BBH Chapter 29 — Hophal Weak Verbs (הֻפְעַל)

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Basics of Biblical Hebrew, Pratico & Van Pelt, Chapter 29
Builds on Ch28 (Hophal Strong Verbs). Weak forms only — stem function not repeated.

Scope: This chapter extends the Hophal paradigm to weak root classes. The Hophal's single
diagnostic — a u-class vowel (Shureq וּ or Qibbuts ֻ) under the prefix consonant — persists
across every weak class. The weak modifications that affect each root class (quiescence, assimilation,
contraction, apocopation) are layered on top of that constant marker.

1. The Eight Weak Classes — Overview

Key principle: The u-class prefix vowel never disappears in the Hophal regardless of weak class.
What changes is how the root consonants — particularly the first and last — behave around that
constant marker. Learn the Hophal u-vowel as the anchor; all weak modifications are phonologically
regular additions.

2. I-guttural (Pe-Guttural) Verbs

Pattern

When R1 is a guttural (א, ע, ח, ה), the main effect on the Hophal is confined to the treatment of the shewa under R1. In the Hophal strong, R1 receives a vocal shewa (when in a prefix conjugation). A guttural in that position cannot take a plain vocal shewa and instead takes a composite shewa: hateph-patach (ֲ) for ע/ח, hateph-seghol (ֱ) for א/ה. The Hophal u-class prefix vowel (Shureq or Qibbuts) is entirely unaffected — gutturals occur at R1, not under the prefix letter.

In the perfect, the Hophal prefix הֻ or הוּ precedes R1 directly. The guttural takes its composite shewa without interacting with the prefix vowel at all. There is no dagesh-lengthening issue (unlike the Niphal or Hiphil) because the Hophal does not place dagesh forte under R1.

Diagnostic markers:
- Perfect 3ms: הֶעֱמַד — Qibbuts/Shureq under הֻ/הוּ prefix; hateph-seghol under ע
- Imperfect 3ms: יֻעֲמַד — Qibbuts under prefix consonant; hateph-patach under ע
- Wayyiqtol 3ms: וַיֻּעֲמַד — doubled prefix consonant; composite shewa under guttural R1
- Participle ms: מֻעֲמָד — מֻ prefix; composite shewa under R1; Qamets under R2

Paradigm Summary (3ms per conjugation)

Key Corpus Examples

• יֻעֲמַד (Ezr 2:63 / Neh 7:65) — "until a priest should stand up" — though this is Qal jussive in context, compare הֶעֱמַד patterns in related passages; Hophal of עָמַד = "to be stationed, set up"
• הֶעֱמַד (2 Chr 34:31) — the king stood/was made to stand (Hophal of עמד); hateph-seghol visible under א in similar roots (אָכַל → הֶאֱכַל, "was fed/caused to eat")
• הֻאֲכַל — "was fed, was made to eat" — Hophal of אָכַל; composite shewa (hateph-patach) under א; u-class prefix Qibbuts confirms Hophal

3. III-ח/ע (Lamed-Guttural) Verbs

Pattern

When R3 is ח or ע, the gutturals require an a-class vowel in their syllable. In the Hophal, the characteristic vowel under R2 is Patach (already an a-class vowel), so the conflict is minimal compared to the Hiphil. The main surface effect is a patach furtive before word-final ח or ע: this fleeting glide is inserted between the final vowel and the guttural when the guttural ends a stressed open syllable. The patach furtive is written below and to the right of the guttural, and is pronounced before the guttural (despite its written position).

In closed syllables (before suffixes), the patach furtive disappears; the guttural simply takes a regular Patach.

Diagnostic markers:
- Perfect 3ms: הֻשְׁלַח — Patach furtive before final ח (if applicable to the Hophal vowel pattern)
- Imperfect 3ms: יֻשְׁלַח — Qibbuts under prefix; Patach under R2; final ח may carry patach furtive
- Participle ms: מֻשְׁלָח — מֻ prefix; Qamets under R2; patach furtive where applicable

Paradigm Summary (3ms per conjugation)

Key Corpus Examples

• יֻשְׁלַח (Job 18:8) — "he is cast into a net by his own feet" — Hophal Imperfect 3ms of שָׁלַח; Qibbuts under prefix, Patach under R2, final ח
• מֻשְׁלָח (Isa 27:10) — "a forsaken and deserted city" — Hophal Participle ms of שָׁלַח; מֻ prefix + Qamets
• הֻשְׁלַךְ (various) — Hophal of שָׁלַךְ "to be thrown/cast" (III-כ not guttural but similar pattern): הֻשְׁלַךְ "was thrown" (Jer 22:28; Eze 19:12) — compare with pure Lamed-Guttural forms above

4. III-א (Lamed-Aleph) Verbs

Pattern

Final א quiesces in word-final position: it becomes silent and the vowel before it lengthens compensatorily. In the Hophal, the characteristic vowel under R2 is Patach. Before a quiesced final א, this Patach lengthens to Qamets. The result is that Hophal III-א forms look very similar to their strong counterparts — the only difference is the silent final א and the slightly lengthened vowel.

Because the quiesced א is visually present in the spelling but phonetically absent, the form can initially appear difficult to identify as Hophal. The u-class prefix vowel remains the decisive diagnostic.

Diagnostic markers:
- Perfect 3ms: הֻמְצָא — Qamets under R2 + silent final א (compensatory for quiesced א)
- Imperfect 3ms: יֻמְצָא — Qibbuts under prefix; Qamets under R2; silent final א
- Participle ms: מֻמְצָא — מֻ prefix; Qamets under R2; silent final א

Paradigm Summary (3ms per conjugation)

Key Corpus Examples

• וַיֻּמְצְאוּ (2 Chr 36:8) — "and they were found" — Hophal Wayyiqtol 3mp of מָצָא; Qibbuts under prefix, Qamets under R2, plural suffix; u-class prefix decisive
• הֻמְצָא / יֻמְצָא — Hophal of מָצָא "to be found" — attested in legal and wisdom contexts; the form regularly appears where something is "found to be" the case
• וַיֻּקְרָא (Num 21:3) — "and it was called" — Hophal Wayyiqtol 3ms of קָרָא; Qibbuts under prefix; Qamets before silent א; "the place was called Hormah"

5. III-ה (Lamed-He) Verbs

Pattern

III-ה roots treat the final ה as a vowel letter (mater lectionis), not a true consonant. In the Hophal, this produces contracted endings throughout the paradigm. The u-class prefix vowel (Shureq or Qibbuts) is unaffected because it sits under the prefix consonant, not near R3. The main effects are:

• Perfect 3ms: ends in ָה (Qamets + ה) — the Hophal Patach under R2 is already Qamets in the III-ה perfect
• Imperfect 3ms: ends in ֶה (Seghol + ה mater) — contraction of the strong imperfect final syllable
• Wayyiqtol 3ms: apocopates — the final ה drops and the form ends in R2 with a short vowel
• Participle ms: ends in ֶה like the imperfect

This is one of the most practically important weak classes in the Hophal because key high-frequency roots (גָּלָה "exile," בָּנָה "build," נָכָה "strike") are III-ה.

Diagnostic markers:
- Perfect 3ms: הֻגְלָה — Qibbuts prefix; Qamets + ה final
- Imperfect 3ms: יֻגְלֶה — Qibbuts prefix; Seghol + ה final
- Wayyiqtol 3ms: וַיֻּגֶל — apocopated; ה dropped; Seghol final
- Participle ms: מֻגְלֶה — מֻ prefix; Seghol + ה

Paradigm Summary (3ms per conjugation)

Key Corpus Examples

• הֻגְלָה (Amos 1:5) — "the people of Aram shall go into exile to Kir" — Hophal Perfect 3ms of גָּלָה; Qibbuts prefix; Qamets + ה; "was exiled" (passive causative of Hiphil הֶגְלָה "to exile")
• הֻגְלוּ (Amos 1:6) — "they delivered up a whole people into exile" — Hophal Perfect 3cp of גָּלָה; plural suffix added to contracted stem; Amos uses this formula repeatedly for the nations
• הֻכָּה (Num 25:14) — "the one who was struck" — Hophal Perfect 3ms of נָכָה (III-ה); Qibbuts + dagesh forte in כ (Pe-Nun assimilation also at play since נָכָה is also I-נ; see section 6); "was struck down"
• יֻכֶּה (Deu 25:2) — "the guilty man shall be beaten" — Hophal Imperfect 3ms of נָכָה; Seghol + ה final; double weak class I-נ + III-ה

6. I-נ (Pe-Nun) Verbs

Pattern

Root נ assimilates into R2 with Dagesh forte whenever it stands in a syllable immediately before R2 without a supporting vowel. In the Hophal, this occurs in the imperfect, wayyiqtol, and infinitive construct — the same conjugations where the strong Hophal has a simple prefix before R1 (and the root נ therefore stands unsupported). In the perfect and participle, the prefix vowel (הֻ/מֻ) stabilizes R1, and assimilation does NOT occur.

The combination of Hophal u-class prefix + Dagesh forte in R2 is the unmistakable signature of a Pe-Nun root in a prefix Hophal conjugation.

Diagnostic markers:
- Perfect 3ms: הֻגַּד — Qibbuts prefix; Dagesh in R2 (ג); נ has assimilated even in perfect (because נָגַד also loses its נ in the Niphal/Hophal pattern — here the dagesh in ג is from the Hophal doubling context)
- Imperfect 3ms: יֻגַּד — Qibbuts prefix; Dagesh forte in R2; no trace of root נ
- Wayyiqtol 3ms: וַיֻּגַּד — contraction of prefix + Hophal u-vowel; Dagesh forte in R2
- Participle ms: מֻגָּד — מֻ prefix; Dagesh forte in R2 (from assimilation)

The נגד formula: וַיֻּגַּד לְ ("and it was told to…") is one of the most common narrative formulas in Genesis and the historical books. Recognizing this as Hophal Wayyiqtol 3ms of נָגַד is essential for fluent reading.

Paradigm Summary (3ms per conjugation)

*Note: נָקַם is listed here for cross-reference — its Hophal הֻקַּם/יֻקַּם is more commonly cited in the Geminate section (section 9) since קַם patterns as geminate. See section 9 for full treatment.

Key Corpus Examples

• וַיֻּגַּד לְאַבְרָהָם (Gen 22:20) — "and it was told to Abraham" — Hophal Wayyiqtol 3ms of נָגַד; standard narrative report formula; Qibbuts under prefix consonant; Dagesh forte in ג
• וַיֻּגַּד לְרִבְקָה (Gen 27:42) — "and the words of Esau were told to Rebekah" — same formula; Hophal passivizes the Hiphil הִגִּיד "to tell/declare"
• הֻגַּד (Deu 17:4) — "and it has been told to you" — Hophal Perfect 3ms of נָגַד; Qibbuts + Dagesh forte in ג; the Weqatal form וְהֻגַּד also found here
• מֻגָּד (various) — Hophal Participle of נָגַד; "what is told/reported"

7. I-י/ו (Pe-Yod and Pe-Vav) Verbs

Pattern

I-י/ו roots in the Hophal produce the most visually distinctive forms of the entire chapter. The Hophal's u-class prefix vowel — normally Qibbuts (ֻ) — lengthens to Shureq (וּ) when the root's initial yod/vav quiesces into the prefix consonant. The result is a Shureq under the prefix consonant that is indistinguishable from the standard Hophal Shureq marker. This overlap is expected and intentional: the Hophal u-vowel and the quiesced Pe-Yod both produce the same Shureq pattern.

The practical effect: I-י/ו Hophal forms are recognized exactly like Hophal strong forms — by the Shureq under the prefix consonant. The root is identified by examining R2 and R3 (the only consonants visible) and checking the lexicon.

Most important I-י/ו Hophal roots:
- יָלַד "to bear/beget" → Hophal הוּלַד "was born/begotten"
- בּוֹא "to come/bring" (I-ו) → Hophal הוּבָא "was brought" / יוּבָא "will be brought"
- יָצָא "to go out" → Hophal הוּצָא (rare); more common in Hiphil הוֹצִיא
- יָרַד "to go down" → Hophal הוּרַד "was brought down"

Diagnostic markers:
- Perfect 3ms: הוּלַד — Shureq under הוּ prefix; R1 (י) has quiesced; Patach under R2
- Perfect 3ms (בוא): הוּבָא — Shureq prefix; Qamets under R2 (III-א effect: see section 4)
- Imperfect 3ms: יוּלַד — Shureq under imperfect prefix; Patach under R2
- Wayyiqtol 3ms: וַיּוּלַד — doubled prefix consonant + Shureq; Patach under R2
- Participle ms: מוּלָד — מוּ prefix (Shureq); Qamets under R2

Paradigm Summary (3ms per conjugation)

Key Corpus Examples

• הוּלַד לוֹ (Gen 21:5) — "was born to him" — Hophal Perfect 3ms of יָלַד; Shureq prefix; Patach under ל; Abraham's age when Isaac was born
• וַיּוּלַד (Gen 4:26) — "and to Seth also a son was born" — Hophal Wayyiqtol 3ms of יָלַד; the standard genealogical passive; appears dozens of times in Gen 4–11
• הוּבָא (Gen 43:18) — "because of the silver that was returned" / "they were brought to Joseph's house" — Hophal Perfect 3ms of בּוֹא; Shureq under הוּ; I-ו root (quiesced ב-וא)
• וַיּוּבָא (Gen 39:1) — "Joseph was brought down to Egypt" — Hophal Wayyiqtol 3ms of בּוֹא; Shureq + Patach; Joseph narrative Hophal of "bringing"
• יוּבָא (Lev 6:23) — "it shall be brought [as an offering]" — Hophal Imperfect 3ms of בּוֹא; Shureq under imperfect prefix; sacrificial legislation
• הוּרַד (Gen 39:1) — "Joseph was brought down to Egypt" — Hophal Perfect 3ms of יָרַד; Shureq prefix; the double use of Hophal יָרַד and בּוֹא in this verse is the textbook example of I-י/ו Hophal

8. Biconsonantal (II-ו/י) Verbs

Pattern

Biconsonantal (hollow) roots have two true consonants (R1 and R3) with a long medial vowel. In the Hophal, the u-class prefix vowel and the root's medial vowel letter interact to produce a characteristic Holem-Vav (וֹ) under the prefix consonant in many forms, though the standard Shureq/Qibbuts also occurs depending on the specific root and tradition. The key forms:

• Root קוּם → Hophal הוּקַם / יוּקַם — the root's ו contracts with the Hophal u-prefix producing Shureq; Patach under R2 (ק)
• Root שִׂים → Hophal הוּשַׂם / יוּשַׂם — same pattern
• Root שׁוּב → Hophal הוּשַׁב / יוּשַׁב — "was returned/restored"

In practice, Biconsonantal Hophal forms are identified by (1) Shureq or Qibbuts under the prefix, (2) only two root consonants visible between the prefix and the ending, and (3) Patach under R2 (in the perfect and imperfect).

Diagnostic markers:
- Perfect 3ms: הוּקַם — Shureq under הוּ prefix; Patach under R2 (ק); only two root consonants (ק + מ)
- Imperfect 3ms: יוּקַם — Shureq under imperfect prefix; same two-consonant pattern
- Wayyiqtol 3ms: וַיּוּקַם — doubled prefix + Shureq; two root consonants
- Participle ms: מוּקָם — מוּ prefix; Qamets under R2

Paradigm Summary (3ms per conjugation)

Key Corpus Examples

• הוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן (Exo 40:17) — "the tabernacle was set up" — Hophal Perfect 3ms of קוּם; Shureq prefix; "the tabernacle was raised up/established" on the first day of the first month; the great Tabernacle narrative Hophal
• יוּקַם (Num 9:15) — "on the day the tabernacle was set up" — Hophal Imperfect 3ms of קוּם; reference to the same event from the perspective of the pillar of cloud; Shureq under prefix
• הוּשַׁב (Gen 43:12) — "the silver that was returned in your bags" — Hophal Perfect 3ms of שׁוּב; Shureq prefix; Patach under R2; Joseph's brothers and the silver

9. Geminate (Ayin-Doubled, II=III) Verbs

Pattern

Geminate roots (R2 = R3) in the Hophal produce compact, distinctive forms. Because the identical consonants must be written together, R2 takes a Dagesh forte (representing the doubled consonant). The Hophal u-class prefix is retained. The combination of Qibbuts under the prefix consonant + Dagesh forte in R2 is the defining signature.

The most important Geminate Hophal root is נָקַם "to avenge" → יֻקַּם "shall be avenged." This form is embedded in Genesis 4, one of the most-cited legal-theological texts in the OT. The root קָלַל "to be cursed/despised" and שָׁמַם "to be devastated/desolate" also produce important Hophal Geminate forms.

Diagnostic markers:
- Perfect 3ms: הֻקַּם — Qibbuts under prefix; Dagesh forte in R2 (=R3); short Patach
- Imperfect 3ms: יֻקַּם — Qibbuts under prefix consonant; Dagesh forte in R2
- Wayyiqtol 3ms: וַיֻּקַּם — doubled prefix + Qibbuts + Dagesh in R2
- Participle ms: מֻקָּם — מֻ prefix; Dagesh forte in R2; Qamets

Paradigm Summary (3ms per conjugation)

Key Corpus Examples

• יֻקַּם שִׁבְעָתַיִם (Gen 4:15) — "Cain will be avenged sevenfold" — Hophal Imperfect 3ms of נָקַם; the LORD sets a protective sign on Cain; Qibbuts under prefix + Dagesh forte in קּ; one of the earliest Hophal forms in the OT
• יֻקַּם לָמֶךְ (Gen 4:24) — "if Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold" — same root, same form; Lamech's boast song; consecutive use of Hophal Imperfect in a poem
• הֻשַּׁמּוּ (Jer 2:12) — "be appalled, O heavens" — though morphologically complex, compare Hophal Geminate of שָׁמַם in Hophal usage; "were made desolate/appalled"
• הֻקַּם (Exo 40:2) — "on the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle" — Hophal of קוּם here in biconsonantal/geminate overlap; Qibbuts + Dagesh; the tabernacle-erection formula

10. High-Frequency Weak Hophal Lemmas

The following weak-root Hophal lemmas are among the most common in the OT. Frequency counts represent Hophal tokens only.

Usage note: The three most common weak Hophal lemmas — בּוֹא (brought), נָגַד (told), and יָלַד (born/begotten) — account for the majority of Hophal weak tokens in narrative texts. בּוֹא dominates the Joseph narrative; נָגַד dominates the narrative reporting formula; יָלַד dominates the genealogies of Genesis 4–11. Mastering these three roots in their Hophal forms gives immediate access to large swaths of Genesis.

Sources: MACULA Hebrew WLC (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · BBH = Pratico & Van Pelt, Basics of Biblical Hebrew, 3rd ed.