Verb Jussive

Summary

A jussive verb is used to express indirect commands, direct negative commands limited by time, and other similar actions with varying degrees of desirability as determined by the context.

Article

The Jussive form looks very similar to the Imperfect but functions in the sentence more like an Imperative. Jussive verbs usually appear in third person forms. (Similarly, Imperative verbs appear only in second person forms, and Cohortative verbs appear only in the first person, forms.) A Jussive verb does not carry the full force of a command (“He must do this!”), but it conveys a stronger meaning than a simple suggestion or statement of possibilty (“He could do this.”). The meaning is somewhere in the middle. In English, a Jussive is often translated with the helping verb “may” or “let,” depending on the context (”May he do this!” or “Let him do this!”). Thus, the Jussive verb functions as an indirect command; the reader must examine the context to determine the strength of desirability being expressed in each specific instance.

Biblical Hebrew does not use the Imperative form to express negative commands. Rather, negative commands are always expressed using either the Imperfect conjugation form or the Jussive form. In cases where the Jussive form is being used to express a negative command, the verb will appear in a 2nd person form rather than a 3rd person form. When used in this way, the Jussive form takes the negative particle אַל in nearly all instances.

Form

Qal Jussive Paradigm

Parsing

Hebrew

Transliteration

Gloss

masculine singular third person

יִקְטֹל

yiqtol

may he kill

feminine singular third person

תִּקְטֹל

tiqtol

may she kill

masculine singular second person

תִּקְטֹל

tiqtol

may you kill

feminine singular second person

תִּקְטְלִי

tiqteli

may you kill

masculine plural third person

יִקְטְלוּ

yiqtelu

may they kill

feminine plural third person

תִּקְטֹלְנָה

tiqtolenah

may they kill

masculine plural second person

תִּקְטְלוּ

tiqtelu

may you kill

feminine plural second person

תִּקְטֹלְנָה

tiqtolenah

may you kill

Niphal Jussive Paradigm

Parsing

Hebrew

Transliteration

Gloss

masculine singular third person

יִקָּטֵל

yiqqatel

may he be killed

feminine singular third person

תִּקָּטֵל

tiqqatel

may she be killed

masculine singular second person

תִּקָּטֵל

tiqqatel

may you be killed

feminine singular second person

תִּקָּטְלִי

tiqqatli

may you be killed

masculine plural third person

יִקָּטְלוּ

yiqqatlu

may they be killed

feminine plural third person

תִּקָּטַלְנָה

tiqqatalnah

may they be killed

masculine plural second person

תִּקָּטְלוּ

tiqqatlu

may you be killed

feminine plural second person

תִּקָּטַלְנָה

tiqqatalnah

may you be killed

Hiphil Jussive Paradigm

Parsing

Hebrew

Transliteration

Gloss

masculine singular third person

יַקְטֵל

yaqtel

may he cause to kill

masculine singular second person

תַּקְטֵל

taqtel

you will be caused to kill

feminine singular second person

תַּקְטִילִי

taqteli

you will be caused to kill

feminine singular third person

תַּקְטֵל

taqtel

may she cause to kill

masculine plural third person

יַקְטִילוּ

yaqtelu

may they cause to kill

feminine plural third person

תַּקְטֵלְנָה

taqtelenah

may they cause to kill

masculine plural second person

תַּקְטִילוּ

taqtelu

you will be caused to kill

feminine plural second person

תַּקְטֵלְנָה

taqtelenah

you will be caused to kill

Hophal Jussive Paradigm

Parsing

Hebrew

Transliteration

Gloss

masculine singular third person

יָקְטַל

yoqtal

may he be caused to kill

feminine singular third person

תָּקְטַל

toqtal

may she be caused to kill

masculine singular second person

תָּקְטַל

toqtal

may you be caused to kill

feminine singular second person

תָּקְטְלִי

toqteli

may you be caused to kill

masculine plural third person

יָקְטְלוּ

yoqtelu

may they be caused to kill

feminine plural third person

תָּקְטַלְנָה

toqtalnah

may they be caused to kill

masculine plural second person

תָּקְטְלוּ

toqtelu

may you be caused to kill

feminine plural second person

תָּקְטַלְנָה

toqtalnah

may you be caused to kill

Piel Jussive Paradigm

Parsing

Hebrew

Transliteration

Gloss

masculine singular third person

יְקַטֵּל

yiqattel

may he slaughter

feminine singular third person

תְּקַטֵּל

tiqattel

may she slaughter

masculine singular second person

תְּקַטֵּל

tiqattel

may you slaughter

feminine singular second person

תְּקַטְּלִי

tiqatteli

may you slaughter

masculine plural third person

יְקַטְּלוּ

yiqattelu

may they slaughter

feminine plural third person

תְּקַטַּלְנָה

tiqattalnah

may they slaughter

masculine plural second person

תְּקַטְּלוּ

tiqattelu

may you slaughter

feminine plural second person

תְּקַטַּלְנָה

tiqattalnah

may you slaughter

Pual Jussive Paradigm

Parsing

Hebrew

Transliteration

Gloss

masculine singular third person

יְקֻטַּל

yequttal

may he be slaughtered

feminine singular third person

תְּקֻטַּל

tequttal

may she be slaughtered

masculine singular second person

תְּקֻטַּל

tequttal

may you be slaughtered

feminine singular second person

תְּקֻטְּלִי

tequtteli

may you be slaughtered

masculine plural third person

יְקֻטְּלוּ

yequttelu

may they be slaughtered

feminine plural third person

תְּקֻטַּלְנָה

tequttalnah

may they be slaughtered

masculine plural second person

תְּקֻטְּלוּ

tequttelu

may you be slaughtered

feminine plural second person

תְּקֻטַּלְנָה

tequttalnah

may you be slaughtered

Hithpael Jussive Paradigm

Parsing

Hebrew

Transliteration

Gloss

masculine singular third person

יִתְקַטֵּל

yithqattel

may he kill himself

feminine singular third person

תִּתְקַטֵּל

tithqattel

may she kill herself

masculine singular second person

תִּתְקַטֵּל

tithqattel

may you kill yourself

feminine singular second person

תִּתְקַטְּלִי

tithqatteli

may you kill yourself

masculine plural third person

יִתְקַטְּלוּ

yithqattelu

may they kill themselves

feminine plural third person

תִּתְקַטֵּלְנָה

tithqattelnah

may they kill themselves

masculine plural second person

תִּתְקַטְּלוּ

tithqattelu

may you kill yourselves

feminine plural second person

תִּתְקַטֵּלְנָה

tithqattelnah

may you kill yourselves

Function

The Jussive form can indicate any of the following kinds of actions:

Indirect commands

Example: GEN 1:14

יְהִ֤י מְאֹרֹת֙ בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם

yehi me’oroth birqia’ hashamayim

Let-there-be luminaries in-expanse-of the-heavens

Let there be lights in the sky

Direct negative commands (2nd person forms with negative particle אַל)

Example: JOB 41:8

זְכֹ֥ר מִ֝לְחָמָ֗ה אַל־תּוֹסַֽף

zekhor milhamah ‘al-tosaf

Remember battle not_repeat!

you will remember the battle and do it no more.

Actions of greater or lesser desirability

These may include instructions, requests, permissions, invitations, assurances, wishes, etc.

Example: GEN 24:51

וּתְהִ֤י אִשָּׁה֙ לְבֶן־אֲדֹנֶ֔יךָ

uthehi ‘ishah leven-‘adoneykha

and-let-her-be wife to-son-of your-lord

so she may be the wife of your master’s son

Example: PSA 45:11

וְיִתְאָ֣ו הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ יָפְיֵ֑ךְ

weyith’aw hammelekh yofyekh

and-let-him-desire the-king your-beauty

In this way the king will desire your beauty

Example: PSA 104:20

תָּֽשֶׁת־חֹ֭שֶׁךְ וִ֣יהִי לָ֑יְלָה

tasheth-hoshekh wihi laylah

You-bring_darkness and-let-it-be night

You make the darkness of the night