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TWO METHODS OF INDICATING PAST |
EXAMPLE 1: Gn04-01a Kayns birth took place in Gad Eden
EXAMPLE 2: Ex12-36a Jews loaned twice from Egyptians
EXAMPLE 3: Gn21-01a Srh conceived because Abrhm prayed for others
EXAMPLE 4: Ex24-01a Convenant in Ex24 was prior to Decalogue
BACKGROUND
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If you read Modern Hebrew textbooks you find the traditional
method of indicating the Hebrew past tense. For example
the root HALACH means to walk and the conjugated form
HALACHTI means I WALKED.
Hebrew textbooks also indicate another Biblical method of
indicating the past by using the future form with a prefix vav:
Thus AYLECH means HE WILL WALK while VAYELECH means I WALKED.
THE RASHI
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Rashi however mentions the following finer analysis
-- VAYELECH (Future + OverTurning VAV) means I WALKED
-- HALACHTI (Traditional past) means I ALREADY HAD WALKED
Thus according to Rashi the traditional past really is
a PAST PERFECT (HAD ALREADY DONE SUCH AND SUCH).
So in this case Rashi presents a new rule of Grammar
THE LIST
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We present a few Verses using the PAST PERFECT and show how Rashi
treats the underlying point of using the PastPerfect text. The
footnotes give further details.
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| VERSE |
TEXT OF VERSE |
POINT OF TEXT |
| Gn04-01a |
& Adam had ALREADY KNOWN his wife |
KAYN born in Eden*1 |
| Ex12-36a |
God had ALREADY HELPED Jews |
Jews had utensils*2 |
| Gn21-01a |
& God had ALREADY REMEMBERED Srah |
Incident prior*3 |
| Ex24-01a |
God had ALREADY SPOKE to Moses |
Incident prior*4 |
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COMMENTS |
*1 -Gn03 deals with Adam in Gan Eden(Paradise)
-Gn04 deals with Adam after expulsion from Paradise
-Gn04-01 says ADAM HAD ALREADY KNOWN HIS WIFE, implying
that Kayin had ALREADY been born in Gan Eden before the
expulsion
*2 Ex12-36 says
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God had ALREADY GIVEN THE JEWS GRACE in the eyes of the
Egyptians; they(The Jews) loaned from them (again)
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The text language, ALREADY GIVEN GRACE, implies that the
loaning of utensils was taking place again, not the 1st time
*3 -Gn20 deals with the interaction between Abraham & Avimelech
In the end Abraham prays for Avimelechs household to be
healed (and have children)
-Gn21-01 mentions that SARAH HAD ALREADY CONCEIVED
-Rashi explains why SARAHS conception is juxtaposed to the
conception of Avimelechs household (even though they didnt
happen one after the other): It teaches the merit by which
Sarah could have children--because Abraham prayed for others
to have children
*4 -Ex19 thru Ex23 deals with the 10 commandments and the laws
that God gave Moses.
-Ex24 deals with the establishment of the treaty between
God and the Jews.
The text language in Ex24-01, AND GOD HAD SPOKEN TO MOSES,
shows that the treaty in Ex24-01 took place PRIOR to the
actual giving of the 10 commandments (even though the
text is mentioned afterwards).
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