A Semantic Analysis of the Biblical Hebrew Verbal System in Prophetic Literature Written by (original) (raw)

This thesis analyzes the Biblical Hebrew Verbal System as represented in Amos, Micah, and Zephaniah and posits an invariable meaning for each of the four finite forms based on a semantic analysis. A general theory of TAM is presented, and then it is applied to QATAL, WEQATAL, YIQTOL, and WAYYIQTOL (the four finite forms). QATAL is found to be polysemous for perfective and perfect aspect, WEQATAL is found to be perfective-irrealis, YIQTOL is found to be irrealis, and WAYYIQTOL is found to be past-perfective. On a discourse level, it is found that each of the forms have tendencies to be temporally related to adjacent clauses in certain ways, but these relationships are not a part of the invariable meaning of the forms. Throughout the thesis, the semantic analysis presented is compared to other major analyses from various perspectives, including traditional, discourse, and diachronic approaches.

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