Samuel_Kim_en_uhg/content/infinitive_construct.rst

:github_url: https://git.door43.org/Door43/en_uhg/src/branch/master/content/infinitive_construct.rst

.. _infinitive_construct:

Infinitive Construct
====================

Summary
-------

The infinitive construct modifies a finite verb, usually providing extra
information regarding the purpose, result, or temporal frame of the
verbal action of the main verb. In rare cases, the infinitive construct
functions independently as a verbal noun.

Article
-------

The infinitive construct generally functions as a verbal complement to a
:ref:`verb-finite-verbs`,
but in rare cases it also functions independently as a :ref:`verb-verbal-nouns`.
The infinitive construct is described as being in the construct state
because it can occur in various constructions with prepositions,
:ref:`suffix`,
and other
:ref:`noun`
in a construct chain. The infinitive construct generally has only one
form in each
:ref:`stem`
(Qal, Niphal, Piel, etc.), and it does not conjugate according to
person, gender, or number as do the finite verb forms.

Form
----

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Parsing

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Hebrew

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Transliteration

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Gloss

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Qal

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קְטֹל

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qetol

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kill

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Niphal

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הִקָּטֵל

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hiqqatel

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be killed

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Hiphil

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הַקְטִיל

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haqtil

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cause to kill

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Hophal

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Not found

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Piel

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קַטֵּל

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qattel

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slaughter

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Pual

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Not found

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Hithpael

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הִתְקַטֵּל

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hitqattel

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kill oneself

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Function
--------

The infinitive construct can carry the following range of meanings:

Expresses purpose, result, or complementary action of a main verb (with preposition לְ)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is by far the most common use of the infinitive construct, as a
standard grammatical infinitive. NOTE: The infinitive construct can also
be used with other prepositions to complement the main verb (such as the
preposition עַל in the example below).

-  GEN 11:5 – expressing purpose for the action of the main verb

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   וַיֵּ֣רֶד יְהוָ֔ה **לִרְאֹ֥ת** אֶת־הָעִ֖יר וְאֶת־הַמִּגְדָּ֑ל

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   wayyered yehwah **lir'oth** 'eth-ha'ir we'eth-hammigdal

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   and-he-came-down Yahweh **to-see** [dir.obj]\_the-city
   and-[dir.obj]\_the-tower

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   So Yahweh came down **to see** the city and the tower

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-  EXO 3:4 – expressing result of the action of the main verb

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   וַיַּ֥רְא יְהוָ֖ה כִּ֣י סָ֣ר לִרְא֑וֹת

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   wayyar yehwah ki sar **lir'oth**

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   and-he-saw Yahweh that he-had-turned-aside **to-see**

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   When Yahweh saw that he had turned aside **to look**

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-  EXO 3:8 – expressing complementary action of the main verb

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   וָאֵרֵ֞ד **לְהַצִּיל֣וֹ**\ ׀ מִיַּ֣ד מִצְרַ֗יִם **וּֽלְהַעֲלֹתוֹ֮**
   מִן־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַהִוא֒

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   wa'ered **lehatsilo** miyyad mitsrayim **uleha'alotho** min-ha'arets
   hahiw'

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   and-I-have-come-down **to-deliver-them** from-hand-of Egypt
   **and-to-bring-them-up** from-the-land the-that

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   I have come down **to free them** from the Egyptians' power and **to
   bring them up** from that land

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-  1SA 14:33 – also expressing complementary action, but with a more
   nuanced meaning

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   הִנֵּ֥ה הָעָ֛ם חֹטִ֥אים לַֽיהוָ֖ה **לֶאֱכֹ֣ל** עַל־הַדָּ֑ם

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   hinneh ha'am hotiym layhwah **le'ekhol** 'al-haddam

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   behold the-people are-sinning to-Yahweh **to-eat** on\_the-blood

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   Look, the people are sinning against Yahweh **by eating** with the
   blood.

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-  AMO 1:11 – with preposition עַל to express purpose for the action of
   the main verb

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   לֹ֣א אֲשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ עַל־\ **רָדְפ֨וֹ** בַחֶ֤רֶב אָחִיו֙

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   lo 'ashivennu 'al-**rodfo** vaherev 'ahiw

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   not I-will-revoke-it on\_\ **his-pursuing** with-the-sword
   his-brother

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   I will not turn away punishment, because **he pursued** his brother
   with the sword

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Provides temporal reference for the action of the main verb (with various prepositions)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The infinitive construct can be used with other prepositions (besides
those included below) to provide temporal reference. In those cases, the
context and the meaning of the preposition generally make clear the
specific temporal nuance being indicated.

-  1SA 2:27 – with preposition בְּ to express simultaneous action

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   הֲנִגְלֹ֤ה נִגְלֵ֙יתִי֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֔יךָ **בִּֽהְיוֹתָ֥ם**
   בְּמִצְרַ֖יִם

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   hanigloh niglethiy 'el-beth 'avikha **biheyotham** bemitsrayim

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   [quest.]-indeed I-revealed-myself to\_house-of your-father
   **while-they-were** in-Egypt

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   Did I not reveal myself to the house of your ancestor, **when they
   were** in Egypt?

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-  GEN 12:14 – with preposition כְּ to express commencing action

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   וַיְהִ֕י **כְּב֥וֹא** אַבְרָ֖ם מִצְרָ֑יְמָה

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   wayhi **kevo** 'avram mitsraymah

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   and-it-happened **as-coming** Abram to-Egypt

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   It came about that **when** Abram **entered** into Egypt

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-  JDG 6:18 – with preposition עַד to express durative action (until a
   specified time of ending)

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   וַיֹּאמַ֕ר אָנֹכִ֥י אֵשֵׁ֖ב עַ֥ד שׁוּבֶֽךָ

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   wayyomar 'anokhi 'eshev 'ad **shuvekha**

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   and-he-said myself I-will-remain until **you-return**

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   Yahweh said, "I will wait until **you return**"

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Functions as a :ref:`verb-verbal-nouns`
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The infinitive construct sometimes functions as an independent
:ref:`noun`
or introduces an entire clause that functions as a noun.

-  1SA 15:22 – functioning as a noun

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   שְׁמֹ֙עַ֙ מִזֶּ֣בַח ט֔וֹב

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   **shemo'a** mizzevah tov

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   **obeying** from-sacrifice good

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   **Obedience** is better than sacrifice

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-  GEN 2:17 – introducing a clause functioning as a noun

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   כִּ֗י בְּי֛וֹם **אֲכָלְךָ֥** מִמֶּ֖נּוּ מ֥וֹת תָּמֽוּת

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   ki beyom **'akholkha** mimmennu moth tamuth

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   for in-day-of **your-eating** from-it dying you-will-die

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   for on the day that **you eat** from it, you will surely die

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Introduces direct speech (אמר + לְ)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-  GEN 1:22

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   וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ אֹתָ֛ם אֱלֹהִ֖ים לֵאמֹ֑ר

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   wayvarekh 'otham 'elohim **lemor**

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   and-he-blessed [dir.obj]-them God **to-say**

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   God blessed them, **saying**

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Regarding a :ref:`suffix_pronominal`
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the infinitive construct takes a pronominal suffix, that suffix can
be either the subject or the object of the infinitive itself (not the
main verb), as determined by the context.

-  JER 2:17 – infinitive construct with suffix as *subject* of the
   action

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   הֲלוֹא־זֹ֖את תַּעֲשֶׂה־לָּ֑ךְ **עָזְבֵךְ֙** אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהַ֔יִךְ

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   halo-zoth ta'aseh-llakh **'ozvekh** 'eth-yehwah 'elohayikh

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   [quest.]-not\_this you-have-done\_to-yourself **your-forsaking**
   [dir.obj]\_Yahweh your-God

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   Did you not do this to yourselves when **you abandoned** Yahweh your
   God?

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-  RUT 1:16 – infinitive construct with suffix as *object* of the action

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   וַתֹּ֤אמֶר רוּת֙ אַל־תִּפְגְּעִי־בִ֔י לְעָזְבֵ֖ךְ

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   wattomer ruth 'al-tifge'i-vi **le'ozvekh**

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   and-she-said Ruth not\_you-press\_on-me **to-forsake-you**

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   But Ruth said, "Do not make me **go away from you**

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