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Hebrew Verbs: Qal Imperatives

Active Voice, Second Person Command

The Qal Stem

The most basic stem from the verbal root is called the Pa'al (פָּעַל, based on the 3ms pattern) since it expresses the simple sense of the shoresh (e.g., "walk," "stand," "eat," and so on). Because it is the easiest and simplest form, it is called Qal (קַל), meaning "light" or "simple." In most Hebrew lexicons and dictionaries, verbs are listed in the 3rd person masculine singular of the Qal (when it exists).

General properties of the Qal stem include:

1. Active Voice - the subject is agent of verb (e.g., "I guarded")
2. Simple Aspect - the action of the verb is simple (i.e., not reflexive or causal). In the perfect tense, the action is completed or "perfected" (i.e., past), while in the imperfect tense, the action is ongoing or not completed (i.e., present or future).

The Qal Imperative

The Qal imperative form expresses commands directed to another person(s) and therefore it always is expressed in the second person singular or plural. Examples would be "Be strong" (spoken to an individual) or "Remember the LORD your God" (spoken to a group).

In general, the Qal imperative is formed by removing the prefixes from the second person Qal Imperfect forms:

 

The following "diagnostic" table further summarizes the pattern changes of a strong verb in the Qal Perfect conjugation:

 

Grammatical Notes:
 

1. The Qal imperative is formed by removing the prefixes from the second person Qal Imperfect forms. For more information, click here.
2. The letter Hey (ה-) may be added as a suffix to the 2m singular form (e.g., שָׁמְרָה).
3. The particle נָא (which means "please") may follow an imperative (e.g., שְׁמֹר נָא).
4. You simply must memorize this as a paradigm for the Qal Imperative. The endings (i.e., suffixes) are the same for all imperfect verbs.
5. The normal word order in Hebrew is: verb - subject - object.
6. Note the examples given below:

Creating Your Own Conjugations

To form the perfect conjugation from strong verbs, you can follow these rules:

1. Write out the three radicals (XXX) for each place in the conjugation.
2. Add the suffixes to each.
3. Add the vowels

Section Exercises:

• Memorize the Qal Imperative paradigm for shamar. Also memorize the standard suffixes for imperfect verbs. Download the study chart (see below for link).
• Conjugate and recite each of the verbs listed in the vocabulary using the same format I used with shamar in the Qal imperfect paradigm.
• Create a flash card with the Qal Imperative paradigm. Note the rules for adding the suffixes, vowels, and accents on the card.

Study Chart:
 

• Qal Imperative Paradigm (H4C)

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