The Imperatives, Infinitives, and Participles

The Imperative

The imperative, only used for affirmative commands, is identical to the imperfect 2ms, 2fs, 2mp, and 2fp, except it drops the prefix. Example: תִּקְטֹל, you are killing, קְטֹל, you kill.
קְטֹל2msYou killקִטְלוּ2mpYou all kill
קִטְלִ2fsYou killקְטֹ֣לְנָה2fpYou all kill

Two simple vocal shewas cannot stand together. Therefore, when such occurs, the first shewa is pushed into the ( ִ  ) hirek. The imperfect second-person feminine singular is תִּקְטְלִי; dropping the תִּ prefix forms the imperative. Thus, the form would be קְטְלִי; however, because two shewas cannot stand together, it becomes קִטְלִי. The change occurs in the 2fs and 2mp of the simple imperative.
The imperative is never used with a negative. Prohibitions are expressed either by לֹא (not) with the imperfect or by אַל (not) with the jussive (command, permission, or agreement). The jussive is usually an abbreviated form of the imperfect. It is employed in the second and third persons to express, command, wishes, and prohibitions.

The Infinitive

The infinitive has two forms

The absolute infinitive, קָטוֹל.
The constructive infinitive, קְטֹל.

The usual infinitive is the short form קְטֹל

The usual infinitive is the short form קְטֹל, used frequently with prefixed prepositions, לִקְטֹל to kill. It is commonly identical in form to the simple imperative second person masculine singular. The construct infinitive is the one that is comparable to the English infinitive.

The absolute infinitive, קָטוֹל

The absolute infinitive, קָטוֹל, does not permit any prefix or suffix.
It has the effect of prominently pushing forward the simple idea of the verb without defining it as to time, action, or subject.
It merely paints an action, without regard to the agent, time, or circumstance.
It typically accompanies a finite verb for added emphasis or to denote continuance of the action, שָׁמַ֣רְתִּי שָׁמוֹר, keeping, I have kept; מֹ֥ות תָּמֽוּת dying, you will die, Genesis 2:17; מָלוֹךְ תִּמְלךְ ruling, you did begin to rule.
This is not to be confused with the Hebrew participle.

The Participle

The participle represents an action as continuous. It is an unbroken action.
The simple stem of the verb has two forms, an active participle קוֹטֵל or (קֹטֵל) - one who kills (killer), and a passive participle קָטוּל – was killed.

All Forms of the Verb for Comparison

Perfect Verb Form

Singular Plural
3 m מָשַׁל He ruled 3 c מָשַׁל They ruled
3 f מָֽשְׁלָה She ruled 2 m מְשַׁלְתֶּם You all (m) ruled
2 m מָשַׁ֣לְתָּ You (m) ruled 2 f מָשַׁלְתֶּן You all (f) ruled
2 f מָשַׁלְתְּ You (f) ruled 1 c מָשַׁ֣לְנוּ We ruled
1 c מָשַׁ֣לְתִּי I ruled

Imperfect Verb Form

Singular Plural
3 m יִמְשֹׁלHe was ruling3 cיִמְשׁלוּ They (m) were ruling
3 fתִּמשֹׁל She was ruling 2 mתִּמְשֹׁ֣לְנָה They (f) were ruling
2 mתִּמשֹׁל You (m) were ruling 2 fתִּמְשְׁלוּ You all (m) were ruling
2 fתִּמְשְׁלִי You (f) were ruling 1 cתִּמְשֹׁ֣לְנָה You all (f) were ruling
1 cאֶמְשֹׁל I was ruling3 cנִמְשֹׁל We were ruling
Note: יִמְשֹׁל may be translated “He began to rule”, etc.

Imperative

Singular Plural
2 m מְשֹׁל You (m) rule 2 m מִשְׁלוּ You all (m) rule
2 f מִשְׁלִי You (f) rule 2 f מְשֹׁ֣לְנָה You all (f) rule

Infinitives

Singular Plural
מָשׁוֹל Ruling מְשֹׁל To rule

Participle

SingularPlural
מוֹשֵׁל
משֵׁל 		One who rules (a ruler) מָשׁוּל Ruled
Under complete subjection