Imperative צִוּוּי tsivvui
The imperative tells the person in front of you, “do this.” It is made simply: take the imperfect “you will …” and remove the prefix ת that means “you.” So the imperative has no prefix, and only its ending tells “you (m) · you (f) · you (m pl) · you (f pl)” apart. This page shows the four forms one by one in words actually used in Genesis.
“command” — the same root צ-ו-ה as וַיְצַו (and he commanded) in Gen 2:16
Colour key blue = added at the front · orange = added at the end · purple = a mark inside (dot · doubled letter · changed vowel) · underline = the word this page is about
1What the imperative is
The imperative is the verb form a speaker uses to command or ask the hearer directly: “do!” Because it speaks to the hearer, it exists only in the second person. “Let him …” (third person) is the jussive; “let us …” (first person) is the cohortative.
There are only four forms: you (one man) · you (one woman) · you (men, or a mixed group) · you (women). The Old Testament has 4,332 imperatives, 2,925 of them in the Qal (counted from the OSHB morphology).
The first imperatives in Genesis are in 1:22: God says to the sea creatures and birds, פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ (be fruitful, multiply, fill). In 1:28 he says the same three words to mankind and adds וְכִבְשֻׁהָ (subdue it) and וּרְדוּ (rule).
2Where the name comes from — צִוּוּי tsivvui
Hebrew grammar calls the imperative צִוּוּי (tsivvui, “command”), from the root צ-ו-ה (command).
That root first appears in Gen 2:16: וַיְצַו (vayetsav, “and he commanded”) — YHWH God commanding Adam about the trees of the garden. The noun from the same root is מִצְוָה (mitsvah, commandment).
The English name Imperative comes from Latin imperare, “to command.”
3At a glance — how to recognize the imperative
- No prefixWhere the imperfect would have ת (you) at the front, there is nothing; the word begins with the root — קְבֹר (bury, Gen 23:6).
- The ending tells whoyou (m) = no ending · you (f) = י · you (m pl) = וּ · you (f pl) = נָה (short ן).
- The first vowel is a sheva or “i”The first letter has a sheva, as in קְבֹר (qevor); when an ending is added it becomes “i” (ִ), as in שִׁמְעוּ (shim‘u).
- Frequent companionsנָא (na, “please, now”) often follows, or ָה is added at the end — מִכְרָה (sell, Gen 25:31).
4The Qal imperative — the imperfect without its prefix
The model verb קטל (kill). On the left is the Qal imperfect “you will …”; on the right, the imperative made by removing the prefix תִּ. The endings (י וּ נָה) are the same as in the imperfect.
| To whom | Imperfect (you will …) | Imperative | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| you (2ms) | תִּקְטֹל | קְטֹל | qetol | kill |
| you (2fs) | תִּקְטְלִי | קִטְלִי | qitli | kill (to a woman) |
| you (2mp) | תִּקְטְלוּ | קִטְלוּ | qitlu | kill (you all) |
| you (2fp) | תִּקְטֹלְנָה | קְטֹלְנָה | qetolnah | kill (to women) |
Removing תִּ from תִּקְטְלִי (tiqteli) leaves קְטְלִי, with two shevas in a row. Hebrew does not allow two shevas at the start of a word, so the first becomes “i” (ִ): קִטְלִי (see “Why” below).
5The imperatives of Genesis 1 — you (masculine plural)
God’s first commands are all “you (m pl)” forms. Notice there is no prefix and the ending is וּ. The וּ at the front is “and.”
peru — be fruitful (you, pl.)
The root פ-ר-ה (bear fruit) + וּ (you, pl.). The final root letter ה drops when the ending is added (a III-He verb). There is no prefix, so this is not the imperfect תִּפְרוּ (you will be fruitful) but the imperative.
YLVAnd God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing (chai) that creeps upon the earth."
umil’u — and fill (you, pl.)
וּ (and) + the root מ-ל-א (fill) + וּ. The 2ms form is מְלָא (mela); with the ending וּ the first sheva becomes “i,” giving מִלְא (mil). The conjunction is וּ, not וְ, because the next letter מ is a lip sound.
YLVAnd God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing (chai) that creeps upon the earth."
vekhivshuha — and subdue it
וְ (and) + the root כ-ב-שׁ (subdue) + the “you (pl.)” וּ (written here as the short vowel ֻ (u) under שׁ) + the object suffix הָ (it — feminine singular, “the earth” הָאָרֶץ). An imperative can carry an object suffix.
YLVAnd God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing (chai) that creeps upon the earth."
urdu — and rule (you, pl.)
וּ (and — וּ because the next letter has a sheva) + the root ר-ד-ה (rule, final ה dropped) + וּ. Gen 1:28 has five imperatives in a row, all in the same “you (pl.)” form.
YLVAnd God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing (chai) that creeps upon the earth."
6All four forms — real examples from the Bible
The ending tells you (m) · you (f) · you (m pl) · you (f pl) apart. All are Qal imperatives.
qevor — bury (you, m. sg.)
Only the root ק-ב-ר (bury), with no prefix and no ending. It has exactly the vowels of the model קְטֹל (qetol) — the basic form. The Hittites say to Abraham, “bury your dead.”
YLV"Hear us, my lord: you are a prince of God in our midst; in the choicest of our graves bury your dead; no man (ish) of us shall withhold from you his grave from burying your dead."
’imri — say (you, f. sg.)
The root א-מ-ר (say) + י (you, f.). Abram speaks to Sarai, so the form is feminine. The first letter א is a guttural and takes ִ (i). נָא (please) follows, making it a request.
YLVSay, I pray, that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and my soul (nephesh) may live because of you."
shim‘u — hear (you, m. pl.)
The root שׁ-מ-ע (hear) + וּ (you, pl.). The 2ms form is שְׁמַע (shema‘, Gen 21:12); with the ending, the first sheva becomes “i,” giving שִׁמְע (shim‘). Joseph speaks to his brothers.
YLVAnd he said to them, "Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
shema‘an — hear (you, f. pl.)
The root שׁ-מ-ע + ן (you, f. pl. — a short form of נָה). Lamech speaks to his two wives, Adah and Zillah, so it is feminine plural. The final ע is a guttural, so an extra “a” (ַ) sound comes in. The same verse has the Hiphil imperative הַאְזֵנָּה (give ear).
YLVAnd Lamech said to his women (ishah), "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; women (ishah) of Lamech, give ear to my speech; for I have slain a man (ish) for my wound, and a young man for my bruise.
7Why the first vowel becomes “i” when an ending is added
- 1. The basic formThe 2ms form is קְטֹל (qetol): a sheva (short “e”) under the first letter ק, and “o” on the second.
- 2. An ending is addedWith the ending וּ (you pl.) or י (you f.), the stress moves toward the end and the “o” of the second letter shrinks to a sheva → קְטְלוּ.
- 3. Two shevas cannot begin a wordNow the first two letters both have a sheva. Hebrew cannot pronounce this, so the first sheva becomes a short “i” (ִ).
- 4. The resultקִטְלוּ (qitlu) · קִטְלִי (qitli). In real words: שְׁמַע (21:12) → שִׁמְעוּ (37:6), and מְלָא → וּמִלְאוּ (1:28).
8נָא and the lengthened form in ָה — asking, urging
The 2ms imperative is sometimes lengthened with ָה (the lengthened imperative). The meaning is the same, with added force or urgency. נָא (na, “please, now”) often follows, turning it into a request.
mikhrah — sell
The 2ms form of מ-כ-ר (sell), מְכֹר (mekhor), with ה added. With the longer ending the “o” shrinks and the first vowel changes, giving מִכְרָה (mikhrah). Jacob says to Esau, “sell me first your birthright.”
YLVAnd Jacob said, "Sell to me this day your birthright."
qeḥah — take
The imperative of ל-ק-ח (take), קַח (qaḥ, with the first letter ל dropped), + ה. YHWH speaks to Abram. The short form קַח of the same verb appears in Gen 6:21.
YLVAnd he said to him, "Take for me a heifer three years old, and a she-goat three years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon."
sa — lift up (your eyes)
The imperative of נ-שׂ-א (lift) — the first letter נ drops, leaving שָׂא. נָא follows: “now lift up your eyes.” Then וּרְאֵה (and see) follows, joining two imperatives with “and.”
YLVAnd YHWH said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: "Lift up now your eyes, and see from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward,
haggidah — tell (me)
Hiphil imperative: הַ (the Hiphil imperative prefix) + the root נ-ג-ד (the first נ merged as a dot in ג) + ה (lengthened). נָּא follows: Joseph asks a stranger, “please tell me.”
YLVAnd he said, "I am seeking my brothers; tell me, I pray you, where they are feeding the flock."
9The imperative in each stem
In every stem the imperative is the imperfect without its prefix. In some stems a stem mark (ה) hidden behind the prefix shows up again. The Pual and Hophal (passive stems) have almost no imperatives.
| Stem | Imperfect (you) | Imperative (2ms) | Reading | Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qal | תִּקְטֹל | קְטֹל | qetol | no prefix |
| Niphal | תִּקָּטֵל | הִקָּטֵל | hiqqatel | הִ + dot in the first letter |
| Piel | תְּקַטֵּל | קַטֵּל | qattel | dot in the middle letter |
| Hiphil | תַּקְטִיל | הַקְטֵל | haqtel | הַ + final vowel “e” |
| Hithpael | תִּתְקַטֵּל | הִתְקַטֵּל | hitqattel | הִתְ + middle dot |
In the Niphal, Hiphil and Hithpael, removing the imperfect prefix ת brings back a ה. That ה is not “who”; it is the stem mark.
10Imperatives in other stems — real examples from the Bible
dabber — speak
Piel imperative: the middle root letter of ד-ב-ר (speak), בּ, has a dot and is doubled (dab-ber). It is the Piel imperfect תְּדַבֵּר with the prefix תְּ removed. Laban tells Abraham’s servant, “speak.”
YLVAnd there was set before him to eat; but he said, "I will not eat ad(עד) I have spoken my words." And he said, "Speak."
hotse — bring out
Hiphil imperative: הוֹ (the Hiphil ה + the first root letter י turned into the vowel “o”) + צֵא. The Hiphil of י-צ-א “go out” → “cause to go out, bring out.” The angels speak to Lot.
YLVAnd the men (ish) said to Lot, "Whom else have you here? A son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city — bring them out from the place,
hithallekh — walk (before me)
Hithpael imperative: הִתְ (the Hithpael prefix) + the root ה-ל-ך (walk) + a dot in the middle letter לּ. YHWH tells Abram, “walk before me,” followed at once by the Qal imperative וֶהְיֵה (and be).
YLVAnd Abram was a son of ninety years and nine years, and YHWH appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty (El Shaddai); walk before me and be blameless.
hishshamer — beware (guard yourself)
Niphal imperative: הִ + a dot in the first root letter שּׁ (the merged Niphal נ) + מֶר. The Niphal of שׁ-מ-ר “keep” → “keep oneself, beware.” Abraham tells his servant, “beware that you do not take my son back there.”
YLVAnd Abraham said to him, "Take heed to yourself, lest you bring my son back there.
11What the imperative does
(1) Command — from a superior: קְחָה (take, 15:9) · הִתְהַלֵּךְ (walk, 17:1).
(2) Request — from an inferior or an equal, often with נָא: אִמְרִי נָא (please say, 12:13) · הַגִּידָה נָּא (please tell me, 37:16). The Hittites’ קְבֹר to Abraham (bury, 23:6) is a respectful invitation. The same form is read by who speaks to whom.
(3) Words of blessing — in Gen 1:22 and 1:28, פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ are spoken as God “blessed” them (וַיְבָרֶךְ). The text calls it a blessing, so the imperatives carry the content of the blessing.
(4) Imperative + “and” + imperative — the second action follows the first: שָׂא נָא עֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה (lift up your eyes and see, 13:14).
12When the shape changes — gutturals and weak letters
A guttural first letter takes a hateph (short “a”) or “i” instead of a sheva: עֲשֵׂה (‘ase, make, 6:14 — ֲ under ע) · אִמְרִי (12:13).
A guttural last letter (ח ע) gives “a,” not “o,” as the second vowel: שְׁמַע (shema‘, 21:12) — compare קְטֹל (qetol).
Verbs with a weak first letter lose it: לֶךְ (go, 12:1 — root ה-ל-ך) · קַח (take, 6:21 — ל-ק-ח) · שֵׁב (dwell, 20:15 — י-שׁ-ב) · שָׂא (lift, 13:14 — נ-שׂ-א).
Hollow verbs show the middle vowel letter: קוּם (arise, 13:17) · שׁוּבִי (return, f., 16:9) · בֹּא (come, 7:1).
III-He verbs end in ֵה (e) in the 2ms and lose the ה before an ending: עֲשֵׂה (6:14) · פְּרוּ (1:28).
13“Do not” is never said with the imperative
Hebrew does not put לֹא or אַל (not) before an imperative. Prohibitions use other forms.
אַל + jussive — “do not” here and now: אַל־תִּירָא (do not fear, 15:1) · אַל־תִּשְׁלַח יָדְךָ (do not lay your hand, 22:12).
לֹא + imperfect — a standing prohibition, “you shall not”: לֹא תֹאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ (you shall not eat of it, 2:17). The prohibitions of the Ten Words take this form.
14Easy to confuse
The imperative and the infinitive construct often look the same. Gen 23:6 has both in one verse: קְבֹר אֶת־מֵתֶךָ (bury your dead — imperative) and מִקְּבֹר מֵתֶךָ (from burying your dead — מִן + infinitive construct). The Niphal הִפָּרֶד is an imperative in 13:9 (“separate”) and an infinitive construct after אַחֲרֵי in 13:14 (“after … had separated”). A preposition in front, or a noun-like place in the sentence, marks the infinitive.
A third-person “let him …” is not an imperative. יִרֶב in 1:22 (let the birds multiply) has the prefix י (he) — a jussive. פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ (you, be fruitful and multiply) in the same verse are imperatives.
The infinitive absolute can also give commands. OSHB analyzes זָכוֹר (remember, Exod 20:8) and שָׁמוֹר (keep, Deut 5:12) as infinitives absolute. Unlike the imperative זְכֹר (zekhor), the first vowel is “a” (ָ) and the “o” is written וֹ (see Infinitive absolute).
15Where this appears in Genesis 1–2
All 8 places, found from the OSHB morphology. Tap one to go to that word’s notes.