Chapter 28 — Hiphil–Hophal Contrast Drill

BBH Chapter 28 · Hophal Strong Verbs

The Hophal is the passive of the Hiphil. Every Hiphil transitive action has a Hophal passive counterpart. For each item below: (1) identify the stem (Hiphil or Hophal), (2) parse the conjugation and PGN, (3) translate in context, and (4) explain the relationship between the pair. Click ▶ Answer to check.

Part A — Motion/Transfer Roots

These roots have Qal meanings describing motion or placement. The Hiphil causes motion; the Hophal passivizes it. All items in this part are Hophal — translate and explain what Hiphil action is being passivized.

#	Root	Hiphil Meaning	Hophal Form	Ref
1	בּוֹא	to bring	הוּבְאוּ (Qatal 3cp)	Gen 43:18
they were brought in — Hophal Qatal 3cp — The brothers were passivized by the Hiphil "to bring"; Joseph's steward brought them in; Qal "to come" → Hiphil "to bring" → Hophal "to be brought"
2	יָרַד	to bring down	הוּרַד (Qatal 3ms)	Gen 39:1
he was brought down (to Egypt) — Hophal Qatal 3ms — Joseph was caused to descend; Qal "to go down" → Hiphil "to bring down" → Hophal "to be brought down"
3	שׁוּב	to bring back	הוּשַׁב (Qatal 3ms)	Gen 42:28
it was returned (into my sack) — Hophal Qatal 3ms — The silver was caused to return; Qal "to return" → Hiphil "to bring back" → Hophal "to be returned"
4	קוּם	to set up / erect	הוּקַם (Qatal 3ms)	Exo 40:17
it was set up / erected — Hophal Qatal 3ms — The tabernacle was caused to stand; Qal "to stand, rise" → Hiphil "to erect/set up" → Hophal "to be set up"
5	שִׂים	to put / set	יּוּשַׂם (Wayyiqtol 3ms)	Gen 24:33
and it was set (before him) / food was placed before him — Hophal Wayyiqtol 3ms — The food was caused to be placed; Hiphil "to put/set" → Hophal "to be put/set"
6	סוּר	to remove	הוּסַר (Qatal 3ms)	Lev 4:31
it was removed — Hophal Qatal 3ms — The fat was caused to depart from the sacrifice; Qal "to turn aside, depart" → Hiphil "to remove" → Hophal "to be removed"
7	שׁוּב	to bring back	יוּשַׁב (Wayyiqtol 3ms)	Exo 10:8
and they were brought back (to Pharaoh) — Hophal Wayyiqtol 3ms — Moses and Aaron were caused to return; same root as #3 but persons rather than an object

Root

Hiphil Meaning

Hophal Form

Ref

Translation

Stem / Conj.

בּוֹא

to bring

הוּבְאוּ (Qatal 3cp)

Gen 43:18

they were brought in — Hophal Qatal 3cp — The brothers were passivized by the Hiphil "to bring"; Joseph's steward brought them in; Qal "to come" → Hiphil "to bring" → Hophal "to be brought"

יָרַד

to bring down

הוּרַד (Qatal 3ms)

Gen 39:1

he was brought down (to Egypt) — Hophal Qatal 3ms — Joseph was caused to descend; Qal "to go down" → Hiphil "to bring down" → Hophal "to be brought down"

שׁוּב

to bring back

הוּשַׁב (Qatal 3ms)

Gen 42:28

it was returned (into my sack) — Hophal Qatal 3ms — The silver was caused to return; Qal "to return" → Hiphil "to bring back" → Hophal "to be returned"

קוּם

to set up / erect

הוּקַם (Qatal 3ms)

Exo 40:17

it was set up / erected — Hophal Qatal 3ms — The tabernacle was caused to stand; Qal "to stand, rise" → Hiphil "to erect/set up" → Hophal "to be set up"

שִׂים

to put / set

יּוּשַׂם (Wayyiqtol 3ms)

Gen 24:33

and it was set (before him) / food was placed before him — Hophal Wayyiqtol 3ms — The food was caused to be placed; Hiphil "to put/set" → Hophal "to be put/set"

סוּר

to remove

הוּסַר (Qatal 3ms)

Lev 4:31

it was removed — Hophal Qatal 3ms — The fat was caused to depart from the sacrifice; Qal "to turn aside, depart" → Hiphil "to remove" → Hophal "to be removed"

שׁוּב

to bring back

יוּשַׁב (Wayyiqtol 3ms)

Exo 10:8

and they were brought back (to Pharaoh) — Hophal Wayyiqtol 3ms — Moses and Aaron were caused to return; same root as #3 but persons rather than an object

Part B — Death Formula (מוּת)

The root מוּת "to die" appears in both stems with a perfect morphological contrast. Identify the stem and translate each form.

#	Root	Form	Ref
8	מוּת	הֵמִית	Gen 18:25
Hiphil — Inf. Construct — to put to death / to kill — The vowel הֵ (tsere) identifies this as Hiphil; "Far be it from you to put the righteous to death"
9	מוּת	יוּמַת	Gen 26:11
Hophal — Yiqtol 3ms — he shall be put to death — The shureq (וּ) in the Yiqtol prefix marks the Hophal; the standard capital-penalty legal formula
10	מוּת	הָמִית	Gen 37:18
Hiphil — Inf. Construct — to kill him / to put him to death — Joseph's brothers conspired to kill him; same Hiphil inf. construct form as #8 with a different vowel environment
11	מוּת	הוּמַת	2 Sam 21:9
Hophal — Qatal 3ms — he was put to death — The vowel הוּ identifies Hophal Qatal 3ms; Saul's sons were executed before the LORD

Root

Form

Ref

Stem

Conjugation

Translation

מוּת

הֵמִית

Gen 18:25

Hiphil — Inf. Construct — to put to death / to kill — The vowel הֵ (tsere) identifies this as Hiphil; "Far be it from you to put the righteous to death"

מוּת

יוּמַת

Gen 26:11

Hophal — Yiqtol 3ms — he shall be put to death — The shureq (וּ) in the Yiqtol prefix marks the Hophal; the standard capital-penalty legal formula

מוּת

הָמִית

Gen 37:18

Hiphil — Inf. Construct — to kill him / to put him to death — Joseph's brothers conspired to kill him; same Hiphil inf. construct form as #8 with a different vowel environment

מוּת

הוּמַת

2 Sam 21:9

Hophal — Qatal 3ms — he was put to death — The vowel הוּ identifies Hophal Qatal 3ms; Saul's sons were executed before the LORD

Part C — Speech Reporting Root (נָגַד)

This root illustrates how the Hiphil and Hophal serve different narrative roles. The Hiphil has a person as subject; the Hophal has information as subject. Identify which is which and translate.

#	Root	Form	Ref
12	נָגַד	יַּגֵּד	Gen 9:22
Hiphil — Wayyiqtol 3ms — and he told (his brothers) — Ham is the active subject; a person reports; the Hiphil "to tell" has a person initiating the speech
13	נָגַד	יֻּגַּד	Gen 22:20
Hophal — Wayyiqtol 3ms — and it was told to Abraham — Information is the grammatical subject; the Hophal shifts focus to what was reported rather than who reported it
14	נָגַד	הִגִּיד	Gen 3:11
Hiphil — Qatal 3ms — who told you (that you were naked)? — God asks Adam; the subject is a person (someone told Adam); Hiphil active
15	נָגַד	יֻּגַּד	Exo 14:5
Hophal — Wayyiqtol 3ms — and it was told to the king of Egypt — The news (information) is the subject; same Hophal form as #13; the reporter is left unnamed

Root

Form

Ref

Stem

Conjugation

Translation

נָגַד

יַּגֵּד

Gen 9:22

Hiphil — Wayyiqtol 3ms — and he told (his brothers) — Ham is the active subject; a person reports; the Hiphil "to tell" has a person initiating the speech

נָגַד

יֻּגַּד

Gen 22:20

Hophal — Wayyiqtol 3ms — and it was told to Abraham — Information is the grammatical subject; the Hophal shifts focus to what was reported rather than who reported it

נָגַד

הִגִּיד

Gen 3:11

Hiphil — Qatal 3ms — who told you (that you were naked)? — God asks Adam; the subject is a person (someone told Adam); Hiphil active

נָגַד

יֻּגַּד

Exo 14:5

Hophal — Wayyiqtol 3ms — and it was told to the king of Egypt — The news (information) is the subject; same Hophal form as #13; the reporter is left unnamed

Part D — Roots with No Common Qal (נָכָה)

This root has no standard Qal form in Biblical Hebrew. Both the Hiphil and Hophal serve as base forms. Identify the stem and translate.

#	Root	Form	Ref
16	נָכָה	הַכּוֹת	Gen 4:15
Hiphil — Inf. Construct — to strike / smite — Lest anyone who found Cain should strike him; Hiphil is the standard active form of this root
17	נָכָה	יֻּכּוּ	Exo 5:14
Hophal — Wayyiqtol 3mp — and they were beaten — The Israelite overseers received the blows; Hophal passivizes the Hiphil "to strike"
18	נָכָה	מֻכִּים	Exo 5:16
Hophal — Participle mp — being beaten / they are being beaten — Israel's servants are currently receiving the blows; the mְ prefix and ּ pattern mark the Hophal participle

Root

Form

Ref

Stem

Conjugation

Translation

נָכָה

הַכּוֹת

Gen 4:15

Hiphil — Inf. Construct — to strike / smite — Lest anyone who found Cain should strike him; Hiphil is the standard active form of this root

נָכָה

יֻּכּוּ

Exo 5:14

Hophal — Wayyiqtol 3mp — and they were beaten — The Israelite overseers received the blows; Hophal passivizes the Hiphil "to strike"

נָכָה

מֻכִּים

Exo 5:16

Hophal — Participle mp — being beaten / they are being beaten — Israel's servants are currently receiving the blows; the mְ prefix and ּ pattern mark the Hophal participle

Discussion Questions

In Part C, items 12 and 14 are Hiphil (active: someone tells/reports), while items 13 and 15 are Hophal (passive: something is told). Notice that in 13 and 15 the grammatical subject is information ("it was told"). What does this show about when Hebrew uses the Hiphil vs. Hophal of נָגַד — is the choice driven by the type of subject or by something else?
In Part B, items 8–11: write out the identifying vowel patterns for Hiphil Perfect/Inf. vs. Hophal Qatal 3ms of מוּת. Why does the Hophal of a biconsonantal root like מוּת use the vowel וּ (shureq/ḥolem-waw) rather than the standard קֻּ pattern seen in strong Hophal forms?
Compare items 3 and 7 (both from root שׁוּב). Item 3 (Gen 42:28) refers to silver being returned in a sack; item 7 (Exo 10:8) refers to Moses and Aaron being brought back to Pharaoh. Both are Hophal. Translate each and describe what is the same and what is different about the "returning" action in each context.
The Hophal and Niphal both express passivity in Hebrew. For the roots in Part A — בּוֹא, יָרַד, שׁוּב — consider whether a Niphal passive would be grammatically possible. What semantic difference does using the Hophal (rather than the Niphal) signal? Which stem emphasizes an external agent causing the action?