תִּתֶּן־ (tit·ten-) in Genesis 15:2: Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
תִּתֶּן־ (tit·ten-) in Genesis 15:2
Source Word
The BSB+ row for Genesis 15:2 links the English rendering "can You give" with תִּתֶּן־, Strong's H5414, and the morphology label V-Qal-Imperf-2ms.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form clarifies that Abram is questioning within the covenant conversation, not making an abstract claim about divine giving.
How To Communicate It
In explanation of Genesis 15:2, use this form to connect Abram's question to the tension of promise and childlessness.
What Not To Say
- Grammar should serve context, not override it.
- Do not treat the Hebrew imperfect as a simple English future in every passage.
- Do not use the Qal stem by itself to settle a theological claim.
- Do not turn this occurrence into a complete word study for the whole lemma.
- Let the surrounding clause decide whether the form is question, promise, assurance, or narrative expectation.
What Does The Label Mean?
Hebrew-verb
Verb
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Qal
Imperfect
Second person
Masculine
Singular
The imperfect form presents the action as unfolding, expected, or desired in context; Genesis 15:2 determines how that force is heard.
This form carries the BSB rendering "can You give" within Genesis 15:2. Genesis 15 anchors God's covenant promise to Abram, moving from promise and faith to assurance and covenant sign.
What The Form Does In This Verse
Abram's question in Genesis 15:2, asking what the Lord can give while he remains childless
The Hebrew imperfect form within the clause and speaker setting
It expresses Abram's direct question to the Lord about gift and heirship.
It does not make the Hebrew imperfect a simple English future in every context or settle the passage theology by itself.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The form carries Abram's question at the tension point between promise and childlessness.
Qal imperfect second masculine singular in a direct question. forms Abram's question about what the Lord can give. Attached to Abram's question in Genesis 15:2, asking what the Lord can give while he remains childless. Governed by the clause, speaker setting, and covenant-promise context. The imperfect should be interpreted from the sentence movement, not flattened into one English tense value.
What is Abram asking the Lord? He asks what the Lord can give him while he remains childless.
Direct: The imperfect directly supports the rendering "can You give" in this occurrence.
Hebrew imperfect forms can express future, modal, expected, or context-shaped action. The clause determines whether the form is heard as question, assurance, promise, or expectation. The Qal stem identifies the form but does not carry the full theological claim.
Hebrew imperfect always means simple future: The imperfect is shaped by clause context and should not be flattened into one English tense. Qal means the claim is simple: Qal identifies the stem; the covenant context carries the theological weight. grammar alone proves covenant doctrine: The form supports the clause; the passage and canon govern larger doctrine.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The BSB+ row for Genesis 15:2 links the English rendering "can You give" with תִּתֶּן־, Strong's H5414, and the morphology label V-Qal-Imperf-2ms.
H5414 is represented here by the lemma נָתַן. In this occurrence, the public guide is limited to the BSB rendering "can You give" rather than every possible gloss of the entry.
The imperfect is shaped by Abram's direct question and is best heard with modal force in English: can You give?
Genesis 15 anchors God's covenant promise to Abram, moving from promise and faith to assurance and covenant sign.
The form fits Scripture's covenant pattern in which God speaks, promises, judges, gives, and keeps his word.
When teaching Genesis 15:2, use this form to connect Abram's question to the tension of promise and childlessness.
Do not derive a full theology of gift, heirship, or doubt from V-Qal-Imperf-2ms alone. The form marks Abram's question in this verse.