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Conjunctive Vav
 The conjunctive vav (ְ‫ )ו‬is prefixed to a Hebrew word,
phrase, or clause for the following reasons:
 To join a series of related nouns (translate “and”);
 To join a series of alternative nouns (translate “or”);
 To show contrast between clauses (translate “but”);
 To introduce a new theme or idea (translate “now”);
 To provide explanatory or circumstantial information
when introducing a clause (translate “and…”).

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Conjunctive Vav
 Normally, a conjunctive vav is spelled with a vocal
sheva (ְ‫ )ו‬before most consonants; however, it can also
be spelled with other vowels in certain circumstances.

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Conjunctive Vav
 The conjunctive vav is spelled according to the
exception for the 1st Rule of Sheva (two shevas can’t be
together at the beginning of a word).
 When the conjunctive vav precedes a yod sheva (ְ‫)י‬,
the vav is spelled with a hireq (ְ‫)ו‬.

 ‫ְויה ְודָ ה‬ and Judah

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Conjunctive Vav
 The conjunctive vav is spelled according to the 2nd Rule
of Sheva in the presence of a hateph vowel.
 The vav is spelled with the corresponding short
vowel of the hateph vowel.

 ‫ְוא ְֲני‬ and I

 ‫שה־טוְב‬
ֵׂ ֲ‫ְוע‬ and do good
 ‫ְואֲדבָָ ה‬ so I can speak

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Conjunctive Vav
 The conjunctive vav is spelled with a shureq (ְ‫ )ו‬before:
 The consonants (labials) ‫ ב‬or ‫ מ‬or ‫( פ‬BuMP rule);
 Words beginning with a vocal sheva.

 ‫שם‬
ֵׂ ‫ְוב‬ and by a name
 ‫ְומלכי צֶדֶ ק‬ and Melchizedek
 ָ‫ך‬
ְ ֶ‫ְופְָי אדמָת‬ and the fruit of your land
 ‫שלם‬
ָ ‫ְובחֻצוְת יָ ְו‬ and in the streets of Jerusalem

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Conjunctive Vav
 The conjunctive vav may, but is not always, spelled
with a qamets before single syllable words and certain
words that are accented on the first syllable.

 ‫ְו ָלַ֫ילָה‬ and night

 ‫ְו ָאְֶַָָ֫ץ‬ and earth
 ָ‫ְו ָד‬ and a generation

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Conjunctive Vav
 Some grammars make a distinction between the functions
previously mentioned and call the conjunctive vav a:
 Vav-conjunctive;
 Vav-disjunctive;
 Vav-consecutive (also called a vav-conversive or
reversing vav).

 Sometimes the word order is switched so that the word

“vav” is either before or after the function of the vav.

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Conjunctive Vav
 A conjunctive vav is best translated and.

 A disjunctive vav is used to show contrast between

clauses and is usually translated but.

 These two vavs are not prefixed to verbs.

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Conjunctive Vav
 Consecutive vavs are attached to verbs.

 A vav-patach-dagesh forte [ְּ ‫ ]ו‬is usually

attached to yiqtol verbs (imperfect verbs).
 An imperfect verb is the mainline verb form in
historical narrative.

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Conjunctive Vav
 Consecutive vavs are attached to verbs (cont.).

 A vav with a sheva [ְ‫ ]ו‬is usually attached to qatal

verbs (perfect verbs).
 A perfect verb is the mainline verb form seen in
forms of direct speech (predictive narrative and
instructional discourse).

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Conjunctive Vav
 A consecutive vav also means and or but (like the
conjunctive or disjunctive vavs do); however, the
consecutive vav also links a string of events so that the
action of a verb is the consequence of the preceding
event.

 A consecutive vav can also be translated as then, so, or

consequently.

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Conjunctive Vav
 Now let’s see how the different kinds of conjunctive
vavs are used in historical narrative in Genesis 31:17-22.

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Conjunctive Vav
 Genesis 31:17
 ‫ְויָקָם יעֲקב‬
 And/then (vav-consectutive) Jacob rose up

 ‫שא אֶת בָנ ָיו‬

ָ ‫ְו ְי‬
 and (vav-consecutive) he set his sons

 ‫ליםְ׃‬
ְ ‫שיו על הגמ‬
ָ ָ ‫ְואֶת ְנ‬
 and (vav-conjunctive) his wives on the camels.
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Conjunctive Vav
 Genesis 31:18
 ‫ְוינהג אֶת כָל־מקנ ֵׂה ְו‬
 And (vav-consecutive) he carried away all his cattle

 ...ְ‫שו‬
ְ ֻ‫כ‬
ְ ָ‫ְואֶת־כָל־‬
 and (vav-conjunctive) all his goods…

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Conjunctive Vav
 Genesis 31:19
 ְ‫בן הָלךְ לגזז אֶת֪־צאנו‬
ְָ ָ‫ְול‬
 But (vav-disjunctive) Laban went to shear his sheep;

 ‫ָביהָ׃‬
ְ ‫שָ לא‬
ֶ ֲ‫ְותגנב ְָָחֵׂל אֶת התָָ פיםְ א‬
 and (vav consecutive) Rachel had stolen the images/idols
which [were] her fathers.

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Conjunctive Vav
 Genesis 31:20
 ...‫ְויגנב יעֲקב אֵׂת֪־לֵׂב לָבָן הָאֲָמי‬
 And (vav consecutive) Jacob stole away unknown to
Laban the Syrian.

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Conjunctive Vav
 Genesis 31:21
 ‫ְויבְָח ה ְוא‬
 So (vav consecutive) he fled

 ְ‫שָ־לו‬
ֶ ֲ‫ְוכָל־א‬
 and (vav-conjunctive) all that he had/was his;

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Conjunctive Vav
 Genesis 31:21 (cont.)
 ‫ְויָקָם‬
 and (vav consecutive) he rose up

 ָָ‫ְויעֲבָ אֶת־הנָה‬
 and (vav consecutive) passed over the river

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Conjunctive Vav
 Genesis 31:21 (cont.)
 ‫עד׃‬
ָ ‫שם אֶת־פָנ ָיו הָ הגל‬
ֶ ָ ‫ְו ְי‬
 and (vav consecutive) set his face [toward] the
mountains of Gilead.

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Conjunctive Vav
 Genesis 31:22
 ‫ְוי ֻגד ללָבָן ב ְיוְם השלישי כי בְָָח יעֲקב׃‬
 And (vav consecutive) Laban was told on the third day
that Jacob had fled.

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Conjunctive Vav
 Now let’s see how the different kinds of conjunctive
vavs are used in direct speech in Genesis 3:2-4.

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Conjunctive Vav
 Genesis 3:1
 ‫ש הָ ְיָה‬
ְ ָ‫ְוה ְנ ָח‬
 Now (vav-conjunctive) the serpent was

 ...‫שה יה ְו ָה‬
ָ ָ‫שָ ע‬
ֶ ‫שדֶ ה א‬
ָ ‫עָָ ְום מכל ה ְית ה‬
 more cunning than any beast of the field which
Yehovah had made.

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Conjunctive Vav
 Genesis 3:2
 ...‫ש‬
ְ ָ‫שה אֶל־ה ְנ ָח‬
ָ ‫ְותאמֶָ הָא‬
 And (vav consecutive) the woman said to the serpent…

 (Forms of ָ‫ אמ‬usually introduce direct speech.)

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Conjunctive Vav
 Genesis 3:3
 ...‫שָ בתוְךְ־ה ְג ָן‬
ֶ ֲ‫ָי הָעֵׂץ א‬
ְ ‫ְומפ‬
 “…but (vav-disjunctive; note BuMP rule) of the fruit of
the tree which is in the midst of the garden…”

 ‫פן־תמֻת ְון‬
ֶ ְ‫ְולא תגע ְו בו‬
 “…and (vav-conjunctive b/c it’s part of a string of
negatives) neither shall you touch it lest you die.”

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Conjunctive Vav
 Genesis 3:4
 ‫שה‬
ָ ‫ש אֶל־הָא‬
ְ ָ‫ְויאמֶָ ה ְנ ָח‬
 And (vav-consecutive) the serpent said to the woman,

 ‫לא מוְת תמֻת ְון׃‬

 “You will not surely die (die die).”

 (Die is repeated twice for emphasis.)

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Conjunctive Vav
 Biblical Hebrew A Compact Guide, Miles Van Pelt,
Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, copyright 2012.
 Biblical Hebrew An Introductory Grammar, Page
H. Kelly, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,
Grand Rapids, Michigan, copyright 1992.
 Learning Biblical Hebrew A New Approach Using
Discourse Analysis, B.M. Rocine, Smyth & Helwys
Publishing, Inc., Macon, Georgia, copyright 2000.
Hebrew lessons compiled by: Beth C. Mehaffey
https://holyhiway.wordpress.com
Contact: betmeh2 at gmail.com

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