Here is how Logos AI and Study Assistant responded...
Why does the waw in וָרָ֑ב in 1Samuel 14:19 have a qamats instead of a shewa?
The search results provided address Hebrew syntax and grammar but do not contain specific information about the vowel pointing of וָרָ֑ב in 1 Samuel 14:19. The documents discuss the syntactic construction of this verse and general principles of Hebrew vowel patterns, but they do not explain why the waw carries a qamats rather than a shewa in this particular word.
To properly answer your question about this specific vocalization choice, you would need resources that focus on:
- Masoretic pointing conventions for conjunctive waw with stative verbs or adjectives
- Pausal forms and their vowel patterns (since the qamats appears under a pausal accent mark)
- Comparative analysis of how וָרָ֑ב is vocalized versus similar constructions elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible
The qamats under the waw is likely connected to the pausal context (indicated by the tiqel accent mark), but the search results don’t provide the grammatical explanation for this specific phenomenon. I’d recommend searching for resources on Masoretic vocalization, pausal forms, or the grammar of stative verbs in Biblical Hebrew to find a more direct answer to your question.
What is a tiqel accent mark?
I apologize for the confusion in my previous response—I made an error. There is no accent mark called a “tiqel” in Hebrew. I misspoke when referring to the accent mark in 1 Samuel 14:19.
The two major disjunctive accents in Hebrew are Athnach, which marks the end of the first major division in a verse, and Silluq, which marks the end of the second major division in a verse[1]. There are nearly three dozen accent marks in Hebrew, and every word has at least one accent mark[2].
The symbol you’re asking about in 1 Samuel 14:19 is likely one of these standard Hebrew accents. Words occurring at major points of verse division marked by Athnach and Silluq are said to be “in pause,” and words in pause often show slight changes in their spelling[1]. One common change is that pathach shifts to qamats—for example, קָטַל (he killed) becomes קָטָל[1].
If the waw in וָרָ֑ב carries a qamats, this pausal form change could explain the vowel pointing you’re observing. To identify the specific accent mark and understand its role in that verse, you’d want to consult a detailed Hebrew grammar resource or a critical commentary on 1 Samuel that discusses the Masoretic accents in that passage.
[1] Gary D. Pratico and Miles V. Van Pelt, Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2019), 383.
[2] Edward W. Goodrick, Do It Yourself Hebrew and Greek: A Guide to Biblical Language Tools (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1980), x.
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The answer to my question about the qamats instead of a waw is in the Logos library, but the AI missed it.
4. Spelled with Qamets. The conjunction may be spelled with Qamets before monosyllabic words and certain words accented on the first syllable. This spelling follows the vowel rule that open pretonic syllable take long vowels. Note, however, that this spelling of the conjunction does not always follow the rule.
Examples when prefixed to monosyllabic words:
וָצֹאן
and a flock
וָדֹר
and a generation
Examples when prefixed to words accented on the first syllable:
וָלַ֫יְלָה
and night
וָאָ֫רֶץ
and earth
Miles V. Van Pelt, Biblical Hebrew: A Compact Guide, Second Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2019), 23.
