Job Chapter 3

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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 forseven 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 ~Aydb;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 singulardba. This verbal form has thejussive 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 thejussive 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.)

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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 situationof 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. Joon-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.4It 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 formdescribes 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 ~Ay conditions the

yiqtol here and it puts it in the past. Jobs dl,W"ai is a genuine archaism, in

contrast to Jeremiahs classical (and apparently more correct) yTid>L;yU-

3 WALTKER-OCONNOR, P.5674 P. Joon-T. Muraoka, 114gN5 F. I. Andersen,Job: An Introduction and Commentary Leicester, 1976, pp101-102.

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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 theaction 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, Gesenius-

Kautzsch8affirms, 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 Andersen, P. 102.7. Wm. G. Ballantine, Suggestions Toward A more Exact Nomenclature and Definition of the Hebrew

Tenses (Hebraica Vol II No.1) Chicago 1886 P.548 Gesenius-Kautzsch107k9 Driver,HebrewTenses P.30.10 Driver, P.31

11Joon-Muraoka 113h.(yiqtolin his view has a less precise time value than qatal, it is often found inplaces that qatal is expected. 113o)

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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, Joon-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.

verse 11`[w")g>a,w> ytiac'y" !j,B,mi tWm+a'~x,r


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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 theqatal, 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 first17this 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


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

!TEyI Qal 3rd masculine!tn it is translated in the present and by some as ahabitual; 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 Jobmoves 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 F. R. Palmer,Mood and Modality, Cambridge 1993, pp. 116-11721 M. H. Pope, Job (AB) P.32. (N. C. Habel has a similar views expressed cf. The Book of Job, P. 111)

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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. ANDERSEN, F. I.,Job: An Introduction and Commentary, Leicester 1976.

2. BALLANTINE, Wm. G., Suggestions Toward A more Exact Nomenclature andDefinition of the Hebrew Tenses (Hebraica Vol. II No.1) 1886 Chicago.

3. DRIVER S. R., HebrewTenses: 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. GESENIUS-KAUTZSCH,Hebrew Grammar, 2nd ed. Oxford 1910.

6. GIANTO, A., Mood and Modality in Classical Hebrew (IOS), 18, 1998.

7. HABEL, N. C., The Book of Job, Philadelphia 1985.

8. JOON P.- MURAOKA, T., A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew, Vols.1&II Roma2003.

9. MCFALL L. The Enigma of the Hebrew Verbal System, Sheffield 1982.

10. Palmer, F. R.,Mood and Modality, Cambridge 1993.

11. Pope, M. H.,Job, (AB) Garden city, New York 1965.

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12. WALTKER-OCONNOR, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax, Winona

Lake, Indiana 1990.

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Job Chapter 3

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