לֵ֥ךְ (lêḵ) in Jonah 3:2: Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
לֵ֥ךְ (lêḵ) in Jonah 3:2
Source Word
The BSB+ row for Jonah 3:2 links the English rendering "Go" with לֵ֥ךְ, Strong's H1980, and the morphology label V-Qal-Imp-ms.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form gives the verse its direct commissioning force: the prophet is commanded to go before the message is delivered.
How To Communicate It
In explanation of Jonah 3:2, use this form to show the renewed directness of God's command after Jonah's earlier flight.
What Not To Say
- Grammar should serve context, not override it.
- Do not use the imperative by itself to settle every theological question about mission or obedience.
- Do not make the Qal stem prove a theological point by itself.
- Do not detach the command from the message and audience named in the verse.
- Let the surrounding narrative or vision define the commission's meaning.
What Does The Label Mean?
Hebrew-verb
Verb
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Qal
Imperative
Not marked
Not marked
Not marked
The imperative form gives direct force to the action, while the verse and passage determine the scope of the command or appeal.
This form carries the BSB rendering "Go" within Jonah 3:2. Jonah 3 shows the renewed command, the preaching in Nineveh, repentance, and mercy.
What The Form Does In This Verse
The renewed command in Jonah 3:2, where Jonah is sent again to Nineveh
The Qal imperative masculine singular in the commission command
It gives the recommission its direct force, sending Jonah toward the city with the message God will give.
It does not by itself define the whole mission, message, or theology of prophetic obedience.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The form begins Jonah's recommission after the narrative has exposed his disobedience.
Qal imperative masculine singular. sends the prophet toward the assigned audience. Attached to the renewed command in Jonah 3:2, where Jonah is sent again to Nineveh. Governed by the divine commission frame. The command should be read with the destination and message that follow.
What action is the prophet commanded to take? He is commanded to go to Nineveh and proclaim the message God gives him.
Direct: The imperative directly supports the rendering "Go."
Imperative force gives a direct command, but the verse supplies the mission's content and audience. The Qal stem identifies the form but does not define the whole commission. The command must be read with the words that follow it.
Imperative alone defines the mission: The command sends the prophet, but the verse supplies the message and audience. Qal makes the command simple: Qal identifies the stem; the passage carries the mission's weight. go can be applied without context: The command belongs to a specific prophetic commission in its passage.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The BSB+ row for Jonah 3:2 links the English rendering "Go" with לֵ֥ךְ, Strong's H1980, and the morphology label V-Qal-Imp-ms.
H1980 is represented here by the lemma הָלַךְ. In this occurrence, the public guide is limited to the BSB rendering "Go" rather than every possible gloss of the entry.
The imperative gives direct command force, while the surrounding verse supplies the destination and message.
Jonah 3 shows the renewed command, the preaching in Nineveh, repentance, and mercy.
The form fits Scripture's witness to mercy, repentance, prophetic obedience, and God's compassion for the nations.
When teaching Jonah 3:2, use this form to show the renewed directness of God's command after Jonah's earlier flight.
Do not derive a full theology of mission, obedience, or prophetic speech from V-Qal-Imp-ms alone. The form marks the commission command in this verse.