¹ tn The Hebrew imperfect verb occurs here in the sense of past habitual action.

² tn The imperfect verbal form here describes a continuing attitude in a past time frame.

¹ tn The imperfect verbal form here depicts the action as continuing in a past time frame.

² tn The verb is again the prefix conjugation, but the narrative requires a past tense, or preterite.

¹ tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form is used here to indicate repeated past action.

¹ tn The participle is used here for durative action in the past time (GKC 359 §116.o).

² tn The verb must be given a past perfect translation because the fleeing occurred before the telling.

² tn The imperfect verb form is future from the perspective of the past time narrative.

² tn The verbs עָבָר חָמַק (khamaq ʿavar, “he turned away, he went away”) may form a verbal hendiadys. Normally, the first verb will function as an adverb modifying the second which functions in its full verbal sense. Each functions as a perfect of recent past perfect action, describing a past event that took place shortly before another past event: “I opened [past action] for my beloved, but my lover had already turned and gone away [past perfect action].”

² tn Or referring to an engaged man: “if he is past the critical point,” “if his passions are too strong.” The word literally means “to be past the high point.”

¹ tn The verb is a perfect form and the root is stative so it could be past or present. Most translations render it as past (e.g. NASB, NIV, ESV, KJV, NRSV), though Holman renders it present tense.

⁴ tn Most translations make the verb present tense (KJV, ESV, Holman, NASB, NIV). As the perfect form of a dynamic root, אָמְרָה (ʾam^erah) should be understood as past or perfective, a fact known from past experience which is prototypical.

² tn Heb “In my reflection fire burned.” The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite (past tense) or an imperfect being used in a past progressive or customary sense (“fire was burning”).

³ tn The perfect verb in this line has the nuance of the past tense to express the unique past—the uniqueness of the action is expressed with “ever” (“who has ever perished”).

³ tn The form is the Pual imperfect, but since the context demands a past tense here, in fact a past perfect tense, this is probably an old preterite form without a vav consecutive.

¹ tn This verb and the verb in the next clause are imperfect tenses. In the past tense narrative of the verse they must be customary, describing continuous action in past time.

² tn The preterite could be given a simple definite past translation, but an ingressive past would be more likely, as the smell would get worse and worse with the dead fish.

³ tn Or “in the past.” The adverb πάλαι (palai) can refer to either, though the meaning “long ago” is more common.

⁵ tn The Greek words here all occur in the plural to describe their common practice in the past.

² tn Grk “having known me from time past.” The participle προγινώσκοντες (proginōskontes) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.