(die) I not from the womb, came I not out of the belly and expired? cf. v. 13. The pointing וָֽאגוע would have been good prose (Jer. 20:17), and so would perf. in first clause (Jer. 20:18), but the one tense protects the other. Cf. the reverse order of events, Nu. 12:12.
In elevated style this usage of impf. is common. The speaker does not bring the past into his own present, he transports himself back into the past, with the events in which he is thus face to face. Ex. 15:5 the depths יְכַסְיֻמוּ covered (cover) them; Deu. 32:10 יִמְצָאֵהוּ found (findeth) him; Ps. 80:9 a vine from Eg. תַּסִּיעֵ thou bringest, thou drivest out the nations; Job 4:15:16 a breath יַֽחֲלֹף תְּסַמֵּר passes, my hair stands up; it stops, &c. So an instantaneous effect is graphically expressed. Ex. 15:12 thou didst stretch thy hand תִּבְלָעֵמוֹ ארץ the earth swallows them, v. 14 the nations heard יִרְגָּזוּן they are terrified. Is. 41:5, Hab. 3:10, Ps. 46:7; 77:17; 69:33; 78:20. The Eng. pres. best renders this impf., our historical pres. being a similar usage. Nu. 23:7 Balak יַנָחֵנִי bringeth me. Ps. 18:7; 104:6–8. Hitz. (Ps. 18:4) so explains 1 K. 21:6 כי אֲדַבֵּר; כי is recitativum. If reading right, Jud. 2:1 אַֽעֲלֶה must rather express progressive bringing up. So perhaps 2 S. 15:37 יָבוֹא proceeded. In 1 K. 7:8 יַֽעֲשֶׂה is wanting in Sep.
Rem. 3. In the prophetic and higher style the impf. is often used of single actions where prose would express itself differently. There is also frequent interchange of perf. and impf., e.g. Is. 5:12; 9:17; 10:28; 13:10; 14:24; 18:5; 19:6, 7; 42:25; 43:17; 49:13, 17; 51:6; 60:4, Hos. 7:1; 12:11, Ps. 26:4, 5; 52:9; 93:3. In early writing these changes have meaning, but in later poetry, especially in the historical psalms and Job, the significance is not always apparent, and the changes look part of an unconscious traditional style. Some scholars, however, diminish the difficulty by the assumption that the impf. often stands for vav impf. See § 51, R. 5.
Rem. 4. The impf. is frequently used for imper., even in the 2nd pers. Deu. 7:5; 13:5, Am. 7:12, Hab. 3:2, Ps. 17:8; 64:2; 71:2, 20, 21; 140:2.
