Tense is a grammatical category that expresses time. This blog post explores how one discerns what "tense" a bible verse is in.
The primary function or purpose of "tense" is to indicate the time of an action: past, present, or future.
One of the most interesting aspects of Hebrew, and thus the way the Torah is written, is that Hebrew has a unique "tense system" compared to many other languages.
The Hebrew Tense System works differently from languages like English. The Hebrew verbal system is based on three main tenses:
- Past (Perfect)
- Present (Participle)
- Future (Imperfect)
However, these tenses don't always correspond directly to how we use tenses in English or other languages. Let's break this down further:
Perfect Tense (Past) -
The perfect tense in Hebrew generally corresponds to the past tense in English, but it can also be used in other ways depending on context. It's used for completed actions, whether they occurred in the past, present, or even future.
Participle (Present) -
The participle in Hebrew is used for the present tense, but it can also describe ongoing actions or states in the past or future.
Imperfect Tense (Future) -
The imperfect tense typically corresponds to the future in English, but it can also be used for habitual actions in the past or present.
Aspect vs. Tense -
Hebrew focuses more on the aspect of an action (whether it's completed or ongoing) rather than strictly when it occurred in time. This is why the tenses can sometimes be used in ways that might seem counterintuitive to speakers of languages with more rigid tense systems.
Perfect Tense in Hebrew is used primarily for past actions, but it can also be used to express:
- Completed actions in the present or future
- States of being
- Conditional statements
All Religion is Interpretation
The interpretation often depends on context and other elements in the sentence.
Here are some examples of bible verses where the reader can read "the tense" to be the past, present and/or the future.
Genesis 1:1 - "בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים" (Bereshit bara Elohim)
"In the beginning, God created"
The perfect form of "bara" (created) has bearing to the creation occurring around us today and what happens in the future.
Psalm 23:1 - "יְהוָה רֹעִי, לֹא אֶחְסָר" (Adonai ro'i, lo echsar)
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want"
The author King David was referring to himsrlf thousands of years ago. Yet, "Echsar" is in the imperfect form, which can express future ("I will not want") or ongoing present ("I do not want").
Psalm 119:47 - "וְאֶשְׁתַּֽעֲשַׁ֥ע בְּמִצְוֹתֶ֗יךָ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָהָֽבְתִּי"
"And I will delight in Your commandments, which I love"
Here, "אָהָֽבְתִּי" (ahavti - "I love") is in the perfect form but is often translated in the present tense in modern translations.
Proverbs 31:10-31 is considered an "inspired utterance" or prophecy. (*The full copy is below*.) This passage was written thousands of years ago. It uses many verbs in the imperfect form to describe the actions of the virtuous woman. These could be interpreted as habitual present actions or future actions, depending on context.
THE OLD, THE NEW AND THE FUTURE
Old: Psalm 69:21 -- "They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink."
New: John 19.30 -- When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
In the New Testament, the last word Yeshua uttered from the cross is "tetelestai." It signified the completion of his mission, the fulfillment of prophecies, and the finality of his sacrificial work for humanity's redemption. The perfect tense of "tetelestai" indicates that the action was completed in the past with ongoing effects into the present and future.
The perfect tense of "tetelestai" significantly enhances its meaning in several important ways:
- Completed action with ongoing effects
- Permanent and Unchanging
- Past, present, and future significance
- Definitive ccompletion
- Ongoing relevance
- Assurance for believers
The greek word "tetelestai" as used in John 19:30 and 19:30 is perhaps the most in-tense example of "perfect tense" ever used.
John 28.19 -- After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.”
Seek and You Shall Find
The way to get the most "good" out of reading/hearing the Bible is to put it into the context of the times one is in and our personal life. The bible has the greatest impact if we apply it to our entire life including our past, present and future hopes.
My conclusion: The bible is a mirror. You can seek and find yourself. You can see your past, your present and/or your future. Such is the timeless nature of the bible and Adonia.
* Epilogue:
In 1999, Mary and I stood on King Herod's hilltop fortress, Masada, with my parents and my children for the Bar Mitzvah ceremony of our son Alexander. Past, present and future together. It was "perfect" and very in-tense.
Today, I'm bike riding on Nantucket with Alex's family. I'm the Saba, Alex is still my son, and his children are the future.
Proverbs 31:10-31
10 An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15 She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She dresses herself[a] with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.[b]
22 She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.