The mood in the book of Genesis (1:3-28): jussive, cohortative and imperative (Georgian, Ossetic, Kumik)

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The mood in the book of Genesis (1:3-28): jussive, cohortative and imperative
(Georgian, Ossetic, Kumik)
Ketevan Gadilia (Moscow, IBT)
gadiliak@yahoo.com; k_Gadilia@ibt.org.ru
I. The mood is a morphological derivation verbal category. Grammatical mood describes the
relationship of a verb with reality and speaker's intent. Many languages express distinctions of
mood through morphology by inflecting the form of the verb.
Grammatical mood per se is not the same thing as grammatical tense or grammatical aspect,
although these concepts are conflated to some degree in many languages, insofar the same word
patterns are used to express more than one of these concepts at the same time.
The mood is also a grammatical way of expression the modality that is often expressed by
the markers of mood. Modality is a syntactic category that conveys various types of relations
between the speaker, the recipient (addressee) and the utterance around the situation of the speech.
So, the field of meaning of modality in principle coincides with the field of meaning of the mood.
In other words, from the semantic point of view mood and modality are not considered as
oppositional language phenomenon.
The grammatical meaning of the mood assumes obligatory existence of the speaker’s speech
that includes not only the fact of action, but its evaluation as desirable, possible, presumable and
etc. Thus, the mood conveys speaker’s personal (individual) attitude to the action and reflects
various type of attitude of the subject of the speech to the situation of the speech. Plenty of nuances
of speaker’s attitude bear the diverse paradigms of the mood in world languages.
Various grammatical means for expression the speakers' attitude to the utterance bears
various criteria for description/classification. Lyons [12] suggests three scales of modality: 1. Scale
of desire and intention; 2. Scale of necessity and responsibility; 3. Scale of confidence and
possibility.
Another linguistic tradition distinguishes two types of mood – so called realis and irrealis
mood. The realis moods are a category of a grammatical mood, which indicate that something is
actually the case (or not the case). The irrealis moods are the set of grammatical moods that indicate
that a situation or action is not known to have happened as the speaker is talking.
Even a brief and simple enumeration of types of moods demonstrates a great diversity of this
category in world languages.
Indicative mood is a universal way for making statements. Interrogative mood is used for
asking questions. Subjunctive or conjunctive mood has got several uses in dependent clauses.
Potential mood approaches the meaning of probability (cf. in English the modal verbs like may,
can, ought, must). Presumptive mood conveys the presupposition regarding with the fact that is
denoted by verb. Hypothetical or unlikely events’ mood expresses opinion or emotions, or is used
for making polite questions. Admirative mood conveys surprise as well as doubt, irony and etc.
Renarrative mood is used to report a nonwitness event without confirming it. Inferential mood
conveys information about the events, which are not directly observed or were inferred by the
speaker.
There are also some specific types of moods like energetic mood in classical Arabic
(yaktubanna “he certainly writes”) that conveys something that is strongly believed or speaker

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wishes to emphasize; or, generic mood in ancient Greek, so-called gnomic utterance, that is marked
by the aorist indicative and expresses statements about the past. It was used to express philosophical
ideas about the world.
Optative mood is a volitive mood that signals/indicates wishing or hoping. It is similar to the
cohortative mood and closely related to subjunctive mood. Few languages have an optative as a
distinct mood. E. g. in Georgian moœvdes, moxdes “may he die, may it happen” in minda, rom
moœvdes, moxdes “I want him to die, I want it to be happened”. Sometimes optative mood is called
desiderative. The distinction between desiderative and optative caused by switching from desire of
the subject to the expression of speaker’s desire. To the group of volitive moods belong also
imperative which is one of the universal grammatical meanings in the world languages. It expresses
direct commands, requests and prohibitions. Usually uses bare stem. Imperative is close to
prohibitive mood that is a negative imperative.
Jussive is a directive mood that signals a speaker’s command, permission or agreement that
the proposition expressed by his or her utterance be brought about. Jussive is one of the variants of
hortatory mood. Or, even it is similar to the cohortative mood, in that is expresses insistence,
imploring, self-encouragement, wish, desire, command, purpose or consequence. In some languages
the two moods are distinguished in that cohortative occurs in the first person and the jussive in the
second and the third persons. There is also another opinion according which the jussive is typically
applicable in the first and third person.
Cohortative mood or hortatory mood is used to express insistence, imploring, self-
encouragement, wish, desire, intent, command, purpose or consequence. In Latin it is
interchangeable with the jussive.
II.
The presentation is the first attempt of carrying out the group of volitive and directive moods
(imperative, cohortative and jussive) in Kumik, Ossetic and Georgian languages in the well-known
passages of the book of Genesis (1:3, 6, 9, 11, 20, 22, 24, 28).
What is the motivation of suggested selection of languages?
a. The book of Genesis in Kumik, Ossetic and Georgian are translated in the Institute of Bible
translation: Ossetic Genesis is published in 2005 and Georgian modern translation in 2002.
Kumik translation will be published in 2008.
b. The basis Hebrew source for all the translations is the masoretic text (Biblia Hebraica
Stutgartenzia) or at least some of them are checked against it.
c. The translation principles are the same and based on the on the theory of the meaning based
translation.
d. All three translations have been prepared at the same period.
What results do we expect to get?
Analyzing the languages of different typology belonging to the various language families
(Turkic, Indo-European, Caucasian/Kartvelian) is productive to ascertain more about the category
of mood. The morphosyntactic patterns of imperative, cohortative and jussive in Hebrew, on the one
hand, and in Kumik, Georgian and Ossetic on the other hand, allow us to find out (1) more
peculiarities about typology of mood, (2) the correlation between the grammatical means and the
meaning, (3) from the point of view of the translation theory establishing the range of accuracy and
determining its essence whether it is a language structure or speaker’s/translator’s individual
strategy (3). The comparison of translated passages to Hebrew origin allows us to find out which of
the languages is closer to the origin with its grammatical form and meaning.

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III. In Hebrew the temporal forms express at the same time tenses and moods of action. There are
several definitions and understanding of jussive in Biblical Hebrew. Some scholars [3], [7] consider
that both jussive as well as cohortative mood are conveyed by the form of imperfect. In Hebrew the
imperfect is a simple action in future time; repeated, habitual actions in past, present, and future; it
also designates the actions that are contingent or dependent upon other factors in the context. In
Hebrew the jussive may be used in either the 2nd or 3rd person. The latter is more common. It is
used to express the speaker’s desire, wish or command. The cohortative mood is the 1st person
imperfect form that has got both plural and singular manifestation. It expresses the speaker’s desire,
intention, self-encouragement, or determination to perform a certain action. The possibilities of
translation are many: usage of modal auxiliaries like “may, can, shall, might, could should”.
Sometimes they reflect the meaning of will, desire, judgment, premonition and permission.
Joüon [6] thinks that perfect and future is more appropriate terms for designating the
complex nature of the two finite tenses of Hebrew. The mood he describes in terms of direct and
indirect volitive moods. The volitive moods are the imperative and two forms which are
modifications of the future indicative:
(1) Cohortative is a volitive mood of the 1st person (Gen. 1:26).
(2) Jussive is a volitive mood of the 3rd person. It indicates the speaker’s wish or all nuances of will
like command, exhortation, advice, invitation, permission as well as prayer, request for permission
(Gen. 1:3). It is normally used with imperative negation (instead of imperative). Jussive of 2nd is
rare and 1st is suspect.
(3) Imperative is the volitive mood of the 2nd person, in the positive. Mainly used for immediate
action (here and now). Sometimes it is used for a more or less remote action (which is usually
expressed by future). Dn 1.13 “you will do (then)”. In Gen. 1:28 the direct form of imperative is
used five times (see bellow).
A distinct must be made between jussive mood (syntactical) category and jussive form. In Nu
6.24 the jussives is used six times and just the two of them have an explicit form.
In Kumik the imperative mood of the 2nd person formally coincides with the stem of the
verb. The form of the 1st person is logically absent. The imperative of the 3rd person is a
combination of the root of a verb and a stressed suffix sin/sjun . (+ lar in plural ). The suffix -а/-е is
a plural marker of the 1st person optative with a meaning of proposition to do something or
exhortation, and at the same time participation of a speaker is obligatory. The optative of the 2nd
person coincides with the form of preterit that is marked by the stressed possessive suffix.
There are four types of mood in Ossetic: indicative, imperative, optative and conjunctive.
Marker of imperative are –æd) (3rd pers., singular), –ut (2nd pers., plural) and –ænt (3rd pers.,
plural) which usually are added to the stem of present tense. As about optative and conjunctive,
these categories gradually eliminated and intersected. Some linguists describe so called old optative
in the paradigm of conjunctive. In the presentation we do not describe the whole paradigm of the
moods that have got special forms in the past (transitive and intransitive verbs), present and future
tenses.
According to Ak. Shanidze in Georgian the category of mood has got just two forms:
imperative and conjunctive [8], although imperative does not have got its own grammatical form,
and it is conveyed by the form of conjunctive or indicative. The 1st person plural uses the future
conjunctive screeve and the 3rd person is conveyed by optative screeve. The 2nd person is expressed
by the indicative form of aorist screeve.

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The aorist screeve is used to indicate an action that took place in the past (“s/he verbed”). It
is also used in imperatives (“Verb”!). The optative screeve has many uses: in negative imperatives
(“Do not verb!”). Optative screeve is also used in obligations (“S/he must verb”), in hypothetical
conditions (“If s/he verbed (optative), X would happen (conditional)”) and in exhortations (“Let’s
verb”).
Except of verbal inflection the mood may be expressed also by affiliating so called auxiliary
words like Russ. pust’. In presented languages the irrealis moods are not conveyed by auxiliary
words, although we can consider Ossetic wað (wað -in “1. to leave; 2. to permit, allow, let; 3. to
give opportunity; 4. release”) in 1:3, 6 and 14, as the auxiliary word. Presumably its appearance is
connected with the semantic of the verb or its morphological structure (transitivity/intransitivity). In
Georgian there is an emphatic particle dae/de(e) that just intensifies the expression of a desire or
order by adding a nuance of threat of warning. The particle has got a restricted area of usage and is
not used in Bible translation. Georgian dae/de(e) and Ossetic wað have got different paradigm of
usage. Ossetic seems less grammaticalized than its Georgian correspondence. Georgian dae/de(e)
usually bound with the verb and strictly precedes the predicate. Ossetic wað is not obligatory
connected with the verb, wað may be separated from the predicate by other constituents (like in
1:6).
We distinguish the above mentioned verses (see II) into three groups: the seven commands
(A), the plural of majesty/deliberation (B) and the formula of blessing (C). The first line of
examples belongs to Hebrew interlinear into English (H-interlin), which is followed with the Hebrew
(H), Georgian (G), Kumik (K) and Ossetic (Os) utterances respectively.
IV. Group A: Seven creative commands (Gen. 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14-15, 20, 24).
1:3
(H-interlin) And he said God let it be light.
(H) wayyo1mer 14lohiym yEhiy 1or.
(G) da tkva ¾mertma: “i¥o-s nateli!”.
(K) Allah: “«jariq bol-sun”, - degen.
(Os) xºуcaw zağta: “wað fæ-zyn-æd ruxs”.
1:6
(H-interlin) And he said God let it be a firmament in the middle of the waters, and let it be a
separation between the waters and waters.
(H) wayyo1mer 14lohiym yEhiy rakia2 bEtok hammayim wiyhiy mabddil beyn mayim lammayim.
(G) da tkva ¾mertma: “i¥o-s m¥ari ç¥alebs šoris mat ganm¥opad”
(K) Allah: “suvlani ortasi bulan olani eki böjolegen gjumez bol-sun”, - degen
(Os) xºуcaw zağta: “wað dætty æxsæn fæ-zyn-æd ærdyncar, æmæ don fæxicæn kæn-æd donæj”.
1:11

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(H-interlin) And he said God let it sprout the earth the grass producing of fruit tree(s) seed producing
seed vegetation fruit to its kind which seed [is] in it on the earth. And, it was so.
(H) wayyo1mer 14lohiym tadRe1 ha1areQ deRe1 2eSb mazriya2 zera2 2eQ pEriy 2oSeh pEriy lEmiyno 13Rer
zar2oֿbo 2alֿha1areQ wa
y E hi
y ֿ k e n.

(G) da tkva ¾mertma: “a¾moaceno-s miçam mcenare, teslis mtesveli, xe – na¥opieri – miçaze tavisi
gvarisamebr, teslovani na¥opis momýani”. Da ikmna ase.
(K)Allah: “Topuraqdan urluq beregen otlar, harisini öojzjunju žurasina göjore urluġhu bulanġhi
jemiš beregen tjurlju terekler öojs-sjun”, - degen. Šola

y bolma da bol ġ h an
.
(Os) xºуcaw zağta: “zæxx ratt-æd axæm zajægojtæ: myggag zğalæg kærdæg æmæ jæ myggag jæ
dyrğy midæg kæmæn is, axæm alyxºуzon bælæstæ”. Æ
m
æ
ssi
aft
æ.

1:14-15
(H-interlin) And he said God let it be luminaries in the firmament of the heavens to separate between
the day and between the night and they will be for signs and for seasons and for days and years and
they will be for luminaries in the firmament of heavens to make light on the earth.
(H) wayyo1mer 14lohiym yEhiy mE1orot birEkia2 haRRamayim lEhabddiyl beyn hayyom ubeyn
hallaylah wEhayu lE1otot ulEmo23diym ulEyamiym wERaniym. wEhayu limE1orot birEkia2
haRRamayim lEha1iyr 2alֿha1areQ wayEhiyֿken.
(G) da tkva ¾mertma: “i¥vn-en mnatobni cis m¥arze d¾isa da ¾amis gasa¥relad, da i¥vn-en isini
nišnnebad, rom a¾niš-non çeliçadis droni, d¾eni da çelni. Da i¥vn-en cis m¥arze manatoblad, rata
miscen nateli miças”.
(K) Allah: “Köeknju gjumezinde gečeni gujundujuzsden ayirmaq učun yariq bol-sun. Olar
bolžallani göjorset-sin, gjunleni wva yillani öolče-sin. Olar köjoknju gjumezinden jariq berip,
djunjjani jariqlandir-sin”.
(Os) xºуcaw zağta: “wað arvyl wænt ruxsgænæntæ bon æxsævæj xicæn kænynæn, nysænttæ
ævdisynæn, ræstæģytæ, bontæ æmæ aztæ zonynæn; Æmæ suð-ænt arvyl, cæmæj sæ ruxs kæla
zæxmæ”.
1:20
(H-interlin) And he said God let them swarm the waters swarming thing(s) creatures living and birds
let it fly on the earth over the surface of the firmament of the heavens.
(H) wayyo1mer 14lohiym yRrEQu hammayim RereQ nepeR hayyah wE2or yE2orer 2alֿha1areQ 2alֿpney
rEkia2 haRRamayim.
(G) da tkva ¾mertma: “aivso-s çqali cocxali arsebebit, da prinvelebma iprino-n miçis zemot, cis
mqarze”.
(K) Allah: “Suvlar köjop žanlardan tol-sun. Öjorde – köjoknju gjumezinde qušlar uč-sun”, - degen.
(Os) xºуcaw zağta: “don æmyzmæld kæn-æd alyxºуzon xilģytæj, mærğtæ atæx-ænt zæxxy særmæ,
wælærvty”.
1:24

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(H-interlin) And he said God let it produce the earth creature(s) living to its kind livestock and
creeping thing(s) and animal(s) of [the] earth to its kind.
(H) wayyo1mer 14lohiym toQe1 ha1areQ nepeR hayyah lEmiynah bEhema waremeS wEhayEtoֿ1ereQ
lEmiynah.
(G) da tkva ¾mertma: “çarmošva-s miçam cocxali arsebani mati gvarisamebr, da Þiruý¥vi,
kveçarmavali miçisa – misi gvarisamebr.
(K) Allah: “Topuraqda tjurlju žanlar: hayvan-mal, jerde jurjup aylanaġhan žanlar va qir žanlani
tjurlju žuralari tuv-sun”, -degen.
(Os) xºуcaw zağta: “zæxx rawað-æd cærægojtæ – fosy, xilģyty, syrdty aly myggægtæ”.
1:9
(H-intlin ) And he said God let them gather the waters from under the heavens to place one and let it
appear
(H) wayyo1mer14lohiym yikkawu hammayim mittahat haRRamayim 1elֿmaqom 1ehad wEtera1eh
hayyabbaRah.
(G) da tkva ¾mertma, šegrovde-s mteli kvešetis ç¥ali ertad da gamoånde-s xmeleti.
(K) Allah: “Köjoknju tjubjundegi suvlar birigip, quru göjorjun-sjun”, - degen.
(Os) xºуcaw zağta: “arvy byn cy dættæ is, wydon ærbambyr wænt iw ranmæ, æmæ razyn-æd sur”.
1:26
(intlin-H) And he said God let us make humankind in our image according to our likeness and let
them rule over the fish of the sea and over the bird(s) and over all the earth and over all the
creeping thing(s) [which] creep on the earth.
(H) wayyo1mer14lohiym na23Seh 1adam bEQalmenu kidmutenu wEyirEddu bidEgat hayyam uwE2or
haRRamayim ubabEhemah uwEk6lֿha1areQ uwEk6lֿharemeS haromeS 2alֿha1areQ.
(G) da tkva ¾mertma: “še-v-kmna-t adamiani åvens xaýad da åvens msgavsad. da baýonobde-s
tevzebze z¾vaši … da ¥ovel kveçarmavalze, romelic iðvris miçaši”.
(K) Allah bulay degen: “Bizin kelpetibizge, öojzjubjuzge ošatip adamni jarat-ayiq. O dengizdegi
baliqlaġha da, köjokdegi qušlaġha da, hayvanlaġha da, bjutjun jer juzjundegi qir žanlahġa da, jerde
jurjup aylanaġhan har-bir žanlahġa da hakimlik et-sin”.
(Os) Wyj fæstæ xºуcaw zağta: “s-fældis-æm adæjmaģy næxi xºуzæn, næxi ængæs; æmæ
padðaxiwæg kæn-æd denģyzon kæsægtyl, wælarvon mærğtyl, fosyl, æppæt zæxxyl, æppæt zæxxon
xilģytyl”.
1:22
(Intlar) And he blessed them God be fruitful and multiply and fill (et) the waters in the seas and the
bird(s) let it multiply on the earth.
(H) wayEbarek 1otam 14lohiym le1mor pEru urEwu umil1u 14tֿhammayim bayyamiym wEha2or yireb

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ba1reQ
(G) da aœurtxa isini ¾mertma: “i-na¥opier-e-t da i-mravl-e-t, da ga-a-vs-e-t z¾vis ç¥lebi , da
prinvelma i-mravlo-s miçaze”.
(K) Allah olani: “Artiġh-iz, köjop boluġh-uz, dengizni suvlarin tolturuġh-uz. Jerde de qušlar köjop
bol-sun”, - dep šabahatlaġhan.
(Os) Æmæ syl jæ arfæ baftydta: “cot wað-ut æmæ sbiræ ut, bajðag ut denģyzty, æmæ mærğtæ
fyldæræj-fyldær kæn-ænt zæxxyl”.
The table below demonstrates the paradigm of forms of Hebrew jussive and Georgian,
Ossetic and Kumik correspondences.
verse Hebrew
Georgian
Ossetic
Kumik
3; 6;
let it be (yEhiy)
i¥o-s - optative
wað fæ-zyn-æd aux. bol-sun - imp. 3, sg;
screeve 3, sg;
+ imp. 3, sg; (fæzyn-
(bol-mek “to be”)
ipf. 3, m, sg,
(¥opna, aris “to be yn “let to appear,
apocopated, juss,
arise”) (1)
form+meaning (1)
”)
fæxicæn kæn-æd –
imp. 3 sg. (fæxicæn
kæn-yn “separation to
do”) (2)
14-15
bol-sun - imp. 3, sg;
i¥v-nen - optative
(bol-mek “to be”);
screeve, 3, pl;
wað . .wænt - 3 pl.
they will be
göjorset-sin (2);
(wað ...wænt “let to
(wEhayu) qal, pf, 3,
(¥opna, aris -”to
öolče-sin – imp. 3
be”) (1)
pl (2)
be”); a¾niš-non -
sg; (öolče-mek “to
measure”) (3);
optative screeve, 3, suð -ænt – imp. 3 pl jariqlandir-sin –
pl; (a¾nišnva,
(suð-yn “to burn,
imp. 3 sg;
a¾nišnavs -”to
(jariqlandir-mek “to
glow, be alight”) (2)
sign”)
shine”) (3)
11
let it sprout (tadRe1 ) a¾moaceno-s -
ratt-æd – imp. 3, sg;
öojs-sjun – imp. 3,
hi, ipf, 3, f, sg,
optative screeve 3, (ratt-yn “to give,
sg; (öojs-mek “to
apocopated, jussive
sg; (a¾moceneba,
present”)
grow”)
+meaning
a¾mocenebs “give
birth”)
20
let them swarm
aivso-s - optative
æmyzmæld kæn-æd - tol-sun - imp. 3, sg;
(yRrEQu)
screeve 3, sg;
3, sg; (æmyzmæld
(tol-mek “to fill”)
(avseba, avsebs “to kænyn “to swarm”)
qal, ipf, 3, m, pl, juss, fill”)
form + meaning

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20
let it fly (yE2orer )
iprin-on - optative atæx-ænt - 3, pl.
uč-sun – imp. 3, sg;
polel, ipf, 3, sg, juss, screeve 3, pl;
(atæx-yn “to fly”)
(uč-mek “to fly”)
form+meaning
(prena, prinavs “to
fly”)
24
let it produce (toQe1 ) çarmošva-s -
rawað -æd – imp. 3, tuv-sun - 3, sg; (tuv-
hi, ipf, 3, f, sg,
optative screeve 3, sg; (rawadð -yn “to
mek “to bear”)
apocopated, juss,
sg; (çarmošoba
form+meaning
release, produce”)
çarmošobs “to
generate”)
9
let them gather
šegrovde-s -
æрбамбыр уæнт -
birigip – gerund
(yikkawu ) ni, ipf, 3, optative screeve 3, noun + to be imp. 3, (“united, joined,
m, pl, juss,
sg; (šegroveba,
pl; (ærbambyr wænt
amalgamate”)
form+meaning
“collection to be”)
agrovebs“[to]
collect(s),
gather(s)”)
9
let it appear
gamoånde-s -
razyn-æd - imp. 3, sg; göjorjun-sjun
(wEtera1eh) , verb, ni, optative screeve 3, (razyn-yn “to appear,
ipf, 3, f, sg, juss,
sg; (gamoåena,
come into view”)
imp. 3, sg;
form+meaning
åans “[to]
(göjorjun-mek “to
appear(s), come(s)
appear”)
into sight”)
26
wEyirEddu (let them
baýonobde-s -
padðaxiwæg kæn-æd [hakimlik] et-sin -
rule) qal, ipf, 3, m,
optative screeve, 3 - imp. 3 sg.
imp. 3 sg;
pl, juss, meaning
sg; (baýonoba,
(padðaxiwæg kæn-yn ([hakimlik] et-mek
“to do reign”)
baýonobs “[to]
“to rule, reign”)
rule(s), reign(s)”)
22
let it multiply (yireb) i-mravlo-s -
fyldæræj-fyldær kæn- [köjop] bol-sun –
qal, ipf, 3, m, sg,
optative screeve 3, ænt - imp. 3 sg.
imp. 3 sg;
apocopated, juss,
sg; (gamravleba,
(fyldæræj-fyldær
form+meaning
mravldeba “[to]
kæn-yn “to multiply,
multiply”)
increase”)
In 1:3 Georgian and Kumik translations use the verb “to be” to convey the Hebrew yEhiy
“let it be”. In Georgian it is used the form of optative screeve, 3 sg. and in Kumik it is the
imperative mood, 3 sg., respectively. Ossetic translation makes another lexical and grammatical

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choice (wað + verb fæzyn-yn “let + to appear”.
In 1:6 Hebrew origin consists of two simple sentences, the verb is in jussive. Ossetic follows
the Hebrew source text. Georgian and Kumik made another choice. This verse is translated by one
imperative form and second part of the utterance is conveyed by participle. In Hebrew 1:14-15 there
are three jussive forms of verb “to be”, although two of them in 1:15 use the perfect future form. All
three languages use different strategy: Georgian uses “to be” in optative screeve and “to sign”,
Ossetic uses two verbal forms and Kumik uses four different lexical forms of verbs (see the table).
In 1:9 Ossetic and Georgian follow Hebrew source, the jussive is conveyed in standard way by
imperative mood. However, Kumik translation prefers to use the gerund birigip, that is caused by
stylistic reasons of achieving the naturalness.
In 1:11, 20 and 24 there are no unexpected patterns. The strategy in three languages is the
same that is to follow Hebrew text. Nevertheless there is a important difference, Ossetic so called
auxiliary word wað is not used anymore. There may be several explanations: 1. Kind of
enforcement caused by language structure (see above) and 2. The stylistic reasons.
The standard confirmation way

E hiy
ֿ k e n
- “and it was so”

(in the presentation this formula is
presented only in 1:11) at the end of each command presumably becomes obligatory because of
properties of jussive mood.
V. Group B. In Hebrew the plural of majesty (Gen. 1:26) is expressed by cohortative form of a verb,
although according to Joüon [6] the we majesty does not exist in Hebrew. This form he calls the
plural of deliberation.
1:26
(intlin-H) And he said God let us make humankind in our image according to our likeness and let
them rule over the fish of the sea and over the bird(s) and over all the earth and over all the creeping
thing(s) [which] creep on the earth.
(H) wayyo1mer14lohiym na23Seh 1adam bEQalmenu kidmutenu wEyirEddu bidEgat hayyam uwE2or
haRRamayim ubabEhemah uwEk6lֿha1areQ uwEk6lֿharemeS haromeS 2alֿha1areQ.
(G) da tkva ¾mertma: “še-v-kmna-t adamiani åvens xaýad da åvens msgavsad. da baýonobde-s
tevzebze z¾vaši … da ¥ovel kveçarmavalze, romelic iðvris miçaši”.
(K) Allah bulay degen: “Bizin kelpetibizge, öojzjubjuzge ošatip adamni jarat-ayiq. O dengizdegi
baliqlaġha da, köjokdegi qušlaġha da, hayvanlaġha da, bjutjun jer juzjundegi qir žanlahġa da, jerde
jurjup aylanaġhan har-bir žanlahġa da hakimlik et-sin”.
(Os) Wyj fæstæ xºуcaw zağta: “s-fældis-æm adæjmaģy næxi xºуzæn, næxi ængæs; æmæ
padðaxiwæg kæn-æd denģyzon kæsægtyl, wælarvon mærğtyl, fosyl, æppæt zæxxyl, æppæt zæxxon
xilģytyl”.
Needless to say, that from the theological point of view this form is a subject of discussion.
One of the explanations of plural form is a concept of Trinity that belongs to the Christian tradition.
There are some other hypotheses. The form of plural imperative is not a command but an
expression of the will to create a man. For instance, some grammarians think that plural of
majesty/deliberation, for the word God conveys the content of plurality: elohim –“gods”. It is also
interesting to compare this form with the “us” in Gen. 11:7 and Isa. 6:8. Another explanation

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presumes that God speaks to himself.
na23Seh (qal, ipf, 1, c, pl, cohortative “let us make”) from the linguistic point of view the cohortative
mood in this utterance is a plural form of exhortation, i.e. a speaker exhorts himself to do a given
task like “Let us go!”, “Let us sit!”.
Kumik translation jarat-ayiq is the optative mood of 1st person plural to express the Hebrew
meaning. In Ossetic s-fældis-æm – “let us create” is the 1st pl. of presence and coincides with the
indicative mood. And, finally, Georgian še-v-kmna-t –“let us create” 1st pl. of future screeve.
Thus, Hebrew cohortative mood is expressed by extremely distinct language means: optative mood
(Kumik), simple present of indicative mood (Ossetic) and future screeve (Georgian).
VI. Group C. Formula of blessing (Gen. 1:22, 28) is conveyed by imperative in Hebrew.
1:22
(Intlar-H) And he blessed them God be fruitful and multiply and fill (et) the waters in the seas and
the bird(s) let it multiply on the earth.
(H) wayEbarek 1otam 14lohiym le1mor pEru urEwu umil1u 14tֿhammayim bayyamiym wEha2or yireb
ba1reQ
(G) da aœurtxa isini ¾mertma: “i-na¥opier-e-t da i-mravl-e-t, da ga-a-vs-e-t z¾vis ç¥lebi , da
prinvelma i-mravlo-s miçaze”.
(K) Allah olani: “Artiġh-iz, köjop boluġh-uz, dengizni suvlarin tolturuġh-uz. Jerde de qušlar
köjop bol-sun”, - dep šabahatlaġhan.
(Os) Æmæ syl jæ arfæ baftydta: “cot wað-ut æmæ sbiræ ut, bajðag ut denģyzty, æmæ mærğtæ
fyldæræj-fyldær kæn-ænt zæxxyl”.
pEru , urEwu , umil1u “be fruitful, multiply, fill” - qal, imperative, m, pl
i-na¥opier-e-t, i-mravl-e-t, ga-a-vs-e-t “be fruitful, multiply, fill”– imperative, 2nd plural.
artiġh-iz, köjop boluġh-uz, tolturuġh-uz “be fruitful, multiply, fill” - imperative, 2nd plural
cot wað-ut, sbiræ ut, bajðag ut “be fruitful, multiply, fill” - imperative, 2nd plural
That is clear that 1:22 is the only verse where Hebrew imperative mood is conveyed by the
imperative mood in all three modern translations.
1:28
(Intlar) And he blessed them God and he said to them God be fruitful and multiply and fill (et) the
earth and subdue it and rule.
(H) wayEbarek 1otam 14lohiym wayyo1mer lahem 14lohiym pEru urEwu umil1u 14tֿ ha1areQ wEkbRuha
urEdu bidEgat hayyam uwE2or haRRamayim uwEk6lֿhayyah haromeSet 2alֿha1areQ.
(G) da aœurtxa isini ¾mertma da utxra mat ¾mertma: “ina¥opieret da imravlet, da a¾avset kve¥ana,
da daeuplet mas; da baýonobdet z¾vis tevzebze da сiur prinvelebze da ¥ovel cxovelze, romelic œi
miçaze dacocavs”.

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