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The Blue Letter Bible

Lexical Definitions - Perfect Tense

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The Perfect expresses a completed action.

1) In reference to time, such an action may be:

1a) one just completed from the standpoint of the present

"I have come" to tell you the news

1b) one completed in the more or less distant past

in the beginning God "created"
"I was (once) young" and "I have (now) grown old" but
"I have not seen" a righteous man forsaken

1c) one already completed from the point of view of another past act

God saw everything that "he had made"

1d) one completed from the point of view of another action yet future

I will draw for thy camels also until "they have done" drinking

2) The perfect is often used where the present is employed in English.

2a) in the case of general truths or actions of frequent occurrence -- truths or actions which have been often experienced or observed

the grass "withereth"
the sparrow "findeth" a house

2b) an action or attitude of the past may be continued into the present

"I stretch out" my hands to thee
"thou never forsakest" those who seek thee

2c) the perfect of intransitive verbs is used where English uses the present; The perfect in Hebrew in such a case emphasises a condition which has come into "complete existence" and realisation

"I know" thou wilt be king
"I hate" all workers of iniquity

2d) Sometimes in Hebrew, future events are conceived so vividly and so realistically that they are regarded as having virtually taken place and are described by the perfect.

2d1) in promises, threats and language of contracts

the field "give I" thee
and if not, "I will take it"

2d2) prophetic language

my people "is gone into captivity"
(i.e. shall assuredly go)

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The Blue Letter Bible ministry and the BLB Institute hold to the historical, conservative Christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy of Scripture. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry.