Word Order and Time in Biblical Hebrew Narrative

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Clarendon Press, 1998 M07 30 - 186 pages
This book addresses the problem of temporal interpretation within narrative of the biblical Hebrew verb, thus exploring the broader issue of the expression of time in language and the ways in which we can attempt to understand and represent it. Tal Goldfajn offers a summary of this controversy, which has been argued over since at least the tenth century, presenting previous scholarly opinions and theories. She argues that one possible way of understanding the fundamental meanings of the Hebrew verbs is by examining the role played in ordering time by the four main verb forms used in biblical Hebrew narrative. Accordingly, emphasis is given to the intersentential use of these forms and the variety of interesting ways in which they establish the order of events.

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Contents

On Biblical Hebrew Temporality
7
Biblical Hebrew and Tense
34
The Hebrew Verbs and Aspect
53
Tense and Aspect in Texts
76
Word Order in Biblical Hebrew Narrative
90
Temporal Ordering in Genesis 41
105
Temporal Relations within the Two Basic SetUps
116
The Hebrew Verb in Classical BH Narrative
123
Conclusion
139
Bibliography
151
73
159
Index of Biblical References
165
78
167
Copyright

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Page 38 - I am this month one whole year older than I was this time twelvemonth; and having got, as you perceive, almost into the middle of my fourth volume* - and no farther than to my first day's life - 'tis demonstrative that I have three hundred and sixty-four days...
Page 15 - And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there.
Page 14 - That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked; and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
Page 76 - But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house; and they called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.
Page 14 - I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
Page 15 - And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.
Page 15 - And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes...
Page 85 - Isaac trembled violently, and said, "Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all' before you came, and I have blessed him?— yes, and he shall be blessed.
Page 102 - In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Israel's King Hoshea son of Elah, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and besieged it.

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