# Niphal Weak Verbs — Biconsonantal (II-י/ו, Hollow) Paradigms

Full conjugation tables for Biconsonantal (Hollow) roots in the Niphal stem.
Representative roots: קוּם (to rise → Niphal: be raised up, rise) and שׁוּב (to return → Niphal: be turned, be restored).
Each section shows the strong root (קטל) alongside the weak paradigm for direct comparison.
Attested forms drawn from MACULA Hebrew WLC.

## Overview of the Class

Biconsonantal (Hollow) roots have only two true consonants, with a medial long vowel letter (ו for roots like קוּם, שׁוּב; י for roots like שִׂים). In the Niphal, the key patterns are:

- Perfect: נָ prefix (qamets under נ) + contracted root (R1 + long vowel + R2): נָקוֹם, נָשׁוּב
- Imperfect/Wayyiqtol/Imperative/Inf.: the Niphal prefix נ assimilates into R1 (as in all Niphal imperfects), leaving dagesh forte in R1 and a contracted root: יִקּוֹם (but note: some grammars list this as a Qal-looking form — the Niphal of hollow roots is quite rare and context is essential)

The Niphal of biconsonantal roots is attested but relatively rare. The most important form to recognize is the perfect prefix נָ (qamets).

## Perfect (Qatal)

### The Pattern

Strong Niphal perfect has נִ (hiriq) prefix. Biconsonantal Niphal perfect has נָ (qamets) prefix. The root's medial vowel letter (ו or י) appears: נָקוֹם, נָשׁוּב, נָכוֹן (from כּוּן).

Person | Strong (קטל) | Biconsonantal (קום) | Biconsonantal (שׁוב)
--- | --- | --- | ---
3ms | נִקְטַל | נָקוֹם | נָשׁוּב
3fs | נִקְטְלָה | נָקוֹמָה | נָשׁוּבָה
3cp | נִקְטְלוּ | נָקוֹמוּ | נָשׁוּבוּ
2ms | נִקְטַלְתָּ | נְקוֹמֹתָ | נְשׁוּבֹתָ
2fs | נִקְטַלְתְּ | נְקוֹמֹת | נְשׁוּבֹת
2mp | נִקְטַלְתֶּם | נְקוֹמֹתֶם | נְשׁוּבֹתֶם
1cs | נִקְטַלְתִּי | נְקוֹמֹתִי | נְשׁוּבֹתִי
1cp | נִקְטַלְנוּ | נְקוֹמֹנוּ | נְשׁוּבֹנוּ

> Key: 3ms has נָ (qamets) prefix — not the usual נִ (hiriq) of the strong Niphal. This single marker distinguishes the biconsonantal Niphal perfect. Suffixed forms reduce to shewa under נְ.

Attested passages:
- נָכוֹן (Psa 51:12) — "restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit" — from כּוּן; "be established/be firm"
- נָכוֹן (Gen 41:32) — "the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about"
- נָשׁוּב (Num 32:18) — "we will not return to our homes" (Qal; Niphal נָשׁוּב would = "be brought back")

## Imperfect (Yiqtol)

### The Pattern

The Niphal imperfect normally shows dagesh forte in R1 (the Niphal prefix נ assimilates). For biconsonantal roots, the standard assimilation gives: יִקּוֹם / יִשּׁוּב. However, this form is phonetically identical to some Qal biconsonantal imperfect forms (יָקוּם = Qal) and context must distinguish them. The distinctive Niphal vowel pattern is less visually clear in this class.

Person | Strong (קטל) | Biconsonantal (קום) | Biconsonantal (שׁוב)
--- | --- | --- | ---
3ms | יִקָּטֵל | יִקּוֹם | יִשּׁוּב
3fs | תִּקָּטֵל | תִּקּוֹם | תִּשּׁוּב
3mp | יִקָּטְלוּ | יִקּוֹמוּ | יִשּׁוּבוּ
2ms | תִּקָּטֵל | תִּקּוֹם | תִּשּׁוּב
1cs | אֶקָּטֵל | אֶקּוֹם | אֶשּׁוּב
1cp | נִקָּטֵל | נִקּוֹם | נִשּׁוּב

> Key: Dagesh forte in R1 is the Niphal marker. The overall form resembles a Qal imperfect with a dagesh added — careful attention to the doubling of R1 is essential for distinguishing Niphal from Qal.

## Wayyiqtol

### The Pattern

Strong Niphal wayyiqtol 3ms: וַיִּקָּטֵל. Biconsonantal Niphal wayyiqtol: וַיִּקּוֹם / וַיִּשּׁוּב. The prefix vowel is hiriq (as expected for wayyiqtol) + dagesh forte in R1 (Niphal assimilation).

Person | Strong (קטל) | Biconsonantal (קום) | Biconsonantal (שׁוב)
--- | --- | --- | ---
3ms | וַיִּקָּטֵל | וַיִּקּוֹם | וַיִּשּׁוּב
3fs | וַתִּקָּטֵל | וַתִּקּוֹם | וַתִּשּׁוּב

> Key: וַיִּ prefix + dagesh forte in R1 — the same signals as any Niphal wayyiqtol, applied to the contracted biconsonantal root.

## Imperative

### The Pattern

Strong Niphal imperative 2ms: הִקָּטֵל. Biconsonantal Niphal imperative: הִקּוֹם / הִשּׁוּב.

Form | Strong (קטל) | Biconsonantal (קום) | Biconsonantal (שׁוב)
--- | --- | --- | ---
2ms | הִקָּטֵל | הִקּוֹם | הִשּׁוּב
2mp | הִקָּטְלוּ | הִקּוֹמוּ | הִשּׁוּבוּ

> Key: הִ prefix + dagesh forte in R1 — Niphal imperative marker; the contracted root follows.

## Infinitive Construct

### The Pattern

Strong Niphal inf. construct: הִקָּטֵל. Biconsonantal Niphal inf. construct: הִקּוֹם / הִשּׁוּב.

Form | Strong (קטל) | Biconsonantal (קום) | Biconsonantal (שׁוב)
--- | --- | --- | ---
Base | הִקָּטֵל | הִקּוֹם | הִשּׁוּב
With לְ | לְהִקָּטֵל | לְהִקּוֹם | לְהִשּׁוּב

> Key: הִ + dagesh in R1 + contracted root. Lexical context helps distinguish from the imperative.

## Participle

### The Pattern

Strong Niphal participle ms: נִקְטָל (נִ + qamets). Biconsonantal Niphal participle: נָקוּם / נָשׁוּב — the qamets prefix נָ reappears (same as the perfect 3ms).

Form | Strong (קטל) | Biconsonantal (קום) | Biconsonantal (שׁוב)
--- | --- | --- | ---
ms | נִקְטָל | נָקוּם | נָשׁוּב
fs | נִקְטֶלֶת | נְקוּמָה | נְשׁוּבָה
mp | נִקְטָלִים | נְקוּמִים | נְשׁוּבִים

> Key: נָ prefix (qamets) in the ms participle — identical in prefix vowel to the perfect 3ms. Context (before a noun it modifies = participle; clause-final with past tense meaning = perfect) distinguishes them.

Attested passages:
- נָכוֹן (Psa 57:8) — "my heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast" — participle from כּוּן, "to be established"

## Summary — Biconsonantal Niphal at a Glance

Conjugation | Strong (קטל) | Biconsonantal (קום) | Key feature
--- | --- | --- | ---
Perfect | נִקְטַל | נָקוֹם | נָ prefix (qamets) instead of נִ (hiriq)
Imperfect | יִקָּטֵל | יִקּוֹם | Dagesh forte in R1 + contracted root
Wayyiqtol | וַיִּקָּטֵל | וַיִּקּוֹם | וַיִּ + dagesh in R1 + contracted root
Weqatal | וְנִקְטַל | וְנָקוֹם | וְ + נָ (qamets) prefix
Imperative | הִקָּטֵל | הִקּוֹם | הִ + dagesh in R1
Inf. Construct | הִקָּטֵל | הִקּוֹם | הִ + dagesh in R1 + contracted root
Participle | נִקְטָל | נָקוּם | נָ prefix (qamets) — same marker as perfect 3ms