וְיָשֻׁ֗בוּ (wə·yā·šu·ḇū) in Jonah 3:8: Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
וְיָשֻׁ֗בוּ (wə·yā·šu·ḇū) in Jonah 3:8
Source Word
The BSB+ row for Jonah 3:8 links the English rendering "turn" with וְיָשֻׁ֗בוּ, Strong's H7725, and the parsing label Conj-w | V-Qal-ConjImperf-3mp.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form matters because it carries the decree's call for the people to turn from evil and violence. It keeps repentance tied to concrete action in the verse.
How To Communicate It
Use the form to ask what response the decree requires. The form supports the call to turn, while Jonah 3 supplies the warning, repentance, and mercy context.
What Not To Say
- Grammar should serve context, not override it.
- Do not make every imperfect form a command without a directive context.
- Do not use the Qal stem by itself to settle the theology of repentance.
- 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 - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Conjunctive waw
Qal
Conjunctive imperfect
Third person
Masculine
Plural
The conjunctive imperfect is heard with directive force inside the royal decree: let each one turn from his evil way and violence.
This form carries the BSB rendering "turn" within Jonah 3:8, where the decree calls the people to turn from evil and violence.
What The Form Does In This Verse
The decree calling the people to turn from evil and violence
The royal decree in Jonah 3:8
It presents the turning action expected of the people in response to the warning.
It does not by itself settle the whole doctrine of repentance, the depth of Nineveh's response, or every use of H7725.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The form carries the decree's call to turn from evil and violence in Jonah 3:8.
Conjunctive imperfect with directive force in a decree. states the action required of the people. Attached to the people turning from evil and violence. Governed by the royal decree in Jonah 3:8. The decree supplies directive force; morphology alone does not make every imperfect a command.
What action does the decree call the people to take? They are to turn from evil and from the violence in their hands.
Direct: The form directly supports the English rendering "turn" in the decree.
The imperfect form can carry directive force in a decree, but context decides that force. Turning language supports repentance in this verse, but the form alone does not measure the depth of the response.
Imperfect always means future tense: Jonah 3:8 supplies a decree context, so the form functions as a directive. grammar alone proves repentance: The form supports the command to turn, while the passage supplies the repentance and mercy frame.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The BSB+ row for Jonah 3:8 links the English rendering "turn" with וְיָשֻׁ֗בוּ, Strong's H7725, and the parsing label Conj-w | V-Qal-ConjImperf-3mp.
H7725 is represented here by the lemma שׁוּב. In this occurrence, the public guide is limited to the BSB rendering "turn" rather than every possible gloss of the entry.
The Qal conjunctive imperfect joins the decree and is heard with directive force because Jonah 3:8 commands people to turn from evil and violence.
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 3:8, use this form to show the commanded turn in the decree. Let the passage, not the morphology alone, describe repentance and mercy.
Do not use the Qal stem, imperfect form, or rendering "turn" alone to settle the full doctrine of repentance or every use of H7725.