Repetition, Aspect, and Eschatological Certainty in Psalm 96:13: A Linguistic and Intertextual Reappraisal

Psalm 96:13’s repeated use of כִּי־בָא has traditionally been interpreted as a “prophetic perfect,” but this article reframes the construction as a modal performative qatal that conveys covenantal certainty rather than simple past tense. Drawing on comparative Semitic linguistics and treaty formulae, the repetition functions as a liturgical ratification of YHWH’s coming judgment, collapsing temporal categories into a theologically charged present. This reanalysis challenges earlier grammatical models and reveals how verb aspect in Biblical Hebrew can serve eschatological and performative ends—especially when paired with repetition, legal resonance, and cultic framing.

1. Beyond the Prophetic Perfect

Psalm 96:13’s climactic declaration (כִּי־בָא כִּי־בָא) has long been read as a classic example of the “prophetic perfect.” This study challenges that categorization through a reappraisal of qatal semantics, arguing that the repetition functions not merely as stylistic emphasis but as a performative linguistic act embedding covenantal assurance into liturgical time.

2. Grammatical Reanalysis: Qatal as Modal Performative

2.1 Challenging the “Prophetic Perfect” Paradigm

Modern scholarship (Cook, 2012; Holmstedt, 2020) disputes the traditional label “prophetic perfect,” reframing בָא as a modal qatal expressing imminent certainty rather than temporal precedence. Syntactic parallels in Ugaritic treaties (e.g., KTU 1.40) suggest this construction affirms oath-bound outcomes, positioning YHWH’s judgment as covenantally guaranteed.

3. Comparative Semitic Linguistics: Repetition as Legal Intensification

Parallels in Aramaic treaty formulae (e.g., Sefire I A 35–36) reveal that doubled verbs (בא בא) function as adê-style ratification, transforming liturgical speech into divine oath. This positions Psalm 96:13 not as prediction but as performative reenactment of YHWH’s kingship.

4. Theological Implications: Judgment as Covenantal Epiphany

The doubled בָא collapses temporal distinctions, rendering judgment both imminent (yiqtol in יִשְׁפֹּט) and eternally present. This aligns with Moberly’s (2021) “temporal duality” model, where cultic language actualizes eschatological realities.

5. Reception History: From Rashi to Revelation

1. Medieval Jewish Exegesis: Ibn Ezra links בָא to theophanic tradition (Exod 15:1–18), framing judgment as Exodus reenactment.
2. New Testament: Rev 19:11–16 reappropriates Psalm 96:13’s repetition (ἥκει ἥκει) to christologize the eschatological judge.

6. Critical Evaluation of Previous Scholarship

7. Toward a Performative Model of Eschatology

Psalm 96:13’s repetition transcends rhetorical emphasis, functioning as a grammaticalized oath that liturgically enacts YHWH’s kingship. This demands reevaluation of how biblical Hebrew’s aspectual system encodes theological certainty.