וַיַּ֥רְא (way·yar) in Genesis 1:18: Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
וַיַּ֥רְא (way·yar) in Genesis 1:18
Source Word
The BSB+ row for Genesis 1:18 links the English rendering "saw" with וַיַּ֥רְא, Strong's H7200, and the parsing label Conj-w | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form helps readers hear divine evaluation after the lights are set for rule, signs, seasons, days, and years.
How To Communicate It
Use the form to ask who sees and what the surrounding clause says about what is seen. The form supports the seeing action, while the clause supplies the evaluation.
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 Qal 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 creation narrative forward by presenting God's evaluative seeing in sequence.
This form carries the BSB rendering "saw" within Genesis 1:18, where God seeing that the heavenly lights and their rule were good.
What The Form Does In This Verse
God seeing that the heavenly lights and their rule were good
The repeated Genesis 1 evaluation formula in the creation sequence
It presents God as the subject of the seeing action, with the surrounding clause supplying the goodness evaluation.
It does not by itself settle every use of H7200, the full doctrine of divine knowledge, or the whole theology of creation goodness.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The form carries the repeated divine seeing action in Genesis 1's evaluation pattern.
Narrative predicate of divine evaluation. states God's seeing action while the clause gives the goodness evaluation. Attached to God seeing that the heavenly lights and their rule were good. Governed by the repeated goodness-evaluation pattern in Genesis 1. The form carries seeing; the clause and passage supply the theological evaluation.
Who evaluates the lights appointed to rule day and night? God sees the appointed lights and the verse states that it was good.
Direct: The form directly supports the English rendering "saw" in this occurrence.
Seeing can refer to perception, inspection, or evaluation depending on context; Genesis 1 supplies the evaluation formula here. The goodness claim comes from the full clause, not from the morphology label alone.
Seeing verb alone proves doctrine of omniscience: The form supports the seeing action, but broader doctrine must come from the passage and canon. Qal means simple action: Qal is a stem label, not a claim that the divine evaluation is simple or exhaustive.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The BSB+ row for Genesis 1:18 links the English rendering "saw" with וַיַּ֥רְא, Strong's H7200, and the parsing label Conj-w | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms.
H7200 is represented here by the lemma רָאָה. In this occurrence, the public guide is limited to the BSB rendering "saw" rather than every possible gloss of the entry.
The Qal consecutive imperfect advances the creation narrative by presenting God's seeing action in Genesis 1:18; the surrounding clause supplies the goodness evaluation.
Genesis 1 presents God ordering, filling, naming, blessing, and giving life to the created world by his word.
The form fits Scripture's opening witness that creation is received from God and interpreted under his speech and order.
When teaching Genesis 1:18, use this form to show who evaluates the created order in the verse. Keep claims about divine knowledge and goodness anchored in the full clause and passage.
Do not use the consecutive imperfect, Qal stem, or seeing verb alone to settle the whole doctrine of divine knowledge, perception, or creation goodness.