1. Class XII: Qal Perfect – Strong verbs Dr. Esa Autero
LAN 404 Beginning Hebrew I
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Class XII: Qal Perfect – Strong verbs
Dr. Esa Autero

2. Qal Perfect – Strong verbs
1.1 Introduction
App. 72,000 verbs in the Hebrew Bible 2/3 in Qal stem (50,699)
First and most important of the seven stems
Qal stem pattern needs to be memorized – others build on that
The Qal stem basics
Active voice
Simple or unnuanced action
קָתַל “he killed”
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3. Qal Perfect – Strong verbs
The simple action of Qal divided into:
1) Transitive verbs
Transitive verbs take a direct object – “The prophet wrote the book”
2) Intransitive verbs
Intransitive verbs don’t take direct action – “He fasts twice a week”
3) Stative verbs
Stative verbs describe a state of being – “the priest is old”
In English “state” is indicated by using “is + adjective”
In Hebrew “state” is indicated by stative verbs
כָּבֵד (to be heavy) קָטֹן (to be small) *

4. Qal Perfect – Strong verbs
1.1 Translation of the Perfect conjugation
Perfect describes a completed action or state of being
English translation: past tense (he studied); perfect (he has studied); past perfect (he had studied); future perfect (he will have studied)
When describing a state of being: English present tense (he is wise); past tense (he was wise); or present tense with verbs of perception or attitude (he knows, he loves)
Time concept is secondary and needs to be deduced from the context
 Perfect tense indicates completed action – whether in the past, present or the future *

5. Qal Perfect – Strong verbs
Inflectional endings
or sufformatives of
Qal paradigm
Note the endings -
Endings and
specific vowel changes
must be memorized!
Paradigm starts with
3ms  lexical form
Metheg – vowel
is Qamets
Sufformative
Perfect
Translation
3ms -
קָטַל
He killed
3fs ָה
קָֽטְלָה
She killed
2ms
תָּ
קָטַ֫לְתָּ
You killed
2fs
תְּ
קָטַלְתְּ
1cs
תִּי
קָטַ֫לְתִּי
I killed
3cp וּ
קָֽטְלוּ
They killed
2mp
תֶּם
קְטַלְתֶּם
2fp
תֶּן
קְטַלְתֶּן
1cp
נוּ
קָטַ֫לְנוּ
We killed *

6. Qal Perfect – Strong verbs
To dwell
To remember
To write
To keep
To gather
3ms
יָשַׁב
זָכַר
כָּתַב
שָׁמַר
קָבַץ
3fs
יָֽשְׁבָה
זָֽכְרָה
כָּֽתְבָה
שָֽׁמְרָה
קָֽבְצָה
2ms
יָשַׁ֫בְתָּ
זָכַ֫רְתָּ
כָּתַ֫בְתָּ
שָׁמַרְתָּ
קָבַצְתָּ
2fs
יָשַׁבְתְּ
זָכַרְתְּ
כָּתַבְתּ
שָׁמַרְתְּ
קָבַצְתְּ
1cs
יָשַׁבְתִּי
זָכַרְתִּי
כָּתַבְתִּי
שָׁמַרְתִּי
קָבַצְתִּי
3cp
יָֽשְׁבוּ
זָֽכְרוּ
כָּֽתְבוּ
שָֽׁמְרוּ
קָֽבְצוּ
2mp
יְשַׁבְתֶּם
זְכַרְתֶּם
כְּתַבְתֶּם
שְׁמַרְתֶּם
קְבַצְתֶּם
2fp
יְשַׁבְתֶּן
זְכַרְתֶּן
כְּתַבְתֶּן
שְׁמַרְתֶּן
קְבַצְתֶּן
1cp
יָשַׁ֫בְנוּ
זָכַ֫רְנוּ
כָּתַ֫בְנוּ
שָׁמַ֫רנוּ
קָבַ֫צְנוּ
The *

7. Qal Perfect – Strong verbs
Roots ending in ת
When a verbal root ends in ת , two identical ת consonants become one +Daghesh Forte  תת = תּ
כָּרַתָּ
2ms
You cut
כָּרַתְּ
2fs
כָּרַתִּי
1cs
I cut
כְּרַתֶּם
2mp
כְּרַתֶּן
2fp *

8. Qal Perfect – Strong verbs
Roots ending in נ
When a verbal root ends in נ two identical consonants (ננ) become oneנ +Daghesh Forte.
שָׁכַן שָׁכַ֫נּוּ
Same rule applies as נת becomes תּ
See esp. נָתַן (to give)  נָתַ֫תִּי (I gave) *

9. Qal Perfect – Strong verbs
Stative verbs (indicate state of being/condition)
Classified per stem vowel (vowel associated w/ second root consonant)
Pathach-stative
גָּדַל
חָכַם
To become great
To be wise
Tsere-stative
כָּבֵד
זָקֵן
to be heave
To be old
Holem-stative
קָטֹן
יָכֹל
To be small
To be able *

10. Qal Perfect – Strong verbs
Pathach-stative
Tsere-stative
Holem-stative
Strong verb
3ms
גָּדַל
כָּבֵד
קָטֹן
קָטַל
3fs
גָּֽדְלָה
כָּֽבְדָה
קָֽטְנָה
קָֽטְלָה
2ms
גָּדַ֫לְתָּ
כָּבַ֫דְתָּ
קָטֹ֫נְתָּ
קָטַ֫לְתָּ
2fs
גָּדַלְתּ
כָּבַדְתְּ
קָטֹנְתְּ
קָטַלְתְּ
1cs
גָּדַ֫לְתִּי
כָּבַ֫דְתִּי
קָטֹ֫נְתִּי
קָטַ֫לְתִּי
3cp
גָּֽדְלוּ
כָּֽבְדוּ
קָֽטְנוּ
קָֽטְלוּ
2mp
גְּדַלְתֶּם
כְּבַדְתֶּם
קְטָנְתֶּם
קְטַלְתֶּם
2fp
גְּדַלְתֶּן
כְּבַדְתֶּן
קְטָנְתֶּן
קְטַלְתֶּן
1cp
גָּדַ֫לְנוּ
כָּבַ֫דְנוּ
קָטֹ֫נּוּ
קָטַ֫לְנוּ
Stative paradigms *
Qamets Hatuf

11. Qal Perfect – Strong verbs
Stative verbs and the corresponding adjectives
What’s the difference?
None – distinguish by looking at the inflection and the context
Stative verb – Qal pf. 3ms
Adjective – masc. singular
כָּבֵד
To be heavy
Heavy
מָלֵא
To be full
Full
טָמֵא
To be unclean
Unclean
רָעֵב
To be hungry
hungry *

12. Qal Perfect – Strong verbs
2.1 Two little but important words
1) The negative particle לֹא
Perfect and imperfect verbs are negated w/ particle לֹא
It is always place before the verb
לֹא שְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־הַתּוֹרוֹת
You did not observe the laws
לֹא זָכַ֫רְתָּ אֶת־הַבְּרִית
You did not remember the covenant *

13. Qal Perfect – Strong verbs
2) The particle הִנֵּה
The word הִנֵּה (alsoהֵן and הֶן־) usually translated as “behold”.
This is only one of its nuances – it appears more than1000x in HB.
May also take Type 1 pronominal suffixes
E.g. הִנֵּ֫נִי/הִנְנִי
(a) The particle הִנֵּה may be used to add emphasis
וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד
And God saw all that he had made, and behold, (it was) very good (Gen 1:31) *

14. Qal Perfect – Strong verbs
(b) to indicate immediate presence of someone or something w/ urgency
וְהִנֵּה אָנֹכִי עִמָּךְ
And behold, I am with you (Gen 28:15)
(c) to introduce a fact or situation on which subsequent statement id based
וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל הִנֵּה שָׁמַעְתִּי בְקֹלְכֶם...
And Samuel said to all of Israel, “Behold, I have listened to all …” (1 Sam 12:1) *

15. Hebrew Numbers Practice Homework Workbook p. 67, no:1-5 p. 68, no: 1-5
Workbook p. 69, no: 1-5 “Bible Translation”
Practice letters and reading (out loud) – e.g. words on vocabulary & workbook
Vocabulary quiz (Ch. 13) on words pp (13.15)
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