Verb Jussive¶
Summary¶
A jussive verb is used to express indirect commands, direct negative commands limited by time, and other similar actions with varying degrees of desirability as determined by the context.
Article¶
The Jussive form looks very similar to the Imperfect but functions in the sentence more like an Imperative. Jussive verbs usually appear in third person forms. (Similarly, Imperative verbs appear only in second person forms, and Cohortative verbs appear only in the first person, forms.) A Jussive verb does not carry the full force of a command (“He must do this!”), but it conveys a stronger meaning than a simple suggestion or statement of possibilty (“He could do this.”). The meaning is somewhere in the middle. In English, a Jussive is often translated with the helping verb “may” or “let,” depending on the context (”May he do this!” or “Let him do this!”). Thus, the Jussive verb functions as an indirect command; the reader must examine the context to determine the strength of desirability being expressed in each specific instance.
Biblical Hebrew does not use the Imperative form to express negative commands. Rather, negative commands are always expressed using either the Imperfect conjugation form or the Jussive form. In cases where the Jussive form is being used to express a negative command, the verb will appear in a 2nd person form rather than a 3rd person form. When used in this way, the Jussive form takes the negative particle אַל in nearly all instances.
Form¶
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
יִקְטֹל |
yiqtol |
may he kill |
feminine singular third person |
תִּקְטֹל |
tiqtol |
may she kill |
masculine singular second person |
תִּקְטֹל |
tiqtol |
may you kill |
feminine singular second person |
תִּקְטְלִי |
tiqteli |
may you kill |
masculine plural third person |
יִקְטְלוּ |
yiqtelu |
may they kill |
feminine plural third person |
תִּקְטֹלְנָה |
tiqtolenah |
may they kill |
masculine plural second person |
תִּקְטְלוּ |
tiqtelu |
may you kill |
feminine plural second person |
תִּקְטֹלְנָה |
tiqtolenah |
may you kill |
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
יִקָּטֵל |
yiqqatel |
may he be killed |
feminine singular third person |
תִּקָּטֵל |
tiqqatel |
may she be killed |
masculine singular second person |
תִּקָּטֵל |
tiqqatel |
may you be killed |
feminine singular second person |
תִּקָּטְלִי |
tiqqatli |
may you be killed |
masculine plural third person |
יִקָּטְלוּ |
yiqqatlu |
may they be killed |
feminine plural third person |
תִּקָּטַלְנָה |
tiqqatalnah |
may they be killed |
masculine plural second person |
תִּקָּטְלוּ |
tiqqatlu |
may you be killed |
feminine plural second person |
תִּקָּטַלְנָה |
tiqqatalnah |
may you be killed |
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
יַקְטֵל |
yaqtel |
may he cause to kill |
masculine singular second person |
תַּקְטֵל |
taqtel |
you will be caused to kill |
feminine singular second person |
תַּקְטִילִי |
taqteli |
you will be caused to kill |
feminine singular third person |
תַּקְטֵל |
taqtel |
may she cause to kill |
masculine plural third person |
יַקְטִילוּ |
yaqtelu |
may they cause to kill |
feminine plural third person |
תַּקְטֵלְנָה |
taqtelenah |
may they cause to kill |
masculine plural second person |
תַּקְטִילוּ |
taqtelu |
you will be caused to kill |
feminine plural second person |
תַּקְטֵלְנָה |
taqtelenah |
you will be caused to kill |
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
יָקְטַל |
yoqtal |
may he be caused to kill |
feminine singular third person |
תָּקְטַל |
toqtal |
may she be caused to kill |
masculine singular second person |
תָּקְטַל |
toqtal |
may you be caused to kill |
feminine singular second person |
תָּקְטְלִי |
toqteli |
may you be caused to kill |
masculine plural third person |
יָקְטְלוּ |
yoqtelu |
may they be caused to kill |
feminine plural third person |
תָּקְטַלְנָה |
toqtalnah |
may they be caused to kill |
masculine plural second person |
תָּקְטְלוּ |
toqtelu |
may you be caused to kill |
feminine plural second person |
תָּקְטַלְנָה |
toqtalnah |
may you be caused to kill |
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
יְקַטֵּל |
yiqattel |
may he slaughter |
feminine singular third person |
תְּקַטֵּל |
tiqattel |
may she slaughter |
masculine singular second person |
תְּקַטֵּל |
tiqattel |
may you slaughter |
feminine singular second person |
תְּקַטְּלִי |
tiqatteli |
may you slaughter |
masculine plural third person |
יְקַטְּלוּ |
yiqattelu |
may they slaughter |
feminine plural third person |
תְּקַטַּלְנָה |
tiqattalnah |
may they slaughter |
masculine plural second person |
תְּקַטְּלוּ |
tiqattelu |
may you slaughter |
feminine plural second person |
תְּקַטַּלְנָה |
tiqattalnah |
may you slaughter |
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
יְקֻטַּל |
yequttal |
may he be slaughtered |
feminine singular third person |
תְּקֻטַּל |
tequttal |
may she be slaughtered |
masculine singular second person |
תְּקֻטַּל |
tequttal |
may you be slaughtered |
feminine singular second person |
תְּקֻטְּלִי |
tequtteli |
may you be slaughtered |
masculine plural third person |
יְקֻטְּלוּ |
yequttelu |
may they be slaughtered |
feminine plural third person |
תְּקֻטַּלְנָה |
tequttalnah |
may they be slaughtered |
masculine plural second person |
תְּקֻטְּלוּ |
tequttelu |
may you be slaughtered |
feminine plural second person |
תְּקֻטַּלְנָה |
tequttalnah |
may you be slaughtered |
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
יִתְקַטֵּל |
yithqattel |
may he kill himself |
feminine singular third person |
תִּתְקַטֵּל |
tithqattel |
may she kill herself |
masculine singular second person |
תִּתְקַטֵּל |
tithqattel |
may you kill yourself |
feminine singular second person |
תִּתְקַטְּלִי |
tithqatteli |
may you kill yourself |
masculine plural third person |
יִתְקַטְּלוּ |
yithqattelu |
may they kill themselves |
feminine plural third person |
תִּתְקַטֵּלְנָה |
tithqattelnah |
may they kill themselves |
masculine plural second person |
תִּתְקַטְּלוּ |
tithqattelu |
may you kill yourselves |
feminine plural second person |
תִּתְקַטֵּלְנָה |
tithqattelnah |
may you kill yourselves |
Function¶
The Jussive form can indicate any of the following kinds of actions:
Indirect commands¶
יְהִ֤י מְאֹרֹת֙ בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם |
yehi me’oroth birqia’ hashamayim |
Let-there-be luminaries in-expanse-of the-heavens |
Let there be lights in the sky |
Direct negative commands (2nd person forms with negative particle אַל)¶
זְכֹ֥ר מִ֝לְחָמָ֗ה אַל־תּוֹסַֽף |
zekhor milhamah ‘al-tosaf |
Remember battle not_repeat! |
you will remember the battle and do it no more. |
Actions of greater or lesser desirability¶
These may include instructions, requests, permissions, invitations, assurances, wishes, etc.
וּתְהִ֤י אִשָּׁה֙ לְבֶן־אֲדֹנֶ֔יךָ |
uthehi ‘ishah leven-‘adoneykha |
and-let-her-be wife to-son-of your-lord |
so she may be the wife of your master’s son |
וְיִתְאָ֣ו הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ יָפְיֵ֑ךְ |
weyith’aw hammelekh yofyekh |
and-let-him-desire the-king your-beauty |
In this way the king will desire your beauty |
תָּֽשֶׁת־חֹ֭שֶׁךְ וִ֣יהִי לָ֑יְלָה |
tasheth-hoshekh wihi laylah |
You-bring_darkness and-let-it-be night |
You make the darkness of the night |