Lesson 2 | Qal Imperfect
Song: קוּמִי אוֹרִי
Songs of hope, promise, and redemption are so sweet to our souls. In this passage (Isaiah 60:1–2), the city of Jerusalem is addressed as made clear by the audience being feminine singular. (Cities are always spoken of in the feminine gender in Hebrew.) This is also clearly seen in the continuation of the chapter. And the promises Jerusalem receives are simply breathtaking—promises that belong to all believers in the King of Glory (יֵשׁוּעַ!) who shall shine upon and rule over this eternal city!
Begin by learning, singing, and enjoying the song. Instead of reading the translation provided in the video, do you best to just listen and see which words you can pick out. The text is provided at the end of this lesson step if you would like to follow along with your eyes while the song plays.
Note that the first two words of the text are commands (“Arise, shine”), which we have not learned yet. But next come two qal perfects which you should be able to read and parse. The imperfects arrive in the second verse, but only one of them is qal. Again, do your best to understand and parse each word before clicking on it to get help.
Finally, after you understand each word in this text, take some time to think through how the perfect and imperfect verbs are being used.