וַיֹּ֖אמֶר (way·yō·mer) in Genesis 15:7: Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר (way·yō·mer) in Genesis 15:7
Source Word
The BSB+ row for Genesis 15:7 links the English rendering "[The Lord] also told" with וַיֹּ֖אמֶר, Strong's H559, and the parsing label Conj-w | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form introduces a speech frame where the Lord grounds the land promise in his own saving initiative.
How To Communicate It
Use this form to trace the dialogue movement, identify the speaker, and keep the quoted words as the interpretive center.
What Not To Say
- Grammar should serve context, not override it.
- Do not make the consecutive imperfect label prove more than the sentence supports.
- Do not use the stem label by itself to settle a theological claim.
- Do not treat this occurrence as a complete word study for the whole Hebrew lemma.
What Does The Label Mean?
Hebrew-verb
Verb
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Conjunctive waw
Qal
Consecutive imperfect
Third person
Masculine
Singular
The consecutive imperfect carries the narrative or sequence forward in Genesis 15:7, linking this action to the movement around it.
This form carries the BSB rendering "[The Lord] also told" within Genesis 15:7. 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
The action or phrase rendered "[The Lord] also told" in Genesis 15:7
The form is governed by the Lord's self-identifying speech about bringing Abram from Ur to give him the land.
It introduces the Lord's covenant self-identification and land promise.
The form does not by itself settle every use of H559, every possible translation, or the whole doctrine connected to this passage.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The form introduces the Lord's self-identification and land promise in Genesis 15.
Waw-consecutive Qal imperfect introducing speech. introduces the Lord's identity and purpose statement. Attached to the the Lord also told speech frame. Governed by the land-promise statement in Genesis 15:7. The form advances the dialogue and identifies a speech frame; the quoted words carry the interpretive substance.
What does this speech frame introduce? The Lord identifies himself and states his purpose to give the land.
Direct: The form directly supports also told or said.
Waw-consecutive advances the dialogue and should not be reduced to a tense label only. Qal marks the speech verb stem; the speaker and quoted words determine the meaning.
Speech verb form carries the whole theological claim: The form introduces speech; the content of the speech and covenant setting carry the claim.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The BSB+ row for Genesis 15:7 links the English rendering "[The Lord] also told" with וַיֹּ֖אמֶר, Strong's H559, and the parsing label Conj-w | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms.
H559 is represented here by the lemma אָמַר. In this occurrence, the public guide is limited to the BSB rendering "[The Lord] also told" rather than every possible gloss of the entry.
The consecutive imperfect marks the Lord as speaker in the next covenant statement.
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 15:7, show how the form frames the Lord's identity and purpose as the basis of the land promise.
Do not derive a full speech theology from Qal or waw-consecutive form alone. The speaker, quoted words, and covenant context carry the claim.