Binyanim in Motion: How Verbal Stems Drive the Tension in Ruth 3:18

וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ שְׁבִ֣י בִתִּ֔י עַ֚ד אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֵּֽדְעִ֔ין אֵ֖יךְ יִפֹּ֣ל דָּבָ֑ר כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יִשְׁקֹט֙ הָאִ֔ישׁ כִּֽי־אִם־כִּלָּ֥ה הַדָּבָ֖ר הַיֹּֽום׃ (Ruth 3:18)

And she said sit my daughter until you know how the matter will fall for the man will not rest unless he has completed the matter today

Introduction: When Verbs Set the Stage

Ruth 3:18 comes at a moment of high emotional tension. Naomi urges Ruth to wait while Boaz resolves a matter that could change her life. But this waiting is filled with motion—not outward, but inward. The verbs chosen are not just placeholders for action; they shape the emotional and narrative arc of the moment.

Let us explore the verbs and their binyanim—each form reveals a shade of intensity, passivity, or determination that colors the whole verse.

Identifying the Verbs and Their Binyanim

This verse contains five key verbs:

1. וַתֹּאמֶר — “she said”
2. שְׁבִי — “sit”
3. תֵּדְעִין — “you will know”
4. יִפֹּל — “it will fall”
5. יִשְׁקֹט and כִּלָּה — “he will not rest” and “he has completed”

Let’s study the binyanim and their literary impact.

Qal Dominance: Subtle, Steady, Suspenseful

1. וַתֹּאמֶר — Qal, Perfect, 3fs

– Root: אָמַר (to say)
– Form: Qal perfect with vav-consecutive, feminine singular
– Voice: Active
– Usage: A default narrative verb; it keeps the story moving. The Qal binyan is unmarked, but its spareness lets Naomi’s words take center stage.

2. שְׁבִי — Qal, Imperative, 2fs

– Root: יָשַׁב (to sit, dwell)
– Form: Imperative 2nd person feminine singular
– Voice: Active
– Notes: Naomi uses a gentle command. The Qal makes it soft—she is not demanding, but inviting. No extra stem is needed; this is not a dramatic sitting down, but a simple, pregnant pause.

3. תֵּדְעִין — Qal, Imperfect, 2fs

– Root: יָדַע (to know)
– Form: Qal imperfect feminine singular
– Suffix: ־ין is a rare form, sometimes poetic or dialectal
– Voice: Active
– Notes: The imperfect here implies future knowledge—“until you come to know.” The Qal conveys the emergence of knowledge rather than a forced realization.

4. יִפֹּל — Qal, Imperfect, 3ms

– Root: נָפַל (to fall)
– Form: Qal imperfect
– Voice: Active (intransitive)
– Semantics: In context, “how the matter will fall” means “how it will turn out.” Qal fits the subtlety: the matter isn’t thrown, decided, or crashed—it simply falls into place or not. No causative needed.

5. יִשְׁקֹט — Qal, Imperfect, 3ms

– Root: שָׁקַט (to rest, be still)
– Form: Qal imperfect
– Function: The Qal is inherently intransitive—the rest is not caused, it simply is or is not.
– Stylistic Impact: This passive-feeling verb in an active binyan builds tension: Boaz will not rest—not because of others’ pressure, but because of his own resolve.

When Action Gets Intensive: כִּלָּה

Binyan: Piel

– Root: כָּלָה (to finish, complete)
– Form: Piel perfect, 3ms
– Morphology:
– Dagesh in the second root letter = hallmark of Piel
– Prefix כִּ with Hiriq = Piel vocalization
– Voice: Active and intensive
– Usage: Boaz doesn’t just “finish” the matter—he brings it to fulfillment with resolve.
– Contrast: Qal כָּלָה would simply mean “it ended.” The Piel means he worked to finish it.

Binyanim Table: A Spectrum of Emotion and Energy

Echoes of the Stem

What begins in this verse with the softness of Qal verbs—speak, sit, know—builds toward a single moment of intensified action: כִּלָּה. The Piel binyan explodes like the final stroke of a painter’s brush.

Boaz will not rest—he will finish. The contrast between the gentle flow of Qal and the climax of Piel dramatizes the transformation from uncertainty to resolution. Even without naming the agent, the verb כִּלָּה declares: this man will see it through.

This is the beauty of the binyanim—they do not just describe what is happening. They whisper how it feels, shout what matters, and turn verbs into vessels of suspense, character, and divine timing.