The cohortative and imperative forms, while less common than the imperfect in Biblical Hebrew conditionals, play a vital role in shaping the speaker’s volitional and rhetorical stance. The cohortative, typically first-person, conveys the speaker’s intentions or vows in response to a condition, often appearing in prayers or personal declarations. The imperative, often second-person, delivers commands or obligations as apodosis, frequently used in legal or ethical contexts. These forms add modal texture to the conditional structure, distinguishing between objective consequence (imperfect), subjective volition (cohortative), and prescriptive duty (imperative), thereby enriching the covenantal and theological layers of the discourse.
Beyond the Imperfect: Volition and Command in Hebrew Conditionals
In Biblical Hebrew, conditional statements typically feature the imperfect (yiqtol) in both protasis and apodosis. However, the cohortative and imperative also function prominently—especially in apodosis clauses—when the speaker expresses intention, will, or command rather than merely projecting a future outcome. These forms add subjective nuance: the cohortative shows what the speaker wants to do, and the imperative shows what the hearer must do.
The Cohortative in Apodosis: Intention and Self-Binding Vows
The cohortative, usually in the first person, marks volitional future action. In conditionals, it often expresses what the speaker plans or promises to do if a condition is met.
Correct example:
- אִם־מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אֲשׁוּבָה וְאֶלְכָה עִמָּךְ
“If I have found favor in your eyes, then let me return and go with you.”
Here, אֲשׁוּבָה and וְאֶלְכָה are true cohortatives, expressing volition and commitment. The use of the cohortative in apodosis is common in prayers, vows, or narratives where a speaker conditions their action on divine or human response.
The Imperative in Apodosis: Ethical and Legal Directives
The imperative, typically in the 2nd person, issues commands and appears in legal or instructional conditionals where the consequence is a mandated action.
Correct example:
- אִם־תִּשְׁמַע לְקוֹל יְהוָה… שְׁמֹר אֶת־הַמִּצְוֹת
“If you listen to the voice of YHWH… keep the commandments.”
The verb שְׁמֹר is a true imperative form. While Hebrew often uses the imperfect with jussive force to express commands (especially in legal texts), it’s crucial to distinguish grammatical imperatives from jussive-meaning imperfects. For instance:
- אִם־תִּפְגַּע שׁוֹר רֵעֲךָ וְהֵמִיתוֹ
“If your ox gores your neighbor’s ox and it kills it…” – Here, וְהֵמִיתוֹ is a waw-consecutive perfect, not an imperative.
Comparative Table: Verb Forms in Conditional Apodosis
| Verb Form | Typical Person | Function in Apodosis | Correct Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imperfect (yiqtol) | 3rd or 2nd person | Future result, habitual or jussive sense | אִם־יִשְׁמְעוּ – יִחְיוּ |
| Cohortative | 1st person | Volitional response; vow or desire | אֲשׁוּבָה וְאֶלְכָה |
| Imperative | 2nd person | Instruction or obligation | שְׁמֹר אֶת־הַמִּצְוֹת |
Modal Implications: When Form Reflects Force
The selection of verb form in the apodosis is often driven by the desired rhetorical force:
- Imperfect = logical result, habitual action, or divine expectation.
- Cohortative = internal commitment, desire, or vow.
- Imperative = authoritative command to the hearer.
Even when an imperfect appears, it may bear imperative or jussive meaning, especially in legal or covenantal language. For instance, in Deuteronomy, the phrase וְאָהַבְתָּ (“you shall love”) is technically a perfect form but semantically imperative.
Discourse Dynamics: Personal vs. Normative Outcomes
These verb forms infuse conditionals with discourse force:
- Cohortative signals the speaker’s subjective involvement (“I will…”).
- Imperative gives a prescriptive command to the addressee.
- Imperfect suggests an objective outcome, contingent on the condition.
Such differences enhance the rhetorical flow and theological texture of prophetic and legal discourse in Hebrew, where conditionals are often tied to covenantal obligations or divine-human relationships.
Echoes of Choice and Covenant
The interplay of form and modality in Hebrew conditionals reveals the speaker’s stance toward the future: a command given, a choice offered, a vow declared. When the apodosis features a cohortative, it brings God’s conditional promises or human vows into sharp relief. When it uses the imperative, it conveys duty, warning, or instruction. These grammatical choices anchor volition and obedience within the very structure of the sentence.
Thus, in the grammar of conditionals, Biblical Hebrew expresses more than logic—it expresses covenantal commitment and relational expectation.
