Hollow VerbsImperfect, Imperative, and Infinitive Construct

Hollow Verbs: Imperfect, Imperative, and Infinitive Construct

Hollow verbs contain a yod or vav in the second root. Unlike the perfect verb form, the imperfect form distinguishes between II-yod and II-vav hollow verbs. Study the following paradigm and compare the II-yod and both II-vav forms.

II-yod II-vav II-vav Strong

ש�ים(to

put/place)

בוא(to come)

קום(to arise)

כתב(to write)

3ms �ש��ים י �בו�א י �ם �קו י יכ!ת �ב3fs �ש��ים �ת �בו�א �ת �ם �קו�ת �כ!ת �ב �ת2ms �ש��ים �ת �בו�א �ת �ם �קו�ת �כ!ת �ב �ת2fs י �ש��ימ� �ת �בו�א�י �ת י �מ� �קו�ת !ב�י ��כ!ת �ת1cs א�ש��ים א�בו�א �ם א�קו א$כ!ת �ב3mp � �ש��ימו י � �בו�או י � �מו �קו י � !בו �יכ!ת

3fp �ה ינ !ש��ימ$ �ת �ה �בו�אנ �ת� ינ �מ$ ת�!קו

ה�ה �כ!ת �ב!נ �ת

2mp � �ש��ימו �ת � �בו�או �ת � �מו �קו�ת � !בו ��כ!ת �ת

2fp �ה ינ !ש��ימ$ �ת �ה �בו�אנ �ת� ינ �מ$ ת�!קו

ה�ה �כ!ת �ב!נ �ת

1cp �ש��ים נ �בו�א נ �ם �קו נ �כ!ת �ב נ

The vav and yod are not consonants. Each is the stem vowel for their particular type of hollow verb.

The prefix vowel in most hollow imperfect verb types is a qametz. 3fp and 2fp are the only exceptions, having a shewa due to vowel reduction.

Some occurrences of hollow verbs in the Hebrew Bible may depart from the expected. A II-yod may be rendered as a II-vav or a hollow verb may be rendered without a middle vowel, but the meaning of the verb remains the same despite these minor variations.

Hollow Verbs: Imperfect, Imperative, and Infinitive ConstructImperfect Imperative

2ms �ם �קו�ת you will arise �ם קו (you) arise!

2fs י �מ� �קו�ת י �מ� קו2mp � �מו �קו�ת � �מו קו

2fp� ינ �מ$ ת�!קו

ה�ה נ ק�מ!

2ms �ש��ים �ת you will put/place ש��ים (you) put/place!

2fs י �ש��ימ� �ת י ש��ימ�2mp � �ש��ימו �ת � ש��ימו

2fp� ינ !ש��ימ$ �ת

ה---

2ms �בו�א �ת you will come ב�ו�א (you) come!

2fs י �בו�א� �ת י ב�ו�א�2mp � �בו�או �ת � ב�ו�או2fp �ה �בו�אנ �ת ---

The 2fp for ם���א and ש� are בunattested in the Hebrew Bible.

Other than the removal of the imperfect prefix, the imperative forms are identical to the imperfect forms, except in the 2fp.

Hollow Verbs: Imperfect, Imperative, and Infinitive Construct

Imperfect Jussive

3ms �ם �קו י he will arise �ק�ם י let him arise!

3fs �ם �קו�ת she will arise �ק�ם�ת let her arise!

3ms �ש��ים י he will put/place �ש�)ם י let him put/place!

3fs �ש��ים �ת she will put/place �ש�)ם �ת let her put/place!

3ms �בו�א י he will come �ב�א י let him come!

3fs �בו�א �ת she will come �ב�א�ת let her come!

The jussive forms of most verbs are identical to their imperfect counterparts; however, the jussive singular form of hollow verbs displays a slight variation.

The jussive form loses the middle vav or yod. For ם� .note the holem instead of a shureq ,ק

For ם�� .note the tsere instead of a hireq-yod ,ש

For א��.note the holem instead of a full holem ,ב

Hollow Verbs: Imperfect, Imperative, and Infinitive Construct

Hollow Verb Infinitive Construct

ק�ם �ם קו arising

�ם�ש ש��ים putting/placing

�א�ב ב�ו�א coming

The infinitive construct form is identical to the 2ms imperative form. Rely on context to determine the proper translation.

Generally, the 3ms perfect form is also the lexical form of a verb, but for hollow verbs, the lexical form is the same as the infinitive construct form.