Tag Archives: Deuteronomy 4:29

Seeking with All Your Heart: Imperfects, Conditionals, and Covenant Pursuit in Deuteronomy 4:29

Deuteronomy 4:29 וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּ֥ם מִשָּׁ֛ם אֶת־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ וּמָצָ֑אתָ כִּ֣י תִדְרְשֶׁ֔נּוּ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ Initiation of Seeking: וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּם מִשָּׁם אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּם (“and you will seek”) is a Piel perfect 2mp from ב־ק־שׁ (“to seek, inquire”), preceded by vav-consecutive, turning the perfect into a predictive future. מִשָּׁם (“from there”) marks the place of exile as the starting point of seeking. אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ (“YHWH your God”) identifies the object of the quest, framed relationally by the pronominal suffix אֱלֹהֶיךָ (“your God”). Promise of Discovery: וּמָצָאתָ וּמָצָאתָ (“and you will find”) is a Qal perfect 2ms from מ־צ־א (“to find”), again using vav-consecutive to imply future fulfillment.… Learn Hebrew
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