Study #7: VAV

Today we will study the unique feature of VAV as a prefix “AND” that joins words and ideas together.

But in Biblical Hebrew, VAV as “AND” also possesses the function of inverting the apparent tense of a verb to its opposite – from past to future or from future to past.

The first appearance of this type of VAV is found in the account of Creation in Genesis 1:3.

” God said ” Let there be light” AND ( VAV ) there was light”.

The past tense “said” is changed from the future to the past tense by the presence of the word VAV as “AND”.

In English it is sometimes called the past perfected tense.

Drawing the future into the past makes VAV a unique modifier as we can see the prophetic elements of time past and future coming to play.

This is the power of VAV like some sort of divine alchemy in the service of mankind.

Scholars call it the VAV Principle of Interpretation while their Hebrew counterparts call it ” Vav Hahipuch”.

Father God, we can discern why VAV is revered as a sacred letter. For it is no ordinary “AND” and its presence in Your Word has a transcendent quality like prophecy. If Light can permeate the darkness of the past, then VAV is a beacon of Hope for us as believers. Indeed Paul wrote in Colossians 1:13 that You have rescued us from the the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son You love.