בנים גדלתי ורוממתי How we have changed our minds on veqatal

The veqatal is widely acknowledged as forming a contrasting pair with vayyiqtol. Their functions within time, mood, and aspect are generally recognized, although a question about veqatal as a volitional perfective aspect has been raised. That perfective proposal for veqatal conflicts with the data. In past contexts both veqatal and yiqtol default to habitual and imperfectivity. Ironically, in future contexts, both yiqtol and veqatal default to perfective along a future-modal continuum. ¶
We would like to look problematic usages of ve-qatal. How were stories heard by ancient speakers with an internalized veqatal? How was the veqatal received by speakers of mishnaic Hebrew during the Second Temple? ¶
Formerly, we would read בנים גדלתי ורוממתי (Is. 1:2) as two simple qatal forms in something like a hen-dia-dys. However, as we have internalized the biblical use of veqatal through classroom teaching, the thematic veqatal seems the more natural and immediate reading in Isaiah’s poetry. Even Qohelet may contain more veqatal than is normally understood (or vocalized by the MT). The natural reading of שיאכל ושתה is a yiqtol and a thematic veqatal, which shows the writer’s familiarity with the thematic veqatal.