Acknowledgement: Justin T. Alfred
Imperfect Tense
The imperfect tense is translated in Hebrew most often as a future tense, but in reality what is actually being expressed is an incomplete condition, which is what the future tense indicates. However, there are other times when future time is not the focus, but rather continuous, unfinished action which may be expressed in past, present and future time.
Simple Future Imperfect This is the most basic use of the imperfect: (a) “On your belly you shall go (tēlēk), and dust you shall eat (tō’kal) all the days of your life” (Gen. 3:14b).
Frequentative Imperfect The frequentative aspect of the imperfect is used to indicate action that is repeated on a continuous basis or at frequent intervals.
- Past Time
- 1. “But a mist used to rise (ya‘ăleh – repeatedly in the past) from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground” (Gen. 2:6).
- Present Time
- 1. “The Lord is far from the wicked, but the prayer of the righteous He hears (yišma – continually)” (Prov. 15:29).
- 2. “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks (yir’eh – continually) at the eyes, but the Lord looks (yir’eh – continually) at the heart’” (I Sam. 16:7).
- Future Time
- 1. “Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be (yihǝyeh – continually in future time) as a mouth for you and you will be (tihǝyeh – continually in the future) as God to him” (Ex. 4:16).
Progressive Imperfect The emphasis of the progressive imperfect is action that is moving forward in a progressive manner toward a goal or a specific idea. However, the difference between the progressive imperfect and the frequentative imperfect, is that the progressive imperfect looks at a single thought or action moving toward a goal as one event, versus repeated movements of the frequentative imperfect toward that same goal. Thus, it sees the one event being described as being in a single, progressive state toward the stated goal.
- Past Time
- 1. “Now the angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, I brought up (a‘ăleh) you from Egypt . . .’” (Judges 2:1).
- Present Time
- “Then Achish said to his servants, ‘Behold, you see the man behaving as a madman. Why do you bring (tabî’û) him to me?’” (I Sam. 21:14).
- Future Time
- “And the Lord set a definite time, saying, ‘Tomorrow the Lord will do (y‘ăseh) this thing in the land” (Ex. 9:5).
Characteristic Imperfect On occasion, the repetitive or frequentative use of the imperfect makes a statement about something or someone that tends to characterize that subject as belonging to a particular delineation or specific group of entities.
- “Benjamin is a wolf that tears (yitrāp) . . .” (Gen. 49:27).
- “…and her salvation like a torch that burns (yib‘ār)” (Is. 62:1).
Consecutive Imperfects At times progressive imperfects are joined whereby they present a sequential order of events.
- Past Time
- “Then the days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years, and he beget (vayyôled) sons and daughters”
- “Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate (vayyōkal) and he drank (vayyēšt) and he arose (vayyāqom) and he went away (vayyēlak) . . .” (Gen. 25:34).
- Present Time
- “The man shapes iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, and with hammers he fashions it (yissǝrēhû) and makes it (vayyip‘ālēhû) with his strong arm…” (Is. 44:12).
- Future Time
- “For a child will be (was) born to us, a son will be (was) given to us; and the government will be (vattǝhî) on His shoulders; and His name will be called (vayyiqrā’) Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Is. 9:6).
Cohortatives & Jussives
One very important aspect of the imperfect tense is the use of what is called the Cohortative and Jussive usages of Imperfect forms. The purpose and reason for the Cohortative usage is emphasis. For example, I could say in Hebrew, “I will keep the Law of God” (’ešmōr hattôrat ’ĕlōhîm) – but with the Cohortative, it will read, “I will surely keep the Law of God” (’ešmǝrâ hattôrat ’ĕlōhîm)– with the “surely” being employed for the added emphasis.
On the other hand, the Jussive is translated as carrying the idea of asking permission for a certain action to be or not to be carried out, with the English auxiliary words “let” and “may” being the ones primarily used, and as just stated, the Jussive is expressing the speaker’s desire and entreaty, and sometimes even in the form of a command, but a command that is a genuine entreaty.
There are times when the “let” and “may” of the typical Jussive
translation may as correctly and legitimately be translated as “I will,” or “we will,” the context of the passage being the determining factor.
- “And I will speak (wa’ădabbǝrȃ – cohortative) about your testimonies before kings, and I will not be ashamed (bus – non-cohortative)” (Psalm 119:46).
What is also interesting is that the verb “I will speak” is also a Piel
verb stem, which in this case is also emphatic, so David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is doubly emphatic about his intention to “speak about God’s testimonies before kings.”
- “And Israel said unto Joseph, ‘Let me die (mût) now after I have seen your face that you are still alive” (Genesis 46:30).
The form mûtȃ is a Qal Imperfect, 1st person singular, from the root verb mût, which means “to die,” with the Cohortative ending on the last syllable. Thus, in this instance, and in the context of this passage, the use of “let” is quite applicable and fitting with Jacob’s spiritual and emotional state of finally seeing his long, lost son, Joseph, whom he thought was dead and gone from his life, but now, as he sees Joseph face to face, his joy is complete, and he is ready for his life to end. However, some translators apply the Jussive aspect of “hope,” or “desire,” or “wish” with what they deem is a Cohortative usage of a verb in the first person singular or plural, and such a translation as, “let me . . .,” or “let us . . .” is at the discretion of the translator because such a verb may just as easily and correctly be translated as “I will . . .,” or “we will . . .” Therefore, just know that when you come to such translations of the Imperfect first person singular or plural such as “let me . . .” or “let us . . .,” as just stated above, those translations can just as easily be translated as “I will . . .,” or “we will . . .,” and my encouragement to you, once again, is to look at such a phrase in the total context of the passage as a whole.
Assignment: Read Genesis 1:3 and observe the use of tenses. How could it read and why?
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