The Syntax of the Verb in Classical Hebrew Prose (The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies)

by Alviero Niccacci

Publisher:

JSOT Press

, 1990

Overview

Syntax of verbs in Hebrew is fraught with problems. According to classic grammars, many Hebrew words can be translated by virtually all the finite tenses of modern languages. Such grammars include lengthy catalogs of special cases and rules for exceptional uses, which illustrate how difficult the problem of verb syntax is. In turn, translators select the equivalent tense of modern languages based more on their own interpretation than on the rules of Hebrew syntax itself.

In this landmark study on the syntax of Hebrew verbs, Niccacci reexamines the fundamental linguistic categories of prose and provides a systematic classification of the forms and constructions of Hebrew verbs. A final chapter deals with tense in poetry.

In the Logos edition of The Syntax of the Verb in Classical Hebrew Prose, you get easy access to Scripture texts and to a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Hovering over Scripture references links you instantly to the verse you’re looking for, and with Passage Guides, Word Studies, and a wealth of other tools from Logos, you can delve into God’s Word like never before!

Key Features

• Foreword by the author
• Bibliographical references and indexes

Contents

Top Highlights

“biblical prose will be provided. Poetry will be discussed briefly at the end (Chapter 10).” (Page 22)

“all first members of the 2SC must be analysed as ‘casus pendens’ or as extra-positional constructions.” (Page 146)

“McFall¹ has made a survey of the opinions put forward between 1827 (Ewald) and 1954 (Thacker). He examined ten different theories in all, which he grouped under six basic headings. Of these can be mentioned the earliest solution, proposed since the tenth century by Jews of mediaeval times and by classical grammarians such as Gesenius, Joüon, etc., which is that the verbal system is based on tense. Without WAW, QATAL usually denotes the past and YIQTOL usually denotes the future; preceded by WAW, their tenses are reversed (‘conversive/inversive WAW’).” (Page 17)

“it conveys recovered information (an antecedent event or flashback) or even a comment on the main events (background).” (Page 35)

“a clause is verbal when the predicate is a finite verb and nominal when the predicate is a noun” (Page 28)

Product Details

• Title: The Syntax of the Verb in Classical Hebrew Prose
• Author: Alviero Niccacci
• Translator: W. G. E. Watson
• Publisher: Sheffield
• Publication Date: 2009
• Pages: 224

About Alviero Niccacci

Alviero Niccacci is a professor of Hebrew at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum in Jerusalem.