BBH Chapter 28 — Hophal Strong Verbs (הֻפְעַל)

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Basics of Biblical Hebrew, Pratico & Van Pelt, Chapter 28

1. Function

The Hophal (הֻפְעַל) is the passive of the Hiphil — the passive causative stem of Biblical Hebrew.

Key diagnostic: The Hophal is identified by a u-class vowel (Shureq וּ or Qibbuts ֻ) under the prefix consonant in every conjugation. This one marker distinguishes Hophal from all other stems.

• Hophal Perfect: הוּ prefix — הוּמַת
• Hophal Imperfect: יוּ/תּוּ prefix — יוּמַת
• Hophal Participle: מוּ/מֻ prefix — מוּמָת

2. Form — Diagnostic Markers

3. Paradigm Tables

4. Real Forms — מוּת (to die/be killed) and נָגַד (to tell/be told)

Root מות — "to be put to death" (Hophal of הֵמִית "put to death") — 68 Hophal occurrences

Death penalty note: יוּמַת מוֹת ("he shall surely be put to death") is the standard legal formula in the Torah for capital offenses (Exo 21, Lev 20, Num 35). The Hophal Imperfect יוּמַת is the most frequently occurring Hophal form in the OT (99 tokens), largely due to this formula appearing in 20+ legal texts.

Root נגד — "to be told, reported" (Hophal of הִגִּיד "told/declared") — 35 Hophal occurrences

Narrative formula note: וַיֻּגַּד לְ ("and it was told to…") is the standard narrative formula for reporting information. It recurs throughout Genesis and the historical books.

5. Most Common Hophal Lemmas — Torah (Genesis–Deuteronomy)

6. Example Passages

Passive Causative (Death Penalty)

Imperfect — Gen 26:11
כָּל־הַנֹּגֵ֜עַ בָּאִ֥ישׁ הַזֶּ֛ה וּבְאִשְׁתּ֖וֹ מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת׃
"Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death."
→ מות Hophal+Imperfect+3ms; יוּמַת מוֹת is the death penalty formula (Hophal Inf. Abs. + Hophal Imperfect). The Hiphil would be הֵמִית (to kill someone); the Hophal passivizes the causative.

Imperfect — Num 35:16
מוֹת־יוּמַ֖ת הָרֹצֵֽחַ׃
"The murderer shall surely be put to death."
→ מות Hophal+Imperfect+3ms; standard legal formula in Numbers 35 for capital crimes.

Perfect — Deu 21:22
וְכִֽי־יִהְיֶ֣ה בְאִ֗ישׁ חֵ֛טְא מִשְׁפַּט־מָ֖וֶת וְהוּמָ֑ת
"And if a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death…"
→ מות Hophal+Perfect+3ms; the הוּ prefix (Shureq + Patach) is the definitive Hophal Perfect marker.

Wayyiqtol — 2Ki 11:16
וַיָּשִׂ֤ימוּ לָהּ֙ יָדַ֔יִם וַתָּב֥וֹא דֶּ֖רֶךְ מְב֣וֹא הַסּוּסִ֑ים … וַתּוּמַ֖ת שָֽׁם׃
"…and she was put to death there."
→ מות Hophal+Wayyiqtol+3fs; וַתּוּמַת = וַת + Hophal Imperfect 3fs of מות.

Passive of Bringing/Carrying

Imperfect — Lev 6:23
וְכָל־מִנְחַ֥ת כֹּהֵ֛ן כָּלִ֥יל תִּהְיֶ֖ה לֹ֣א תֵאָכֵ֑ל … כָּלִ֖יל יוּבָ֨א׃
"…it shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten."
→ בוא Hophal+Imperfect+3ms; yîbāʾ = יוּ + בוא Hophal stem; "it shall be brought [as an offering]."

Weqatal — Gen 33:11
קַח־נָ֤א אֶת־בִּרְכָתִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֻבָ֣את לָ֔ךְ
"Please accept my gift that was brought to you."
→ בוא Hophal+Weqatal+3fs (הֻבָּאת); the gift was caused to be brought (by Jacob's servants). הֻ prefix (Qibbuts, alternate form of שׁוּ).

Participle mp — Gen 43:18
וַיִּֽירְאוּ֙ הָאֲנָשִׁ֔ים כִּ֥י הֽוּבְא֖וּ בֵּ֣ית יוֹסֵ֑ף
"And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house."
→ בוא Hophal+Perfect+3mp (הוּבְאוּ); also in this context: מוּבָאִים (Participle mp) = "those being brought."

Passive of Reporting

Wayyiqtol — Gen 22:20
וַיְהִ֗י אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וַיֻּגַּ֥ד לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם
"Now after these things it was told to Abraham…"
→ נגד Hophal+Wayyiqtol+3ms; וַיֻּגַּד = וַיּ + Hophal Imperfect 3ms (Qibbuts under prefix due to vowel contraction). Classic narrative report formula.

Wayyiqtol — Gen 27:42
וַיֻּגַּ֣ד לְרִבְקָ֔ה אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֖י עֵשָׂ֣ו בְּנָ֑הּ
"And the words of Esau her son were told to Rebekah."
→ נגד Hophal+Wayyiqtol+3ms; the Hiphil הִגִּיד means "to tell/report"; the Hophal passivizes: "was reported."

Perfect — Deu 17:4
וְהֻגַּד֙ לְךָ֣ וְשָׁמָ֔עְתָּ
"…and it has been told to you and you have heard…"
→ נגד Hophal+Perfect+3ms (וְהֻגַּד); Weqatal form with Qibbuts (alternate Hophal prefix).

Passive of Striking

Wayyiqtol — Exo 5:14
וַיֻּכּ֗וּ שֹׁטְרֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
"And the overseers of the people of Israel were beaten…"
→ נכה Hophal+Wayyiqtol+3mp; Dagesh forte in כ (assimilation of ה-נ in Pe-Nun root). Exo 5 brick-making oppression.

Participle mp — Exo 5:16
עֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙ מֻכִּ֖ים
"Your servants are beaten."
→ נכה Hophal+Participle+mp; מֻ prefix + Qibbuts = Hophal Participle. Passive adjective meaning "being struck."

7. Conjugation Distribution (OT-Wide)

Hophal (419 total tokens)

Teaching note: The Hophal Imperfect (33%) is heavily dominated by the legal formula יוּמַת — nearly half of all Hophal Imperfects are this form in capital punishment contexts. The Participle (27%) is the second most common form, largely because Exo 26–39 uses מָשְׁזָר ("twisted linen") 21 times for Tabernacle materials. The Perfect (4.5%) is strikingly rare compared to other stems, reflecting the Hophal's limited distribution.

8. Hophal vs. Pual — Distinguishing Two Passive Participles

Both the Hophal and Pual Participle take a מ prefix with a u-class vowel under R1. The distinction:

The Dagesh Forte in R2 remains the key: Pual has it; Hophal does not (unless the root itself triggers assimilation).

9. Summary: Identifying the Hophal