Verb Tenses: The Hebrew Perfect Tense expresses completed action. The Imperfect Tense in biblical Hebrew is more complicated because a vowel with a oneletter prefix often determines the tense. An example of the Imperfect is in Exodus 3:14, Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, usually translated “I AM Who I AM, but it could be “I Will be Who I Will be.” In Modern Hebrew this is the Future Tense. The Present Tense is the ongoing present. The Imperative mood in Hebrew is used only in the second person, with no first person or third person like in the Greek. The Hebrew Imperative is always future tense because what is commanded has not yet been done.
Already have access? Enter your Companion Library password to keep reading.
Keep reading in the Companion Library
This article is one of 839 in the four-volume One New Man Bible Companion by Rev. William J. Morford: commentary, word studies, myths corrected, Jewish roots, and maps.
‹ Back to contents
