Verb Cohortative¶
Summary¶
The cohortative form is used to express indirect commands and other similar actions with varying degrees of desirability as determined by the context.
Article¶
The Cohortative form looks very similar to the Imperfect but functions in a sentence more like an Imperative. Cohortative verbs appear only in first person forms. (Similarly, imperatives appear only in second person forms, and Jussive usually appear in third person forms.) A Cohortative verb does not carry the full force of a command (“We must do this!”), but it conveys a stronger meaning than a simple suggestion or statement of possibilty (“We could do this.”). The meaning is somewhere in the middle. In English, a Cohortative is often translated with a helping verb such as “let” or “want” or “will,” depending on the context (“Let us do this!” or “I want to do this!”). Thus, the Cohortative verb functions as an indirect command; the reader must examine the context to determine the strength of desirability being expressed in each specific instance.
Form¶
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
Qal singular |
אֶקְטֹלָה |
‘eqtolah |
let me kill |
Qal plural |
נִקְטֹהלָה |
niqtohlah |
let us kill |
Niphal singular |
אֶקָּטֵלָה |
‘eqqatelah |
let me be killed |
Niphal plural |
נִקָּטֵלָה |
niqqatelah |
let us be killed |
Hiphil singular |
אַקְטִילָה |
‘aqtilah |
let me cause to kill |
Hiphil plural |
נַקְטִילָה |
naqtilah |
let us cause to kill |
Piel singular |
אֲקַטֵּלָה |
‘eqattelah |
let me slaughter |
Piel plural |
נְקַטֵּלָה |
niqattelah |
let us slaughter |
Hithpael singular |
אֶתְקַטֵּלָה |
‘ethqattelah |
let me kill myself |
Hithpael plural |
נִתְקַטֵּלָה |
nithqattelah |
let us kill ourselves |
Function¶
The Cohortative form can indicate any of the following kinds of actions:
Indirect commands¶
בֵּ֖ית יַעֲקֹ֑ב לְכ֥וּ וְנֵלְכָ֖ה בְּא֥וֹר יְהוָֽה |
beth ya’aqov lekhu wenelekhah be’or yehwah |
House-of Jacob come and-let-us-walk in-light-of Yahweh. |
House of Jacob, come, and let us walk in the light of Yahweh. |
Actions of greater or lesser desirability¶
These may include instructions, requests, permissions, invitations, assurances, wishes, etc.
אֵ֤לְכָה נָּא֙ וְאַכֶּה֙ אֶת־יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֔ה |
‘elekhah na’ we’akkeh ‘eth-yishma’el ben-nethanyah |
Let-me-go oh and-I-will-kill [dir.obj]_Ishmael son-of_Nethaniah |
Allow me to go kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah. |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֔ה אָסֻֽרָה־נָּ֣א וְאֶרְאֶ֔ה |
wayyomer mosheh ‘asurah-nna we’er’eh |
And-he-said Moses let-me-turn-aside_oh and-let-me-see |
Moses said, “I will turn aside and see” |
אֱלֹהַ֗י בְּךָ֣ בָ֭טַחְתִּי אַל־אֵב֑וֹשָׁה |
‘elohay bekha vatahti ‘al-‘evoshah |
My-God in-you I-trust not_let-me-be-ashamed |
My God, I trust in you. Do not let me be humiliated |