Ch17 Passage Exercise — Wayyiqtol and Weqatal in Context

BBH Chapter 17 · Genesis 1, 22 · Deuteronomy 6 · Exodus 3

Instructions: For each highlighted form, give: (a) Form Type (Wayyiqtol / Weqatal / Imperfect / Perfect), (b) Person, (c) Number, (d) Gender, (e) Root (3ms lexical form), (f) Usage Note.
Key: Wayyiqtol = sequential past narrative. Weqatal = sequential future / command chain. Watch for the dagesh forte in the prefix consonant (Wayyiqtol) and the waw + perfect pattern in future context (Weqatal).

Passage A — Genesis 1:1–5 (Creation Narrative)

בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֖ים יְהִ֣י א֑וֹר וַֽיְהִי־אֹֽור

וַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הָאֹ֖ור כִּי־טֹ֑וב

וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים לָאֹור֙ יֹ֔ום

#	Form	Form Type	Pers.	Num.	Gen.	Root	Usage Note
1	בָּרָ֣א
✓	בָּרָ֣א	Perfect	3	s	m	ברא	Simple Past — no waw; opening background statement; III-א weak; not sequential narrative
2	וַֽיְהִי
✓	וַֽיְהִי	Wayyiqtol	3	s	m	היה	Sequential Past — III-ה short form of היה; "and there was light" — creation result
3	וַיַּ֧רְא
✓	וַיַּ֧רְא	Wayyiqtol	3	s	m	ראה	Sequential Past — III-ה short form: ה dropped; "and God saw that it was good"
4	וַיִּקְרָא
✓	וַיִּקְרָא	Wayyiqtol	3	s	m	קרא	Sequential Past — III-א; aleph quiesces; "and God called the light Day"

Passage B — Genesis 22:1–4 (Binding of Isaac)

וַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה

וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם אַבְרָהָ֧ם בַּבֹּ֛קֶר

וַיָּ֣קׇם וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ אֶל־הַמָּקֹ֛ום

וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּ֤רְא אֶת־הַמָּקֹום֙ מֵרָחֹֽק

#	Form	Form Type	Pers.	Num.	Gen.	Root	Usage Note
5	וַיְהִי
✓	וַיְהִי	Wayyiqtol	3	s	m	היה	Sequential Past — III-ה short form; standard narrative episode opener; "and it came to pass"
6	וַיַּשְׁכֵּם
✓	וַיַּשְׁכֵּם	Wayyiqtol	3	s	m	שכם	Sequential Past — "and Abraham arose early"; dagesh forte in כּ; Hiphil-pattern but Qal of שׁכם
7	וַיָּקׇם
✓	וַיָּקׇם	Wayyiqtol	3	s	m	קום	Sequential Past — Biconsonantal short form; qamets hatuf in root; "and he arose"
8	וַיַּרְא
✓	וַיַּרְא	Wayyiqtol	3	s	m	ראה	Sequential Past — III-ה short form; "and he saw the place from a distance"

Passage C — Deuteronomy 6:4–7 (The Shema — Weqatal chain)

שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה אֶחָֽד

וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ

וְשִׁנַּנְתָּ֣ם לְבָנֶ֔יךָ

וְדִבַּרְתָּ֣ בָּ֔ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֥ בְבֵיתֶ֖ךָ

#	Form	Form Type	Pers.	Num.	Gen.	Root	Usage Note
9	וְאָהַבְתָּ
✓	וְאָהַבְתָּ	Weqatal	2	s	m	אהב	Sequential Future — follows שְׁמַע (imperative); stress on final -tā; "and you shall love"
10	וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם
✓	וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם	Weqatal	2	s	m	שנן	Sequential Future — Piel weqatal; "and you shall teach them diligently"; continues Shema command chain
11	וְדִבַּרְתָּ
✓	וְדִבַּרְתָּ	Weqatal	2	s	m	דבר	Sequential Future — Piel weqatal; "and you shall speak of them"; Deu 6:7 command chain

Passage D — Exodus 3:1–6 (Moses and the Burning Bush)

וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ מֹשֶׁ֛ה וּרְעֵ֥ה אֶת־הַצֹּ֖אן

וַיַּ֥רְא מַלְאַ֧ךְ יְהוָ֛ה אֵלָ֖יו בְּלַבַּת־אֵ֑שׁ

וַיֵּ֨פֶן מֹשֶׁ֜ה לִרְאֹ֗ות

וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֵלָ֤יו אֱלֹהִים֙ — וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִנֵּ֥נִי

#	Form	Form Type	Pers.	Num.	Gen.	Root	Usage Note
12	וַיֵּלֶךְ
✓	וַיֵּלֶךְ	Wayyiqtol	3	s	m	הלך	Sequential Past — I-י: tsere prefix (יֵ–); ה at R1 absent; "and Moses went"
13	וַיַּרְא
✓	וַיַּרְא	Wayyiqtol	3	s	m	ראה	Sequential Past — III-ה short form; "and the angel of the LORD appeared to him"
14	וַיֵּפֶן
✓	וַיֵּפֶן	Wayyiqtol	3	s	m	פנה	Sequential Past — III-ה short form: ה dropped, seghol under נ; "and Moses turned aside to look"
15	וַיִּקְרָא
✓	וַיִּקְרָא	Wayyiqtol	3	s	m	קרא	Sequential Past — III-א; "and God called out to him from the bush"
16	וַיֹּאמֶר
✓	וַיֹּאמֶר	Wayyiqtol	3	s	m	אמר	Sequential Past — I-aleph; holem prefix; most frequent wayyiqtol in the Bible; "and he said: Here I am"

Reflection Questions

In Passage A, Form #1 (בָּרָא) is a Qal Perfect, not a Wayyiqtol. Why does Genesis 1:1 use the Perfect for the opening statement, while the rest of the creation narrative uses Wayyiqtol? What does this tell you about the narrative function of the Perfect vs. the Wayyiqtol?
The Shema passage (Deu 6:4–7) opens with an imperative (שְׁמַע) followed by a chain of Weqatal forms. What does this grammatical structure communicate about the relationship between the commands? How does the Weqatal chain differ from a series of separate imperatives?
In Passage D (Exodus 3), Moses's encounter with the burning bush is narrated entirely through Wayyiqtol forms. What effect does this sequential chaining produce in the storytelling? How would the passage read differently if each action were expressed with a separate Perfect (qatal)?