"Spot the Hithpael" — Chapter 34 Passage Exercise

Chapter 34 — Hithpael Strong

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Students identify and parse Hithpael Strong verbs across passages from 1 Kings 8, Genesis 20, Joshua 3, Exodus 19, Genesis 22, and 2 Samuel 10. The exercise presents 11 verbs: 8 Hithpael targets (strong roots only) and 3 distractors drawn from Piel, Pual, and Hiphil — the stems most easily confused with Hithpael. The Pual distractor (קֻדַּשׁ, same root as two Hithpael targets) is the critical discrimination challenge: students must identify that Qibbuts under R1 = Pual passive, while הִתְ- prefix = Hithpael reflexive. The focus verb throughout Passage A is הִתְפַּלֵּל (to pray), a denominative Hithpael with no Qal equivalent.

Sample Questions

Q1. 1 מִתְפַּלֵּל Yes No Perfect Imperfect Wayyiqtol Weqatal Imperative Inf. Construct Inf. Absolute Participle 3ms 3mp 3fs 3fp 2ms 2mp 2fs 1cs 1cp ms + 3mp suffix ms fs mp fp Reflexive Passive Declarative Denominative Estimative Factitive NOT Hithpael

A: ✓ Yes — Hithpael | Participle | ms | פלל | Denominative — "praying"; מִתְ- prefix marks Hithpael participle. Root פלל has no Qal stem in OT; Hithpael is its only active form, denominative from תְּפִלָּה (prayer).

Q2. 2 יִתְפַּלְּלוּ Yes No Perfect Imperfect Wayyiqtol Weqatal Imperative Inf. Construct Inf. Absolute Participle 3ms 3mp 3fs 3fp 2ms 2mp 2fs 1cs 1cp ms + 3mp suffix ms fs mp fp Reflexive Passive Declarative Denominative Estimative Factitive NOT Hithpael

A: ✓ Yes — Hithpael | Imperfect | 3mp | פלל | Denominative — "they pray"; יִתְ- prefix + i-class vowel under R1 + dagesh forte in doubled ל (R2=R3 geminate: יִתְפַּלְּלוּ). The geminate doubling of ל ל is the hallmark of this root.

Q3. 3 יִתְפַּלֵּל Yes No Perfect Imperfect Wayyiqtol Weqatal Imperative Inf. Construct Inf. Absolute Participle 3ms 3mp 3fs 3fp 2ms 2mp 2fs 1cs 1cp ms + 3mp suffix ms fs mp fp Reflexive Passive Declarative Denominative Estimative Factitive NOT Hithpael

A: ✓ Yes — Hithpael | Imperfect | 3ms | פלל | Denominative — "he will pray"; יִתְ- prefix + patach under R1 (פַּ) + tsere + geminate ל ל; same root as #1–2 in imperfect 3ms.