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Verbs: The Infinitive Construct
The Infinitive Construct
In English, the infinitive is usually preceded by “to”, for example:
• to walk
• to talk
• to laugh
• to take
She wants to walk to the store.
He went to talk to the man.
They tried to climb Mt. Everest.
I’m going to take Hebrew 331 next semester.
No person, number or gender.
She wants to walk.
He wants to walk.
They want to walk.
We all want to walk.
The Infinitive Construct
No person, number or gender.
No past, present, or future tense (which is where we get the first part of the name)
Past: In the past, I tried to take Hebrew 331, but I couldn’t get in.
Present: Right now, I want to take Hebrew 331, but I don’t quite know enough.
Future: In the future, I plan to take Hebrew 331 because I want to be able to read
the Bible in its original language.
Infinite Time = Infinitive Construct
The Infinitive Construct
Usually, infinitive constructs are coupled with another verb.
She wants to walk.
He wants to walk.
They want to walk.
We all want to walk.
We tried to hike up to 18,500 feet, but the weather was too harsh.
He convinced the Sherpas to stand in his picture with him.
Our group travelled far to accomplish our goal.
I wanted to eat but I was too nauseous from altitude sickness.
I bought a native dress to wear when we give our fireside to the youth.
The Infinitive Construct
In Hebrew, the Infinitive Construct can also act as a noun.
Usually, when an Infinitive Construct acts as a noun, it ends with “-ing”
Hiking to base camp is very difficult.
or
To hike to base camp is very difficult.
Running is great training for the Everest base camp hike.
Praying can be done by spinning prayer bells in the Himalayas.
Flying into Lukla was the most frightening part of the whole trip.
Stuffing the Yaks’ bells keeps them quiet during the night.
Buying apple pie at base camp was an unexpected treat.
The Infinitive Construct
Let’s try to make this next point very clear…
Imperative (ms)
‫כְּ תֹ ב‬
(you) write!
Infinitive Construct
‫כְּ תֹ ב‬
to write, writing
Identical!
Use Context to Determine a Translation
The Infinitive Construct
to write/writing
to remember/remembering
to eat/eating
to stand/standing
to call/calling
Infinitive
Construct
Imperative
(2ms)
‫כְּ תֹ ב‬
‫זְּ כֹ ר‬
‫אֱכֹ ל‬
‫עֲמֹ ד‬
‫ְּקרֹא‬
‫כְּ תֹ ב‬
‫זְּ כֹ ר‬
‫אֱכֹ ל‬
‫עֲמֹ ד‬
‫ְּק ָרא‬
(you) write
(you) remember
(you) eat
(you) stand
(you) call
Wait—what’s going on with that last word?
The imperative ‫ ְּק ָרא‬maintains the vowel change (qamets) brought about by the
presence of a III-‫א‬. The infinitive construct vowel pattern is shewa-holem despite
the presence of the III-‫א‬.
Let’s look at some examples on pg. 127 of Lambdin.
The Infinitive Construct
Infinitive Construct = Construction
We can build prefixes and suffixes onto Infinitive Constructs.
Prefixes - to add Prepositions
Suffixes - to add Pronominal Suffixes
Infinitive construct with pronominal suffixes
as a subject:
as an object:
They are identical – context!
Note the vowel change.
‫כָתְּ בִ י‬
‫כָתְּ בְּ ָך‬
‫כְּ תָ בֵ ְך‬
‫כָתְּ ב ֹֹו‬
‫כָתְּ כָּה‬
my writing
‫כָתְּ בִ י‬
‫כָתְּ בְּ ָך‬
‫כְּ תָ בֵ ְך‬
‫כָתְּ ב ֹֹו‬
‫כָתְּ כָּה‬
writing me
your (ms) writing
your (fs) writing
his writing
her writing
writing (ms) you
writing (fs) you
writing him
writing her
‫כָתְּ בֵ נּו‬
‫כָתְּ בְּ כֶם‬
‫כָתְּ בְּ כֶן‬
‫כָתְּ בָ ם‬
‫כָתְּ בָ ן‬
our writing
‫כָתְּ בֵ נּו‬
‫כָתְּ בְּ כֶם‬
‫כָתְּ בְּ כֶן‬
‫כָתְּ בָ ם‬
‫כָתְּ בָ ן‬
writing us
your (mp) writing
your (fp) writing
their writing
their writing
writing (mp) you
writing (fp) you
writing them
writing them
The Infinitive Construct
An indefinite noun that directly follows an infinitive construct can serve as
either the subject or the object of the verb. For example:
‫כְּ תֹ בֹאִ יׁש‬
writing a man (or) a man’s writing
The above example is ambiguous and requires context to determine a proper translation.
When the noun is definite, the presence of the definite object marker ‫ אֶ ת‬indicates
the noun’s place as the object of the verb. For example:
‫כְּ תֹ בֹאֶ ת־הָ אִ יׁש‬
‫כְּ תֹ בֹהָ אִ יׁש‬
writing the man (or) (to) write the man (object)
the man’s writing (subject)
The Infinitive Construct
The use of pronouns with infinitive constructs is slightly more complex.
The following examples provide some clarification for possible translations:
‫ׁשָ ְּמ ִריֹאֶ ת־הָ אִ יׁש‬
‫יׁשֹֹׁשמֹ רֹאֹ תִ י‬
ְּ
ִ‫הָ א‬
‫מָ צְּ אוֹֹאֹ תִ י‬
‫קָ ְּראִ יֹאֹ ת ֹֹו‬
‫רֹמ ְּקנֵה‬
ִ ֹ‫לִ בְּ ח‬
‫ת־מ ְּקנַי‬
ִ ֶ‫לִ בְּ חֹ רֹא‬
‫לִ ְּׁשמֹ רֹאֶ ת־הַ ּתו ָֹרה‬
‫ׁשָ ְּמרוֹֹאֶ ת־הַ ּתו ָֹרה‬
my observing the man
the man observing me
his finding me
my calling him
to choose cattle
to choose my cattle
to keep the law
his keeping the law
The Infinitive Construct
Combined together, the infinitive phrase can be any of the following things.
1. The subject of a sentence. For example:
ֹ‫טוֹבֹלִ ְּׁשמֹ רֹאֶ ת־הַ ּתו ָֹרה‬
It is good to keep the law. (or) To keep the law is good.
2. The object of the preposition. For example:
‫עַ ד־קָ ְּראִ יֹאֹ ת ֹֹו‬
until my calling him
3. The object of the verb. For example:
‫יָכֹ לְּ ּתִ יֹלִ בְּ חֹ רֹאֶ ת־מִֹ ְּקנַי‬
I was able to choose my cattle.
The Infinitive Construct
Prefixes - building a preposition onto an Infinitive Construct:
Often, the infinitive construct is prefixed with
ְֹּ‫(ב‬in, by, with), ְֹּ‫( ל‬to, for), or ְֹּ‫(כ‬like, as, according as).
When ְֹּ‫ ב‬and ְֹּ‫ כ‬are prefixed to an infinitive construct, the result is an adverbial clause
that is usually temporal in meaning. For example:
ֹ‫כְּ כָתְּ ב ֹו‬
‫בְּ עָ ְּמד ֹֹו‬
when he wrote
when (while) he stood
ְֹּ‫ ב‬and ְֹּ‫ כ‬have the same translation value, and each is commonly used.
However, certain verbs, such as ‫ׁשָ מַ ע‬, prefer ְֹּ‫כ‬.
In these instances,
The Infinitive Construct
When ְֹּ‫ ל‬is prefixed to an infinitive construct, the meaning is an expression of purpose, result or goal. For example:
‫לִ בְּ חֹ רֹבָ א‬
‫ֹלאֹיָכֹ לְּ ּתִ יֹלִ בְֹּחֹ ר‬
he came to choose
I could not choose
Instead of using ‫ ל ֹֹו‬to negate the infinitive construct, ‫ בִ לְּ ּתִ י‬is prefixed with the preposition ְֹּ‫ ל‬before the
infinitive construct. For example:
‫רֹרעָ ה‬
ָ ֹ‫לְֹּבִ לְּ ּתִ י בְּ ח‬
‫לְֹּבִ לְּ ּתִ י ְּׁשבֹרֹאֶ ת־הַ ּתו ָֹרה‬
not to choose evil
not to break the law