A cohortative verb is in one of the volitional moods. They are always in the first person (just as imperatives are only second person and jussives are third person). 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 possibility (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!”). 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.
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Gloss |
Qal singular |
אֶקְטֹלָה |
let me kill |
Qal plural |
נִקְטֹהלָה |
let us kill |
Niphal singular |
אֶקָּטֵלָה |
let me be killed |
Niphal plural |
נִקָּטֵלָה |
let us be killed |
Hiphil singular |
אַקְטִילָה |
let me cause to kill |
Hiphil plural |
נַקְטִילָה |
let us cause to kill |
Piel singular |
אֲקַטֵּלָה |
let me slaughter |
Piel plural |
נְקַטֵּלָה |
let us slaughter |
Hithpael singular |
אֶתְקַטֵּלָה |
let me kill myself |
Hithpael plural |
נִתְקַטֵּלָה |
let us kill ourselves |
video or KHW chp. 41.1.