BBH Chapter 28 — Hophal Strong Verbs (הֻפְעַל)¶
Files¶
Reference Files¶
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| hophal-paradigms.md | Full PGN paradigm tables — Hophal strong root (מוּת model), Hiphil comparison, key-marker notes per conjugation |
Exercises¶
| Exercise | Description |
|---|---|
| exercises/ch28-passage-exercise/ | Passage exercise — identify and parse Hophal verbs in Torah legal and narrative texts |
| exercises/ch28-function-sort/ | Semantic function sorting — classify 25 Hophal forms as PT / LF / SR / SC / SA |
| exercises/ch28-hophal-hiphil-contrast/ | Hophal vs. Hiphil contrast drill — parse 25 forms and identify the stem |
| exercises/ch28-hophal-paradigm-drill/ | Paradigm drill — write all 26 inflected forms of מות (Hophal) from memory |
| exercises/ch28-stem-id-drill/ | Stem identification drill — Qal/Hiphil/Hophal strong roots |
Flashcards¶
| File | Format | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ch28-morphology-deck.md | Markdown | 24-card morphology deck — Hophal strong forms across all conjugations for 3 roots |
| ch28-morphology-deck.txt | Anki import | Morphology deck — tab-separated, ready for Anki File → Import (24 cards) |
| ch28-morphology-deck-fd.txt | Flashcards Deluxe | Morphology deck — tab-separated, ready for Flashcards Deluxe import (24 cards) |
| ch28-vocab-deck.md | Markdown | 12-word vocabulary deck — 8 verbs + 4 nouns |
| ch28-vocab-deck.txt | Anki import | Vocabulary deck — tab-separated, ready for Anki File → Import (12 cards) |
| ch28-vocab-deck-fd.txt | Flashcards Deluxe | Vocabulary deck — tab-separated, ready for Flashcards Deluxe import (12 cards) |
Notebooks¶
| Notebook | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Hophal Stem | Hophal stem: complete morphological profile; legal formulas (מוּת יוּמַת), motion and speech |
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.
| Function | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Passive causative | Caused to undergo the action that the Hiphil causes | יוּמַת — "he shall be put to death" ← Hiphil הֵמִית "he put to death" |
| Passive of bringing/carrying | Something is brought, carried, or led | יוּבָא — "it was brought in" ← Hiphil הֵבִיא "he brought" |
| Passive of reporting | Information is told, reported, declared | הֻגַּד — "it was told" ← Hiphil הִגִּיד "he told/declared" |
| Passive of striking | Being struck down | יֻכּוּ — "they were struck" ← Hiphil הִכָּה "he struck" |
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¶
| Conjugation | Hophal pattern | Key |
|---|---|---|
| Perfect 3ms | הוּ prefix + Patach under R2 | הוּמַת — u-vowel (shureq) under prefix consonant |
| Imperfect 3ms | יוּ/יֻ prefix + Patach under R2 | יוּמַת — shureq or qibbuts under prefix consonant |
| Wayyiqtol | וַיּוּ prefix | וַיּוּמַת — doubled prefix consonant + shureq |
| Weqatal | וְהוּ prefix | וְהוּמַת — וְ + Hophal Perfect form |
| Imperative | — | No Hophal Imperative (passive stem) |
| Inf. Construct | הוּ prefix | Same form as Perfect 3ms; rare |
| Inf. Absolute | הוּ prefix + Tsere under R2 | הוּמֵת — Tsere distinguishes from Perfect Patach |
| Participle ms | מוּ/מֻ prefix + Qamets under R2 | מוּמָת — מ prefix + u-class vowel |
3. Paradigm Tables¶
| Conjugation | Hophal 3ms | BBH § | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perfect (Qatal) | הוּמַת | 28.3 | הוּ prefix; Patach under R2 |
| Imperfect (Yiqtol) | יוּמַת | 28.4 | יוּ prefix; Patach under R2 |
| Wayyiqtol | וַיּוּמַת | — | וַיּ + Hophal Imperfect |
| Weqatal | וְהוּמַת | — | וְ + Perfect form |
| Imperative | — | — | No Hophal Imperative |
| Inf. Construct | הוּמַת | 28.6 | Rare; identical to Perfect 3ms |
| Inf. Absolute | הוּמֵת | 28.7 | Tsere under R2 (contrast Perfect) |
| Participle | מוּמָת | 28.8 | מ prefix + u-vowel + Qamets |
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
| Conjugation | Form | Reference | Morph | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperfect 3ms | יוּמַת | Gen 26:11 | VHi3ms | he shall be put to death |
| Imperfect 3ms | יוּמַת | Num 35:16 | VHi3ms | he shall be put to death |
| Perfect 3ms | הוּמַת | Deu 21:22 | VHq3ms | he has been put to death |
| Wayyiqtol 3fs | וַתּוּמַת | 2Ki 11:16 | VHw3fs | and she was put to death |
| Participle ms | מוּמָת | 1Sa 19:11 | VHsmsa | one who is to be put to death |
| Weqatal 3cp | הֻמְתוּ | 2Sa 21:9 | VHp3cp | they were put to death |
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
| Conjugation | Form | Reference | Morph | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayyiqtol 3ms | וַיֻּגַּד | Gen 22:20 | VHw3ms | and it was told |
| Wayyiqtol 3ms | וַיֻּגַּד | Gen 27:42 | VHw3ms | and it was told |
| Perfect 3ms | הֻגַּד | Deu 17:4 | VHq3ms | it has been told |
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)¶
| # | Root | Count (Torah) | Hiphil meaning | Hophal meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | מוּת | 43 | to put to death | to be put to death | Legal formula יוּמַת מוֹת |
| 2 | שׁזר | 21 | (twist) | twisted (linen) | Tabernacle materials; always Hophal Ptc. מָשְׁזָר |
| 3 | בּוּא | 11 | to bring | to be brought | יוּבָא / הוּבָא |
| 4 | נָגַד | 7 | to tell, declare | to be told, reported | וַיֻּגַּד formula |
| 5 | נָכָה | 7 | to strike | to be struck | יֻּכּוּ / מֻכִּים |
| 6 | עָבַד | 4 | to work, serve | to be made to serve | Exo labor contexts |
| 7 | שׁוּב | 4 | to bring back | to be returned | יּוּשַׁב |
| 8 | רָאָה | 4 | to show | to be shown | הָרְאָה |
| 9 | שָׁמֵם | 3 | to devastate | to be laid waste | |
| 10 | נָקַם | 3 | to avenge | to be avenged | יֻקַּם — Gen 4:15 |
| 11 | נָתַן | 3 | to give, set | to be put, given | |
| 12 | סָבַב | 3 | to surround | to be surrounded | |
| 13 | יָקַד | 3 | to kindle | to be kindled/burn | |
| 14 | חָרַם | 2 | to devote | to be devoted to destruction | |
| 15 | יָדַע | 2 | to make known | to be made known |
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)¶
| Conjugation | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Imperfect (Yiqtol) | 137 | 32.7% |
| Participle | 111 | 26.5% |
| Weqatal | 102 | 24.3% |
| Wayyiqtol | 32 | 7.6% |
| Perfect (Qatal) | 19 | 4.5% |
| Infinitive Construct | 7 | 1.7% |
| Infinitive Absolute | 6 | 1.4% |
| Imperative | 2 | 0.5% |
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:
| Feature | Pual Participle | Hophal Participle |
|---|---|---|
| Prefix | מְ + Qibbuts under R1 | מוּ or מֻ under R1 |
| Dagesh in R2 | Yes — Dagesh forte (Piel/Pual marker) | No (unless from Pe-Nun or assimilation) |
| Passive of | Piel (intensive) | Hiphil (causative) |
| Example | מְקֻדָּשׁ — "consecrated" (Piel factitive passive) | מוּמָת — "one to be put to death" (Hiphil causative passive) |
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¶
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the ONE universal Hophal marker? | u-class vowel (שׁוּ/ֻ) under the prefix consonant in every conjugation |
| Hophal Perfect prefix | הוּ (he + shureq) |
| Hophal Imperfect prefix | יוּ/תּוּ (shureq) or יֻ/תֻ (qibbuts) |
| Hophal Wayyiqtol prefix | וַיּוּ/וַתּוּ |
| Hophal Participle prefix | מוּ/מֻ |
| Does the Hophal have an Imperative? | No — passive of causative; cannot be commanded |
| What stem is the Hophal passive of? | Hiphil (causative active) |
| Most common Hophal form by far? | יוּמַת — "shall be put to death" (99× OT) |
| How to distinguish Hophal Ptc from Pual Ptc? | Dagesh in R2: Pual has it; Hophal does not |