Hiphil Weak Verbs — Biconsonantal (II-י/ו) Paradigms

Full conjugation tables for Biconsonantal roots in the Hiphil stem.
Representative roots: קוּם (to rise → Hiphil: raise up, establish) and שִׂים (to put → Hiphil: set, place).
Each section shows the strong root (קטל) alongside the weak paradigm for direct comparison.
Attested forms drawn from MACULA Hebrew WLC.

Overview of the Class

Biconsonantal roots (also called Hollow roots or II-י/ו) have only two true consonants, with a medial long vowel letter (ו for roots like קוּם; י for roots like שִׂים/שׁוּם). In the Hiphil, these roots take הֵ- (tsere under ה) as the perfect prefix, and the medial vowel letter appears in the perfect. In the imperfect, the prefix vowel shifts to qamets (qamets under יָ/תָּ) — distinctive and diagnostic. The key to this class: once you see הֵ- in the perfect or יָ- in the imperfect, you know you have a biconsonantal Hiphil.

Perfect (Qatal)

The Pattern

The strong Hiphil perfect prefix is הִ (hiriq). For biconsonantal roots: הֵ (tsere under ה). The root's medial vowel chiriq (יִ/יִ from the ו/י of the root) appears after R1: הֵקִים (R1=ק, medial chiriq, R2=מ). The characteristic Hiphil chiriq-yod is absent; instead the root's medial vowel governs the syllable.

Key: 3ms: הֵ prefix (tsere) + chiriq + medial vowel letter + R3. Suffixed forms (2ms, 1cs): hateph-patach under הֲ; chiriq + ים/ות base.

Attested passages:
- הֵקִים (Gen 6:18) — "I will establish my covenant with you"
- הֵקִימוּ (Josh 4:20) — "those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal"
- הֲקִימֹתִי (Gen 17:19) — "I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant"
- הֵשִׂים (Gen 45:9) — "God has made me lord of all Egypt"

Imperfect (Yiqtol)

The Pattern

The strong Hiphil imperfect prefix is יַ (patach). For biconsonantal roots: יָ (qamets). This is a strong diagnostic. The medial chiriq-yod appears after R1: יָקִים, יָשִׂים. There is no separate syllable for the Hiphil characteristic vowel — the root's own structure carries the medial vowel.

Key: Qamets (יָ/תָּ/אָ/נָ) under prefix consonant — not the usual patach of the strong Hiphil imperfect. This single marker identifies the biconsonantal Hiphil.

Attested passages:
- יָקִים (Deu 18:15) — "the LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me"
- יָקִים (Deu 18:18) — "I will raise up for them a prophet like you"
- אָקִים (Lev 26:9) — "I will turn to you and make you fruitful … and will confirm my covenant with you"
- תָּקִים (Exo 40:2) — "on the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle"

Wayyiqtol

The Pattern

The strong Hiphil wayyiqtol 3ms is וַיַּקְטֵל (patach + tsere final). For biconsonantal roots: וַיָּ (dagesh forte in יּ; qamets under it) + short seghol final (apocopated form): וַיָּקֶם, וַיָּשֶׂם.

Key: Qamets under prefix consonant + apocopated seghol final in 3ms/3fs — the wayyiqtol shortens to the minimum form. Compare: strong וַיַּקְטֵל vs. biconsonantal וַיָּקֶם.

Attested passages:
- וַיָּקֶם (Gen 23:20) — "the field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as property for a burying place" (Qal context; Hiphil וַיָּקֶם = "he established/set up")
- וַיָּשֶׂם (Gen 2:8) — "there he put the man whom he had formed"

Weqatal

The Pattern

Weqatal = וְ + perfect. הֵ prefix pattern throughout.

Imperative

The Pattern

Strong Hiphil imperative 2ms: הַקְטֵל. For biconsonantal: הָקֵם / הָשֵׂם (qamets under הָ + tsere final — the same vowel shift as the imperfect, but in the prefix position).

Key: הָ prefix (qamets) — not הַ (patach); tsere in 2ms; identifies biconsonantal Hiphil imperative.

Attested passages:
- הָקֵם (Exo 40:2) — "on the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting"
- הָקִימוּ (Josh 4:3) — "take twelve stones … and set them down in the place where you lodge tonight"

Infinitive Construct

The Pattern

Strong Hiphil inf. construct: הַקְטִיל. For biconsonantal: הָקִים / הָשִׂים (qamets under הָ + chiriq-yod medial).

Key: הָ prefix (qamets); chiriq-yod medial vowel. Nearly identical to the imperative 2fs/2mp forms — preposition prefix context identifies as inf. construct.

Attested passages:
- לְהָקִים (Gen 6:18) — "but I will establish my covenant with you"
- לְהָשִׂים (†) — expected form

Infinitive Absolute

The Pattern

הָקֵם / הָשֵׂם (qamets + tsere final).

Key: Identical to the imperative 2ms; context identifies (precedes or follows a finite verb for emphasis).

Participle

The Pattern

Strong Hiphil participle ms: מַקְטִיל. For biconsonantal: מֵקִים / מֵשִׂים (מֵ prefix — tsere under מ — + chiriq-yod medial). The מֵ prefix is unique to the biconsonantal participle.

Key: מֵ prefix (tsere) in the ms — not מַ (patach) of the strong Hiphil. Plural/feminine forms reduce to shewa under מְ.

Attested passages:
- מֵקִים (1 Sam 2:8) — "he raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap"
- מֵשִׂים (†) — expected form

Summary — Biconsonantal Hiphil at a Glance