Qal קַל qal

bara’ — he created

The root ב-ר-א (create) + the Qal perfect vowels “a · a.” As the “he” form it has no ending. The final א is silent, so the second vowel is the long ָ rather than ַ.

YLVIn beginning (bereshit) God created the heavens and the earth.

shavat — he rested (ceased)

The root שׁ-ב-ת (cease, rest). None of its letters is weak or guttural, so its vowels match the model קָטַל (qatal) exactly — “shavat · qatal.”

YLVAnd God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it he shabbatted from all his work which God created to make.

sharetsu — they swarmed

The root שׁ-ר-ץ (swarm) + the ending וּ (they). The ending begins with the vowel “u,” so the second letter ר has lost its ַ to a sheva (ְ) — the same shape as קָטְלוּ (qatelu) in the chart.

YLVAnd God created the great sea-creatures (tannin), and every living soul (nephesh) that creeps, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

shama‘ti — I heard

The root שׁ-מ-ע (hear) + the ending תִּי (I). It matches קָטַלְתִּי (qatalti) in the chart. The sheva under the third letter ע is silent.

YLVAnd he said, "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself."

natatti — I have given

The root נ-ת-ן (give) + the ending תִּי (I). The third root letter ן has merged into the ת of the ending, leaving a dot (doubling) in תִּ. “natan-ti” has become “natatti.”

YLVAnd God said, "Behold, I have given to you every herb yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food.

vayyishbot — and he rested

וַיִּ (and he) + the root שׁ-ב-ת + “o” on the second letter בֹּ. Same root as the perfect שָׁבַת in the next verse (2:3) — perfect “a · a,” imperfect “i · o.” The dot in ב is not doubling; the syllable before it is closed, so ב is read hard.

YLVAnd God finished on the seventh day his work which he had made, and he shabbatted on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

vayyisgor — and he closed

וַיִּ + the root ס-ג-ר (close) + “o” (גֹּ). With no weak letter it has the same vowels as the model וַיִּקְטֹל (vayyiqtol).

YLVAnd YHWH God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs and closed up flesh (basar) in its place.

yishretsu — let (the waters) swarm

יִ (prefix) + the root שׁ-ר-ץ + the ending וּ. Prefix and ending together mean “they.” The ending “u” shrinks the “o” to a sheva (יִקְטְלוּ in the chart). The same root as the perfect שָׁרְצוּ in the next verse (1:21).

YLVAnd God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms, a living soul (nephesh); and let birds fly above the earth upon the face of the firmament of the heavens."

yiqra’ — he would call

יִ (he) + the root ק-ר-א (call). Verbs whose third letter is א have “a” (ָ), not “o,” after the second letter. Compare the Niphal יִקָּרֵא (shall be called, 2:23): the Qal has no dot in the ק.

YLVAnd YHWH God formed out of the ground (adamah) every living thing (chai) of the field and every bird of the heavens, and brought it to Adam to see what he would call it; and whatever Adam called it, the living soul (nephesh), that was its name.

qevor — bury

Imperative masculine singular: no prefix, beginning with the root ק-ב-ר (bury), with “o” after the second letter (בֹ). The same shape as קְטֹל (qetol) in the chart — the Hittites speaking to Abraham.

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."

umil’u — and fill

וּ (and) + the plural imperative: the root מ-ל-א (fill) + the ending וּ (you all). Like קִטְלוּ (qitlu) in the chart, the first letter has “i.” The third command of “be fruitful, multiply, and fill.”

YLVAnd God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds multiply in the earth."

lishmor — to guard

לִ (to) + the infinitive construct שְׁמֹר (guarding): the root שׁ-מ-ר + “o” (מֹ). Before a word beginning with sheva, לְ becomes לִ. “To guard” the way to the tree of life.

YLVAnd he drove out Adam, and he stationed east of the garden of Eden the cherubim and the flame of the whirling sword, to keep the way of the tree of life (chai).

velimshol — and to rule

וְ (and) + לִ (to) + the infinitive מְשֹׁל: the root מ-שׁ-ל (rule) + “o” (שֹׁ). The noun מֶמְשֶׁלֶת (rule) from the same root appears two verses earlier (1:16).

YLVand to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide between the light and between the darkness; and God saw that it was good.

’akhol — (freely) eating

Infinitive absolute: the root א-כ-ל (eat) + “a · o.” With the imperfect right after it, תֹּאכֵל (you shall eat), it means “eating you shall eat → you may freely eat.” Placed before the same verb, the infinitive absolute strengthens it. מוֹת תָּמוּת (you shall surely die, 2:17) is built the same way.

YLVAnd YHWH God commanded (tzivvah) Adam, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you shall surely eat,

zorea‘ — yielding seed

Active participle: “o” after the first root letter (זֹ) + “e” (ֵ) after the second — the shape of קֹטֵל (qotel) in the chart. No מ in front, because it is a Qal participle.

YLVAnd God said, "Behold, I have given to you every herb yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food.

romes — creeping (thing)

The active participle רֹמֵשׂ with its “o” written with the vowel letter ו (רוֹ). Verse 1:26 writes the same word without ו, הָרֹמֵשׂ (the creeping thing). Sound and meaning are the same.

YLVAnd to every living thing (chai) of the earth, and to every bird of the heavens, and to every thing that creeps upon the earth, in which is a living soul (nephesh), I have given every green herb for food"; and it was so.

’arur — cursed

Passive participle: וּ (u) between the second and third letters of the root א-ר-ר (curse) — the shape of קָטוּל (qatul) in the chart. The Qal has its own passive participle, so the Qal of “curse” can say “cursed.” Verse 3:17 has the feminine אֲרוּרָה (the ground is cursed).

YLVAnd YHWH God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the cattle and above every living thing (chai) of the field; upon your belly you shall go, and dust (aphar) you shall eat all the days of your life (chai).

gadal — he became (very) great

Qal perfect “he”: the root ג-ד-ל (be great) + “a · a.” In the perfect its vowels match the action verb שָׁבַת. It speaks of Isaac’s change of state — he “became great.”

YLVAnd the man (ish) became great, and went on, going and growing, ad(עד) he became exceedingly great.

vayyigdal — and (the child) grew

וַיִּ (and he) + the root ג-ד-ל + “a” on the second letter דַּ. Where an action verb would have “o,” this has “a” — the mark of a stative verb. The dot in ד means “read it hard.”

YLVAnd the child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.

yiqdash — shall become holy

יִ (he) + the root ק-ד-שׁ (be holy) + “a” (דָּ — lengthened to ָ at the end of the verse). “Whatever touches the altar shall become holy.” The Piel of the same root, וַיְקַדֵּשׁ (Gen 2:3), is “he made holy.”

YLVSeven days you shall make atonement upon the altar, and consecrate it; and the altar shall be holy of holies; whatever touches the altar shall become holy.

la‘avod — to work

לַ (to) + the infinitive עֲבֹד: the first root letter ע is a guttural, so it takes hateph patach (ֲ, short “a”) instead of sheva, and לְ becomes לַ in turn. A strong verb would have “li-,” like לִשְׁמֹר (3:24).

YLVAnd every shrub of the field was not yet in the earth, and every herb of the field had not yet sprouted, for YHWH God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man (adam) to work (avad) the ground (adamah).

ya‘azov — (a man) shall leave

Imperfect “he”: the first root letter ע is a guttural, so the prefix vowel is יַ (ya) instead of “i,” and ע takes ֲ. The second vowel ָ is joined by a maqqef (־) to the next word, so it is read as a short “o” (qamets hatuf) — “ya‘azov.”

YLVTherefore a man (ish) shall leave his father and his mother and cleave to his woman (ishah), and they shall become one flesh (basar).

yishlaḥ — he might put forth (his hand)

Imperfect “he”: the third root letter ח is a guttural, so the vowel before it is “a” (לַ) rather than “o.” Even an action verb takes “a” when its last letter is a guttural. The next verse (3:23) has the Piel of the same root, וַיְשַׁלְּחֵהוּ (and he sent him out).

YLVAnd YHWH God said, "Behold, Adam has become like one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life (chai), and eat, and live forever—"