13.17 Qal Perfect Strong Examples

  • יָדַ֥ע
    • י is an extremely common preformative consonant (but we haven’t learned any preformatives yet)
    • This is why we also spend time on vocabulary - in this case, we will learn to recognize ידע as a three-letter root
    • We remember that for the Qal Perfect, the \(Pre\) combination קָ (where ק is \(R_1\) of any strong verb)
    • In יָדַ֥ע , the \(Pre\) combination is יָ, so that fits Qal Perfect!
    • This word has no sufformative, which indicates 3MS
    • Based on this alone, we are almost assured this is QP3MS
      • The lack of a preformative and a sufformative could be other Qal conjugations
      • The other conjugations will have different vowels
      • \(V_1 = \bar A\) is diagnostic of Qal Perfect
    • Let’s look for an additional confirmation
    • Qal Perfect, the \(V_S = A\)
    • In יָדַ֥ע, \(V_S = A\) (דַ) so we have another match
      • This is another indicator of Qal stem, Perfect conjugation (QP)
    • This combination of (lack of) preformatives, (lack of) sufformatives, and vowels can only be Qal Perfect 3MS (QP3ms) - he knows
    • As we said in the introduction to Unit 3, you will start to see the cantillation marks in words and passages
      • If you don’t recognize a dot, dash, or line as a vowel, assume it is a cantillation mark
  • שָׁמְר֤וּ
    • \(Pre =\) קָ is diagnostic of Qal stem
    • שָׁמְר֤וּ has שָׁ
      • That matches! $R_1= $ a strong consonant and \(V_1 = \bar A\)
    • We’re typically expecting \(V_2/V_S = A\) in the Qal.
      • The Sheva is a clue that there might be an exception to a rule:
      • In שָׁמְר֤וּ, \(V_2 = ə\)
      • We know one of our rules is that the Perfect sufformative is preceded by a Sheva, but in the P3cp (and P3fs), the Sheva of the sufformative displaces the Patach \(V_2\)
  • וּ perfect sufformative = \(P3cp\) conjugation
    • If we know our vocab, we also understand that the Lexical form is שָׁמַר.
    • שָׁמְר֤וּ is Qal Perfect 3cp (QP3cp) - they guarded/observed/kept/watched over
  • As with זָכָ֑רְתְּ, there are times where \(V_S \not = A\) in the Qal Perfect
    • Stative verbs may have a different \(V_S\), as we will discuss in a future section
    • Spelling variants may occur over the many hundreds of years the Tanach was written103
    • If there is nothing otherwise to suggest that you are not looking at a Qal verb, go with a Qal translation unless/until proven otherwise

NAVIGATION TIP

As we will learn in Unit 4, when there are no other signs of a different stem, we can default to Qal; this is because Qal is the most common stem

  1. This is not unlike seeing “olde” or even “auld” on an English document from a few hundred years ago. We know they both mean “old”↩︎