The perfect tense in the Hebrew verb is translated in much the same way we translate the “past tense” in English. However, in Hebrew there really is no “past tense,” only action that is regarded as completed. Thus, the Hebrew perfect tense indicates action that is completed in a variety of forms.
The simple perfect is the most common use of the perfect, and it simply states that an act is completed (in English past time), or it may be stated with a present tense or future usage. If stated in the present tense, it is usually describing a characteristic of a life style within a particular segment of time. However, even in the present tense usage, the main idea of completion is still inherent in its meaning by the person/persons performing the act, etc., only the act is seen as taking place in the present time of the narration, versus at some time in the past. If it is given a future tense translation, it is normally for the purpose of emphasizing “assurance” of the action being described by the verb:
The previous perfect in Hebrew is commonly translated with the English auxiliary verbs “had,” or “have.”
Characteristic perfects are normally always translated in the present tense, and its emphasis is that of a universal truth. That is, whatever is considered to be true of the subject being described may also be considered to be true for us as well.
The coordinate perfect is used with the conjunction “and.” What happens is that in a narrative situation (i.e., in a continuing dialog), if the beginning verb of the clause is in the imperfect tense (i.e., future), then the perfect, with the conjunction “and,” will be translated as a future tense. Or, if a participle begins the clause, then the perfect will be translated accordingly to compliment the tense of the participle. What this does is continue the narration in the time frame of the governing verb that began the clause, which may be the imperfect (i.e., future), or a participle, in which case the perfect will complement its usage. Thus, the perfect is “coordinated” with the lead verb.
The Blue Letter Bible ministry and the BLB Institute hold to the historical, conservative Christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy of Scripture. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry.
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