יָשׁ֣וּבוּ (yā·šū·ḇū) in Genesis 15:16: Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
יָשׁ֣וּבוּ (yā·šū·ḇū) in Genesis 15:16
Source Word
The BSB+ row for Genesis 15:16 links the English rendering "[your descendants] will return" with יָשׁ֣וּבוּ, Strong's H7725, and the morphology label V-Qal-Imperf-3mp.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form helps readers follow the promised sequence: Abram's descendants will return after the named delay.
How To Communicate It
When teaching Genesis 15:16, use this form to keep the return promise inside the Lord's larger covenant timetable.
What Not To Say
- Grammar should serve context, not override it.
- Do not flatten every imperfect into the same future value apart from context.
- Do not make this form carry the whole doctrine of return or restoration.
- Do not treat this occurrence as a complete word study for H7725.
What Does The Label Mean?
Hebrew-verb
Verb
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Qal
Imperfect
Third person
Masculine
Plural
The imperfect form presents the action as unfolding, expected, or desired in context; Genesis 15:16 determines how that force is heard.
This form carries the BSB rendering "[your descendants] will return" within Genesis 15:16. 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 covenant promise in Genesis 15:16, where Abram's descendants will return in the fourth generation
The Lord's future-oriented covenant disclosure to Abram
It names the promised return of Abram's descendants after the period of affliction and judgment described in the passage.
The imperfect does not by itself define every use of return, repentance, land promise, or exodus theology.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The form carries a covenant-timetable promise in Genesis 15.
Qal imperfect third masculine plural in a future covenant statement. states what Abram's descendants will do in the fourth generation. Attached to the return promise in Genesis 15:16. Governed by the clause and passage context. The Hebrew form should be explained from the clause and context, not flattened into one automatic English value.
What future movement is promised? Abram's descendants will return in the fourth generation.
Direct: The context directly supports the future rendering "will return."
Hebrew imperfect forms can express future, modal, expected, or context-shaped action. The covenant disclosure gives this occurrence its future promise force. The plural form points to Abram's descendants in context.
Hebrew imperfect always means simple future: Here the future sense comes from the covenant disclosure, not from a universal rule. return always means repentance: This occurrence names a return movement in the covenant promise; the local context controls the sense.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The BSB+ row for Genesis 15:16 links the English rendering "[your descendants] will return" with יָשׁ֣וּבוּ, Strong's H7725, and the morphology label V-Qal-Imperf-3mp.
H7725 is represented here by the lemma שׁוּב. In this occurrence, the public guide is limited to the BSB rendering "[your descendants] will return" rather than every possible gloss of the entry.
The imperfect is read in the future-oriented covenant disclosure, where the Lord tells Abram what will happen to his descendants.
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 15:16, use this form to keep the return promise inside the Lord's larger covenant timetable.
Do not derive a full theology of return, repentance, land, or exodus from V-Qal-Imperf-3mp alone. The form marks one promise clause.