CHAPTER 14 OF VERBS OF THE FIRST CONJUGATION

PARADIGMS
Simple Active Verbs (KAL¹)

The forms of the infinitive in absolute state, as we have already frequently said, are , and ; in the construct they are and . The past tense is formed from the absolute in this way:

The imperative is formed from the construct in this way:

The future is formed from the imperative in this way:

Notes on the Infinitive

We have shown in the proper place that infinitives are declined like other nouns. I should like to add this, that their cases are indicated not only by the prepositional prefixes , but also by other prepositions, like before the destruction of the Lord, that is, before he destroyed, until the loss, for while they were losing, etc.

Since there are so many infinitive forms in the past tense of every verb it is clear why the same verb uses now this and now that form, like (Numbers 6:15) and (2 Samuel 5:10) to grow, and to speak, and others similarly. To be sure in Isaiah 47:14 occurs. Although in the Scriptures there is not found an infinitive with a double kametz , I do not doubt that the Hebrews did have these and all the other forms of the infinitive which I mentioned. For, as I said, among the Hebrews verbs are adjectives which agree with the nominative in gender, number, and case; and these adjectives absolutely point to the infinitive, without using a nominative as if it were a substantive without gender. And when you take completely any form of the past and the imperative without the nominative you are expressing the infinitive. Nay more, but also the participle itself, as I shall show in its place, can become a substantive, and may be used for an infinitive. N.B. Isaiah 31:1.

Further, it is customary to supplement the past infinitive with the paragogic letter which in the construct is changed to Thus from it is to approach, whose construct is . To this construct the suffixes are added in this manner , my, your, his approach, etc. So from to be able it is , and in the construct , like because the Lord is not able, and with suffixes added it is my, your, his ability, etc.

Further, instead of a , we are able to add a to the infinitive, an example of which is found in the book of Esther chapter 9, verse 5, where to persist is found instead of .

Next, the construct , if it lacks an accent, changes the cholem to kametz chatuf, like before the reign of the king.

Finally, the example in Ezra 10:17, where occurs instead of to inquire, which the grammarians note as an exception, to me seems as something strange and I do not venture to explain it.

Notes on the Past Tense

, and differ from infinitives, as we have said, in that they are in the past tense, masculine in gender, and singular in number, and in the infinitive they have no gender nor number; and this difference is easily recognized by practice in speech itself.

The feminine , when it has the accent or , changes the sheva into a kametz, cholem, or tsere, that is into the masculine form, without that change of sound which came from the addition of the , so that the feminine form is ; and from ; and, finally, from .

has the letter as characteristic of the second person, taken from the pronoun you; and sometimes the from the pronoun also remains, like , but more often it is usual to omit it.

Verbs which end in lose it in the second and first persons, and are compensated by a dagesh in the succeeding , like he cut, you cut, I cut.

in the second person feminine has the ending taken from the feminine pronoun you; and the obsolete , which we noted above is the obsolescent expression for like Ruth 3:3 you slept (f.) for ; and so many more which have been corrected by the Massorites doubtless because they were obsolete.

has the ending from the pronoun I. The gender is common as everywhere in the first person.

, the ending in the plural is the same as with the pronoun, which ends in the plural, as we have noted above, in and not , like the rest of the adjectives. It occurs also for euphony with the paragogic like they knew. I believe that the ancients were accustomed to distinguish here the masculine from the feminine by the quiescent and , namely, they visited (m.) they visited (f.) . Examples of this sort are found in the Scriptures, like Deut. 21:7 our hands did not spill, and Joshua 10:24 men of war who went. But later writers seem to have disregarded these quiescent letters, because in the pronunciation no difference is able to be sensed, and also because they might be confused with paragogic letters.

Moreover, when the accent is or the penultimate sheva is changed, as in the singular third person feminine, into a , or a cholem, becoming in place of either or .

Finally and take on the endings from the pronouns you and we.

Notes on the Imperative

I have placed the imperative before the future, because the latter is formed from the former, and because the future is very frequently used in place of the imperative, so that it is possible to affirm that the future among the Hebrews agrees both with the indicative and the imperative modes.

We have said that the forms of the imperative are and , if you please also ; to which the paragogic is not rarely added, so that from it is , and from it is (m.) you visit! From this comes the infinitive form and with the accent athnach or siluk it is ; when the accent is eliminated, as in the infinitive, it changes the cholem into a kametz chatuf, like hew thyself.

Notes on the Future

and , when the paragogic is added to them, change the cholem and patach into a sheva, and become I shall visit. But when accented with either an or a the cholem remains, and the - changes to , becoming and .

And with the paragogic becomes you (f.) will visit, and from the form it is , namely changing the - to a on account of the following chirek.

, when the paragogic is added to it, changes the cholem into and becomes , but accented with and , like in first person singulars the is retained and the - changes to a .

And with paragogic becomes and and . If it has a dividing accent it retains the form of the singular becoming and you (m. p.) will visit. Before a monosyllable, because the accent should be on the penultimate, a shurek is usually used in place of a cholem, like (Exod. 18:26) they judged themselves. Finally in the case of Leviticus 21:5 I believe it to be a mistake of the copyist who wrote twice hastily.

and : the can be left off, like dressed; and as from the feminine singular the third person plural can become , so that both in singular and in plural, the third person feminine agrees with the second person masculine. Thus Jeremiah 49:1 and let your widows trust in me, in place of . The reason the letter has the in place of the is that the is used on account of the , as we have said it is everywhere.