Samuel_Kim_en_uhg/content/verb_perfect.rst

:github_url: https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_uhg/src/branch/master/content/verb_perfect.rst

.. _verb_perfect:

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
:ref:`verb<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
:ref:`conjunction<conjunction>`
*waw* (וְ "and") is added to the Perfect conjugation as a prefix, this
can indicate either the :ref:`Perfect copulative<verb_perfect-copulative>`
or the :ref:`Sequential Perfect<verb_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
----

.. csv-table:: Qal Perfect Paradigm
  :header-rows: 1

  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

.. csv-table:: Niphal Perfect Paradigm
  :header-rows: 1

  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

.. csv-table:: Hiphil Perfect Paradigm
  :header-rows: 1

  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

.. csv-table:: Hophal Perfect Paradigm
  :header-rows: 1

  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

.. csv-table:: Piel Perfect Paradigm
  :header-rows: 1

  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

.. csv-table:: Pual Perfect Paradigm
  :header-rows: 1

  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

.. csv-table:: Hithpael Perfect Paradigm
  :header-rows: 1

  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").

.. csv-table:: Example: JER 43:7 — Perfect conjugation translated as simple past action

  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.

.. csv-table:: Example: JER 43:10 — Perfect conjugation translated as present completed action

  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**.

.. csv-table:: Example: JER 43:5 — Perfect conjugation translated as past completed action

  כָּל־שְׁאֵרִ֣ית יְהוּדָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר־\ **שָׁ֗בוּ** מִכָּל־הַגּוֹיִם֙
  kol-she'erith yehudah 'asher-**shavu** mikkol-haggoyim
  "whole\_remnant-of Judah that\_\ **they-returned**
     from-all\_the-nations"
  all the remnant of Judah who **had returned** from all the nations

Completed actions in present/future time
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 28:15

  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.

.. csv-table:: Example: RUT 1:12

  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,'"

.. csv-table:: Example: 1SA 14:30

  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

:ref:`Stative<verb-stative>` actions (describing a state or condition)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This kind of action describes a state or a condition, often (but not always) with a passive :ref:`stem formation<stem>`.

.. csv-table:: Example: LAM 1:1

  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.

.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 23:11

  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.

.. csv-table:: Example: ISA 11:9

  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"""

.. _verb_perfect-copulative:

Perfect copulative
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This form adds the
:ref:`conjunction<conjunction>`
*waw* (וְ "and") to the normal Perfect conjugation and can express any of
the above meanings. This form appears identical to the
:ref:`Sequential Perfect<verb_sequential_perfect>`.

.. csv-table:: Example: 1KI 12:32

  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

.. csv-table:: Example: ISA 1:2

  בָּנִים֙ גִּדַּ֣לְתִּי וְרֹומַ֔מְתִּי
  banim giddalti **werowmamti**
  sons I-made-great **and-I-raised-up**
  I have nourished **and brought up** children