Chapter 21 — Haphel Stem Drill

Basics of Biblical Aramaic, Van Pelt — Ch21: The Haphel Stem

Instructions

For each numbered Haphel verb form from Daniel or Ezra, enter: Conjugation (Perfect / Imperfect / Imperative / Infinitive / Participle), Root (3 consonants, Peal 3ms form), PGN (Person-Gender-Number, or N/A for infinitive; ms/mp/fs for participle), and Translation. All forms are Haphel (H stem — causative). Click ▶ Answer to reveal the answer key row.

Haphel perfect: הַ- prefix before R1; Tsere in R2; no R2 dagesh.    Haphel imperfect: יְהַ- (prefix + Haphel marker); Tsere in R2.    Haphel infinitive: לְהַ- + Qamets in R2 + -ָה ending.    Haphel participle: מְהַ- prefix; Tsere in R2; no R2 dagesh (contrast Pael: R2 dagesh).    I-yod roots (ידע): הַ + יְ → הוֹ- (contraction to Holem-waw).    Hollow roots (קום): הַקִּים pattern (compensatory dagesh in R3, not D-stem dagesh).    "Bring" root (יתי/אתה): fixed stem הֵיתִי (Haphel perfect 3ms).
# Form Conjugation Root PGN Translation
1
הוֹדַע
Perfect ידע 3ms he made known / revealed (Dan. 2:23: הוֹדַעְתַּנִי "you made known to me"; הַ + I-yod יְ → הוֹ- contraction; Haphel causative of "to know" = "to make known")
2
הַקִּים
Perfect קום 3ms he set up / established (Dan. 3:1: "he set it up in the plain of Dura"; hollow root II-waw קום; הַ- prefix + contracted stem → הַקִּים; dagesh in מ is compensatory from hollow root contraction, not D-stem doubling)
3
הֵיתִיוּ
Perfect יתי/אתה 3mp they brought (Dan. 5:2: "bring the golden vessels"; Haphel of "to come" = "to bring / cause to come"; base stem הֵיתִי + וּ 3mp suffix; memorize הֵיתִי as the Haphel 3ms perfect of this root)
4
יְהוֹדַע
Imperfect ידע 3ms he will make known / reveal (Dan. 2:29: יְהוֹדַעָךְ "he will make known to you"; יְ- imperfect prefix + הוֹ- Haphel + I-yod contraction + דַע; Haphel imperfect of ידע)
5
לְהוֹדָעָה
Infinitive ידע N/A to make known / to declare (Dan. 2:15; 4:3; לְ- + הוֹ- Haphel + I-yod contraction + דָ + עָה infinitive ending; Qamets in R2 is the Haphel infinitive lengthening; -ָה is the standard Aramaic infinitive ending)
6
מְהוֹדֵעַ
Participle ידע ms making known / revealing (Dan. 2:28: גָּלֵא רָזִין מְהוֹדַע; מְ- participle prefix + הוֹ- Haphel + I-yod contraction + דֵעַ; III-aleph ending ַע on R3; Haphel participle of ידע)
7
הַשְׁלְטָךְ
Perfect שׁלט 3ms + 2ms obj. suffix he made you ruler over / he gave you dominion (Dan. 2:38: "all of them he has given into your hand and made you ruler over them"; הַ- Haphel perfect + שׁלט root + ָךְ 2ms object suffix; causative of שׁלט "to rule" = "to make ruler")
8
מְהַעְדֵּה
Participle עדה ms removing / deposing (Dan. 2:21: מְהַעְדֵּה מַלְכִין "removing kings"; מְ- participle prefix + הַ Haphel marker + עְדֵּה III-he root ending; causative of עדה "to pass" = "to cause to pass away / to remove")
9
מְהַשְׁנֵא
Participle שׁנה ms changing / altering (Dan. 2:21: מְהַשְׁנֵא עִדָּנַיָּא "he changes times and seasons"; מְ- + הַ Haphel + שְׁנֵא III-aleph/III-he ending; Haphel causative of שׁנה "to be different/change" = "to cause to change / to alter")
10
הַקִּימוּ
Perfect קום 3mp they set up / they established (Dan. 6:7: הַקִּימוּ כֻּלְּהוֹן "they all established [a royal decree]"; same hollow root הַקִּים- + וּ 3mp suffix; the compensatory dagesh in מ remains in all suffixed forms)
11
לְהַשְׁלָטָה
Infinitive שׁלט N/A to give rule / to make ruler (לְ- prefix + הַ Haphel marker + שְׁ R1 + לָ R2 with Qamets [infinitive lengthening] + טָה infinitive ending; Haphel infinitive structure: לְהַ + stem + Qamets-R2 + -ָה)
12
יְהַשְׁלַח
Imperfect שׁלח 3ms he will send out / throw (יְ- imperfect prefix + הַ Haphel + שׁלח strong root; transparent יְהַ- structure visible here on a strong root; Haphel causative of שׁלח "to send" = "to cause to go out / to throw / to send away")
13
הֵיתִי
Perfect יתי/אתה 3ms he brought (Dan. 3:13; 5:13; Haphel 3ms perfect of the "come" root; הֵי- = Haphel prefix fused with the I-yod/I-aleph weak root; memorize הֵיתִי = Haphel perfect 3ms "he brought")
14
הוֹדַעְתְּ
Perfect ידע 2ms you made known / you revealed (Dan. 2:23: הוֹדַעְתַּנִי "you have made known to me"; הוֹ- Haphel + I-yod contraction + דַע + תְּ 2ms perfect suffix; the ַ vowel shifts before the suffix consonant)
15
מְהָקֵם
Participle קום ms setting up / establishing (Dan. 2:21: מְהָקֵם מַלְכִין "setting up kings"; מְ- participle prefix + הָ- Haphel (Qamets variant with hollow root) + קֵם contracted hollow root stem; Haphel participle of קום)
16
הַקְטֵל
Perfect or Imperative קטל 3ms (perfect) / 2ms (imperative) he caused to kill (perfect) / cause to kill! (imperative) — model root form; הַ- prefix + שׁ֣R1 Shewa + Tsere-R2; the Haphel imperative 2ms is identical in form to perfect 3ms; context determines parsing
17
יְהֵיתוּן
Imperfect יתי/אתה 3mp they will bring (יְ- imperfect prefix + הֵי- Haphel stem of "come" root + תוּן 3mp imperfect suffix; Haphel imperfect of "to come" = "they will bring / they will cause to come")
18
הַשְׁלֵט
Perfect שׁלט 3ms he made [him] ruler / he gave dominion (הַ- Haphel prefix + שׁ R1 + Tsere-לֵ R2 + ט R3; standard strong-root Haphel perfect 3ms pattern; causative of שׁלט "to rule" = "to cause to rule / to install as ruler")
19
לְהַקְטָלָה
Infinitive קטל N/A to cause to kill (model root form); לְ- prefix + הַ Haphel + קְ R1 Shewa + טָ R2 Qamets (infinitive lengthening) + לָה -ָה ending; structure: לְהַ + [R1 Shewa] + [R2 Qamets] + R3 + -ָה
20
מְהַקְטֵל
Participle קטל ms causing to kill (model root form); מְ- participle prefix + הַ Haphel marker + קְ R1 Shewa + טֵ R2 Tsere + ל R3; no R2 dagesh (contrast Pael מְקַטֵּל which has dagesh in R2); the הַ in the stem is the decisive Haphel marker

Reflection Questions

  1. Items 1 (הוֹדַע) and 4 (יְהוֹדַע) both come from root ידע. (a) How does the Haphel prefix appear differently in the perfect vs. imperfect? (b) What phonological process produces the הוֹ- sequence?
  2. Item 2 (הַקִּים) has dagesh forte in מ, yet this is Haphel, not Pael. Why does the dagesh appear? How does it differ in origin and function from the D-stem dagesh?
  3. Item 6 (מְהוֹדֵעַ) and item 20 (מְהַקְטֵל) are both Haphel participles. (a) What prefix marks both as participles? (b) Why does the Haphel marker look different between the two?
  4. Items 8 (מְהַעְדֵּה) and 9 (מְהַשְׁנֵא) are Haphel participles of III-he roots. What is the III-he participle ending? How would these forms look if the roots were strong?
  5. Items 13 (הֵיתִי) and 3 (הֵיתִיוּ) are from the same root. Why does this Haphel form look so different from הוֹדַע or הַקִּים? What morphological elements can you identify in הֵיתִי?