INTRODUCTION In the first two chapters of the Book of Job, the author describes Job and his household,

his fortune and the misfortune that befell him. Job lost everything he had, yet, he did not %rB God. His friends heard of the disaster and visited him. They were silent for seven day, after which Job opened his mouth and spoke. This gave birth to chapter 3, which is the focus of this paper. We shall explain the use and the nuances of the yiqtol verbal form in this chapter. We have tried to pick out five representative instances from all the occurrences and offer possible explanations for their use. The yiqtol has been given various names ranging from prefix- conjugation to imperfect; from durative and frequentative, aspectual theory to modality etc, 1 following the history of the different theories. However, we must observe that the yiqtol seems to be the most difficult verbal system to define because of its multifaceted nuances and the context that defines it. There are cases like these in our presentation. Yiqtol in V3

`rb,g") hr"ho rm;a' hl'y>L:h;w> AB= dl,W"ai ~Ay db;ayO

Perish the day on which I was (made to) born and the night that said, A male has been conceived

db;ayO

-qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular dba. This verbal form has the

jussive mood. The jussive is one of the volitive moods of the yiqtol and it sometimes has the optative nuance. Joon-Muraoka broadly divides the nuance of the jussive into two though expressing the same will, namely from a superior to an inferior: command, exhortation, advice, invitation, permission; - from an inferior to a superior: a wish, prayer, request for permission etc2 The nuance of this form here is no doubt a wish. It
1

For a concise history of the theories on yiqtol, cf. among others: B. K. WALTKE-M. OCONNOR, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax, (Winona Lake, Indiana 1990) pp 455-478.
2

. P. Joon-T. Muraoka, A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew Part: three 114h, ( S. R. Driver, Tenses the

jussive is in a strict sense meant to convey an injunction or a command P. 54. Gesenius-Kautzsch, Hebrew Grammar, As the cohortative is used in the 1st pers., so the jussive is especially found in the 2nd and 3rd pers. sing. and plur. to express a more or less definite desire that something should or should not happen, 109.)

has an optative modal expression of the deontic modality. However, the poetic context may insinuate some kind of imperative, thus, obligatory. The use of the jussives in this chapter is varied. However, very prominent is the use that we find in verses 3-10. The prohibitive form is very frequent with the use of the negative particle la;. This use of the particle tends to reflect urgency,3 this fits into the situation of Job, judging from the context and the story-line started in the chapter 1. A different morphology is found in 3:9, where

ha,r>yI-la;

which is the full form of the

verb. However, it still has the same nuance of the jussive. Jo on-Muraoka affirms that a distinction should be made between the (syntactic) jussive mood and the jussive form. In some cases, the form may not be seen, while in others it may be neglected where it should be used. The latter case is what we have in v.9 with the nuance of a negative wish.4 It is also pertinent to note that the yiqtol is used here and under this mood to refer to an action which took place in the past. It is therefore a wish that is expected to have an effect on the past using the form of the yiqtol.

dl,W"ai

-Niphal Imperfect 1st common singular dly. This verbal form

describes an action that took place in the past. Thus, against the natural expectation of a qatal, we have a yiqtol. Andersen, F. I. affirming the problems in this verse says that the poetic parallelism do not match, the indefinite day () corresponds to the definite night. The verbs change their forms: I was born (Imperfect) and is conceived (Perfect) both refer to the past time. 5 However, he opines that the indefinite yiqtol here and it puts it in the past. Jobs

~Ay conditions the yTid>L;yU-

dl,W"ai is a genuine archaism, in

contrast to Jeremiahs classical (and apparently more correct)

3 4 5

WALTKER-OCONNOR, P.567 P. Joon-T. Muraoka, 114gN F. I. Andersen, Job: An Introduction and Commentary Leicester, 1976, pp101-102.

Jer. 20:146 Ballantantine is also of the same opinion underscoring the adverbial function of time expressed with the use of

~Ay thus, the subsequent tense connotes the

action as following after or occurring upon such point or scene. 7 He affirms that the proper translation here will be the English past tense. In dependent clauses, GeseniusKautzsch8 affirms, the yiqtol is used to represent actions, which from some point of time in the past are to be represented as future. The view of Driver is clearly expressed in his description of the double sense of the use of the yiqtol to describe a past event. It is used 1. to represent an event while nascent (), and so, by seizing upon it with particular vividness to the mental eye; and 2. as a frequentative, to suggest the reiteration of the event spoken of. 9 The first idea expressed by Driver comes close to the use of yiqtol in this verse. He continues with a more specific consideration of the yiqtol in poems and elevated style; , if describing a single action and as not capable of explanation as a frequentative, operates by bringing into prominence the process introducing it and the preliminary to its complete execution (). Here is may be rendered in English by the historical present, the effect of which is to present in a strong relief and with especial liveliness the features of the scene which our language in unable to reproduce: the student must feel the force of the tense in the Hebrew, and endevour not to forget it as he reads the translation in English.10 The nuance that is latent in the Hebrew verbal form in this case is not deniable but the translation as a historical present may not be correct.

Joon-Muraoka11 considers this yiqtol as one without iterative or durative aspect. It has the value of qatal, which is the expected form. This is clearly a case where the yiqtol is used for a past action and where the expected form is the qatal.
6 7

Andersen, P. 102. . Wm. G. Ballantine, Suggestions Toward A more Exact Nomenclature and Definition of the Hebrew Tenses (Hebraica Vol II No.1) Chicago 1886 P.54 8 Gesenius-Kautzsch107k 9 Driver, Hebrew Tenses P.30. 10 Driver, P.31
11

Joon-Muraoka 113h. (yiqtol in his view has a less precise time value than qatal, it is often found in

places that qatal is expected. 113o)

This verse presents the morpho-semantic and syntactical problem. The morphology is yiqtol, the syntax of the verse requires a qatal and the semantic is contextually in the past. There is an intersection of the tense, the aspect- the past given the context and the modality- which centres on the semantics. In this case, the emphasis is on the aspect and modality rather than the tense. Thus, Jo on-Muraoka affirms that as active verb, the yiqtol is used in the domain of the future with a time value, in the sphere of the present with a time value and aspect value, in the sphere of the past with the aspect value. 12 The aspectual value of the yiqtol will have to be emphasized in this case; yet, the modal nuance connected with it cannot be overlooked. It is the deontic with the obligatory nuance and this refers to the past in this context, even though deontic tends to refer to the future.13 Following from this description, we have here a case of the deontic referring to the past event.

`[w")g>a,w> ytiac'y" !j,B,mi tWm+a' ~x,r<me aL{ hM'l'

verse 11
Why did I not die at birth, come forth from the womb (only to) and expire?

In the first part of the verse, we have the yiqtol used after the interrogative particle. The use of tWm+a' (-qal imperfect 1st common singular twm) here is akin to the use of

dl,W"ai in v. 3 as stated above. This refers to a past and completed event. This

yiqtol has epistemic modality; (this is because it is sharing knowledge) with a dubitative nuance- because the source considers the event as uncertain. 14 Furthermore, the dubitative modality is often connected with questions and is opposed to the assertive modality; it is normally expressed with the use of the yiqtol. Within the context of questioning, Driver affirms that the yiqtol is used instead of the outspoken, categorical perf., (perfect) the impf. (imperfect) as more courteous, more adapted to a tone or
12 13

Joon-Muraoka 113b

A. Gianto, Mood and Modality in Classical Hebrew (IOS), 18 (1998) p.188 (Epistemic modality tends to refer to the present or to the past; deontic tends to refer to the future.) 14 A. Gianto, p.190

deprecation is often preferred.15 This yiqtol Driver further explains, is used when the speaker desires to avert or deprecate an action which is only impending, or not finally completed, .16 Given the context, Job asking questions, though not directly, but ultimately to God, it is apt to think of the use of the yiqtol out of respect for God (modal use). The second reason for the use of the yiqtol to avert impending or incomplete action is also applicable to the case of Job; used in order to avert what might further happen to him. Therefore, the context is rich with a lot of nuances which is expressed with the yiqtol.

[w")g>a,w> {waw+qal imperfect 1st common singular [wg} used after qatal
with the waw. In ordinary Hebrew narrative, one expects the converted yiqtol after the qatal, on the main line narrative. However, we have a waw and a yiqtol here. Driver affirms that in poerty also, it (yiqtol) sometimes occurs immediately after a pf., (Perfect) in which case it indicates the rapid or instantaneous manner in which the second action is conceived as following the first17 this yiqtol expresses the rapidity of the succession of the events. It is therefore a modal use. However, describing the injunctive forms preceded by the non converting waw, Gianto18 affirms that, in this sequence, the second injunctive form expresses the intended result of the preceding metrix clause; hence deontic modality with the nuances found in the volitive moods, the nuance in this case is dubitative.

`yli( x:(Wny" za' yTin>v;y" jAq+v.a,w> yTib.k;v' hT'[;-yKi( 13 `[w")g>a,w> ytiac'y" !j,B,mi tWm+a' ~x,r<me aL{ hM'l' 11
Why did I not die just out of the womb? ... Had that been the case ((the), I would have lain down and been quiet, I would have slept (and) as a result everything would have been fine with me. Vv11&13 19.

These verses have been structured together to express the modality and condition therein; the yiqtol in the apodosis, espouses the idea of possibility. Palmer affirms: with the unreal conditionals and wishes, the speaker indicates some kind of negative belief- that
15 16

Driver, pp. 44-45 Driver, P.45 17 Driver P.33; 159 18 A. Gianto, P.196 19 WALTKE- OOCONNOR, p.668. D. N. Freedman, Potter, Poetry and Prophecy, P. 324 gives a different structure- vv11-12 & 13-15; vss.11-12 forming the introduction to the hypothetical statement of vss.13-15.

the event is unlikely or impossible, while with real conditionals and wishes he leaves the possibility completely open. Moreover, in subordinate clauses the grammatical distinction between hopes and wishes is expressed in the same way as that of the real and unreal conditionals- by the use of change of tense20. This point is pertinent as he makes a distinction between the optative modality (realizable) and the desiderative (unrealizable). We have a contrary-to-fact conditional statement here. In verse 13, we have the epistemic assumptive in the protasis and the deontic dubitative in the apodosis. Hence the use of the yiqtol after the qatal, though having the result nuance, has also the aforementioned modal form in this contrary to fact conditional statement. Vs 20`vp,n")

yrEm'l. ~yYIx;w> rAa= lme['l. !TEyI hM'l

why does he give light to the sufferer, life to the bitter of Spirit.

!TEyI Qal 3

rd

masculine!tn it is translated in the present and by some as a

habitual; it is also taken as passive, because there is no subject this is explicitly expressed. Pope opines that the omission of the subject may be due partly not to bring an accusation against God21 however, the subject might be the one expressed in verse 23b-

H;Ala/ here he makes the charge direct and specific. The accusation of Job

moves to the present from the cursing of his day of birth. The frequentative nuance of the yiqtol is obvious here. We also find the find the epistemic modality with the dubitative nuance. Conclusion We have so far tried to explain the used of yiqtol verbal form in this chapter of the book of Job. An undisputable fact is the multiple use of this form; and the various nuances it has, show the richness of the form. Therefore, from this exercise, it stands true that we may not give just one meaning to the yiqtol but the context should be thoroughly examined to give the right meaning to the text. The meanings which are attributed to this form are not contradictory. This might look untrue when taken out of context but this
20 21

F. R. Palmer, Mood and Modality, Cambridge 1993, pp. 116-117 M. H. Pope, Job (AB) P.32. (N. C. Habel has a similar views expressed cf. The Book of Job, P. 111)

will be discovered to be true when it is viewed from the context of their application. The changes that we find in the verbal forms may be considered as part of the so called poetic license which shows the liberty of the poet in the use of these forms.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. 2. 3. ANDERSEN, F. I., Job: An Introduction and Commentary, Leicester 1976. BALLANTINE, Wm. G., Suggestions Toward A more Exact Nomenclature and Definition of the Hebrew Tenses (Hebraica Vol. II No.1) 1886 Chicago. DRIVER S. R., Hebrew Tenses: A Treatise on the Use of Tenses in Hebrew and Other Syntactical Questions, 3rd Edition Oxford 1892. 4. Freedman, D. N., Potter, Poetry and Prophecy: Studies in Early Hebrew Poetry, Winona Lake, Indiana, 1980 5. 6. 7. 8. GESENIUS-KAUTZSCH, Hebrew Grammar, 2nd ed. Oxford 1910. GIANTO, A., Mood and Modality in Classical Hebrew (IOS), 18, 1998. HABEL, N. C., The Book of Job, Philadelphia 1985. JOON P.- MURAOKA, T., A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew, Vols.1&II Roma 2003. 9. 10. 11. MCFALL L. The Enigma of the Hebrew Verbal System, Sheffield 1982. Palmer, F. R., Mood and Modality, Cambridge 1993. Pope, M. H., Job, (AB) Garden city, New York 1965.

12.

WALTKER-OCONNOR, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax, Winona Lake, Indiana 1990.