Hiphil Weak Verbs — I-נ and I-י Paradigms

Full conjugation tables for Pe-Nun and Pe-Yod roots in the Hiphil stem.
Part 1: I-נ (Pe-Nun) — roots נָגַשׁ (bring near) and נָפַל (cause to fall)
Part 2: I-י (Pe-Yod/Vav) — roots יָרַד (bring down) and יָצָא (bring out)
Each section shows the strong root (קטל) alongside the weak paradigm for direct comparison.
Attested forms drawn from MACULA Hebrew WLC.

Part 1 — I-נ (Pe-Nun) Hiphil

In the Hiphil, I-נ roots show assimilation of the root נ (R1) into R2 in the conjugations where the Hiphil prefix brings the נ into contact with R2. This occurs in the imperfect, wayyiqtol, imperative, and infinitive construct. In the perfect and participle, the הִ/מַ prefix insulates R1, so no assimilation occurs — the נ is visible.

Perfect (Qatal) — I-נ

The Pattern

The perfect prefix הִ precedes R1 directly. With R1 = נ, the נ is NOT assimilated in the perfect: the full root is visible. The characteristic chiriq-yod appears in the penultimate syllable: הִגִּישׁ / הִפִּיל — wait, in the perfect the נ IS assimilated because it stands between the הִ prefix and R2 (the dagesh-prone position). The נ assimilates into R2 with dagesh forte across the full perfect paradigm.

Clarification: I-נ assimilation occurs throughout the Hiphil, including the perfect. The הִ prefix + נ + R2 cluster causes the נ to assimilate into R2: הִנְגִּישׁ → הִגִּישׁ. The dagesh forte in R2 is therefore the defining marker in every conjugation.

Key: Dagesh forte in R2 throughout the entire Hiphil paradigm — נ has fully assimilated. If you see הִגִּישׁ and wonder why R2 has dagesh, the root is נגשׁ.

Attested passages:
- הִגִּישׁ (Amos 9:13) — "the one who plows shall overtake the reaper"
- הִפִּיל (Gen 2:21) — "the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man"
- הִגַּשְׁתֶּם (Mal 1:7) — "by offering polluted food upon my altar"

Imperfect (Yiqtol) — I-נ

The Pattern

The prefix יַ + נ + R2 sequence assimilates the נ into R2. Same as the perfect: dagesh forte in R2. No trace of the root נ in the spelling.

Key: Patach prefix (יַ) + dagesh forte in R2 + chiriq-yod — clean three-marker pattern.

Attested passages:
- יַפִּיל (Pro 19:15) — "slothfulness casts into a deep sleep"
- יַגִּישׁ (Mal 1:8) — "when you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil?"

Wayyiqtol — I-נ

The Pattern

Standard Hiphil wayyiqtol pattern with dagesh forte in R2.

Key: וַיַּ prefix + dagesh forte in R2 + tsere final — the dagesh is the proof of I-נ.

Attested passages:
- וַיַּגֵּשׁ (Gen 18:23) — "Abraham drew near and said"
- וַיַּפֵּל (Gen 2:21) — "he caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man"

Weqatal — I-נ

The Pattern

Weqatal = וְ + perfect. Dagesh forte in R2 throughout.

Imperative — I-נ

The Pattern

הַ prefix + dagesh forte in R2 + tsere (2ms).

Key: Dagesh forte in R2 across all imperative forms.

Attested passages:
- הַגֵּשׁ (Gen 27:25) — "bring it to me, that I may eat of my son's game"
- הַפֵּל (2 Sam 20:21) — "throw his head over the wall to us"

Infinitive Construct — I-נ

The Pattern

הַ prefix + dagesh forte in R2 + chiriq-yod final.

Key: Identical to the perfect 3ms in vocalization (הַגִּישׁ vs. הִגִּישׁ) — distinguished only by the prefix vowel (patach הַ in inf. construct, hiriq הִ in perfect).

Attested passages:
- לְהַגִּישׁ (Mal 1:7) — "by offering polluted food on my altar"
- לְהַפִּיל (Num 33:54) — "to divide the land as an inheritance"

Infinitive Absolute — I-נ

The Pattern

הַ prefix + dagesh forte in R2 + tsere final.

Participle — I-נ

The Pattern

מַ prefix + dagesh forte in R2 + chiriq-yod.

Key: מַ + dagesh forte in R2 — always reveals I-נ assimilation.

Attested passages:
- מַגִּישׁ (Mal 1:7) — "you are defiling [the altar] when you say the table of the LORD may be despised"
- מַפִּיל (†) — expected; attested in liturgical/poetic texts

Summary — I-נ Hiphil at a Glance

Part 2 — I-י (Pe-Yod/Vav) Hiphil

Many Biblical Hebrew roots that appear as I-י in other stems are historically I-ו (Pe-Vav). In the Hiphil, these roots use הוֹ- as the perfect prefix (holem-vav under ה) and יוֹ- as the imperfect prefix. This is the single most reliable diagnostic for this class. A small group of true I-י roots (e.g., יָטַב → הֵיטִיב) use a different pattern, but הוֹ- / יוֹ- covers the majority of I-י/ו roots encountered in BBH Ch27.

Perfect (Qatal) — I-י

The Pattern

The strong Hiphil perfect prefix is הִ (hiriq). For I-י/ו roots, the prefix vowel is holem-vav: הוֹרִיד, הוֹצִיא. The root's first radical (י or ו) is suppressed — only R2 and R3 appear after the prefix. The characteristic Hiphil chiriq-yod appears in the final syllable.

Key: הוֹ prefix (holem-vav) instead of הִ (hiriq) — the most distinctive marker of I-י/ו Hiphil. Once you see הוֹ-, identify the class immediately.

Attested passages:
- הוֹצִיא (Gen 15:7) — "I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans"
- הוֹרִיד (Gen 39:1) — "Joseph had been brought down to Egypt" (Hophal form; Hiphil הוֹרִיד attested at Gen 42:38)
- הוֹצֵאתִי (Exo 20:2) — "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt"
- הוֹרַדְתֶּם (Gen 44:29) — "you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol"

Imperfect (Yiqtol) — I-י

The Pattern

The imperfect prefix is יוֹ- (holem-vav under the prefix consonant): יוֹרִיד, יוֹצִיא. The R1 of the root is again suppressed. The Hiphil chiriq-yod appears in the final syllable.

Key: יוֹ- / תּוֹ- / אוֹ- / נוֹ- prefix (holem-vav) — immediately identifies I-י/ו Hiphil imperfect.

Attested passages:
- יוֹרִיד (1 Sam 2:6) — "the LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up"
- יוֹצִיא (Exo 6:7) — "I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians"
- אוֹצִיא (†) — expected 1cs form

Wayyiqtol — I-י

The Pattern

The wayyiqtol of I-י/ו Hiphil contracts further: וַיּ + holem-vav → וַיּוֹ. The dagesh forte in י results from the contraction of וַ + י. Final tsere is standard Hiphil wayyiqtol.

Key: וַיּוֹ- prefix (dagesh in י + holem-vav) is unique to I-י/ו Hiphil wayyiqtol.

Attested passages:
- וַיּוֹצֵא (Gen 1:12) — "the earth brought forth vegetation"
- וַיּוֹרֶד (Gen 42:38) — "you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol"

Weqatal — I-י

The Pattern

Weqatal = וְ + perfect. הוֹ prefix pattern throughout.

Imperative — I-י

The Pattern

The strong Hiphil imperative 2ms is הַקְטֵל. For I-י/ו: הוֹרֵד / הוֹצֵא (holem-vav under ה + tsere final).

Key: הוֹ prefix in imperative (not הַ) — strong diagnostic distinguishing I-י/ו from strong Hiphil imperative.

Attested passages:
- הוֹצֵא (Exo 12:31) — "Rise up, go out from among my people"
- הוֹרֵד (Gen 42:37) — "Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you"

Infinitive Construct — I-י

The Pattern

הוֹרִיד / הוֹצִיא — identical in form to the perfect 3ms. Context distinguishes.

Key: הוֹ prefix + chiriq-yod — same shape as perfect 3ms; preposition prefix context identifies as inf. construct.

Attested passages:
- לְהוֹצִיא (Exo 3:10) — "I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people out of Egypt"
- לְהוֹרִיד (†) — expected form

Infinitive Absolute — I-י

The Pattern

הוֹרֵד / הוֹצֵא (holem-vav + tsere final).

Participle — I-י

The Pattern

The strong Hiphil participle is מַקְטִיל (מַ prefix). For I-י/ו: מוֹרִיד / מוֹצִיא (מוֹ prefix — holem-vav under מ).

Key: מוֹ prefix (not מַ) — holem-vav under מ uniquely identifies I-י/ו Hiphil participle.

Attested passages:
- מוֹצִיא (Deu 8:14) — "the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt"
- מוֹרִיד (1 Sam 2:6) — "he brings down to Sheol and raises up"

Summary — I-י Hiphil at a Glance

Overall Comparison — I-נ vs. I-י Hiphil

Distinguishing I-נ from I-י:
- I-נ: dagesh forte in R2 (the assimilated נ is hidden inside R2); prefix vowels are otherwise standard Hiphil (hiriq perfect, patach imperfect)
- I-י: holem-vav (וֹ) in the prefix syllable throughout the paradigm — הוֹ, יוֹ, מוֹ