BBH Chapter 20 · Reference file
The IC does not inflect for person, number, or gender. It has one form (plus variants with preposition/suffix).
| Root | Bare IC | + לְ prefix | + בְּ prefix | + כְּ prefix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שמר (guard) | שְׁמֹר | לִ/שְׁמֹר | בִּ/שְׁמֹר | כִּ/שְׁמֹר |
| כתב (write) | כְּתֹב | לִ/כְתֹב | בִּ/כְתֹב | כִּ/כְתֹב |
| זכר (remember) | זְכֹר | לִ/זְכֹר | בִּ/זְכֹר | כִּ/זְכֹר |
Key marker: Strong IC = shewa under R1 + holem on R2. Identical to Imperative 2ms. Preposition לְ takes hireq (לִ–) before the IC. Context distinguishes IC from Imperative.
The preposition לְ (purpose, complementary, epexegetical) takes hireq before the IC:
| Root class | Root | + לְ | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong A | שמר | לִ/שְׁמֹר | li-shmor |
| Strong B (gutt. R3) | שמע | לִ/שְׁמֹ֣עַ | li-shmo'a |
| Strong B (gutt. R3) | זבח | לִ/זְבֹּ֣חַ | li-zbokh |
| III-ה | ראה | לִ/רְאוֹת | li-r'ot |
| III-ה + I-gutt. | עשה | לַ/עֲשׂוֹת | la-'asot |
| Biconsonantal | בוא | לָ/בֹא | la-vo |
| Biconsonantal | שוב | לָ/שׁוּב | la-shuv |
| I-י | הלך | לֶ/כֶת | le-khet |
| I-י | ישב | לָ/שֶׁ/בֶת | la-shevet |
| I-נ | נתן | לָ/תֵת | la-tet |
| I-aleph | אמר | לֵ/אמֹר | le-'emor |
| I-aleph | אכל | לֶ/אֱכֹל | le-'ekhol |
The final ה is replaced by וֹת (holem-waw + taw):
| Root | Bare IC | + לְ | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ראה (see) | רְאוֹת | לִ/רְאוֹת | Tsere often appears: לִרְאֹת |
| עשה (do) | עֲשׂוֹת | לַ/עֲשׂוֹת | I-gutt. chateph under ע |
| היה (be) | הֱיוֹת | לִ/הְיוֹת | Hateph-seghol under ה |
| הלך (go) | — | לֶ/כֶת | I-י replaces III-ה entirely; special form |
| שתה (drink) | שְׁתוֹת | לִ/שְׁתּוֹת | |
| בנה (build) | בְּנוֹת | לִ/בְנוֹת | |
| ידה (praise) | הוֹדוֹת | לְ/הוֹדוֹת | Hiphil of ידה (more common) |
Key marker: וֹת ending (holem-waw + taw) is the diagnostic for III-ה IC. It looks like a plural noun ending — do not confuse! The context (verbal behavior, following an object or subject) confirms IC.
Full long vowel is preserved in all biconsonantal IC forms:
| Root | Bare IC | + לְ | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| בוא (come) | בֹּא | לָ/בֹא | Holem-waw; aleph quiesces |
| שוב (return) | שׁוּב | לָ/שׁוּב | Full shureq |
| קום (arise) | קוּם | לָ/קוּם | Full shureq |
| מות (die) | מוּת | לָ/מוּת | Full shureq |
| שים (put) | שִׂים | לָ/שִׂים | Full hireq-yod |
| ריב (contend) | רִיב | לָ/רִיב | Full hireq-yod |
Key marker: Biconsonantal IC retains the full long vowel of the root. The lamed prefix takes qamets (לָ–) before most biconsonantals.
I-י roots show contracted forms in the IC, often with a seghol-taw ending:
| Root | Bare IC | + לְ | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| הלך (go) | לֶ/כֶת | לֶ/כֶת | No separate bare form common; the ל is fused |
| ישב (sit/dwell) | שֶׁ/בֶת | לָ/שֶׁ/בֶת | Seghol + bet + taw |
| ידע (know) | דַּ/עַת | לָ/דַ/עַת | Patach + ayin + taw |
| יצא (go out) | צֵאת | לָ/צֵאת | Tsere + aleph + taw |
| ירד (go down) | רֶ/דֶת | לָ/רֶ/דֶת | Seghol + dalet + taw |
| ירש (inherit) | רֶ/שֶׁת | לָ/רֶ/שֶׁת | |
| ילד (give birth) | לֶ/דֶת | לָ/לֶ/דֶת |
Key marker: I-י IC forms often end in ת (taw), giving them a distinctive noun-like appearance. לֶ/כֶת is the most common; the original yod/ה is absent.
Nun assimilates in some roots; others are regular:
| Root | Bare IC | + לְ | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| נתן (give) | תֵּת | לָ/תֵת | Both nuns drop; very short |
| נסע (set out) | נְסֹ֣עַ | לִ/נְסֹ֣עַ | Nun retained (not assimilated in IC) |
| נגש (approach) | גֶּשֶׁת | לָ/גֶּשֶׁת | Nun drops; seghol-taw |
| נשא (lift) | שְׂאֵת | לָ/שְׂאֵת | Nun drops; tsere-taw |
| נפל (fall) | נְפֹל | לִ/נְפֹל | Nun retained |
| נגד (tell) | הַ/גִּיד | לְ/הַ/גִּיד | Hiphil more common for this root |
Key marker: תֵּת (נתן = "to give") is one of the most striking IC forms — only two consonants visible. The I-נ root drops or assimilates the nun. Contrast with I-נ roots where nun is retained (נְסֹ֣עַ).
| Root | Bare IC | + לְ | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| אמר (say) | אֱמֹר | לֵ/אמֹר | Hateph-seghol; quotative formula |
| אכל (eat) | אֱכֹל | לֶ/אֱכֹל | Hateph-seghol under aleph |
| אהב (love) | אֱהֹב | לֶ/אֱהֹב | |
| אסף (gather) | אֱסֹף | לֶ/אֱסֹף |
Key marker: I-aleph IC has hateph-seghol under the aleph (composite shewa). The quotative לֵאמֹר (from אמר) is the most frequent IC form in the entire Hebrew Bible.
| Root Class | IC Form | With לְ | Diagnostic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong A | שְׁמֹר | לִ/שְׁמֹר | Shewa + holem; identical to Imper. 2ms |
| Strong B (gutt.) | שְׁמֹ֣עַ | לִ/שְׁמֹ֣עַ | Patach at R3 (guttural) |
| III-ה | רְאוֹת | לִ/רְאוֹת | וֹת ending (holem-waw + taw) |
| Biconsonantal | בֹּא / שׁוּב | לָ/בֹא / לָ/שׁוּב | Full long vowel; לָ + IC |
| I-י | לֶ/כֶת / שֶׁ/בֶת | — / לָ/שֶׁ/בֶת | Seghol-taw or tsere-taw ending |
| I-נ | תֵּת / נְסֹ֣עַ | לָ/תֵת / לִ/נְסֹ֣עַ | Nun drops in some (תֵּת very short) |
| I-aleph | אֱמֹר | לֵ/אמֹר | Hateph-seghol under aleph; lamed takes tsere |