Verbs of Begetting: The Syntax of Sequential Wayyiqtol in Genealogies

וַיִּֽהְי֣וּ יְמֵי־אָדָ֗ם אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הֹולִידֹ֣ו אֶת־שֵׁ֔ת שְׁמֹנֶ֥ה מֵאֹ֖ת שָׁנָ֑ה וַיֹּ֥ולֶד בָּנִ֖ים וּבָנֹֽות׃

At first glance, Genesis 5:4 may seem like a simple entry in the antediluvian genealogy of Adam: he lived 800 years after fathering Seth, and he fathered sons and daughters. Yet beneath this record lies a grammatical rhythm that governs much of biblical narrative prose—the sequence of wayyiqtol verbs. These verb forms not only tell the story—they move it.

In this article, we delve into the dynamics of the wayyiqtol (the narrative preterite) and examine how its sequencing creates the very pulse of biblical time, especially in genealogical texts. We also analyze the peculiar use of אַֽחֲרֵי הֹולִידֹ֣ו and its implications for Hebrew clause structure.

Dissecting the Narrative Flow

The verse is structured around two key wayyiqtol verbs:

• וַיִּֽהְי֣וּ – “And they were” (the days of Adam)
• וַיֹּ֥ולֶד – “And he fathered” (additional children)

This verbal form—wayyiqtol—is central to Hebrew narrative style. It signals forward progression in time, unfolding events in sequence. Hebrew narratives are often built as strings of these wayyiqtol forms, like stepping stones across the story’s stream.

Full Morphology of the Verse

1. וַיִּֽהְי֣וּ (vayyihyū) –
   Root: ה־י־ה;
   Form: wayyiqtol, 3rd person masculine plural;
   Translation: “And they were”;
   Notes: Signals sequential past action. The subject is יְמֵי־אָדָם—“the days of Adam.”
2. יְמֵי־אָדָ֗ם (yəmê-ʾĀdām) –
   Root: י־ו־ם;
   Form: construct plural + proper noun;
   Translation: “the days of Adam”;
   Notes: Construct form links the noun to its possessor.
3. אַֽחֲרֵי֙ (ʾaḥarê) –
   Root: א־ח־ר;
   Form: preposition;
   Translation: “after”;
   Notes: Introduces a temporal clause.
4. הֹולִידֹ֣ו (holidō) –
   Root: י־ל־ד;
   Form: Hifil infinitive construct + 3ms suffix;
   Translation: “his begetting”;
   Notes: Infinitive construct with suffix: “after he fathered.”
5. אֶת־שֵׁ֔ת (ʾet-Shēt) –
   Root: –;
   Form: direct object marker + proper noun;
   Translation: “Seth”;
   Notes: אֵת marks the object of הֹולִידֹ֣ו.
6. שְׁמֹנֶ֥ה (shəmōneh) –
   Root: ש־מ־נ;
   Form: cardinal number (eight);
   Translation: “eight”
7. מֵאֹ֖ת (mēʾōt) –
   Root: מ־א־ה;
   Form: plural feminine noun (construct);
   Translation: “hundreds of”
8. שָׁנָ֑ה (shānāh) –
   Root: ש־נ־ה;
   Form: singular noun;
   Translation: “year”;
   Notes: Total phrase: “eight hundred years”
9. וַיֹּ֥ולֶד (vayyōled) –
   Root: י־ל־ד;
   Form: wayyiqtol, 3ms, Hifil;
   Translation: “And he fathered”;
   Notes: Sequential past action continuing the narrative.
10. בָּנִ֖ים (bānīm) –
    Root: ב־נ־ה;
    Form: masculine plural noun;
    Translation: “sons”
11. וּבָנֹֽות (ūvānōt) –
    Root: ב־נ־ה;
    Form: feminine plural noun with conjunction;
    Translation: “and daughters”

What Wayyiqtol Really Tells Us

Wayyiqtol strings actions together to form the backbone of biblical narrative. In genealogies, it serves a formulaic role, maintaining continuity and temporal logic, as if the genealogy itself is a narrative with divine pacing.

The Begetting Rhythm of Time

The repetition of wayyiqtol verbs in genealogies gives more than historical data—it gives rhythm. With each “And he fathered…” and “And he lived…”, we hear the heartbeat of generations passing under God’s watchful eye. Hebrew does not say “Then,” or “Next,” or “Subsequently.” It simply says וַיֹּ֥ולֶד.

Thus, even in lists of names, the grammar of the sacred tongue breathes life—linking Adam to Seth, Seth to Enosh, and all of us to the pulse of the past.