Chapter 25 — "Spot the Niphal" Passage Exercise¶
Genesis 3, 6, and 21: The Garden, the Flood Prelude, and Beersheba
Instructions¶
The three passages below contain a rich variety of Niphal functions. Genesis 3 has reflexive and middle uses (hiding, being opened); Genesis 6 has Niphal-only forms (God's regret) plus passive (corruption); Genesis 21 has reflexive oath-swearing and passive birth notices.
For each numbered verb, answer: Is it Niphal? (Yes / No). Then for every verb:
- Parse it — give conjugation, person-gender-number, and root.
- State the semantic function (Passive / Reflexive / Middle / Simple action — or "NOT Niphal" for distractors).
Distractors (#2, #7, #16) are Qal verbs drawn inline from the same passages. Students must distinguish Niphal from Qal active forms appearing alongside them.
An answer key is at the bottom.
Passage A — Genesis 3:5–10¶
3:5 — וִֽהְיִיתֶם֙ כֵּֽאלֹהִ֔ים יֹדְעֵ֖י טוֹב וָרָ֑ע כִּ֣י יֹדֵ֔עַ אֱלֹהִ֕ים כִּ֗י בְּיֹ֛ום אֲכָלְכֶ֥ם מִמֶּ֖נּוּ וְנִפְקְח֖וּ עֵינֵיכֶ֑ם
"…for God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will [1] ____."
| # | Verb | Niphal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | וְנִפְקְחוּ |
3:6 — וַתֵּ֣רֶא הָֽאִשָּׁ֡ה כִּ֣י טֹוב֩ הָעֵ֨ץ לְמַאֲכָ֜ל וְכִ֧י תַֽאֲוָה־ה֣וּא לָעֵינַ֗יִם וְנֶחְמָ֤ד הָעֵץ֙ לְהַשְׂכִּ֔יל
"So when the woman [2] ____ that the tree was good for food … and the tree was [3] ____ to make one wise."
| # | Verb | Niphal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | וַתֵּרֶא | |||||
| 3 | וְנֶחְמָד |
3:7 — וַתִּפָּקַ֙חְנָה֙ עֵינֵ֣י שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם
"Then the eyes of both of them [4] ____."
| # | Verb | Niphal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | וַתִּפָּקַחְנָה |
3:10 — וָאִירָ֛א כִּֽי־עֵירֹ֥ם אָנֹ֖כִי וָאֵחָבֵֽא
"I was afraid, because I was naked, and [5] ____."
| # | Verb | Niphal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | וָאֵחָבֵא |
Passage B — Genesis 6:6–12¶
6:6 — וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם יְהוָ֔ה כִּֽי־עָשָׂ֥ה אֶת־הָאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ
"And the LORD [6] ____ that he [7] ____ man on the earth."
| # | Verb | Niphal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | וַיִּנָּחֶם | |||||
| 7 | עָשָׂה |
6:7 — נִחַ֖מְתִּי כִּ֥י עֲשִׂיתִֽם
"I [8] ____ that I made them."
| # | Verb | Niphal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | נִחַמְתִּי |
6:11 — וַתִּשָּׁחֵ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ … וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ חָמָֽס
"The earth [9] ____ … and the earth [10] ____ with violence."
| # | Verb | Niphal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | וַתִּשָּׁחֵת | |||||
| 10 | וַתִּמָּלֵא |
6:12 — וְהִנֵּ֥ה נִשְׁחָ֑תָה כִּֽי־הִשְׁחִ֧ית כָּל־בָּשָׂ֛ר
"and behold, it [11] ____, for all flesh had corrupted its way."
| # | Verb | Niphal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | נִשְׁחָתָה |
6:21 — וְאָסַפְתָּ֣ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְהָיָ֥ה לְךָ֖ וְלָהֶ֥ם לְאָכְלָֽה יֵֽאָכֵ֔ל
"Gather it to yourself; it shall be food for you and for them — it shall [12] ____."
| # | Verb | Niphal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | יֵאָכֵל |
Passage C — Genesis 21:23–31¶
21:23 — הִשָּׁ֨בְעָ֜ה לִּ֗י בֵּאלֹהִ֛ים הֵ֖נָּה
"[13] ____ to me by God here."
| # | Verb | Niphal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | הִשָּׁבְעָה |
21:24 — וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם אָנֹכִ֖י אִשָּׁבֵֽעַ
"And Abraham said, 'I [14] ____.'"
| # | Verb | Niphal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | אִשָּׁבֵעַ |
21:31 — כִּ֛י שָׁ֥ם נִשְׁבְּע֖וּ שְׁנֵיהֶֽם
"For there [15] ____ both of them."
| # | Verb | Niphal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | נִשְׁבְּעוּ |
Bonus — Genesis 21:3–8¶
21:3 — אֲשֶׁר־נּֽוֹלַד־לֹ֛ו
"who had been born to him"
21:8 — וַיִּגְדַּ֤ל הַיֶּ֙לֶד֙ וַיִּגָּמַ֑ל
"And the child [16] ____ and was weaned."
| # | Verb | Niphal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 | נּוֹלַד | |||||
| 16 | וַיִּגְדַּל | |||||
| B2 | וַיִּגָּמַל |
Answer Key¶
| # | Verb | Niphal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | וְנִפְקְחוּ | Yes | Weqatal | 3cp | פָּקַח | Middle — will be opened (eyes open themselves) |
| 2 | וַתֵּרֶא | No | Wayyiqtol | 3fs | רָאָה | No (Qal) — she saw; Qal wayyiqtol 3fs; no נ-/תִ- Niphal marker |
| 3 | וְנֶחְמָד | Yes | Participle ms | ms | חָמַד | Passive — desirable (substantival ptc., "desired") |
| 4 | וַתִּפָּקַחְנָה | Yes | Wayyiqtol | 3fp | פָּקַח | Middle — they were opened (the eyes opened) |
| 5 | וָאֵחָבֵא | Yes | Wayyiqtol | 1cs | חָבָא | Reflexive — I hid myself |
| 6 | וַיִּנָּחֶם | Yes | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | נָחַם | Simple (Niphal-only) — he regretted / relented |
| 7 | עָשָׂה | No | Perfect | 3ms | עָשָׂה | No (Qal) — he had made; contrast with Niphal וַיִּנָּחֶם earlier in the verse |
| 8 | נִחַמְתִּי | Yes | Weqatal | 1cs | נָחַם | Simple (Niphal-only) — I regret |
| 9 | וַתִּשָּׁחֵת | Yes | Wayyiqtol | 3fs | שָׁחַת | Passive — it was corrupted |
| 10 | וַתִּמָּלֵא | Yes | Wayyiqtol | 3fs | מָלֵא | Passive — it was filled |
| 11 | נִשְׁחָתָה | Yes | Weqatal | 3fs | שָׁחַת | Passive — it was corrupt |
| 12 | יֵאָכֵל | Yes | Imperfect | 3ms | אָכַל | Passive — it shall be eaten |
| 13 | הִשָּׁבְעָה | Yes | Imperative | 2ms | שָׁבַע | Reflexive — swear! (bind yourself by oath) |
| 14 | אִשָּׁבֵעַ | Yes | Imperfect | 1cs | שָׁבַע | Reflexive — I will swear |
| 15 | נִשְׁבְּעוּ | Yes | Weqatal | 3mp | שָׁבַע | Reflexive — they swore (bound themselves by oath) |
| B1 | נּוֹלַד | Yes | Weqatal | 3ms | יָלַד | Passive — who had been born |
| 16 | וַיִּגְדַּל | No | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | גָּדַל | No (Qal) — grew; active Qal; contrast with B2 Niphal passive in same verse |
| B2 | וַיִּגָּמַל | Yes | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | גָּמַל | Passive — was weaned |
Score: 13 Niphal + 3 non-Niphal + 2 bonus = 18 total (distractors #2, #7, #16 are unscored practice). 15–18 = excellent; 11–14 = review the paradigm; below 11 = revisit §23.3–23.13 before the next class.
Conjugation Coverage¶
| Conjugation | Items |
|---|---|
| Wayyiqtol (6) | #4, #5, #6, #9, #10, B2 |
| Weqatal (5) | #1, #8, #11, #15, B1 |
| Imperfect (2) | #12, #14 |
| Participle (1) | #3 |
| Imperative (1) | #13 |
| Non-Niphal (3) | #2 (Qal Wayyiqtol 3fs), #7 (Qal Perfect 3ms), #16 (Qal Wayyiqtol 3ms) |
Note: Items 6–8 (וַיִּנָּחֶם / נִחַמְתִּי) are both from נָחַם, a verb that occurs almost exclusively in the Niphal. Items 13–15 all parse as Reflexive from שָׁבַע — notice how Imperative, Imperfect, and Weqatal all express the same oath-swearing action.
Reflection Questions¶
- Every Niphal in Passage A (Gen 3) involves eyes, hiding, or desire. What does the Niphal contribute to the theological message of the Fall narrative?
- In Gen 6:6–7, God is the subject of a Niphal-only verb (נָחַם). What does this choice tell us about how the narrator portrays God's emotional response?
- Compare Gen 3:5 (וְנִפְקְחוּ — will be opened, Middle/Tolerative) with Gen 3:7 (וַתִּפָּקַחְנָה — were opened, Middle). Is the function identical in both? What difference in nuance, if any, does the shift from weqatal to wayyiqtol suggest?