# Chapter 26 — "Spot the Hiphil" Passage Exercise

Genesis 6–8 · Genesis 22 · Deuteronomy 7

Instructions: For each numbered verb, answer Is it Hiphil? (Yes / No). Then for every verb:

1. Parse it — give the conjugation, PGN (use — for non-finite forms), and root.
2. State the semantic function (Causative / Declarative / Factitive / Simple action — or "NOT Hiphil" for distractors).

Distractors (#1, #18, #22) include Niphal and Qal verbs from the same passages. Click ▶ Answer on any row to reveal the correct parsing inline.

## Passage A — Genesis 6:12–20

6:12
וַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְהִנֵּ֣ה נִשְׁחָ֑תָה כִּֽי־הִשְׁחִ֧ית כָּל־בָּשָׂ֛ר אֶת־דַּרְכּ֖וֹ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ
"And God saw the earth, and behold, it [1] ____; for all flesh had [2] ____ its way upon the earth."

# | Verb | Hiphil? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
1 | נִשְׁחָתָה |  |  |  |  |  |
✗ | נִשְׁחָתָה | ✗ No — Niphal | Weqatal 3fs | שָׁחַת | NOT Hiphil — Niphal passive: was corrupt; נ assimilates: Niphal weqatal passive
2 | הִשְׁחִית |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | הִשְׁחִית | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Perfect (qatal) 3ms | שָׁחַת | Causative — had corrupted

6:13
הִנְנִ֤י מַשְׁחִיתָם֙ עִם־הָאָ֔רֶץ
"Behold, I am [3] ____ them with the earth."

# | Verb | Hiphil? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
3 | מַשְׁחִיתָם |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | מַשְׁחִיתָם | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Participle + 3mp suffix ms | שָׁחַת | Causative — destroying them

6:17
וַאֲנִ֗י הִנְנִ֤י מֵבִיא֙ אֶת־הַמַּבּ֣וּל מַ֔יִם עַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ
"As for me, behold, I am [4] ____ the flood of waters upon the earth."

# | Verb | Hiphil? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
4 | מֵבִיא |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | מֵבִיא | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Participle ms | בּוֹא | Causative — bringing

6:18
וַהֲקִמֹתִ֥י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י אִתָּ֑ךְ
"But I will [5] ____ my covenant with you."

# | Verb | Hiphil? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
5 | וַהֲקִמֹתִי |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | וַהֲקִמֹתִי | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Weqatal 1cs | קוּם | Factitive — I will establish

6:19
מִכָּל־בָּשָׂר֙ שְׁנַ֣יִם מִכֹּ֔ל תָּבִ֥יא אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֖ה
"Of every living thing of all flesh, you shall [6] ____ two of every kind into the ark."

# | Verb | Hiphil? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
6 | תָּבִיא |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | תָּבִיא | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Imperfect 2ms | בּוֹא | Causative — you shall bring

6:19–20
לְהַחֲיֹת֙ אִתָּֽךְ … לְהַחֲיֽוֹת
"to [7] ____ them alive with you … to [8] ____ them"

# | Verb | Hiphil? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
7 | לְהַחֲיֹת |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | לְהַחֲיֹת | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Inf. Construct — | חָיָה | Causative — to keep alive
8 | לְהַחֲיוֹת |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | לְהַחֲיוֹת | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Inf. Construct — | חָיָה | Causative — to keep alive

## Passage B — Genesis 7:4

7:4
כִּ֣י לְיָמִ֗ים ע֚וֹד שִׁבְעָ֔ה אָנֹכִ֥י מַמְטִ֣יר עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֔וֹם
"For in seven days I will [9] ____ rain on the earth forty days."

# | Verb | Hiphil? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
9 | מַמְטִיר |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | מַמְטִיר | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Participle ms | מָטַר | Causative/Denominative — causing rain to fall

## Passage C — Genesis 8:1–21

8:1
וַיַּ֤עֲבֵר אֱלֹהִים֙ ר֣וּחַ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ
"And God [10] ____ a wind over the earth."

# | Verb | Hiphil? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
10 | וַיַּעֲבֵר |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | וַיַּעֲבֵר | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Wayyiqtol 3ms | עָבַר | Causative — caused to pass over

8:9
וַיָּבֵ֥א אֹתָ֛הּ אֵלָ֖יו אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֑ה
"And he [11] ____ her back to him into the ark."

# | Verb | Hiphil? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
11 | וַיָּבֵא |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | וַיָּבֵא | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Wayyiqtol 3ms | בּוֹא | Causative — brought

8:13
וַיָּ֤סַר נֹ֙חַ֙ אֶת־מִכְסֵ֣ה הַתֵּבָ֔ה
"And Noah [12] ____ the covering of the ark."

# | Verb | Hiphil? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
12 | וַיָּסַר |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | וַיָּסַר | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Wayyiqtol 3ms | סוּר | Causative — removed

8:17
הַיְצֵ֣א אִתָּ֗ךְ כָּל־הַחַיָּ֤ה
"[13] ____ with you every living thing."

# | Verb | Hiphil? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
13 | הַיְצֵא |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | הַיְצֵא | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Imperative 2ms | יָצָא | Causative — bring out!

8:20
וַיַּ֥עַל עֹלֹ֖ת בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ
"And he [14] ____ burnt offerings on the altar."

# | Verb | Hiphil? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
14 | וַיַּעַל |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | וַיַּעַל | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Wayyiqtol 3ms | עָלָה | Causative — offered up

8:21
לֹֽא־אֹ֠סִף לְהַכֹּ֨ת אֶת־כָּל־חַ֜י
"I will never again [15] ____ every living thing."

# | Verb | Hiphil? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
15 | לְהַכֹּת |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | לְהַכֹּת | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Inf. Construct — | נָכָה | Causative — to strike down

## Passage D — Genesis 22:17 (Infinitive Absolute)

22:17
כִּי בָרֵ֣ךְ אֲבָרֶכְךָ֗ וְהַרְבָּ֨ה אַרְבֶּ֤ה אֶת־זַרְעֲךָ֙ כְּכוֹכְבֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם
"For I will surely bless you, and I will [16] ____ [17] ____ your offspring as the stars of heaven."
⚠ Watch out: בָּרֵךְ and אֲבָרֶכְךָ are Piel forms of בָּרַךְ ("to bless") — not Hiphil. Parse only the two bolded verbs.

# | Verb | Hiphil? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
16 | וְהַרְבָּה |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | וְהַרְבָּה | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Inf. Absolute — | רָבָה | Causative — emphatic modifier (multiplying / surely)
17 | אַרְבֶּה |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | אַרְבֶּה | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Imperfect 1cs | רָבָה | Causative — I will multiply

## Passage E — Deuteronomy 7:2 (Weqatal + Emphatic Pair)

7:2
וּנְתָנָ֞ם יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ וְהִכִּיתָ֖ם הַכֵּ֣ה תַכֶּ֑ה לֹא־תִכְרֹ֥ת לָהֶ֛ם בְּרִ֖ית
"When the LORD your God [18] ____ them over to you, you shall [19] ____ them — [20] ____ [21] ____ them — you shall [22] ____ no covenant with them."

# | Verb | Hiphil? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
18 | וּנְתָנָם |  |  |  |  |  |
✗ | וּנְתָנָם | ✗ No — Qal | Perfect + 3mp suffix 3ms | נָתַן | NOT Hiphil — Qal: gives them over; Qal perfect of נָתַן with object suffix
19 | וְהִכִּיתָם |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | וְהִכִּיתָם | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Weqatal 2ms | נָכָה | Causative — and you shall strike them
20 | הַכֵּה |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | הַכֵּה | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Inf. Absolute — | נָכָה | Causative — emphatic modifier (striking / certainly)
21 | תַכֶּה |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | תַכֶּה | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Imperfect 2ms | נָכָה | Causative — you shall strike
22 | תִכְרֹת |  |  |  |  |  |
✗ | תִכְרֹת | ✗ No — Qal | Imperfect 2ms | כָּרַת | NOT Hiphil — Qal: you shall make (covenant); plain Qal imperfect; no הִ prefix

## Bonus — Genesis 6:1, 6:10

6:1
כִּֽי־הֵחֵ֣ל הָאָדָ֔ם לָרֹ֖ב
"When man began to multiply…"
6:10
וַיּ֥וֹלֶד נֹ֖חַ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים
"And Noah fathered three sons."

# | Verb | Hiphil? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
B1 | הֵחֵל |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | הֵחֵל | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Perfect (qatal) 3ms | חָלַל | Causative — began (Hiphil of חָלַל = "to begin"; idiomatic)
B2 | וַיּוֹלֶד |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | וַיּוֹלֶד | ✓ Yes — Hiphil | Wayyiqtol 3ms | יָלַד | Causative — fathered / begat

Answer-key notes:
• #2 הִשְׁחִית and B1 הֵחֵל are Perfect (qatal), not Weqatal — both follow כִּי with no waw prefix.
• #1 נִשְׁחָתָה is Niphal (passive); #2 הִשְׁחִית is Hiphil (active causative) — same root שָׁחַת, different stems in the same verse.
• #16–17 and #20–21 illustrate the emphatic inf. absolute + imperfect construction: the inf. absolute intensifies the following finite verb ("shall certainly strike").
Score: 19 Hiphil + 3 non-Hiphil + 2 bonus = 24 total (distractors #1, #18, #22 are unscored practice). 21–24 = excellent | 16–20 = review the paradigm | below 16 = revisit §26.3–26.13

## Conjugation Coverage

Conjugation | Verbs
--- | ---
Wayyiqtol (5) | #10, #11, #12, #14, B2
Inf. Construct (3) | #7, #8, #15
Participle (3) | #3, #4, #9
Imperfect (3) | #6, #17, #21
Perfect / qatal (2) | #2, B1
Weqatal (2) | #5, #19
Inf. Absolute (2) | #16, #20
Imperative (1) | #13
Non-Hiphil (3) | #1 (Niphal Weqatal 3fs), #18 (Qal Weqatal 3ms), #22 (Qal Imperfect 2ms)

## Reflection Questions

1. Wayyiqtol dominates in Gen 6–8 but is absent from Passages D and E. What does this tell you about how genre — narrative vs. divine oracle (Gen 22) vs. legal instruction (Deut 7) — shapes conjugation choice in the Hiphil?
2. Both Passage D (Gen 22:17) and Passage E (Deut 7:2) use the emphatic inf. absolute + imperfect pattern. What does the inf. absolute add beyond a plain imperfect? Are the two contexts — promise and command — using the emphasis for the same rhetorical purpose?
3. In Gen 6–8, God is the subject of nearly every Hiphil; Noah appears as subject only at #12 and #14. What does this distribution of agency tell you about the theological architecture of the flood narrative?