A vav-conversive (also called a “vav-consecutive”) is a conjunction and is usually translated “and”. It is easily distinguished from a simple vav conjunction since it always has a vav with a patah under it and a dagesh in the following letter. more
וְשָׁמָֽיִם a simple vav conjunction
וַיִּיצֶר a vav-conversive
The key point to remember is that a vav-conversive converts a YQTL from a future tense to past tense (these forms are often called a “preterite”). The following rules are helpful for identification:
- It is only ever added to a YQTL verb.
- The dagesh from the vav-conversive will never appear in the first letter of the verb.
- A vav-conversive will shorten a verb every chance it gets (KHW 32.3a). See the third-ה paradigm for an example (KHW p448).
YQTL Qal:
| Parsing | Hebrew | Gloss |
|---|---|---|
|
masculine singular third person |
וַיִּקְטֹל |
(and) he killed |
|
feminine singular third person |
וַתִּקְטֹל |
(and) she killed |
|
masculine singular second person |
וַתִּקְטֹל |
(and) you killed |
|
feminine singular second person |
וַתִּקְטְלִי |
(and) you killed |
|
common singular first person |
וָאֶקְטֹל |
(and) I killed |
|
masculine plural third person |
וַיִקְטְלוּ |
(and) they killed |
|
feminine plural third person |
וַתִּקְטֹלְנָה |
(and) they killed |
|
masculine plural second person |
וַתִּקְטְלוּ |
(and) you killed |
|
feminine plural second person |
וַתִּקְטֹלְנָה |
(and) you killed |
|
common plural first person |
וַנִּקְטֹל |
(and) we killed |
YQTL Nifal:
| Parsing | Hebrew | Gloss |
|---|---|---|
|
masculine singular third person |
וַיִּקָּטֵל |
(and) he was killed |
|
feminine singular third person |
וַתִּקָּטֵל |
(and) she was killed |
|
masculine singular second person |
וַתִּקָּטֵל |
(and) you were killed |
|
feminine singular second person |
וַתִּקָּטְלִי |
(and) you were killed |
|
common singular first person |
וָאֶקָּטֵל |
(and) I was killed |
|
masculine plural third person |
וַיִּקָּטְלוּ |
(and) they were killed |
|
feminine plural third person |
וַתִּקָּטַלְנָה |
(and) they were killed |
|
masculine plural second person |
וַתִּקָּטְלוּ |
(and) you were killed |
|
feminine plural second person |
וַתִּקָּטַלְנָה |
(and) you were killed |
|
common plural first person |
וַנִּקָּטֵל |
(and) we were killed |
YQTL Hifil:
| Parsing | Hebrew | Gloss |
|---|---|---|
|
masculine singular third person |
וַיַּקְטֵל |
(and) he caused to kill |
|
feminine singular third person |
וַתַּקְטֵל |
(and) she caused to kill |
|
masculine singular second person |
וַתַּקְטֵל |
(and) you caused to kill |
|
feminine singular second person |
וַתַּקְטִילִי |
(and) you caused to kill |
|
common singular first person |
וָאַקְטֵל |
(and) I caused to kill |
|
masculine plural third person |
וַיַּקְטִילוּ |
(and) they caused to kill |
|
feminine plural third person |
וַתַּקְטֵלְנָה |
(and) they caused to kill |
|
masculine plural second person |
וַתַּקְטִילוּ |
(and) you caused to kill |
|
feminine plural second person |
וַתַּקְטֵלְנָה |
(and) you caused to kill |
|
common plural first person |
וַנַּקְטֵל |
(and) we caused to kill |
YQTL Hofal:
| Parsing | Hebrew | Gloss |
|---|---|---|
|
masculine singular third person |
וַיָּקְטַל |
(and) he was caused to kill |
|
feminine singular third person |
וַתָּקְטַל |
(and) whe was caused to kill |
|
masculine singular second person |
וַתָּקְטַל |
(and) you were caused to kill |
|
feminine singular second person |
וַתָּקְטְלִי |
(and) you were caused to kill |
|
common singular first person |
וָאָקְטַל |
(and) I was caused to kill |
|
masculine plural third person |
וַיָּקְטְלוּ |
(and) they were caused to kill |
|
feminine plural third person |
וַתָּקְטַלְנָה |
(and) they were caused to kill |
|
masculine plural second person |
וַתָּקְטְלוּ |
(and) you were caused to kill |
|
feminine plural second person |
וַתָּקְטַלְנָה |
(and) you were caused to kill |
|
common plural first person |
וַנָּקְטַל |
(and) we were caused to kill |
YQTL Piel:
| Parsing | Hebrew | Gloss |
|---|---|---|
|
masculine singular third person |
וַיְּקַטֵּל |
(and) he slaughtered |
|
feminine singular third person |
וַתְּקַטֵּל |
(and) she slaughtered |
|
masculine singular second person |
וַתְּקַטֵּל |
(and) you slaughtered |
|
feminine singular second person |
וַתְּקַטְּלִי |
(and) you slaughtered |
|
common singular first person |
וָאֲקַטֵּל |
(and) I slaughtered |
|
masculine plural third person |
וַיְּקַטְּלוּ |
(and) they slaughtered |
|
feminine plural third person |
וַתְּקַטַּלְנָה |
(and) they slaughtered |
|
masculine plural second person |
וַתְּקַטְּלוּ |
(and) you slaughtered |
|
feminine plural second person |
וַתְּקַטַּלְנָה |
(and) you slaughtered |
|
common plural first person |
וַנְּקַטֵּל |
(and) we slaughtered |
YQTL Pual:
| Parsing | Hebrew | Gloss |
|---|---|---|
|
masculine singular third person |
וַיְּקֻטַּל |
(and) he was slaughtered |
|
feminine singular third person |
וַתְּקֻטַּל |
(and) she was slaughtered |
|
masculine singular second person |
וַתְּקֻטַּל |
(and) you were slaughtered |
|
feminine singular second person |
וַתְּקֻטְּלִי |
(and) you were slaughtered |
|
common singular first person |
וָאֲקֻטַּל |
(and) I was slaughtered |
|
masculine plural third person |
וַיְּקֻטְּלוּ |
(and) they were slaughtered |
|
feminine plural third person |
וַתְּקֻטַּלְנָה |
(and) they were slaughtered |
|
masculine plural second person |
וַתְּקֻטְּלוּ |
(and) you were slaughtered |
|
feminine plural second person |
וַתְּקֻטַּלְנָה |
(and) you were slaughtered |
|
common plural first person |
וַנְּקֻטַּל |
(and) we were slaughtered |
YQTL Hitpael:
| Parsing | Hebrew | Gloss |
|---|---|---|
|
masculine singular third person |
וַיְּתְקַטֵּל |
(and) he killed himself |
|
feminine singular third person |
וַתִּתְקַטֵּל |
(and) she killed herself |
|
masculine singular second person |
וַתִּתְקַטֵּל |
(and) you killed yourself |
|
feminine singular second person |
וַתִּתְקַטְּלִי |
(and) you killed yourself |
|
common singular first person |
וָאֶתְקַטֵּל |
(and) I killed myself |
|
masculine plural third person |
וַיְּתְקַטְּלוּ |
(and) they killed themselves |
|
feminine plural third person |
וַתִּתְקַטֵּלְנָה |
(and) they killed themselves |
|
masculine plural second person |
וַתִּתְקַטְּלוּ |
(and) you killed yourselves |
|
feminine plural second person |
וַתִּתְקַטֵּלְנָה |
(and) you killed yourselves |
|
common plural first person |
וַנְּתְקַטֵּל |
(and) we killed ourselves |
So in this class, the vav conjunction on a QTL verb is called a vav-reversive. See here: https://beingtaught.us/language/part-of-speech/conjunction/vav-reversive/
“It is only ever added to a YQTL verb.”
What about וְהָיִ֖ינוּ in Gen 34 16 and elsewhere?