1. Introduction: 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.
2.2 Textual Criticism: LXX and Qumran Variations
The LXX’s ὅτι ἥκει (Ps 95:13) employs the perfect indicative, while 11QPsa reads כי בא כי בא without variants. This stability underscores the phrase’s centrality to the psalm’s reception as an eschatological liturgy.
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
- Medieval Jewish Exegesis: Ibn Ezra links בָא to theophanic tradition (Exod 15:1–18), framing judgment as Exodus reenactment.
- 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
| Scholar | Contribution | Shortcoming |
|---|---|---|
| Waltke & O’Connor (1990) | Identified aspectual nuances | Over-relied on temporal categories |
| Gunkel (1926) | Liturgical context analysis | Ignored legal Semitic parallels |
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.
References
- Cook, J. (2012). Time and the Biblical Hebrew Verb. Eisenbrauns.
- Holmstedt, R. (2020). “The Qatal as Modal Performative.” JHS 20: 1–28.
- Moberly, R. W. (2021). Old Testament Theology. Baker Academic.
