1. LAN 405 Beginning Hebrew II
*Photo from
Class II: Waw Consecutive (Ch. 17)
Dr. Esa Autero

2. Waw Consecutive 1.1 Introduction
Waw consecutive – imperfect and perfect
Verb prefixed with distinct form of the conjunction וְ
Waw “consecutive imperfect” translated as Hb. perfect
Waw “consecutive perfect” translated as Hb. imperfect
 “reversed Waw” – translation value reverses
Basic usage of waw consecutive
Primarily in narrative to indicate consecutive action
“I sat down, and then I opened the book, and then I studied Hebrew”
*Photo:

3. Waw Consecutive וַיִקְטֹל יִשְׁמֹר וַיִּשְׁמֹר יִזְכֹּר וַיִּזְכֹּר
2.1 Consecutive Imperfect
When imperfect prefixed with Waw Consecutive translate as if it was perfect tense
Impf. Waw Consecutive generally translated with the English past tense
Qal. Impf. w/o Waw Consecutive
Qal. Impf. w/ Waw Consecutive
יִשְׁמֹר
He will observe
וַיִּשְׁמֹר
And he observed
יִזְכֹּר
He will remember
וַיִּזְכֹּר
And he remembered *
Impf. Waw Consecutive
וַיִקְטֹל

4. Imperfect w/ Waw Consecutive
Impf. Consecutive paradigm
Spelling remains as is
Note the spelling of Waw in 1cs.
due to guttural consonant
Note also that impf. may have
a “regular Waw” (וְ), like וְיִכְתֹּב
(and he will write)
Translation remains normal
 Imperfect (future) value in Engl.
Imperfect w/ Waw Consecutive
3ms
וַיִּקְטֹל
and he killed
3fs
וַתִּקְטֹל
and she killed
2ms
and you killed
2fs
וַתִּקְטְלִי
1cs
וָאֶקְטֹל
and I killed
3mp
וַיִּקְטְלוּ
and they killed
3fp
וַתִּקְטֹ֫לְנָה
2mp
וַתִּקְטְלוּ
2fp
1cp
וַנִּקְטֹל
and we killed
*bachar = to choose

5. Qal. Impf. w/ Waw consecutive
Qal regular w/
3ms
וַיִּקְטֹל
and he killed
וְיִקְטֹל
3fs
וַתִּקְטֹל
and she killed
וְתִקְטֹל
2ms
and you killed
2fs
וַתִּקְטְלִי
וְתִקְטְלִי
1cs
וָאֶקְטֹל
and I killed
וְאֶקְטֹל
3mp
וַיִּקְטְלוּ
and they killed
וְיִקְטְלוּ
3fp
וַתִּקְטֹ֫לְנָה
וְתִקְטֹלנָה
2mp
וַתִּקְטְלוּ
וְתִקְטְלוּ
2fp
1cp
וַנִּקְטֹל
and we killed
וְנִקְטֹל
conjunction
and he will kill
and she will kill
and you will kill
and I will kill
and they will kill
and we will kill
*bachar = to choose

6. Waw Consecutive יֹאמַר וַיִֹּ֫אמֶר יֵשֵׁב וַיֵּ֫שֶׁב יֵלֵךְ וַיֵּלֶךְ
Minor changes in spelling – Waw consecutive Imperfect
1) I-א verbs (אָמַר) and certain I-י verbs and הָלַךְ  stem vowel changes to Seghol
יֹאמַר
He will say
וַיִֹּ֫אמֶר
And he said
יֵשֵׁב
He will dwell
וַיֵּ֫שֶׁב
And he dwelt
יֵלֵךְ
He will go
וַיֵּלֶךְ
And he went *

7. Waw Consecutive יָקוּם וַיָּ֫קָם יָשִׂים וַיָּ֫שֶׂם יִבְנֶה וַיִּ֫בֶן
2) Biconsonaltal and III-ה usually “shortened” in Impf. w/o sufformative
In Biconsonal verbs the medial vowel is dropped. In III-ה the final ֶה is lost.
יָקוּם
He will rise
וַיָּ֫קָם
And he rose up
יָשִׂים
He will set up
וַיָּ֫שֶׂם
And he set
יִבְנֶה
He will build
וַיִּ֫בֶן
And he built
יִגְלָה
He will reveal
וַיִּ֫גֶל
And he revealed *

8. Waw Consecutive
The use of consecutive imperfect
Consecutive imperfect usually translated as past tense narrative sequence
1) Generally a past tense narrative sequence begins with a Perfect verb followed by a series of consecutive imperfect verbs
Initial perfect verbs signals the past tense narration
Following consecutive imperfects are connected to the preceding verb
Logically
Sequentially
Consequentially
וְהָאָדָם יָדַע אֶת־חַוָּה אִשְׁתּוֹ וַתַּהַר [הָרָה] וַתֵּלֶד אֶת־קַיִן
And Adam knew Eve his wife, and then she conceived, and then she bore Cain (Gen 4:1) *

9. Waw Consecutive
2) Past tense narrative that starts with consecutive imperfect
וַיִּקְרָא אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד
And he called to Moses and the Lord spoke to him from the tent of meeting (Lev 1:1)
3) Past tense narrative starts with temporal modifier וַיְהִי (= is Qal. impf. 3ms of הָיָה[to be]) followed by consecutive imperfect. The modifier is at the beginning of the sequence
וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי מוֹת אַבְרָהָם וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת־יִצְחָק בְּנוּ
And [it came to pass] that after the death of Abraham God blessed Isaac his son (Gen 25:11) *

10. Waw Consecutive
4) Imperfect consecutive sequence interrupted by Perfect +negative particle
וַיֶּחֱזַק לֵב־פַּרְעֹה וְלאֹ־שָׁמַע אֲלֵהֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָה וַיּפֶן פַּרְעֹה וַיָּבֹא אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ
And Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he did not listen to them just as the LORD had said. And (so) Pharaoh turned and went to his house (Ex 7:22-23) *

11. Waw Consecutive שָׁמַר וְשָׁמַר זָכַר וְזָכַר
2.2 Consecutive Perfect – Form and Translation
When perfect verb is prefixed with consecutive waw, it is translated with the value of Hebrew imperfect
NOTE: Waw consecutive perfect is spelled different than imperfect
Qal pf. w/o Waw Consecutive
Qal pf. With Waw Consecutive
שָׁמַר
He observed
וְשָׁמַר
And he will observe
זָכַר
He remembered
וְזָכַר
And he will remember *

12. וְקָטַל וַיִקְטֹל Waw Consecutive
In Perfect tense there is no difference in spelling between
Waw consecutive
Regular perfect with וְ conjunction
Perfect with Waw Consecutive
Imperfect with Waw consecutive
וְקָטַל
וַיִקְטֹל *

13. Perfect with Waw Consecutive
No changes in spelling due to
prefix
Only exception is 2mp and 2fp
where Waw is spelled with Shureq,
because it occurs b/f vocal Shewa
Some accent changes occur in 1cs;
this occurs only on pf. consecutive –
occurs only 1cs and 2ms forms
Context indicates whether it is
regular or consecutive pf. (Gen 9:15)
Perfect with Waw Consecutive
3ms
וְקָטַל
And he will kill
3fs
וְקָֽטְלָה
And she will kill
2ms
וְקָטַלְתָּ֫
And you will kill
2fs
וְקָטַלְתְּ
1cs
וְקָטַלְתִּ֫י
And I will kill
3mp
וְקָֽטְלוּ
And they will kill
2mp
וּקְטַלְתֶּם
2fp
וּקְטַלְתֶּן
1cp
וְקָטַלְנוּ
And we will kill
*bachar = to choose

14. Waw Consecutive שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲבֹד וְעָשִׂתָ כֹּל־מְלַאכְתֶּךָ
Use of the consecutive perfect
Used in narrative sequence – indicates future tense narrative sequence
Prophetic revelations of the future or legal regulations related to future
To indicate habitual-durative action
1) Future narrative that begins with imperfect followed by consecutive pf.
שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲבֹד וְעָשִׂתָ כֹּל־מְלַאכְתֶּךָ
Six days you will labor and (you will) do all your work* (Deut 5:13)
*labor, work, business - melachah

15. Waw Consecutive
2) Consecutive perfect follows an imperative verb and has imperative force
עֲמֹד בְּשַׁעַר בֵּית יְהוָה וְקָרָאתָ שָּׁם אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וְאָמַרְתָּ שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר־יְהוָה
Stand (Imperative) in the gate of the LORD’s house and proclaim there this word and say, “Hear the word of the LORD” (Jer 7:2)
3) Future tense narrative begins with temporal modifier וְהָיָה (= Qal. pf. 3ms w/ Waw consecutive) followed by consecutive pf. verbs
וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וְשָׁבַרְתִּי אֶת־קֶשֶׁת יִשְׂרָאֵל
And in that day I will break the bow of Israel (Hos 1:5) *

16. Waw Consecutive וַאֲנִי זָקַנְתִּי וָשַׂבְתִּי
4) Infrequently, pf. occurs w/ regular conjunction וְ , not Waw consecutive – translation = “and” + past tense of the verb
Perfect with regular Waw conjunction occurs in two contexts
a) In a series of perfect verbs – first in the series is regular perfect and the following verbs are connected to the first in a string – translate all as past tense
וַאֲנִי זָקַנְתִּי וָשַׂבְתִּי
But as for me, I am old and I am grey (1 Sam 12:2)
b) Series of short syntactically parallel clauses – 2nd clause connected to the first with regular waw conjunction
הִנֵּה נָגַד זֶה עַל־שְׂפָתֶיךָ וְסָר עֲוֹנֶךָ
Behold. He touched this upon your lips and he removed your iniquity (Isa 6:7) *

17. Waw Consecutive Practice Homework Workbook p. 125, no: 2-5
Workbook: “Bible Translation”, p. 126, no: 1-2 and p. 131, no: 1-2.
Practice letters and reading (out loud) – e.g. words on vocabulary & workbook
Quizz II on vocabulary (17.10, pp )
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