Sequential Wayyiqtol Chains and Psychological Narration in Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Genesis 42:7

This verse is a literary turning point: Yosef sees his brothers for the first time since being sold into slavery. The verse unfolds with a vivid series of wayyiqtol verbs that reveal inner emotion through outward action. The narrative uses sequential wayyiqtol chains to structure multiple rapid developments, blending psychological recognition with deliberate disguise. This lesson focuses on the syntactic force of wayyiqtol chains, especially how they drive narrative progression and imply character perspective.

וַיַּ֥רְא יֹוסֵ֛ף אֶת־אֶחָ֖יו וַיַּכִּרֵ֑ם וַיִּתְנַכֵּ֨ר אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם וַיְדַבֵּ֧ר אִתָּ֣ם קָשֹׁ֗ות וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ מֵאַ֣יִן בָּאתֶ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ כְּנַ֖עַן לִשְׁבָּר־אֹֽכֶל׃

Analysis of Key Words and Structures

1. וַיַּ֥רְא יֹוסֵ֛ף אֶת־אֶחָ֖יו (vayyarʾ Yosef et-eḥav) – “And Yosef saw his brothers.”
   – וַיַּ֥רְא: wayyiqtol form of רָאָה, 3ms: “and he saw.”
   – אֶת־אֶחָיו: direct object with accusative marker אֶת + “his brothers.”
2. וַיַּכִּרֵ֑ם (vayyakkirem) – “and he recognized them.”
   – Hifil wayyiqtol 3ms of נכר: “to recognize.”
   – 3mp suffix ־ם = “them.”
   – Sequentially follows וַיַּרְא, showing immediate recognition.
3. וַיִּתְנַכֵּ֨ר אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם (vayitnaker aleihem) – “and he made himself strange to them.”
   – Hitpael wayyiqtol of נכר with reflexive nuance: “he disguised himself.”
   – אֲלֵיהֶם = “toward them.” This contrast between inward recognition and outward dissimulation is central.
4. וַיְדַבֵּ֧ר אִתָּ֣ם קָשֹׁ֗ות (vayedabber ittam qashot) – “and he spoke harshly with them.”
   – Piʿel wayyiqtol 3ms of דבר: “to speak.”
   – אִתָּם: “with them.”
   – קָשֹׁות: feminine plural adjective from קָשֶׁה = “harshly.”
   – Indicates tone and demeanor, reinforcing disguise.
5. וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ מֵאַ֣יִן בָּאתֶ֔ם (vayomer aleihem meʾayin baʾtem) – “And he said to them, ‘From where have you come?’”
   – Qal wayyiqtol of אָמַר, introducing direct speech.
   – מֵאַיִן: interrogative “from where?”
   – בָּאתֶם: Qal perfect 2mp from בוא: “you have come.”
6. וַיֹּאמְר֔וּ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ כְּנַ֖עַן לִשְׁבָּר־אֹֽכֶל (vayomru meʾerets kenaʿan lishbor okhel) – “And they said, ‘From the land of Kenaʿan to buy food.’”
   – Qal wayyiqtol of אָמַר, 3mp.
   – לִשְׁבָּר: infinitive construct of שׁבר (“to break,” idiomatically “to buy [grain]”).
   – The phrase reflects the motivation behind their journey.

Wayyiqtol Verb Chains as Narrative Sequencers and Psychological Devices

This verse features seven consecutive wayyiqtol forms:
– וַיַּ֥רְא, וַיַּכִּרֵ֑ם, וַיִּתְנַכֵּ֨ר, וַיְדַבֵּ֧ר, וַיֹּ֤אמֶר, וַיֹּאמְר֔וּ.

This succession forms a narrative backbone, conveying immediacy and sequential development. Each action builds on the last, creating a psychological realism:

– Yosef recognizes them — inner awareness.
– He disguises himself — inner concealment.
– He speaks harshly — external reinforcement of disguise.
– He interrogates them — establishing control.

The alternation between internal and external (recognition vs. disguise) is enhanced through verb root repetition: נכר appears in both וַיַּכִּרֵ֑ם and וַיִּתְנַכֵּ֨ר, revealing a double-layered interaction: Yosef recognizes them, but they do not recognize him.

Why Sequential Verbs Reveal Strategy and Emotion in Genesis Narrative

Genesis 42:7 is a brilliant example of how Biblical Hebrew uses wayyiqtol chains to narrate both external events and internal tensions.

The repetition of sequential verbs:
– Emphasizes quick succession of thoughts and actions.
– Mirrors Yosef’s emotional control and calculated behavior.
– Enables the narrative to show without explaining—grammar carries psychological drama.

In this verse, grammar doesn’t just report events—it performs them. The wayyiqtol chain is Yosef’s mask, and the alternation between inner and outer verbs is his strategy of concealment. Hebrew narrative grammar becomes a theater of revelation and restraint.