Verb Perfect¶
Summary¶
A Perfect verb usually expresses a completed action in the past. However, the Perfect conjugation can also be used to describe other kinds of actions.
Article¶
In Biblical Hebrew a Perfect verb is normally used to describe actions that have occurred in the past or actions that are seen as completed (even in present or future time). However, the Perfect conjugation is also used to describe a variety of other kinds of actions. Thus, a Perfect verb has the potential to be translated with the past tense, the present tense, or even the future tense. The context must determine the proper meaning for each instance of a Perfect verb.
When the conjunction waw (וְ “and”) is added to the Perfect conjugation as a prefix, this can indicate either the Perfect copulative or the Sequential Perfect. The meaning of the verb is different in either case, and the context must be carefully considered to determine if it is a Perfect copulative verb or a Sequential Perfect verb.
Form¶
| Parsing | Hebrew | Transliteration | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular third person | קָטַל | qatal | he killed |
| feminine singular third person | קָטְלָה | qatlah | she killed |
| masculine singular second person | קָטַלְתָּ | qatalta | you killed |
| feminine singular second person | קָטַלְתְּ | qatalt | you killed |
| common singular first person | קָטַלְתִּי | qatalti | I killed |
| common plural third person | קָטְלוּ | qatlu | they killed |
| masculine plural second person | קְטַלְתֶּם | qetaltem | you killed |
| feminine plural second person | קְטַלְתֶּן | qetalten | you killed |
| common plural first person | קָטַלְנוּ | qatalnu | we killed |
| Parsing | Hebrew | Transliteration | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular third person | נִקְטַל | niqtal | he was killed |
| feminine singular third person | נִקְטְלָה | niqtelah | she was killed |
| masculine singular second person | נִקְטַלְתָּ | niqtalta | you were killed |
| feminine singular second person | נִקְטַלְתְּ | niqtalt | you were killed |
| common singular first person | נִקְטַלְתִּי | niqtalti | I was killed |
| common plural third person | נִקְטְלוּ | niqtelu | they were killed |
| masculine plural second person | נִקְטַלְתֶּם | niqtaltem | you were killed |
| feminine plural second person | נִקְטַלְתֶּן | niqtalten | you were killed |
| common plural first person | נִקְטַלְתֶּנוּ | niqtaltenu | we were killed |
| Parsing | Hebrew | Transliteration | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular third person | הִקְטִיל | hiqtil | he caused to kill |
| feminine singular third person | הִקְטִילָה | hiqtilah | she caused to kill |
| masculine singular second person | הִקְטַלְתָּ | hiqtalta | you caused to kill |
| feminine singular second person | הִקְטַלְתְּ | hiqtalt | you caused to kill |
| common singular first person | הִקְטַלְתִּי | hiqtalti | I caused to kill |
| common plural third person | הִקְטִילוּ | hiqtilu | they caused to kill |
| masculine plural second person | הִקְטַלְתֶּם | hiqtaltem | you caused to kill |
| feminine plural second person | הִקְטַלְתֶּן | hiqtalten | you caused to kill |
| common plural first person | הִקְטַלְנוּ | hiqtalnu | we caused to kill |
| Parsing | Hebrew | Transliteration | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular third person | הָקְטַל | hoqtal | he was caused to kill |
| feminine singular third person | הָקְטְלָה | hoqtelah | she was caused to kill |
| masculine singular second person | הָקְטַלְתָּ | hoqtalta | you were caused to kill |
| feminine singular second person | הָקְטַלְתְּ | hoqtalt | you were caused to kill |
| common singular first person | הָקְטַלְתִּי | hoqtalti | I was caused to kill |
| common plural third person | הָקְטְלוּ | hoqtelu | they were caused to kill |
| masculine plural second person | הָקְטַלְתֶּם | hoqtaltem | you were caused to kill |
| feminine plural second person | הָקְטַלְתֶּן | hoqtalten | you were caused to kill |
| common plural first person | הָקְטַלְנוּ | hoqtalnu | we were caused to kill |
| Parsing | Hebrew | Transliteration | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular third person | קִטֵּל / קִטַּל | qittel / qittal | he slaughtered |
| feminine singular third person | קִטְּלָה | qittelah | she slaughtered |
| masculine singular second person | קִטַּלְתָּ | qittalta | you slaughtered |
| feminine singular second person | קִטַּלְתְּ | qittalt | you slaughtered |
| common singular first person | קִטַּלְתִּי | qittalti | I slaughtered |
| common plural third person | קִטְּלוּ | qittelu | they slaughtered |
| masculine plural second person | קִטַּלְתֶּם | qittaltem | you slaughtered |
| feminine plural second person | קִטַּלְתֶּן | qittalten | you slaughtered |
| common plural first person | קִטַּלְנוּ | qittalnu | we slaughtered |
| Parsing | Hebrew | Transliteration | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular third person | קֻטַּל | quttal | he was slaughtered |
| feminine singular third person | קֻטְּלָה | quttelah | she was slaughtered |
| masculine singular second person | קֻטַּלְתָּ | quttalta | you were slaughtered |
| feminine singular second person | קֻטַּלְתְּ | quttalt | you were slaughtered |
| common singular first person | קֻטַּלְתִּי | quttalti | I was slaughtered |
| common plural third person | קֻטְּלוּ | quttelu | they were slaughtered |
| masculine plural second person | קֻטַּלְתֶּם | quttaltem | you were slaughtered |
| feminine plural second person | קֻטַּלְתֶּן | quttalten | you were slaughtered |
| common plural first person | קֻטַּלְנוּ | quttalnu | we were slaughtered |
| Parsing | Hebrew | Transliteration | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular third person | הִתְקַטֵּל | hithqattal | he killed himself |
| feminine singular third person | הִתְקַטְּלָה | hithqattelah | she killed herself |
| masculine singular second person | הִתְקַטַּלְתָּ | hithqattalta | you killed yourself |
| feminine singular second person | הִתְקַטַּלְתְּ | hithqattalt | you killed yourself |
| common singular first person | הִתְקַטַּלְתִּי | hithqattalti | I killed myself |
| common plural third person | הִתְקַטְּלוּ | hithqattelu | they killed themselves |
| masculine plural second person | הִתְקַטַּלְתֶּם | hithqattaltem | you killed yourselves |
| feminine plural second person | הִתְקַטַּלְתֶּן | hithqattalten | you killed yourselves |
| common plural first person | הִתְקַטַּלְנוּ | hithqattalnu | we killed ourselves |
Function¶
The Perfect conjugation can indicate any of the following kinds of actions:
Completed actions in past time¶
The Perfect conjugation can be translated as simple past action (“he did”), present completed action (“he has done”), or past completed action (“he had done”).
| כִּ֛י לֹ֥א שָׁמְע֖וּ בְּק֣וֹל יְהוָ֑ה |
| ki lo shom’u beqol yehwah |
| for not they-listened to-voice-of Yahweh. |
| because they did not listen to Yahweh’s voice. |
| מִמַּ֛עַל לָאֲבָנִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֣ר טָמָ֑נְתִּי |
| mimma’al la’avanim ha’elleh ‘asher tamanti |
| from-over to-the-stones the-these that you-buried. |
| over these stones that you have buried. |
| כָּל־שְׁאֵרִ֣ית יְהוּדָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר־שָׁ֗בוּ מִכָּל־הַגּוֹיִם֙ |
| kol-she’erith yehudah ‘asher-shavu mikkol-haggoyim |
|
| all the remnant of Judah who had returned from all the nations |
Completed actions in present/future time¶
| עַ֚ד אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־עָשִׂ֔יתִי אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי לָֽךְ |
| ‘ad ‘asher ‘im-‘asithi ‘eth ‘asher-dibbarti lakh |
| until then when I-have-done [dir.obj] what_I-have-spoken to-you. |
| I will do all that I have promised to you. |
Imaginary actions¶
This is an action described as a hypothetical situation.
| כִּ֤י אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ יֶשׁ־לִ֣י תִקְוָ֔ה |
| ki ‘amartiy yesh-li thiqwah |
| if I-said there-is_for-me hope |
| If I said, ‘I hope I get a husband tonight,’ |
| אַ֗ף כִּ֡י לוּא֩ אָכֹ֨ל אָכַ֤ל הַיּוֹם֙ הָעָ֔ם |
| ‘af ki lu’ ‘akhol ‘akhal hayyom ha’am |
| Oh if only eating they-had-eaten the-day the-people |
| How much better if the people had eaten freely today |
Stative actions (describing a state or condition)¶
This kind of action describes a state or a condition, often (but not always) with a passive stem formation.
| אֵיכָ֣ה׀ יָשְׁבָ֣ה בָדָ֗ד הָעִיר֙ |
| ‘ekhah yoshvah vadad ha’ir |
| How it-sits lonely the-city |
| The city … is now sitting all alone. |
Performative actions¶
This is an action that is performed by speaking it.
| הַשָּׂדֶה֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לָ֔ךְ |
| hassadeh nathatti lakh |
| the-field I-give to-you |
| I give you the field |
Prophetic actions¶
This is a very rare use of the Perfect conjugation, occurring in prophetic utterances.
| כִּֽי־מָלְאָ֣ה הָאָ֗רֶץ דֵּעָה֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה |
| ki-mol’ah ha’arets de’ah ‘eth-yehwah |
| for_it-will-be-full the-earth-of knowledge [dir.obj]_Yahweh |
| for the earth will be full of knowledge of Yahweh” |
Perfect copulative¶
This form adds the conjunction waw (וְ “and”) to the normal Perfect conjugation and can express any of the above meanings. This form appears identical to the Sequential Perfect.
| וְהֶעֱמִיד֙ בְּבֵ֣ית אֵ֔ל אֶת־כֹּהֲנֵ֥י |
| wehe’emid beveth ‘el ‘eth-kohane |
| and-he-set-up in-Bethel [dir.obj]_priests |
| and he placed priests in Bethel |
| בָּנִים֙ גִּדַּ֣לְתִּי וְרֹומַ֔מְתִּי |
| banim giddalti werowmamti |
| sons I-made-great and-I-raised-up |
| I have nourished and brought up children |