24 more recent approaches are already found in these publications, but consistent with the
general approach to language in that time period, the main concern is with presenting representative cases or examples of the grammatical categories in use. Also typical of
these publications is the evaluation of as sometimes improper or as an example of
misuse.
3.3 The Analysis of
in the Descriptive Approach
3.3.1 Lambdin, Introduction to Biblical Hebrew, 1971
In his Introduction to Biblical Hebrew, Lambdin discusses , stating that
…within a narrative sequence temporal modifiers are very frequently placed before the clause they modify and are introduced by waw-
conversive + a form of the verb . In the past tense narrative this is
uniformly wayh
î
… Lambdin 1971, 123 Lambdin’s analysis shares much in common with Gesenius, but reflects a more
Descriptive approach. Lambdin lists a variety of syntactic environments in which occurs, but the description pays minimal attention to the functions associated with the
various constructions. In Lambdin’s section entitled “Concluding Remarks on Clause Sequences,” there
is another comment regarding which indicates an awareness of the need to explore
how is connected with the adjacent clauses. Lambdin states: “If a narrative sequence
begins with a clause containing the verb or
, the real nature of the sequence is not clear until we reach a continuing verb” Lambdin 1971, 279. Awareness of clause
sequences is necessary, but unfortunately, Lambdin’s examples are hypothetical. Both
25 examples start with
, which is not attested anywhere in biblical Hebrew. Lambdin’s concern in these examples, however, is not in explicating the function of
; his concern is with the form of the verb that follows. For Lambdin, the mere presence of the
verb seems to be of more consequence, stating that “the verb
in a leading clause requires special consideration” Lambdin 1971, 279. Unfortunately, even though
Lambdin demonstrates an awareness of certain syntactic parameters, understanding of as a temporal modifier is not significantly advanced by Lambdin’s analysis.
3.3.2 Andersen, The Sentence in Biblical Hebrew, 1974
Andersen’s seminal work, The Sentence in Biblical Hebrew, is one of the first studies to employ analytical techniques that are unquestionably motivated by the
principles and concerns of Descriptive Linguistics. The title of Andersen’s study is somewhat misleading since his analysis is not at all limited to the sentence as a self-
contained unit. The frequent references to clause sequences, paragraphs, rhetorical effects, episode transitions, as well as the section 3.4.2 entitled Discourse Function of
Epic Apposition, show the range of issues of concern to Andersen. These concerns are detected in the following statement about
: In Hebrew, transition to a new episode in a story is characteristically
marked by way h , and it came to pass, followed frequently by an episode-marginal time reference that secures a time connection between
successive episodes. Andersen 1974, 63
The use of the word episode indicates that Andersen is looking beyond individual sequences of clauses or sentences to the broader context. Unfortunately, beyond
26 mentioning that there are other options for initiating story-level episodes, nothing more is
discussed to more precisely define the use and function of .
3.3.3 Waltke and O’Connor, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew
