The Qal imperfect

A prefix, not an ending

Psalm 23 begins like this.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Psalm 23:1

The last verb is אֶחְסָר, "'echsar", "I shall lack". Do you notice what is different from the perfect in the last lesson? The perfect showed the person by an ending after the root. Here the root חסר has an א in front of it. This is the imperfect. The panel labels it "verb, qal, imperfect, first, singular".

The prefix table

The imperfect marks the person with a letter in front of the root, and there are four of them: א, ת, י and נ. The model verb is the same שָׁמַר, "shamar", "to keep".

What to remember is the four letters and what they mean: א is "I", ת is "you" (or "she"), י is "he", and נ is "we". In the plural, the same prefix is joined by an ending ־וּ. The remaining forms (second feminine singular, the feminine plurals) need only be recognised.

One caution. A form that begins with ת can be "you" or "she", and the context, meaning who the subject is, decides which. We will compare the two in Isaiah 43:2 below.

Finding the prefixes in verses

The other verbs of Psalm 23 work the same way. In verse 4 David sings this.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.

Psalm 23:4

אֵלֵךְ, "'elekh", is "I walk", root הלך with the prefix א (this verb drops its first letter ה in the imperfect). אִירָא, "'ira'", is "I will fear", root ירא with א: first singular again. When a verb begins with א, think "I" first.

In Genesis 2:17 God speaks about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

תֹאכַל, "tokhal", is root אכל with the prefix ת, second masculine singular; together with the לֹא before it, it means "you must not eat". When לֹא and the imperfect are paired, the result can be a lasting prohibition, "you are never to eat", and not a statement about one moment. Later in the verse, תָּמוּת, "tamut", is root מות with ת: "you will die". The word before it, מוֹת, is an infinitive, which we meet later.

Isaiah 43:2 has two verbs that begin with ת.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.

Isaiah 43:2

תַעֲבֹר, "ta'avor", is second masculine singular of the root עבר, "when you pass". Further on in the verse, תִבְעַר, "tiv'ar", means "it will burn". It has the same ת prefix, but its subject, the flame, is feminine, so here it is "she, it". The context tells you. In Psalm 8:4, תִזְכְּרֶנּוּ, "tizkerenu", is root זכר, "remember", in the second masculine singular, with a suffix (־נּוּ) meaning "him". It sits in a question, "what is man that you remember him?", and describes what God does, not only what he will do.

What it means

As a rule of thumb the imperfect presents an action as not complete. That is why it is often translated as a future ("I will, you shall"), as something repeated or habitual ("he does"), or as a wish or command ("let him", "you must"). As with the perfect, scholars debate whether Hebrew verbs mark tense or aspect, so use this as a guide, not an iron law.

Psalm 121:4 is a fine example.

Behold, the Protector of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

Psalm 121:4

יָנוּם, "yanum", "he will slumber", and יִישָׁן, "yishan", "he will sleep", are roots נום and ישן with the prefix י: third masculine singular. The meaning is not only "in the future" but "never, at any time", a continuing state. The translation depends on the context.

Comparing it with the perfect

Put the two side by side. The perfect adds an ending after the root (חָטָאתִי, "I have sinned"); the imperfect adds a prefix before it (אֶחְסָר, "I shall lack"). With any verb, ask first: is there an א, ת, י or נ at the front, or an ending such as ־תִּי or ־ָה at the back? One more thing for the future: there is also a prefix form that begins with וַ and carries stories forward in the past. We shall meet it in the next lesson.

Summary

The imperfect marks the person with a prefix before the root: א "I", ת "you" or "she", י "he", נ "we". As a rule of thumb it is "incomplete", so it is often translated as a future, a repeated action or a wish, and with לֹא it can be a lasting prohibition. Always settle the translation from the context.

Words in this lesson

• אָכַלakhalto eat810 times in the OT
• הָלַךְhalakhto go: went941 times in the OT
• זָכַרzakharto remember230 times in the OT
• יָרֵאyareto fear205 times in the OT
• עָבַרavarto pass498 times in the OT

Practice