Chapter 29 — "Spot the Hophal Weak" Passage Exercise

Stem: Hophal (הֻפְעַל) — Weak Verbs  |  Passages: Gen 39–43 (Joseph) · Exo 40 + Num 9 (Tabernacle) · Gen 38 + 43 (Second Egypt journey)

Instructions: For each numbered verb, fill in: (1) Is it Hophal? (Yes/No) (2) Conjugation (3) PGN (4) Root (5) Stem/Function. Three verbs in this exercise are not Hophal — drawn from Qal and Hiphil already studied. Click ▶ Answer to reveal the key for that row.

Key diagnostic: Hophal prefix vowel is always u-class (הוּ- Perfect, יוּ-/יֻ- Imperfect, מוּ- Participle). Compare: Hiphil prefix = i-class (הִ-/הֵ-). If you see וּ or ֻ under the prefix consonant, you are looking at Hophal.

Passage A — Genesis 39:1 + 43:18

Context: Joseph is taken to Egypt; his brothers fear being taken as slaves.

הוּרַד [1] יוֹסֵף מִצְרָיְמָה וַיִּקְנֵהוּ פּוֹטִיפַר

"Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar … bought him." (Gen 39:1)

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
1הוּרַד
✓ Yes — Hophal | Perfect | 3ms | ירד | Hophal passive causative — "was brought down." I-י root: Hiphil הוֹרִיד (to bring down) → Hophal הוּרַד. The הוּ prefix (u-class vowel) is the Hophal marker; I-י disappears (yod of the root collapsed).
הוּבָא [2] יוֹסֵף מִצְרָיְמָה

"Joseph was brought to Egypt." (Gen 39:1)

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
2הוּבָא
✓ Yes — Hophal | Perfect | 3ms | בוא | Hophal passive causative — "was brought." I-י/ו root בוא: Hiphil הֵבִיא (to bring) → Hophal הוּבָא (was brought). The הוּ prefix + collapse of initial ב's preceding consonant; Qamets under ב = III-א lengthening.
Two forms, same root: Verbs 3 and 4 both come from שוב / בוא respectively. Watch for the Participle prefix מוּ- vs. the Perfect prefix הוּ-.
וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל־אֲחֵיהֶם עַל דְּבַר הַכֶּסֶף הַשָּׁב [3] בְּאַמְתְּחֹתֵינוּ בַּתְּחִלָּה אֲנַחְנוּ מוּבָאִים [4]

"And they said to one another, '…because of the silver that was returned in our sacks the first time, we are being brought in.'" (Gen 43:18)

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
3הַשָּׁב
✓ Yes — Hophal | Participle | ms | שוב | Hophal passive causative — "the (money) that was returned." Hophal Ptc. of biconsonantal root שוב: מוּשָׁב but here with definite article הַ. The שָּׁב (dagesh forte in שׁ) reflects the biconsonantal pattern; Hiphil הֵשִׁיב (to return/bring back) → Hophal = was returned.
4מוּבָאִים
✓ Yes — Hophal | Participle | mp | בוא | Hophal Participle mp — "being brought in." Note: verb 4 is itself Hophal — included here to contrast Hophal Participle (מוּ- prefix) with Hophal Perfect (הוּ- prefix, verb 2). Same root בוא as verb 2.
כִּי יוּבָא [5] אִתָּנוּ אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ

"…because we are being brought into his house." (Gen 43:18)

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
5יוּבָא
✓ Yes — Hophal | Imperfect | 3ms | בוא | Hophal passive causative — "will be brought." Hophal Impf. of I-י/ו root בוא: יוּ prefix (Shureq = u-class vowel) = Hophal Imperfect marker. Compare: Qal יָבֹא (will come) vs. Hophal יוּבָא (will be brought).

Passage B — Exodus 40:17 + Numbers 9:15–17

Context: The tabernacle is set up on the first day; the cloud descends.

וַיְהִי בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית הוּקַם [6] הַמִּשְׁכָּן

"And it came about in the first month of the second year — the tabernacle was set up." (Exo 40:17)

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
6הוּקַם
✓ Yes — Hophal | Perfect | 3ms | קום | Hophal passive causative — "was set up." Biconsonantal root קום: Hiphil הֵקִים (to set up/establish) → Hophal הוּקַם (was set up). The הוּ prefix (u-class) marks Hophal; the ק-מ pattern is the collapsed biconsonantal stem.
Distractor alert — Hiphil: The next verb uses the same root קום but in the Hiphil (active causative). Compare prefix vowels: Hiphil הֵ-/הָ- (i-class) vs. Hophal הוּ- (u-class).
וּבְיוֹם הָקִים [7] אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּן כִּסָּה הֶעָנָן אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּן

"And on the day he set up the tabernacle, the cloud covered the tabernacle." (Num 9:15)

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
7הָקִים
✗ No — Hiphil | Perfect | 3ms | קום | NOT Hophal — Hiphil active causative: "he set up." The הָ- prefix (i/a-class) + î-vowel sequence under ק (Hireq) identifies Hiphil. Compare: הוּקַם (Hophal, passive: "was set up") vs. הָקִים (Hiphil, active: "he set up").
בְּהֵעָלֹת הֶעָנָן מֵעַל הַמִּשְׁכָּן יִסְעוּ [8] בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

"Whenever the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel set out." (Num 9:17)

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
8יִסְעוּ
✗ No — Qal | Imperfect | 3mp | נסע | NOT Hophal — Qal Impf. 3mp: "they set out." I-נ root: the נ assimilates into a dagesh forte in ס (יִסְּעוּ). The prefix vowel is יִ (Hireq) — not יוּ (Shureq/u-class), so this is Qal not Hophal.
וְאִם לֹא יֻקַּם [9] הַמִּשְׁכָּן

"And if the tabernacle was not set up…" (Num 9:15 context)

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
9יֻקַּם
✓ Yes — Hophal | Imperfect | 3ms | קום | Hophal passive causative — "will be set up." Hophal Impf. Qibbuts variant (יֻ-): same root as #6 but in the Imperfect. Qibbuts (ֻ) is the alternate Hophal imperfect vowel; same passive meaning as הוּקַם.

Passage C — Genesis 43:12 + 38:25 + Exodus 14:5

Context: The returned money; Tamar is brought out; the exodus is reported.

וְכֶסֶף מִשְׁנֶה קְחוּ בְיֶדְכֶם וְאֶת־הַכֶּסֶף הַמּוּשָׁב בְּפִי אַמְתְּחֹתֵיכֶם הוּשַׁב [10] תָּשִׁיבוּ

"…take double the money with you, and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks — bring it back (it was returned)." (Gen 43:12)

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
10הוּשַׁב
✓ Yes — Hophal | Perfect | 3ms | שוב | Hophal passive causative — "was returned / brought back." Biconsonantal root שוב: Hiphil הֵשִׁיב (to return/bring back) → Hophal הוּשַׁב (was returned). The הוּ prefix + biconsonantal ש-ב pattern.
הִוא מוּצֵאת [11] וְהִיא שָׁלְחָה אֶל־חָמִיהָ לֵאמֹר

"She was being brought out, and she sent word to her father-in-law, saying…" (Gen 38:25)

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
11מוּצֵאת
✓ Yes — Hophal | Participle | fs | יצא | Hophal Participle fs — "being brought out." I-י root יצא: Hiphil הוֹצִיא (to bring out) → Hophal Ptc. מוּצָא/מוּצֵאת (being brought out). The מוּ- prefix (u-class) is the Hophal Participle marker; feminine fs ending ת.
וַיִּשְׁלַח יְהוּדָה אֶת־גְּדִי הָעִזִּים וְלֹא מְצָאָהּ [12]

"And Judah sent the young goat, but he did not find her." (Gen 38:20)

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
12מְצָאָהּ
✗ No — Qal | Perfect | 3ms + 3fs obj. suffix | מצא | NOT Hophal — Qal Perfect 3ms: "he found her." The מְ here is the Qal Perfect 3ms vowel (shewa under the first consonant), not the Hophal Participle prefix מוּ. The 3fs object suffix הּ is appended to the Perfect. No u-class vowel under the prefix.
הוּצָא [13] הַחוֹמֶר מֵהֶם

"The straw was taken away from them." (Exo 5 context)

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
13הוּצָא
✓ Yes — Hophal | Perfect | 3ms | יצא | Hophal passive causative — "was taken/brought out." I-י root יצא: Hiphil הוֹצִיא (to bring out) → Hophal הוּצָא (was brought out). The הוּ prefix marks Hophal; I-י collapses. Compare: מוּצֵאת (Ptc. fs, verb 11) vs. הוּצָא (Pf. 3ms, this verb).
הֻגַּד [14] לְמֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם כִּי בָרַח הָעָם

"It was told to the king of Egypt that the people had fled." (Exo 14:5)

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
14הֻגַּד
✓ Yes — Hophal | Perfect | 3ms | נגד | Hophal passive causative — "it was told/reported." I-נ root נגד: the נ assimilates into dagesh forte in גּ. Qibbuts (ֻ) variant under ה = alternate Hophal prefix vowel (vs. הוּ). Hiphil הִגִּיד (to tell/declare) → Hophal = was told.

Reflection Questions

  1. Several Hophal weak verbs in this exercise share the same prefix marker. State the rule: what vowel (or vowel class) identifies the Hophal prefix in the Perfect vs. the Imperfect? How does this vowel differ from the Hiphil prefix (הִ-) and the Niphal prefix (נִ-/יִ-)?
  2. Verbs 2 (הוּבָא) and 4 (מוּבָאִים) come from the same root (בוא). One is a Hophal Perfect 3ms and the other is a Hophal Participle mp. What morphological difference tells you which is which, and what do the respective context clues confirm?
  3. The Hiphil verb 7 (הָקִים) and the Hophal target verb 6 (הוּקַם) share root קום. Explain how the same root produces two different meanings in these two stems, and what the stem-change communicates about agency and passivity.

Answer Key

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
1הוּרַדYesPerfect3msירדHophal — was brought down (I-י; Hiphil הוֹרִיד)
2הוּבָאYesPerfect3msבואHophal — was brought (I-י; Hiphil הֵבִיא)
3הַשָּׁבYesParticiplemsשובHophal Ptc. — (money) that was returned (biconsonantal)
4מוּבָאִיםYesParticiplempבואHophal Ptc. mp — being brought in (same root as #2)
5יוּבָאYesImperfect3msבואHophal — will be brought (יוּ prefix; I-י)
6הוּקַםYesPerfect3msקוםHophal — was set up (biconsonantal; Hiphil הֵקִים)
7הָקִיםNoPerfect3msקוםNOT Hophal — Hiphil active: "he set up" (הָ prefix, i-class)
8יִסְעוּNoImperfect3mpנסעNOT Hophal — Qal Impf. 3mp (I-נ assimilation; יִ prefix)
9יֻקַּםYesImperfect3msקוםHophal — will be set up (Qibbuts variant יֻ; biconsonantal)
10הוּשַׁבYesPerfect3msשובHophal — was returned/brought back (biconsonantal; Hiphil הֵשִׁיב)
11מוּצֵאתYesParticiplefsיצאHophal Ptc. fs — being brought out (I-י; Hiphil הוֹצִיא)
12מְצָאָהּNoPerfect3ms + 3fs obj.מצאNOT Hophal — Qal Pf. 3ms "he found her" (מְ = Qal, not Hophal מוּ)
13הוּצָאYesPerfect3msיצאHophal — was brought out (I-י; Hiphil הוֹצִיא)
14הֻגַּדYesPerfect3msנגדHophal — it was told (I-נ assimilation + Qibbuts; Hiphil הִגִּיד)