Infinitive absolute מָקוֹר מֻחְלָט maqor muḥlat
The infinitive absolute is the bare verb form, with nothing attached. Its most common use is to stand right before a verb of the same root and add force to it. Gen 2:17 מוֹת תָּמוּת (mot tamut) is word for word “dying — you will die,” meaning “you shall surely die.” Instead of a separate word for “surely,” Hebrew can say the verb twice. This page shows the form and its uses in words actually used in Genesis.
“the absolute source-form” — מָקוֹר (source) + מֻחְלָט (unbound, absolute)
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 infinitive absolute is
An infinitive is a verb form with neither person (“who”) nor conjugation (“when”) fixed. Hebrew has two: the infinitive construct, which takes prepositions and suffixes and works like a noun, and the infinitive absolute, which takes nothing and stands alone.
The infinitive absolute occurs 888 times in the Old Testament (515 in the Qal) and 55 times in Genesis (counted from the OSHB morphology). Genesis 1–2 has two — אָכֹל in 2:16 and מוֹת in 2:17 — both in YHWH God’s command to Adam.
2Where the name comes from — מָקוֹר מֻחְלָט maqor muḥlat
Hebrew grammar calls the infinitive מָקוֹר (maqor, “source, spring”). The absolute one is מָקוֹר מֻחְלָט (maqor muḥlat, “the unbound source-form”); מֻחְלָט means “absolute, tied to nothing.”
The English “absolute” means the same. As the absolute state of a noun is not bound to a following word, this infinitive takes no preposition before it and no suffix after it. The name pairs it with the infinitive construct.
3At a glance — how to recognize the infinitive absolute
- The Qal is קָטוֹל — “a” and “o”ָ (a) on the first letter, “o” (וֹ or ֹ) on the second. The first vowel differs from the construct קְטֹל (sheva + o) — אָכֹל (Gen 2:16).
- Nothing attachedNo “who” prefix (י ת), no preposition (לְ בְּ), no suffix. (Waw וְ or the question הֲ may be attached.)
- Next to a verb of the same rootAlmost always right before (or after) a perfect or imperfect of the same root — מוֹת תָּמוּת (Gen 2:17).
4Infinitive absolute forms — beside the construct
The model קטל (kill). In the Qal and Hiphil its vowels differ from the construct; the differing vowels are colored.
| Stem | Infinitive absolute | Reading | Infinitive construct (compare) | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qal | קָטוֹל · קָטֹל | qatol | קְטֹל | qetol |
| Niphal | נִקְטֹל · הִקָּטֹל | niqtol · hiqqatol | הִקָּטֵל | hiqqatel |
| Piel | קַטֵּל · קַטֹּל | qattel · qattol | קַטֵּל | qattel |
| Hiphil | הַקְטֵל | haqtel | הַקְטִיל | haqtil |
The first vowel ָ of the Qal absolute looks like the ָ (short o) of the construct before a suffix, but in the absolute it is read as a long “a.” In the Piel the two infinitives often look alike; tell them apart by use (standing alone before a verb of the same root).
5Genesis 2–3 — “eat” and “die”
The first three infinitives absolute in Genesis. Each stands right before an imperfect of the same root.
’akhol — eating (→ freely)
The Qal infinitive absolute of א-כ-ל (eat): ָ (a) on the first letter, ֹ (o) on the second. The imperfect of the same root תֹּאכֵל (you will eat) follows: “eating, you will eat.” Because this grants eating from every tree of the garden, YLV renders it “you shall surely eat.”
YLVAnd YHWH God commanded (tzivvah) Adam, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you shall surely eat,
mot — dying (→ surely)
The Qal infinitive absolute of the hollow root מ-ו-ת (die). תָּמוּת (you will die) follows: “dying, you will die” = “you shall surely die.” It is exactly the same pattern as אָכֹל תֹּאכֵל in 2:16, one verse later.
YLVbut of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it, for in the day you eat of it you shall surely die."
mot — (not) surely (die)
The same מוֹת as in 2:17, + the imperfect תְּמֻתוּן (you will die). The serpent takes the very pattern of God’s “you shall surely die” and puts לֹא (not) in front: לֹא מוֹת תְּמֻתוּן, “you shall not surely die.” The negative stands before the infinitive absolute.
YLVAnd the serpent said to the woman (ishah), "You shall not surely die,
6The same verb twice — real examples from the Bible
Infinitive absolute + a verb of the same root. Depending on the context it is rendered “surely, indeed, certainly, greatly.”
yadoa‘ — knowing (→ know for certain)
The Qal infinitive absolute of י-ד-ע (know) + the imperfect תֵּדַע (you will know). The final ע is a guttural, so a short “a” (ַ) is slipped in under it. These are the opening words of what YHWH tells Abram about the future.
YLVAnd he said to Abram, "Knowing you shall know that your seed shall be a sojourner in a land not theirs, and they shall serve (avad) them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
hamalokh — will you indeed reign
הֲ (question “…?”) + the infinitive absolute of מ-ל-ך (reign) + the imperfect תִּמְלֹךְ. The same verse goes on: מָשׁוֹל תִּמְשֹׁל (will you indeed rule) — twice the same pattern, putting force into the brothers’ question.
YLVAnd his brothers said to him, "Will you indeed reign over us? Or will you indeed rule over us?" And they hated him yet the more for his dreams and for his words.
paqod — visiting (→ surely visit)
The Qal infinitive absolute of פ-ק-ד (visit, attend to) + the imperfect יִפְקֹד (he will visit). It has exactly the vowels of the model קָטֹל. Joseph, before his death, tells his brothers “God will surely visit you” (again in 50:25).
YLVAnd Joseph said to his brothers, "I am dying, but God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."
7Infinitives absolute in other stems — real examples from the Bible
varekh — blessing (→ I will surely bless)
Piel infinitive absolute of ב-ר-ך (bless). The middle letter ר, like a guttural, cannot take the dot, so instead of Piel doubling the vowel before it lengthens to ָ. The Piel imperfect of the same root אֲבָרֶכְךָ (I will bless you) follows.
YLVthat in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the shore of the sea; and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
harbah — multiplying (→ greatly multiply)
Hiphil infinitive absolute: הַ (the Hiphil mark) + the root ר-ב-ה (be many). The Hiphil imperfect of the same root אַרְבֶּה (I will multiply) follows: “multiplying, I will multiply” = “I will greatly multiply.” The same pattern is in 22:17 וְהַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה.
YLVTo the woman (ishah) he said, "I will greatly multiply your pain and your conception; in pain you shall bear children, and to your man (ish) shall be your desire, and he shall rule over you."
himmol — being circumcised (→ must surely be circumcised)
Niphal infinitive absolute: הִ + a dot in the first root letter מּ (the merged Niphal נ) + וֹל. The Niphal of מ-ו-ל (circumcise) → “be circumcised.” The Niphal imperfect יִמּוֹל (he shall be circumcised) follows.
YLVHe that is born in your house, and he that is bought with your money, must surely be circumcised; and my covenant (berit) shall be in your flesh (basar) for an everlasting covenant (berit).
8Why say the same verb twice
- 1. Few separate words for “surely”Hebrew has adverbs such as מְאֹד (very), but to make the action itself firm it likes to name the verb once more as a noun (the infinitive).
- 2. The pattern“the action (infinitive absolute) + do the action (perfect or imperfect)” — מוֹת (dying) + תָּמוּת (you will die).
- 3. What it stressesThat the action will certainly happen (2:17 “you shall surely die”), or that it happens fully, abundantly (2:16 “eat freely” · 3:16 “greatly multiply”). The context decides which.
- 4. Negation and questionsA negative or question word usually comes first, before the infinitive absolute — לֹא מוֹת תְּמֻתוּן (3:4) · הֲמָלֹךְ תִּמְלֹךְ (37:8).
9After the verb — “kept on …, to and fro”
When the infinitive absolute comes after the verb, it pictures the action continuing or repeating. Often two infinitives absolute are joined by “and.”
halokh — going (→ steadily)
The Qal infinitive absolute of ה-ל-ך (go). After וַיָּשֻׁבוּ (the waters returned) comes הָלוֹךְ וָשׁוֹב (going and returning), picturing the waters receding “steadily, little by little.”
YLVAnd the waters returned from upon the earth, going and returning; and the waters decreased at the end of a hundred and fifty days.
yatso — going out (→ to and fro)
The Qal infinitive absolute of י-צ-א (go out) + וָשׁוֹב (and returning). Same root as the preceding וַיֵּצֵא (and it went out): the raven went “to and fro,” again and again.
YLVAnd he sent forth the raven, and it went out, going out and returning, ad(עד) the waters were dried up from upon the earth.
venasoa‘ — and journeying
וְ (and) + the Qal infinitive absolute of נ-ס-ע (break camp, journey). וַיִּסַּע אַבְרָם הָלוֹךְ וְנָסוֹעַ (Abram journeyed, going on and journeying): not one trip but a journey kept up stage by stage. A short “a” is slipped in under the final ע.
YLVAnd Abram journeyed, going on and journeying, toward the Negev.
10As a command, as an adverb — real examples from the Bible
The infinitive absolute can stand alone as a command, and some have settled into adverbs (“much, far”).
zakhor — remember
The Qal infinitive absolute of ז-כ-ר (remember), standing alone as a command: “remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” The imperative would be זְכֹר (zekhor, Exod 32:13); here the first vowel is ָ (a) and the “o” is written וֹ.
YLVRemember the day of the Shabbat, to sanctify it.
shamor — keep
The Qal infinitive absolute of שׁ-מ-ר (keep). The Sabbath commandment in Deuteronomy begins with שָׁמוֹר: the same form and use as זָכוֹר in Exod 20:8.
YLVKeep the day of the Shabbat to sanctify it, as YHWH your God commanded you (tzivvah).
harbeh — very great, much
The same Hiphil infinitive absolute as הַרְבָּה in 3:16 (only the final vowel is ֵ), but here with no matching verb, used as an adverb: שְׂכָרְךָ הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד (your reward is very great). “Making many” has settled into “much.”
YLVAfter these things the word of YHWH came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Fear not, Abram; I am a shield to you, your reward is exceedingly great."
11When the shape changes
Hollow verbs show the middle ו as “o”: מוֹת (2:17) · שׁוֹב (18:10; וָשׁוֹב 8:3).
III-He verbs end in ֹה or וֹ: הָיוֹ יִהְיֶה (shall surely become, 18:18) · רָאוֹ רָאִינוּ (we have plainly seen, 26:28) · עָלֹה (46:4).
A guttural last letter gets a short “a” slipped in under final ע or ח: יָדֹעַ (15:13) · וְנָסוֹעַ (12:9).
I-Nun and I-Yod verbs keep their first letter in the absolute: וְנָסוֹעַ (12:9) · יָצוֹא (8:7). Compare the construct בְּצֵאתוֹ (12:4), where the first י drops.
The Hiphil final vowel is basically “e” (ֵ): הַרְחֵק (far off, 21:16) · הֵיטֵב אֵיטִיב (I will surely do you good, 32:13). III-He verbs show both הַרְבָּה (3:16) and הַרְבֵּה (15:1).
12Easy to confuse
Telling it from the infinitive construct — אָכֹל in 2:16 (absolute, ’akhol) and אֲכָלְךָ in 2:17 (construct + “your,” ’akholkha) are the same verb. The absolute has ָ (a) as its first vowel, nothing attached, and stands before the same verb. The construct takes prepositions and suffixes.
Telling it from the imperative — זָכוֹר (absolute, Exod 20:8) and זְכֹר (imperative, Exod 32:13) differ in the first vowel (ָ a / ְ sheva).
Telling it from the participle — the Qal active participle קֹטֵל (qotel) has its “o” on the first letter (יֹדֵעַ 3:5); the absolute קָטוֹל has it on the second (יָדֹעַ 15:13). The Qal passive participle קָטוּל has “u” (וּ) as its second vowel (אָרוּר 3:14).
“Surely” is not always the right word — אָכֹל תֹּאכֵל in 2:16 is a permission (“freely”), הַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה in 3:16 is “greatly,” and 37:8 is a question (“indeed”). It always adds force; the English rendering follows the context.
13Where this appears in Genesis 1–2
All 2 places, found from the OSHB morphology. Tap one to go to that word’s notes.