וָאֶשְׁמַ֞ע (wā·’eš·ma‘) in Isaiah 6:8: Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
וָאֶשְׁמַ֞ע (wā·’eš·ma‘) in Isaiah 6:8
Source Word
The BSB+ row for Isaiah 6:8 links the English rendering "Then I heard" with וָאֶשְׁמַ֞ע, Strong's H8085, and the parsing label Conj-w | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-1cs.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form matters because it carries Isaiah's first-person hearing of the Lord's voice, moving the scene from cleansing into commission.
How To Communicate It
Use the form to ask what Isaiah hears next in the vision. It supports the narrative sequence without making hearing alone equal the whole response.
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 hearing language alone to settle the theology of prophetic calling.
- 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 - first person common singular
Conjunctive waw
Qal
Consecutive imperfect
First person
Common
Singular
The consecutive imperfect carries Isaiah's first-person hearing forward after the cleansing scene and before the commission response.
This form carries the BSB rendering "Then I heard" within Isaiah 6:8, where Isaiah hears the voice of the Lord asking whom to send.
What The Form Does In This Verse
Isaiah hearing the voice of the Lord in the commission scene
The narrative movement from cleansing to commission in Isaiah 6
It presents Isaiah as the first-person witness who hears the Lord's question.
It does not by itself settle every use of H8085, the full doctrine of calling, or the whole theology of prophetic commission.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The form carries Isaiah's first-person hearing of the Lord's commission question.
First-person narrative predicate. moves the scene from cleansing into the commission question. Attached to Isaiah hearing the voice of the Lord. Governed by the vision narrative in Isaiah 6:8. The hearing action is significant in context, but the passage supplies the theology of commission.
What does Isaiah experience after cleansing? He hears the voice of the Lord asking whom to send.
Direct: The first-person verb directly supports the English rendering "Then I heard."
Hearing can include response in some contexts, but Isaiah 6:8 first reports Isaiah hearing the Lord's voice. The consecutive imperfect advances the narrative, but it does not by itself define the whole call scene.
Hearing always means obedience: This form reports Isaiah hearing; the response comes in the surrounding verse. waw-consecutive proves mechanical chronology: The form advances the narrative, while the passage governs how the commission unfolds.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The BSB+ row for Isaiah 6:8 links the English rendering "Then I heard" with וָאֶשְׁמַ֞ע, Strong's H8085, and the parsing label Conj-w | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-1cs.
H8085 is represented here by the lemma שָׁמַע. In this occurrence, the public guide is limited to the BSB rendering "Then I heard" rather than every possible gloss of the entry.
The Qal consecutive imperfect advances Isaiah's narrative testimony by presenting his hearing of the Lord's voice after the cleansing scene.
Isaiah 6 shows the prophet before the holy Lord, receiving cleansing and a commission in the presence of divine glory.
The form fits Scripture's witness to holiness, cleansing, and commissioned speech before the Lord.
When teaching Isaiah 6:8, use this form to show the narrative movement from cleansing to hearing the Lord's commission question. Keep theology of calling anchored in the passage.
Do not use the consecutive imperfect, Qal stem, or hearing verb alone to settle the full doctrine of calling, obedience, or prophetic commission.