§ 159. Conditional Sentences.

Cf. H. Ferguson, ' The Use of the Tenses in Conditional Sentences in Hebrew ' (Journal of the Society of Bibl. Lit. and Exeg., Middletown, Conn., June and September, 1882). — P. Friedrich, Die hebr. Conditionalsätze, Königsberg, 1884 (Inaug.-Diss.). — Driver, Use of the Tenses, 3^rd ed., p. 174 ff.

Examples: —

c

(a) Imperfect (cf. § 107 x) in protasis and apodosis, Jos 22:18, y Ps 104:28 ff. !Wj+qol.yI² ~h,l' !TeTi (if) thou givest unto them, they gather, &c.; y Ps 139:18, Pr 12:17, Jb 20:24, Ec 1:18, Neh 1:8; with an interrogative imperfect in the apodosis, Ju 13:12; with the jussive, Jb 10:16; with the cohortative, Pr. 1:23; with the perfect, Is 26:10 (yet will he not learn righteousness; the apodosis forcibly denies what the imperfect in the protasis had represented as still conceivable; cf. Ho 8:12); with the perfect consecutive, Gn 47:25, Ex 33:5; with the protasis suppressed, Jb 5:8 (see § 107 x).

d

(b) Jussive in protasis (cf. § 109 h, i) and apodosis, y Ps 104:10 %v,xñ-tv,T†' hl'y>l+' yhiywI (if) thou makest darkness, it is night; imperfect in the apodosis, y Ps 104:29b; cohortative Pr 1:23. Also in Ex 7:9 !yNIt;l. yhiy> it shall become a serpent, is the apodosis to a suppressed protasis if thou cast it down; so in 2 K 5:10 bvoy"w> is the apodosis to a protasis if thou wash, contained in what precedes.

e

(c) Cohortative (see § 108 e) in the protasis; perfect in the apodosis, y Ps 40:6; imperfect consecutive, Jb 19:18 ybi-WrB.d;y>w: hm'Wqña' (if) I arise, they speak against me; on the cohortative in the apodosis, cf. § 108 f

f

(d) Imperfect consecutive in the protasis (§ 111 x), y Ps 139:11 rm;ao†w" if I say, &c. (with a noun-clause as the apodosis); with a frequentative perfect consecutive in the apodosis, 1 S 2:16.

g

(e) Perfect consecutive in the protasis and apodosis (see the examples, § 112 kk and ll), Gn 44:22 tmew" wybia' bz:['w> and should he leave his father, his father would die; 9:16, 44:29, Ex 4:14, 12:13 1 S 16:2, 19:3, 2 S 13:28, 1 K 8:30; with frequentative perfects, Ex 16:21 (referring to the past, Jer 20:9); with imperfect in the apodosis (being separated from the WaÒw by aol), Nu 23:20, Jb 5:24; introduced by an infinitive absolute, 1 K 2:37; an interrogative clause in the apodosis, Lv 10:19; a noun-clause, y Ps 37:10, Jb 7:21.

h

(f) A simple perfect (to represent actions which are to be regarded as completed) in the protasis and apodosis, Pr 18:22 bAj ac'm' hV'ai ac'm' has one found a wife, he hÔas found a good thing; an imperfect in the apodosis, Jb 19:4, 23:10; an imperfect consecutive, Ex 20:25, Pr 11:2, Jb 3:25, 23:13 b, 29:11; an interrogative clause, Nu 12:14, Jb 7:20 if I have sinned (prop., well, now I have sinned !) what can I do unto thee ? 21:31, 35:6, Am 3:8; a noun-clause, Jb 27:19.

i

(g) A participle as casus pendens (cf. § 143 d, and he sections of the Grammar there cited, esp. § 116 w) or a complete noun-clause in the protasis; the apodosis mostly introduced by waÒw apodosis, e. g. Pr 23:24 K^eth. ~k'x' dleAy AB xm;f.yIw>, if one begetteth a wise child, he shall have joy of him; with perfect frequentative in the apodosis, 1 S 2:13, &c.; but also with a simple imperfect, e. g. Ex 21:12 (cf. § 112 n); with an interrogative imperfect, 2 K 7:2, 19; with an interrogative perfect, Ju 6:13.

k

(h) Infinitive with preposition (also as the equivalent of a conditional clause) in the protasis, and a perfect consecutive in the apodosis (cf. § 112 mm), e. g. 2 S 7:14 ff.  ägw wyTix.k;h†ow> AtA[]h†;B. if he commit iniquity, I will correct him; Ex 34:34 f. (with imperfect, followed by perfects frequentative in the apodosis).

Rem. On the expression of condition and consequence by means of two co-ordinate imperatives, see § 110 f.

m

Rem. Since it again frequently depends on the subjective judgement of the speaker (see under a), whether a condition is to be regarded as possible or impossible, we cannot wonder that the distinction between ~ai and Wl is not always consistently observed. Although naturally Wl and aleWl cannot take the place of ~ai and aol ~ai (on the strange use of Wl in Gn 50:15 see below), yet conversely ~ai is sometimes used where Wl would certainly be expected; cf. e. g. y Ps 50:12, 137:5, 139:8, Ho 9:12 (cf. verse 11). These examples, indeed (~ai with the imperfect), may without difficulty be explained from the fact that the connexion of Wl with the imperfect was evidently avoided, because the imperfect by its nature indicates a still unfinished action, and consequently (as opposed to Wl) a still open possibility. But ~ai is also used for Wl in connexion with the perfect, especially when an imprecation is attached by the apodosis to the condition introduced by ~ai, e. g. y Ps 7:4 ff. … taoz ytiyfiñ['-~ai ägw @Dor;y)i if I have done this, … let the enemy pursue my soul, &c., cf. Jb 31:9 ff. The speaker assumes for a moment as possible and even actual, that which he really rejects as inconceivable, in order to invoke the most severe punishment on himself, if it should prove to be the case.

On the frequent addition of an infinitive absolute to the verb in clauses with ~ai see § 113 o above.

Examples:—

n

A. ~ai 1. with perfect in the protasis to express conditions, &c., which have been completely fulfilled in the past or which will be completely fulfilled in the future (the perfect is here equivalent to the futurum exactum, § 106 o). The apodosis⁴ takes —

(a) A perfect also, e. g. Pr 9:12 %L+' T'm.k;ñx' T'm.k;ñx'-~ai if thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself; y Ps 73:15 (see below on Wl).

(b) Imperfect, e. g. Dt 32:41 ytiANv;-~ai if I whet my glittering sword … byvia' I will render vengeance, &c.; Jb 9:15 f. 30 (in both cases we should expect Wl rather than -~ai; so also in y Ps 44:21 f., with an interrogative imperfect in the apodosis); Jb 11:13 (the apodosis is in verse 15).

(c) Jussive (or optative), e. g. Jb 31:9 ff. (see m above); Gn 18:3.

o

(d) Perfect consecutive (see the examples in § 112 gg), e. g. Gn 43:9 aol-~ai ägw wytiaoyb†ih] if I bring him not … then I shall have sinned, &c.; Ju 16:17, 2 S 15:33, 2 K 7:4. On the other hand, e. g. Gn 47:6, Mi 5:7, Jb 7:4 refer to actions already completed; in Gn 38:9 and Nu 21:9 the perfect with w> is a perfect frequentative and refers to past time.

(e) Imperfect consecutive(see § 111 q), e. g. Jb 8:4 if thy children have sinned (Waj.x†') …, ~xeL.v;y>w: he has delivered them, &c.

(f) Imperative, e. g. Gn 50:4  ägw an"-WrB.D; ~k,ynEy[†eB. !xe ytiac'òm' an"-~ai if now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, &c.; the imperative precedes in Gn 47:16 and Jb 38:4, 18.

p

(g) A (complete or incomplete) noun-clause, e. g. Jer 14:18 (a vivid realization of the future) if I have gone forth into the field (= if I go, &c.), then, behold, the slain with the sword ! &c.; Pr 24:14 (apodosis with waÒw apodosis).

q

2. ~ai with imperfect in the protasis, to express what is possible in the present or future, as well as (according to § 107 b) what has continued or been repeated in the past. The apodosis takes —

(a) The perfect, e. g. Nu 32:23 ~t,aj'x] hNEhi !Ke !Wf[]t†; aol-~aiw> but if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned; here the apodosis represents the time when the consequence has already taken place; so also Jb 20:12–14. On the other hand, Nu 16:29 (as also 1 S 6:9 and 1 K 22:28) is a case of a pregnant construction, if these men die as all men die, then (it will follow from this) the Lord hath not sent me.

r

(b) The imperfect, e. g. 2 K 7:4 hy<x.n)i WnYUòx;y>-~ai if they save us alive, we shall live, &c.; Gn 13:16, 18:28, 30, 28:20 ff., Ex 20:25 (the second imperfect is equivalent to a jussive); Is 1:18, 10:22, Am 9:2–4–4, y Ps 50:12 (where ~ai ironically represents an impossibility as possible); Jb 8:5 f. (with the insertion of a second condition in the form of a noun-clause); 9:3, 20, 14:7; a frequentative imperfect referring to the past, Gn 31:8 rm;aoy hKo-~ai if (ever) he said thus …; Wdl.y)'w> then they bare …; Ex 40:37. In Gn 42:37 the consequence (on tymiT' cf. § 107 s) precedes the condition.

(c) The jussive (or optative), e. g. y Ps 137:5; cf. § 109 h.

(d) The cohortative, e. g. Gn 13:9, Jb 31:7; cf. § 108 f.

s

(e) The perfect consecutive(see the examples in § 112 ff and gg), e. g. 1 S 20:6 T'r>m;a†'w> ^ybiña' ynIdeñq.p.yI dqoP'-~ai if thy father miss me at all, then shalt thou say, &c.; Gn 24:41, Ju 4:20; with a frequentative perfect consecutive, Gn 31:8 if he said (as often happened) …, then, &c.

(f) The imperfect consecutive; so perhaps y Ps 59:16, if WnyliñY"w: is to be explained according to § 111 t.

(g) The imperative, e. g. Gn 31:50, 1 S 20:21 (with waÒw apodosis, but in verse 22 simply %le), 21:10, Jb 33:5.

t

(h) A noun-clause, e. g. Gn 4:7, y Ps 139:8, Jb 8:6, 31:26 f.

3. ~ai with cohortative, e. g. Gn 30:31; cf. the passages in § 108 e.

u

4. ~ai with infinitive, Jb 9:27 yrIm.a'-~ai prop. if my saying is (but probably we should read yTir>m;ña').

v

5. ~ai with a noun-clause, e. g. Dt 5:22 (in the apodosis a perfect with waÒw apodosis), Gn 27:46, Ju 9:15 (imperative in the apodosis); 11:9 (imperfect in the apodosis); 2 S 12:8 (cohortative in the apodosis); Ho 12:12; especially if the subject of the conditional clause be a personal pronoun. In an affirmative sentence this pronoun is often joined to vyE, in a negative sentence to !yae (cf. on both, § 100 o), while the predicate (cf. § 116 q) is represented by a participle, usually expressing the future, e. g. Ju 6:36 f. [;yviAm ^v.y<-~ai if thou wilt save, &c.; Gn 24:49 ~yfi[o ~k,v.y<-~ai if ye will deal, &c.; 1 S 23:23. In Gn 24:42 f. the condition is expressed in a more humble form by the addition of an". With !yae Gn 43:5 x;Lev;m. ^n>ya†e-~aiw> but if thou wilt not send, &c.; 20:7 (with imperative in the apodosis); Ex 8:17, 9:2 f., 1 S 19:11 (all with a participle also in the apodosis). But vyE and !yIa;ñ may also be used after ~ai without a suffix; thus vyE Gn 23:8, 1 S 20:8, 2 K 9:15, &c., !yIa;ñ-~ai (if it be not the case) Gn 30:1, Ex 32:32, Ju 9:15, 2 K 2:10; cf. also !Ke-~ai if it be so, Gn 25:22.

w

B. !he if, generally supposed to be originally identical with !he behold !⁵ Probably, however, !he if, is a pure Aramaism, and since the Aramaic word never has the meaning behold, it is at least improbable that it had originally any connexion with !he or hNEhi. Cf. Ex 8:22, Lv 25:20, Is 54:15, Jer 3:1, Hag 2:12, 2 Ch 7:13 and frequently in Job, as 9:11, 12, 12:14, 15, 19:7, 23:8, 40:23, always with waÒw apodosis following, except in 13:15, where consequently the meaning see is no doubt preferable.

x

C. Wl if, aleWl  (yleWl) if not.

1. With perfect in the protasis and apodosis (cf. § 106 p), e.g. Ju 8:19; WLai is used in the same sense as Wl in Est 7:4, cf. Ec 6:6 (with a question in the apodosis).— With the perfect in protasis and apodosis after aleWl Gn 31:42, 43:10, Ju 14:18, 1 S 25:34, 2 S 2:27, Is 1:9. On the other hand, in Dt 32:29 Wl with a perfect is followed by an imperfect in the apodosis, if they were wise, they would understand this; in Mi 2:11 by a perfect consecutive.

y

2. With imperfect after aleWl Dt 32:27, rWga' probably as the modus rei repetitae, were it not that I ever and again feared, &c.; so also the imperfect after Wl with the apodosis suppressed, Gn 50:15 supposing that Joseph should hate us; since, according to the context, the danger was real, the use of Wl here is strange; conversely in other cases, e. g. y Ps 73:15, Jb 9:15 f, 30, Wl would be more natural than ~ai.

z

3. A noun-clause occurs after Wl 2 S 18:12, 2 K 3:14, y Ps 81:14, all with imperfect in the apodosis; Jb 16:4 vyE Wl, with cohortative in the apodosis.

D.yKi supposing that, if: —

aa

1. yKi with perfectin the protasis, e. g. Nu 5:20 tyjif' yKi T.a;w> but thou, if thou hast gone astray, &c.; with a frequentative perfect consecutive in the apodosis, Jb 7:13 f.; with an imperfect consecutive, Jb 22:29.

bb

2. yKi with imperfect in the protasis, e. g. y Ps 23:4 %leae-yK†i ~G: yea, though I walk (have to walk), …, I will fear no (ar'ai-aol†) evil; 37:24; Ex 21:2 db,[,ñ hn<q.ti-yK†i ägw yrIb.[i if thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years shall he serve (but in verses 3–5 a series of definite conditions with definite consequences is introduced by ~ai; so also the yKi in verse 7 is followed in verses 8–11 by the special cases with ~ai; cf. also verse 17 ff.); cf. Gn 4:24, 24:41, Jb 38:5; with a perfect consecutive in the apodosis, Gn 32:18 f., Ex 18:16; with a noun-clause, Is 1:15.

3. yKi wIth a noun-clause (and imperfect in the apodosis), 2 S 19:8.

REMARKS.

cc

1. In 2 K 5:13 the particle yba (Masora ybia', probably in the sense of my father) appears exceptionally for Wl; its meaning here is unquestionable, but its origin is obscure. Cf. the exhaustive discussion of Delitzsch and Wetzstein on Jb 34:36, where this yba appears to be used as a desiderative particle. — Sometimes when one case has been already discussed, another of the same character is added by means of Aa or, e. g. Ex 21:36  ägw [d;An Aa or (another possible case) it is known that, &c., i. e. but if it be known, &c., LXX eva.n de,, Vulg. sin autem; cf. Lv 4:23, 28, 5:1, 25:49, 2 S 18:13; with a following imperfect, Ez 14:17 f. — On the hypothetical use of rv,a] (which is interchangeable with yKi in other senses also) Lv 4:22 (in verses 3 and 27 ~ai), Dt 11:27 (verse 28 ~ai), Jos 4:21, see the Lexicon.

dd

2. The conditional sentence is frequently found in an abridged form, where the suppressed clauses can be easily supplied from the context; cf. Gn 13:9, 24:49, 1 S 2:16 aol-~aiw> and if not, i. e. and if thou wilt not give it to me, then I take it (perfect according to § 106 n) by force; cf. 1 S 6:9. The use of vyEw> alone in Ju 6:13 is peculiar, as also vyIw" in 2 K 10:15 (where read with the LXX vyEw" aWhyE rm,aoñYw:) in the sense of if it be so. — In 2 S 13:26, 2 K 5:17 aolw" alone appears to be used in the sense of if really … not, in each case with a following jussive equivalent to may there at least, &c. (cf. § 143 d); but perhaps with Matthes, ZAW. 1903, p. 122 ff., following Kuipers, we should read Wlw> would that ! — In 1 S 13:13, Jb 3:13 the condition must be supplied from the preceding clause to complete the sentence introduced by hT'[; yKi, in Jb 31:28 by yKi, in 2 K 13:19 by za'.— The apodosis also appears sometimes in an abridged form (e. g. Gn 4:24, Is 43:2) or is entirely suppressed, e. g. Gn 30:27, 38:17, 50:15 (see y above), Ex 32:32, y Ps 27:13, Jb 38:5, where properly dGEh; must be supplied with [d+'te yKi as in verses 4 and 18; cf. § 167 a.— In y Ps 8:4, instead of the apodosis I exclaim which we should expect, the exclamation itself follows.

ee

3. The absolute certainty with which a result is to be expected is frequently emphasized by the insertion of yKi Is 7:9; za' yKi 2 S 2:27, 19:7, Jb 11:15; or hT'[; yKi now verily, Nu 22:29, 1 S 14:30 after Wl, Gn 31:42, 43:10 after yleWl, Jb 8:6 after ~ai. On this corroborative yKi cf. such passages as Gn 18:20, &c., and § 148 d. On ~ai yKi after an oath cf. 163 d.

ff

4. Sometimes the force of a hypothetical particle extends beyond the apodosis to a second conditional clause, as in the case of ~ai Pr 9:12, Jb 10:15, 16:6, 22:23, and yKi Is 43:2.

gg

5. In Ex 33:20 a negative statement takes the place of a condition with a negative consequence, for a man doth not see me and live, instead of for if a man sees me, he does not live; cf. the similar passages, Dt 22:1, 4 thou shalt not see … and hide thyself, instead of if thou seest … thou shalt not hide thyself.

Footnotes:

¹[1] It may, moreover, happen that a different idea is introduced in the apodosis, from that with which the protasis started — a source of many further variations.

²[2] On the termination !W- cf. § 47 m. In verse 28 b also !W[B.f.yI is probably to be explained from its immediately preceding the greater pause. Those terminations in verses 28–30 and y Ps 139:18 can scarcely have any connexion with the conditional sentence, although it is strange that !W- in Nu 32:23 appears after aol-~ai in the protasis. In Nu 16:29, 32:20 !W- as before a (as in Jb 31:10 in the apodosis) is to be explained from the dislike of hiatus.

³[1] On Wl cf. Kohler in Geiger's Zeitschr. für Wiss. und Leben, vi (1868), p. 21 ff.

⁴[1] We are not here concerned with the fact that the logical apedosis (the consequence of the condition) is sometimes mentioned before the condition; as in Gn 18:28, 30, Ju 11:10, y Ps 63:6 f., 137:6, and according to Dillmann Is 4:4.

⁵[1] There could be no doubt of their identity if hNEhiw> in 1 S 9:7, 2 S 18:11, simply meant if. We must, however, keep to the meaning but behold.