BBH Chapter 28 — Hophal Strong Verbs (הָקְטַל)¶
Learn the Hophal stem for strong verbs in all conjugations: perfect, imperfect, participle, and infinitives. Identify the diagnostic qamets-hatuph or qibbuts vowel under the הׁ- or מׁ- preformative that marks Hophal, and contrast it with the Hiphil preformative. Understand the Hophal as the passive of Hiphil—expressing the state of having been caused to perform an action—and recognize its relative rarity compared to the active Hiphil and the Niphal passive.
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| Exercises | View exercises → |
| Flashcard Decks | View decks → |
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 | יֻמַת — "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 throwing/casting | Something is thrown down | יֻשְׁלָכוּ — "they shall be cast out" ← Hiphil הִשְׁלִיךְ "he threw" |
Key diagnostic: The Hophal is identified by a u-class or o-class vowel under the prefix consonant in every conjugation. This one marker distinguishes Hophal from all other stems.
- Hophal Perfect (strong root): הָ (o-class qamets hatuf) or הֻ (u-class qibbuts) prefix — הָקְטַל / הֻקְטַל
- Hophal Imperfect (strong root): יֻ/תֻּ (qibbuts) prefix — יֻקְטַל
- Hophal Participle: מֻ (qibbuts) prefix — מֻקְטָל
2. Form — Diagnostic Markers¶
| Conjugation | Hophal pattern (strong root קטל) | Key |
|---|---|---|
| Perfect 3ms | הָ/הֻ prefix + Patach under R2 | הָקְטַל / הֻקְטַל — o-class or u-class vowel under prefix he |
| Imperfect 3ms | יֻ prefix + Patach under R2 | יֻקְטַל — qibbuts under prefix yod |
| Wayyiqtol | וַיֻּ prefix | וַיֻּקְטַל — doubled prefix + qibbuts |
| Weqatal | וְהָ/וְהֻ prefix | וְהָקְטַל — וְ + Hophal Perfect form |
| Imperative 2ms | הָ prefix + Patach under R2 | הָקְטַל — identical to Perfect 3ms and Inf. Construct; context disambiguates |
| Inf. Construct | הָ prefix | הָקְטַל — same form as Perfect 3ms; rare |
| Inf. Absolute | הָ prefix + Tsere under R2 | הָקְטֵל — Tsere distinguishes from Perfect Patach |
| Participle ms | מֻ prefix + Qamets under R2 | מֻקְטָל — mem + qibbuts + qamets under R2 |
Two forms of the Hophal Perfect (strong root): The Hophal Perfect appears with two different prefix vowels for strong roots: - o-class (הָ) — qamets hatuf: הָשְׁלַכְתָּ (Isa 14:19), הָפְקַד (Lev 6:4). Most common in the OT. - u-class (הֻ) — qibbuts: הֻשְׁלָכָה (Ezk 19:12), הֻכָּה. Less common but well attested.
The shureq form (הוּ) seen in מוּת → הוּמַת is characteristic of hollow (biconsonantal) roots — covered in Ch29.
3. Paradigm Tables¶
| Conjugation | Hophal 3ms (קטל) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Perfect (Qatal) | הָקְטַל / הֻקְטַל | o-class or u-class prefix; Patach under R2 |
| Imperfect (Yiqtol) | יֻקְטַל | qibbuts under prefix; Patach under R2 |
| Wayyiqtol | וַיֻּקְטַל | וַיּ + qibbuts |
| Weqatal | וְהָקְטַל | וְ + Perfect form |
| Imperative 2ms | הָקְטַל | Extremely rare (1–2 OT tokens); identical to Perfect 3ms |
| Inf. Construct | הָקְטַל | Rare; identical to Perfect 3ms and Imperative 2ms |
| Inf. Absolute | הָקְטֵל | Tsere under R2 (contrast Perfect Patach) |
| Participle ms | מֻקְטָל | מ prefix + qibbuts + qamets under R2 |
4. Real Forms — Strong Roots in the OT¶
Root שׁלך — "to be cast/thrown" (Hophal of הִשְׁלִיךְ "threw/cast") — 13 Hophal occurrences
| Conjugation | Form | Reference | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perfect 2ms | הָשְׁלַכְתָּ | Isa 14:19 | you have been cast out |
| Perfect 3fs | הֻשְׁלָכָה | Ezk 19:12 | it was torn down and thrown |
| Perfect 1cs | הָשְׁלַכְתִּי | Psa 22:10 | I was cast upon you |
| Imperfect 3mp | יֻשְׁלָכוּ | Isa 34:3 | their slain shall be cast out |
| Participle ms | מֻשְׁלָךְ | 2Sa 20:21 | (his head) is about to be thrown |
| Participle fs | מֻשְׁלֶכֶת | 1Ki 13:24 | (the body) thrown down |
| Participle mp | מֻשְׁלָכִים | Jer 14:16 | (they shall be) thrown out |
Note on vowel pattern: שׁלך is a purely strong root (shin-lamed-kaf). Its Hophal Perfect forms appear with הָ prefix (o-class) in the OT (Isa 14:19; Psa 22:10), showing that the o-class pattern is the predominant strong-root Hophal Perfect form in actual usage. The Imperfect and Participle consistently show the u-class qibbuts prefix (יֻ, מֻ).
Root פקד — "to be appointed / entrusted" (Hophal of הִפְקִיד "entrusted/appointed") — 8 Hophal occurrences
| Conjugation | Form | Reference | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perfect 3ms | הָפְקַד | Lev 6:4 | that was entrusted to him |
| Perfect 3ms | הָפְקַד | Jer 6:6 | it is to be visited (with judgment) |
| Participle mp | מֻפְקָדִים | 2Ki 22:5 | those appointed over the house of the LORD |
| Participle mp | מֻפְקָדִים | 2Ki 12:11 | those who were appointed |
| Participle mp | מֻפְקָדִים | 2Ch 34:10 | those appointed (for temple repair) |
Note on Lev 6:4: The full phrase is אֶת הַפִּקָּדוֹן אֲשֶׁר הָפְקַד אִתּוֹ ("the deposit that was entrusted to him"). The Hophal הָפְקַד passivizes the Hiphil הִפְקִיד "to deposit/entrust."
5. Most Common Hophal Lemmas — Full OT¶
| # | Root | Count (OT) | Hiphil meaning | Hophal meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | מוּת | 68 | to put to death | to be put to death | Legal formula יֻמַּת מוֹת |
| 2 | נָגַד | 35 | to tell, declare | to be told, reported | וַיֻּגַּד formula; hollow root |
| 3 | בּוֹא | 24 | to bring | to be brought | hollow root |
| 4 | שָׁזַר | 21 | (twist) | twisted (linen) | Tabernacle materials; always Hophal Ptc. מָשְׁזָר |
| 5 | נָכָה | 16 | to strike | to be struck | Pe-Nun root; יֻכּוּ / מֻכִּים |
| 6 | שָׁלַךְ | 13 | to throw, cast | to be thrown/cast out | Strong root |
| 7 | יָבַל | 10 | to bring, carry | to be brought/carried | Lamed-He root |
| 8 | נָתַן | 8 | to give, set | to be given | Pe-Nun root |
| 9 | פָּקַד | 8 | to appoint, entrust | to be appointed/entrusted | Strong root |
| 10 | גָּלָה | 7 | to exile | to be exiled | Lamed-He root |
| 11 | יָצַק | 7 | to pour, cast | to be poured/cast | Pe-Yod root |
| 12 | כּוּן | 6 | to establish | to be established | Ayin-Waw root |
| 13 | יָרַד | 6 | to bring down | to be brought down | Pe-Yod root |
| 14 | לָקַח | 6 | to take | to be taken | Pe-Nun root |
| 15 | סָבַב | 6 | to surround | to be surrounded |
Key observations: Most of the top Hophal lemmas are weak roots (hollow, Pe-Nun, Lamed-He) — reflecting how the Hophal is most commonly formed from Hiphil verbs of motion, causation, and speech. Strong roots (שׁלך #6, פקד #9) do appear, and their Hophal Perfect forms use the הָ prefix (qamets hatuf, o-class).
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.
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) marks the Hophal Perfect of this hollow root.
Passive of Casting/Throwing (Strong Root)¶
Perfect 2ms — Isa 14:19 וְאַתָּ֞ה הָשְׁלַ֤כְתָּ מִֽקִּבְרְךָ֙ כְּנֵ֣צֶר נִתְעָ֔ב "But you are cast from your grave like a branch that is abhorred." → שׁלך Hophal Perfect 2ms; הָשְׁלַכְתָּ = הָ (o-class prefix) + שְׁ + לַ + כְ + תָּ. The prophet addresses Babylon's king: he is not buried with honor like other kings (v. 18) but is "cast out" as refuse. The Hiphil הִשְׁלִיךְ "to throw/cast" is passivized: "you have been thrown out."
Imperfect 3mp — Isa 34:3 וְחַלְלֵיהֶ֣ם יֻשְׁלָ֔כוּ "And their slain shall be cast out." → שׁלך Hophal Imperfect 3mp; יֻשְׁלָכוּ = יֻ (qibbuts prefix) + שְׁ + לָ + כוּ. Note the contrast with the Perfect prefix: Imperfect consistently uses qibbuts (יֻ) for strong root Hophal, while Perfect uses o-class (הָ).
Participle ms — 2Sa 20:21 הִנֵּ֥ה רֹאשׁ֛וֹ מֻשְׁלָ֥ךְ אֵלֶ֖יךָ בְּעַ֥ד הַחוֹמָֽה "Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall." → שׁלך Hophal Participle ms; מֻשְׁלָךְ = מֻ (qibbuts prefix) + שְׁ + לָ + ךְ. The woman of Abel speaks to Joab. The Hophal Participle here functions as a near-future passive ("is about to be thrown to you").
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; יוּבָא — hollow root Hophal with shureq (יוּ) prefix; "it shall be brought [as an offering]."
Perfect — Gen 43:18 וַיִּֽירְאוּ֙ הָאֲנָשִׁ֔ים כִּ֥י הֽוּבְאוּ֖ בֵּ֣ית יוֹסֵ֑ף "And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house." → בוא Hophal Perfect 3cp (הוּבְאוּ); hollow root with שׁוּ prefix.
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). Classic narrative report formula.
Passive of Striking¶
Participle mp — Exo 5:16 עֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙ מֻכִּ֖ים "Your servants are beaten." → נכה Hophal Participle mp; מֻכִּים = מֻ prefix + Qibbuts (Hophal marker). Passive adjectival meaning "being struck."
7. Conjugation Distribution (OT-Wide)¶
Hophal (412 total tokens — Macula Hebrew Database)¶
| Conjugation | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Imperfect (Yiqtol) | 141 | 34.2% |
| Participle | 111 | 26.9% |
| Perfect (Qatal) | 89 | 21.6% |
| Weqatal (Cons. Perfect) | 33 | 8.0% |
| Wayyiqtol (Cons. Imperf.) | 23 | 5.6% |
| Infinitive Absolute | 7 | 1.7% |
| Infinitive Construct | 3 | 0.7% |
| Imperative | 1 | 0.2% |
| Jussive | 1 | 0.2% |
Teaching note: The Hophal Imperfect (34%) is heavily dominated by the legal formula יֻמַּת — nearly half of all Hophal Imperfects are this form in capital punishment contexts. The Participle (27%) is the second most common, largely because Exo 26–39 uses מָשְׁזָר ("twisted linen") 21 times for Tabernacle materials. The Perfect (22%) is higher than many students expect; the Weqatal (8%) shows the Hophal in narrative sequence.
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 | מֻ (qibbuts) 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) | מֻקְטָל — "caused to be killed" (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 or o-class vowel under the prefix consonant in every conjugation |
| Hophal Perfect prefix (strong root) | הָ (qamets hatuf, o-class) — most common; OR הֻ (qibbuts, u-class) |
| Hophal Perfect prefix (hollow root) | הוּ (shureq, u-class) — see Ch29 |
| Hophal Imperfect prefix | יֻ/תֻּ (qibbuts, u-class) |
| Hophal Wayyiqtol prefix | וַיֻּ/וַתֻּ (qibbuts) |
| Hophal Participle prefix | מֻ (qibbuts) |
| Does the Hophal have an Imperative? | Extremely rare — 1 clear OT token (הָפְנוּ, Jer 49:8) — same form as Perfect 3ms |
| What stem is the Hophal passive of? | Hiphil (causative active) |
| Most common Hophal form by far? | יֻמַּת — "shall be put to death" (from root מות; heavily attested in Torah legal code) |
| How to distinguish Hophal Ptc from Pual Ptc? | Dagesh in R2: Pual has it; Hophal does not |