Grammar Guesswork

Proverbs 29:4 (KJV) The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.

As I investigate my Bible software, I find that the Blue Letter Bible will give me grammar for the Hebrew.  In looking at this, I’m considering the KJV endings of “eth”.  In the New Testament, this refers to the present tense, which is a continuing action.  I’m wondering if in the Old Testament this refers to the same idea.  So I did a little investigating.

There are two verbs in this verse which have that ending.  Both of them are in the imperfect tense of the Hebrew.  And the imperfect tense in Hebrew seems to be the same idea as a present in Greek, a continuing action.

So?  What that means is that the changes taking place are somewhat gradual and ongoing.  It’s not a statement that good judgment will immediately establish a country or that bribes will immediately destroy it.  The point is they will begin the process and move that nation in that direction.  I would guess that the same principle applies in our daily lives.