and lift up for yourselves each man a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of tribes of the Sons of Israel, (6) in order [that] this shall be a sign in your midst [so] that [when] your sons shall ask hereafter saying: ‘What are these stones to you?’ (7) Then you shall say to them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off from before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed through the Jordan the waters of the Jordan were cut off; and these stones shall become a memorial for the sons of Israel for ever.”

Narrative Verb Forms

We met narrative verb forms in a previous lesson (June 1992). Note the sequence of narrative verb forms in our passage: yhiyÒw” va-yehi;, rm,aY”Ow va-yo-mer, ar;q]YIw” vay-yiq-rah, rm,aYOw” va-yo-mer. These are future forms prefixed with the narrative w”, va, and are translated as the past tense. These workhorses of Hebrew narrative carry the story along, but we see that the narrative is interrupted by direct quotations. Note the verbs in the first quote (verses 2–3): Wjq] qe-chu… WWx”wÒ ve-tsav-vu. They are imperative forms which we will discuss below. (The conjunction w is prefixed to WWx”.) Verse 3 contains a quote within a quote. The imbedded quote begins with the imperative Wac] seu and continues with µT,r]b'[}h’wÒ ve-ha-var-tem. This last verb is Hiphil perfect second person masculine plural form, but it continues the imperative mode because prefixed to it is the narrative Vov. This is also true for the next verb in the quote, µT,j]N”hiwÒ ve-hin-nach-tem. This Hiphil form is from a root with a weak middle Vov is assimilated in this Hiphil form.

Now look for similar situation in the next quotation (verse 5). Here is a clue: the imperative mode is continued by a Hiphil form of the middle weak root µwr.

Imperatives

The imperative of btk in the Qal is:

The imperative of rmv in the Niphal is:

The imperative of rbv in the Piel is:

The Paul has no imperative.

The imperative of rbk in the Hiphil is:

The Hophal has no imperative.

The imperative of dbk in the Hitpael is:

It is time to read a longer text; let’s try the account in Joshua 4:1–7. We will use what we have learned and also meet some new features of Hebrew in the process: