This is the first full-length monograph published on one of the most intriguing and knotty challenges of the Biblical Hebrew verbal system: the so-called 'prophetic perfect' or 'prophetic' use of qaal . This study takes a strong linguistic approach, improving and expanding on other scholars' advances, and makes unique contributions through a culturally and conceptually contextualised approach to prophetic texts. These findings are then confirmed through comparative analysis of Akkadian, Aramaic, and other ancient Near Eastern texts. While not the final word on the matter, this book furthers the discussion of this very old and multifaceted issue.