Participles

The participle functions as a verb, and adjective, and as a substantive noun (i.e., in its verbal form, it is describing a person, place, or thing).

• As a verb, participles describe an ongoing and continuous action, either in past, present, or future time.
• As an adjective, when used in the passive voice, the participle is making a statement about the noun it is modifying. For example, in the phrase, "the blessed man," the "blessed" is a passive participle and is functioning adjectively: הָאִישׁ הַבָּרוּךְ (hā’îš habbārûk)–“the man the blessed one.” The adjective "“blessed”" in Hebrew is בָּרוּךְ (bārûk), which is a Qal Passive Participle, which literraly means, "the one who is continually being blessed." In its nominal use, the following sentence is a good example of how the participle functions as a substantive noun: "Wondrously show Thy lovingkindness, O Savior of those who take refuge at Thy right hand from those who rise up against them" (Psalm 17:7). In the above verse, the word "Savior" in Hebrew is written as מוֹשִׁיעַ (môshî‘a), which is a Hiphil Masculine Singular Participle, which literally means, "He who is continually causing salvation."

As far as the action indicated by participles, as already stated above, it is a continuous and ongoing state of activity they represent. The difference, however, between a participle and a progressive imperfect is that the participle has no boundaries as far as to when the action it is describing either began or ended. It simply makes a statement about the action happening, and it is seen as continuous. Adverbs or other particles of speech within the clause will insert a time element that can modify the action pictured by the participle.

1. Participles Used as Adjectives
   1. The Attributive Use

      The participle, when used adjectively, is normally attributing a quality or defining the noun it is modifying in some way. Typically, it follows the noun and agrees with it in gender, number and definiteness. By definiteness, I mean that when the noun has a definite article, so too will the participle, and vice versa (except when the noun being modified is the name of a person and has no definite article, but the participle will). Often times when used in this fashion, the participles are translated as a relative clause and are accompanied with relative pronouns such as "who," referring to a person, or "which," typically referring to a thing or situation, or "that," which also may be describing an object or a situation.

      1. "And Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock" (Genesis 4:20). In this instance, the participle יֹשֵׁבַ (yōshēb) is describing "those who dwell in tents, and thus, the relative pronoun "who" is used.
      2. "Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, lest it become a snare in your midst" (Exodus 34:12). In this verse, the relative particle, אֲשֶׁר (’ăsher), which is translated as "which" is also used, but it is in conjunction with the participle בָּא (bā’), which is translated as "going." Thus, here you have "land" that the "which" in this clause is referring to.
      3. "On account of the day that is coming to destroy all the Philistines" (Jeremiah 47:4). In this verse, the relative pronoun "that" is attached to the pronoun "coming," and the "that" is clearly modifying "day," which is clearly a situation as mentioned above. The phrase "that is coming" is written הַבָּא (habbā’), and the בָּא (bā’) is the participle "going," and the הַ (ha) is the particle translated as "that."
   2. The Predicative Use

      In this use of the participle, it is making a statement about the noun being modified. Normally it is joined to the noun by some form of "to be," such as "was," or "is," or "are," although in many instances no verb is there giving the translation of "was," "is," or "are," but you have to supply it as an understood aspect of the translation in order for it to make sense to English readers.

      1. "For I know that he whom you bless is blessed" (Numbers 22:6). In this verse, the word "is" is added for the sentence to make sense to an English reader, but there is no form of the Hebrew verb הָיָה (hāyâ), which is the Hebrew verb for "to be," in the sentence.
      2. "Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married" (Genesis 20:3). In this verse, the word "are" is added for the English reader, but once again, there is no form of the Hebrew verb הָיָה (hāyâ), which is the Hebrew verb for "to be," in the sentence.
2. Participles Used as Verbs

   As said earlier, when used as a verb, the action represented by the participle has no limits. That is, they present a continuous action of the verb in use, whether past, present, or future, and only the context, other verbs, adverbial modifiers, or particles of speech can help determine the time frame.

   1. Past Time
      1. "Now the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, and he was stitting (יֹשֵׁב – yōšēb – Qal Active Participle) at the tent door in the heat of the day" (Genesis 18:1).
      2. "So he returned to him, and behold, he was standing (נִצָּב – niṣṣāb – Niphal Participle, which here simply emphasizes "his choosing to stand") beside his burnt offering" (Numbers 23:6).
   2. Present Time
      1. "Indeed, He loves (חֹבֵב – ḥōbēb – Qal Active Participle) the people” (Deuteronomy 33:3).
      2. "And He said, ‘What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying (צֹעֲקִים – ṣō‘ăqîm – Qal Active Participle) to me from the ground" (Genesis 4:10).
   3. Future Time
      1. "Behold, I will stand (עֹמֵד – ‘ōmēd – Qal Active Participle) before you there on the rock at Horeb" (Exodus 17:6).
      2. "And as for you, My flock, thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I will judge (שֹׁפֵט – šōpēṭ – Qal Active Participle) between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats" (Ezekiel 34:17).
3. Participles Used as Nouns

   Quite often the participle is used as a noun. For example, the participle שֹׁפֵט (šōpēṭ – Qal Active Participle as above in Ezekiel 34:17) may be translated as "judging." However, it may also be used as a substantive (i.e., substitute for a noun) and be simply translated as "judge," as in Isaiah 16:5: "A throne will even be established in lovingkindness, and a judge (שֹׁפֵט – šōpēṭ – Qal Active Participle) will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent of David; moreover, he will seek justice and be prompt in righteousness." This is a very common use of the participle, and it may have a definite article הַשֹּׁפֵט (haššôpēṭ) – "the judge", or it may stand alone, and it may be masculine or feminine, singular or plural. Therefore, be ready for this usage as you will see it applied many times in the Hebrew Old Testament.