Verb Sequential Perfect¶
Summary¶
A Sequential Perfect verb often expresses the same kinds of action as the Imperfect conjugation, but it also connects to an earlier verb to form either a sequence of time or a sequence of thought. However, in Biblical Hebrew a Sequential Perfect verb has an additional and unique potential to express the same kind of action as the verb immediately preceding it.
Article¶
The Sequential Perfect conjugation looks very similar to the normal Perfect form, but it is a separate verbal form and must be treated as such. The Sequential Perfect conjugation takes the same verbal endings as the normal Perfect conjugation but includes the conjunction waw (וְ “and”) as a prefix. A Sequential Perfect verb does not function like a normal Perfect conjugation verb. Rather, it functions more like an Imperfect verb, because it often appears in a series following a clause with an Imperfect verb.
Note
The Sequential Pefect conjugation has an additional function that is unique among all verbal conjugations in Biblical Hebrew. A Sequential Verb often, but not always, expresses the same kind of action as the preceding verb. This is often the case when a Sequential Perfect verbs are used to express a sequence of incomplete actions, a sequence of imperatives, or a sequence of verbal actions expressing possibility or desirability.
There is a difference between (1) the Sequential Perfect conjugation, (2) the Perfect copulative, and (3) the normal Imperfect conjugation with the conjunction. (1) and (2) have an identical form, including the vocalization, so the reader must determine from the context which one is being used in any given instance. (1) is also different than (3), although they can have similar meanings. The Sequential Perfect conjugation ((1) above) forms a sequence with the verb in the clause before it, but the normal Imperfect conjugation ((3) above) with the conjunction does not.
Form¶
| Parsing | Hebrew | Transliteration | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular third person | וְקָטַל | weqatal | (and) he will kill |
| feminine singular third person | וְקָטְלָה | weqatlah | (and) she will kill |
| masculine singular second person | וְקָטַלְתָּ | weqatalta | (and) you will kill |
| feminine singular second person | וְקָטַלְתְּ | weqatalt | (and) you will kill |
| common singular first person | וְקָטַלְתִּי | weqatalti | (and) I will kill |
| common plural third person | וְקָטְלוּ | weqatlu | (and) they will kill |
| masculine plural second person | וּקְטַלְתֶּם | uqetaltem | (and) you will kill |
| feminine plural second person | וּקְטַלְתֶּן | uqetalten | (and) you will kill |
| common plural first person | וְקָטַלְנוּ | weqatalnu | (and) we will kill |
| Parsing | Hebrew | Transliteration | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular third person | וְנִקְטַל | weniqtal | (and) he will be killed |
| feminine singular third person | וְנִקְטְלָה | weniqtelah | (and) she will be killed |
| masculine singular second person | וְנִקְטַלְתָּ | weniqtalta | (and) you will be killed |
| feminine singular second person | וְנִקְטַלְתְּ | weniqtalt | (and) you will be killed |
| common singular first person | וְנִקְטַלְתִּי | weniqtalti | (and) I will be killed |
| common plural third person | וְנִקְטְלוּ | weniqtelu | (and) they will be killed |
| masculine plural second person | וְנִקְטַלְתֶּם | weniqtaltem | (and) you will be killed |
| feminine plural second person | וְנִקְטַלְתֶּן | weniqtalten | (and) you will be killed |
| common plural first person | וְנִקְטַלְתֶּנוּ | weniqtaltenu | (and) we will be killed |
| Parsing | Hebrew | Transliteration | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular third person | וְהִקְטִיל | wehiqtil | (and) he will cause to kill |
| feminine singular third person | וְהִקְטִילָה | wehiqtilah | (and) she will cause to kill |
| masculine singular second person | וְהִקְטַלְתָּ | wehiqtalta | (and) you will cause to kill |
| feminine singular second person | וְהִקְטַלְתְּ | wehiqtalt | (and) you will cause to kill |
| common singular first person | וְהִקְטַלְתִּי | wehiqtalti | (and) I will cause to kill |
| common plural third person | וְהִקְטִילוּ | wehiqtilu | (and) they will cause to kill |
| masculine plural second person | וְהִקְטַלְתֶּם | wehiqtaltem | (and) you will cause to kill |
| feminine plural second person | וְהִקְטַלְתֶּן | wehiqtalten | (and) you will cause to kill |
| common plural first person | וְהִקְטַלְנוּ | wehiqtalnu | (and) we will cause to kill |
| Parsing | Hebrew | Transliteration | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular third person | וְהָקְטַל | wehoqtal | (and) he will be caused to kill |
| feminine singular third person | וְהָקְטְלָה | wehoqtelah | (and) she will be caused to kill |
| masculine singular second person | וְהָקְטַלְתָּ | wehoqtalta | (and) you will be caused to kill |
| feminine singular second person | וְהָקְטַלְתְּ | wehoqtalt | (and) you will be caused to kill |
| common singular first person | וְהָקְטַלְתִּי | wehoqtalti | (and) I will be caused to kill |
| common plural third person | וְהָקְטְלוּ | wehoqtelu | (and) they will be caused to kill |
| masculine plural second person | וְהָקְטַלְתֶּם | wehoqtaltem | (and) you will be caused to kill |
| feminine plural second person | וְהָקְטַלְתֶּן | wehoqtalten | (and) you will be caused to kill |
| common plural first person | וְהָקְטַלְנוּ | wehoqtalnu | (and) we will be caused to kill |
| Parsing | Hebrew | Transliteration | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular third person | וְקִטֵּל / וְקִטַּל | weqittel / weqittal | (and) he will slaughter |
| feminine singular third person | וְקִטְּלָה | weqittelah | (and) she will slaughter |
| masculine singular second person | וְקִטַּלְתָּ | weqittalta | (and) you will slaughter |
| feminine singular second person | וְקִטַּלְתְּ | weqittalt | (and) you will slaughter |
| common singular first person | וְקִטַּלְתִּי | weqittalti | (and) I will slaughter |
| common plural third person | וְקִטְּלוּ | weqittelu | (and) they will slaughter |
| masculine plural second person | וְקִטַּלְתֶּם | weqittaltem | (and) you will slaughter |
| feminine plural second person | וְקִטַּלְתֶּן | weqittalten | (and) you will slaughter |
| common plural first person | וְקִטַּלְנוּ | weqittalnu | (and) we will slaughter |
| Parsing | Hebrew | Transliteration | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular third person | וְקֻטַּל | wequttal | (and) he will be slaughtered |
| feminine singular third person | וְקֻטְּלָה | wequttelah | (and) she will be slaughtered |
| masculine singular second person | וְקֻטַּלְתָּ | wequttalta | (and) you will be slaughtered |
| feminine singular second person | וְקֻטַּלְתְּ | wequttalt | (and) you will be slaughtered |
| common singular first person | וְקֻטַּלְתִּי | wequttalti | (and) I will be slaughtered |
| common plural third person | וְקֻטְּלוּ | wequttelu | (and) they will be slaughtered |
| masculine plural second person | וְקֻטַּלְתֶּם | wequttaltem | (and) you will be slaughtered |
| feminine plural second person | וְקֻטַּלְתֶּן | wequttalten | (and) you will be slaughtered |
| common plural first person | וְקֻטַּלְנוּ | wequttalnu | (and) we will be slaughtered |
| Parsing | Hebrew | Transliteration | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine singular third person | וְהִתְקַטֵּל | wehithqattal | (and) he will kill himself |
| feminine singular third person | וְהִתְקַטְּלָה | wehithqattelah | (and) she will kill herself |
| masculine singular second person | וְהִתְקַטַּלְתָּ | wehithqattalta | (and) you will kill yourself |
| feminine singular second person | וְהִתְקַטַּלְתְּ | wehithqattalt | (and) you will kill yourself |
| common singular first person | וְהִתְקַטַּלְתִּי | wehithqattalti | (and) I will kill myself |
| common plural third person | וְהִתְקַטְּלוּ | wehithqattelu | (and) they will kill themselves |
| masculine plural second person | וְהִתְקַטַּלְתֶּם | wehithqattaltem | (and) you will kill yourselves |
| feminine plural second person | וְהִתְקַטַּלְתֶּן | wehithqattalten | (and) you will kill yourselves |
| common plural first person | וְהִתְקַטַּלְנוּ | wehithqattalnu | (and) we will kill ourselves |
Function¶
The Sequential Perfect conjugation can indicate any one of many different kinds of actions:
Incomplete actions, in present or future time¶
| וְהִצַּ֣תִּי אֵ֗שׁ בְּבָתֵּי֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י מִצְרַ֔יִם |
| wehitsatti ‘esh bevottey ‘elohe mitsrayim |
| and-I-will-kindle fire in-houses-of gods-of Egypt |
| Then I will light a fire in the temples of Egypt’s gods. |
In poetry it can take on a variety of functions, here it clearly continues the previous Imperfect. It expresses an habitual action that is not (never) completed.
| בַּ֭בֹּקֶר יָצִ֣יץ וְחָלָ֑ף לָ֝עֶ֗רֶב יְמוֹלֵ֥ל וְיָבֵֽשׁ׃ |
| babboqer yatsits wehalaf la’erev yemolel weyavesh |
| in-the-morning it-blossoms and-it-renews at-the-evening it-withers and-it-dries |
| In the morning it blooms and grows up; in the evening it withers and dries up. |
Frequentive or durative actions¶
These may be in past time, present time, future time, or without a specified timeframe.
| וַיִּרְא֥וּ אַנְשֵֽׁי־אַשְׁדּ֖וֹד כִּֽי־כֵ֑ן וְאָמְר֗וּ |
| wayyir’u ‘anshe-‘ashdod ki-khen we’omru |
| and-they-saw men-of_Ashdod that_thus and-they-were-saying |
| When the men of Ashdod realized what was happening, they said |
Direct or indirect commands¶
In the following example, the Sequential Perfect conjugation is translated with imperative meaning.
| לֵ֤ךְ וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֙ אֶל־עַבְדִּ֣י אֶל־דָּוִ֔ד |
| lekh we’amarta ‘el-‘avdi ‘el-dawid |
| go and-say to_my-servant to_David |
| Go and tell David my servant |
In the following example, the Sequential Perfect conjugation is translated with jussive meaning.
| וְהָיָ֥ה לְעֵ֖ד בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵינֶֽךָ |
| wehayah le’ed beni uvenekha |
| and-let-it-be for-a-witness between-me and-between-you |
| and let it be for a witness between you and me. |
Imaginary, possible, or conditional actions¶
|
| wekhi-yakkeh ‘ish ‘eth-‘avdo ‘o ‘eth-‘amatho bashevet umeth |
|
|
Actions of greater or lesser desirability¶
These may include instructions, requests, permissions, invitations, assurances, wishes, etc.
In the following example, the Sequential Perfect conjugation is translated with cohortative meaning.
| אֲלַקֳטָה־נָּא֙ וְאָסַפְתִּ֣י בָֽעֳמָרִ֔ים |
| ‘alaqotah-nna’ we’asafti vo’omarim |
| let-me-glean_oh and-let-me-gather among-the-reapers |
| Please let me glean and gather after the reapers. |