# Chapter 27 — Biconsonantal / Geminate Disambiguation Drill

BBH Chapters 25 & 27 · Niphal and Hiphil Weak Verbs

For each form: (1) identify the stem (Niphal or Hiphil), (2) parse (conjugation + PGN), (3) identify the weak class (Biconsonantal or Geminate), (4) give the root and translate.

Key diagnostic: Biconsonantal and Geminate forms are vocally identical in Niphal and Hiphil.

Feature | Biconsonantal (II-י/ו) | Geminate (R2=R3)
--- | --- | ---
Root | R1-ו/י-R3 (e.g. קוּם, שׁוּב) | R1-R2-R2 (e.g. סָבַב, שָׁלַל)
Niphal perfect 3ms | נָקִים (נָ qamets) | נָסַב (נָ qamets) — identical
Hiphil perfect 3ms | הֵקִים (הֵ tsere) | הֵסֵב (הֵ tsere) — identical
Hiphil imperfect 3ms | יָקִים (יָ qamets) | יָסֵב (יָ qamets) — identical
Distinguisher | Medial vowel letter ו/י in stem | Dagesh forte in R2 when doubled

## Part A — Niphal: Biconsonantal vs. Geminate

# | Form | Reference | Context | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Class | Root |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
1 | נָכוֹן | Gen 41:32 | "the thing is ___ by God" |  |  |  |  |  |
Niphal · Perfect/Participle · 3ms/ms · Biconsonantal · כּוּן — "is established / firm"; נָ prefix (qamets) = Niphal Biconsonantal; medial ו vowel letter identifies Biconsonantal, not Geminate
2 | נָסַב | 1 Kgs 7:24 | "the gourds ___ it, ten to a cubit" |  |  |  |  |  |
Niphal · Perfect · 3ms · Geminate · סָבַב — "encircled / went around"; נָ prefix (qamets) = Niphal; R2=R3=ב identifies Geminate; compare Biconsonantal נָכוֹן (medial ו) vs. Geminate נָסַב (no medial vowel letter)
3 | יִכּוֹן | Psa 93:2 | "your throne ___ from of old" |  |  |  |  |  |
Niphal · Imperfect · 3ms · Biconsonantal · כּוּן — "is established"; יִ prefix + dagesh in כּ (Niphal pattern) + holem-vav = Biconsonantal; the dagesh here is Niphal's assimilation pattern, not R2=R3 doubling
4 | יִסֹּב | Num 21:4 | "they traveled ___ Mount Edom" |  |  |  |  |  |
Niphal · Imperfect · 3ms · Geminate · סָבַב — "went around"; יִ prefix + dagesh in סּ (R2=R3 doubled) + holem = Geminate; contrast Biconsonantal יִכּוֹן which retains medial ו vowel letter
5 | הֵכּוֹן | Psa 57:8 | "my heart is ___, O God" |  |  |  |  |  |
Niphal · Perfect · 3ms · Biconsonantal · כּוּן — "is ready / prepared"; הֵ + dagesh + holem-vav = Niphal Biconsonantal perfect variant; context (readied heart) confirms passive sense
6 | הֵסֹּב | Num 34:4 | "your border ___ from the south" |  |  |  |  |  |
Niphal · Perfect · 3ms · Geminate · סָבַב — "turned / went around"; הֵ + dagesh in סּ (R2=R3) + holem = Niphal Geminate perfect; contrast Biconsonantal הֵכּוֹן (medial ו retained)
7 | נָשׁוּב | Lam 3:40 | "let us examine and ___ to the LORD" |  |  |  |  |  |
Niphal · Cohortative · 1cp · Biconsonantal · שׁוּב — "let us return"; נָ prefix + medial ו vowel letter = Niphal Biconsonantal; cohortative sense from context (exhortation to repentance)
8 | נָתֹם | 1 Sam 3:12 | "when I ___ what I have spoken" |  |  |  |  |  |
Niphal · Infinitive Construct · — · Geminate · תָּמַם — "to be completed / finished"; נָ prefix + holem = Niphal Geminate inf. construct; root תָּמַם has R2=R3=מ

Key diagnostic — Part A (Niphal): Both Biconsonantal and Geminate use נָ (qamets) in the perfect/participle. In the imperfect both use יִ with dagesh. The dagesh in Biconsonantal (יִכּוֹן) is the Niphal pattern; in Geminate (יִסֹּב) it represents doubled R2=R3. The only reliable distinguisher is root structure: Biconsonantal medial = ו/י; Geminate medial = same consonant as R3.

## Part B — Hiphil: Biconsonantal vs. Geminate

# | Form | Reference | Context | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Class | Root |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
9 | הֵקִים | Gen 6:18 | "I will ___ my covenant with you" |  |  |  |  |  |
Hiphil · Perfect · 3ms · Biconsonantal · קוּם — "established / raised up"; הֵ prefix (tsere) = Hiphil; medial ו vowel letter = Biconsonantal; contrast Geminate הֵסֵב
10 | הֵסֵב | 2 Sam 2:22 | "___ from following me" |  |  |  |  |  |
Hiphil · Perfect · 3ms · Geminate · סָבַב — "turned aside"; הֵ prefix (tsere) = Hiphil; no medial vowel letter, R2=R3=ב = Geminate; הֵקִים retains medial ו, הֵסֵב does not
11 | יָקִים | Deut 18:15 | "the LORD your God will ___ a prophet" |  |  |  |  |  |
Hiphil · Imperfect · 3ms · Biconsonantal · קוּם — "will raise up"; יָ prefix (qamets) = Hiphil Biconsonantal imperfect; medial ו vowel letter retained; contrast Geminate יָסֵב (no medial vowel letter)
12 | יָסֵב | Eccl 1:6 | "the wind ___ to the south" |  |  |  |  |  |
Hiphil · Imperfect · 3ms · Geminate · סָבַב — "causes to go around / turns"; יָ prefix (qamets) = Hiphil; no medial vowel letter = Geminate; contrast Biconsonantal יָקִים (medial ו retained)
13 | הָקֵם | Deut 27:26 | "\'___ the words of this law\'" |  |  |  |  |  |
Hiphil · Imperative · 2ms · Biconsonantal · קוּם — "raise up! / confirm!"; הָ prefix (qamets) = Hiphil imperative; tsere vowel in stem + no doubling = Biconsonantal; contrast Geminate הָסֵב
14 | הָסֵב | 2 Sam 2:22 | "___ from following me" |  |  |  |  |  |
Hiphil · Imperative · 2ms · Geminate · סָבַב — "turn aside!"; הָ prefix (qamets) = Hiphil imperative; same form as Biconsonantal הָקֵם except root is R2=R3=ב (Geminate); tsere vowel = contracted Geminate stem
15 | מֵקִים | 1 Sam 2:8 | "He ___ the poor from the dust" |  |  |  |  |  |
Hiphil · Participle · ms · Biconsonantal · קוּם — "one who raises up"; מֵ prefix (tsere) = Hiphil participle; medial ו retained = Biconsonantal; contrast Geminate מֵסֵב (no medial vowel letter)
16 | מֵסֵב | Ezek 41:7 | "the structure surrounding the house ___ upward" |  |  |  |  |  |
Hiphil · Participle · ms · Geminate · סָבַב — "going around / surrounding"; מֵ prefix (tsere) = Hiphil participle; no medial vowel letter, tsere stem vowel = Geminate contracted form; compare Biconsonantal מֵקִים

Key diagnostic — Part B (Hiphil): Hiphil Biconsonantal and Geminate are vocally identical across all conjugations: הֵ perfect, יָ imperfect, הָ imperative, מֵ participle. The only distinguisher is root structure — whether the medial position contains a vowel letter (ו/י = Biconsonantal) or a repeated consonant (= Geminate). Context usually confirms the meaning once the root is identified.

## Part C — Mixed: Stem and Class Both Unknown

Identify stem (Niphal or Hiphil) and class (Biconsonantal or Geminate) from the form and context alone.

# | Form | Reference | Context | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Class | Root |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
17 | נָמֹוג | Isa 14:31 | "all Philistia ___" |  |  |  |  |  |
Niphal · Perfect · 3ms · Biconsonantal · מוּג — "melted / dissolved"; נָ prefix + medial ו = Niphal Biconsonantal; root מוּג = to melt/dissolve
18 | הֵמַס | Josh 2:11 | "the LORD ___ our hearts" |  |  |  |  |  |
Hiphil · Perfect · 3ms · Geminate · מסס — "caused to melt"; הֵ prefix (tsere) = Hiphil; no medial vowel letter, R2=R3=ס = Geminate; patach under R2 in contracted stem
19 | יָרֻם | Isa 52:13 | "my servant shall be high and ___ up" |  |  |  |  |  |
Niphal · Imperfect · 3ms · Biconsonantal · רוּם — "will be exalted / lifted up"; יָ prefix + qibbutz under R2 (passive nuance) = Niphal Biconsonantal imperfect; contrast Hiphil יָרִים (chiriq under R2)
20 | יָרֹם | Psa 99:2 | "great is the LORD, and ___ above all peoples" |  |  |  |  |  |
Niphal · Imperfect · 3ms · Biconsonantal · רוּם — "is exalted / high"; יָ prefix + holem under R2 = Niphal Biconsonantal imperfect; compare Hiphil יָרִים (chiriq = causative)
21 | הֵרִים | Gen 14:22 | "I have ___ my hand to the LORD" |  |  |  |  |  |
Hiphil · Perfect · 3ms · Biconsonantal · רוּם — "lifted up"; הֵ prefix (tsere) + chiriq-yod in stem = Hiphil Biconsonantal perfect; causative: caused the hand to rise = swore an oath
22 | הוּרַם | Lev 4:10 | "just as it is ___ from the ox of peace offerings" |  |  |  |  |  |
Hophal · Perfect · 3ms · Biconsonantal · רוּם — "was lifted off / removed"; הוּ prefix (holem-vav) = Hophal (passive of Hiphil), not Hiphil or Niphal; Biconsonantal root רוּם; Hophal Biconsonantal prefix = הוּ
23 | יָשׁוּב | Hos 14:8 | "they ___ in the shade" |  |  |  |  |  |
Qal · Imperfect · 3ms · Biconsonantal · שׁוּב — "will dwell / return"; יָ prefix + שׁוּב in Qal (no Niphal נ-prefix assimilation, no Hiphil causative marker); Biconsonantal medial ו retained; reminder: not every Biconsonantal form is Niphal or Hiphil
24 | יָשֹׁב | Lam 1:11 | "all her people ___ to find bread" |  |  |  |  |  |
Qal · Imperfect · 3ms · Biconsonantal · שׁוּב — "returned / went around searching"; holem vowel in stem (יָשֹׁב) vs. shureq in יָשׁוּב; both are Qal Biconsonantal but with different vowel grades; neither is Niphal or Hiphil — no נ/הֵ/הָ prefix marker

## Discussion Questions

1. Items 1 (נָכוֹן) and 2 (נָסַב) have the same prefix vowel (נָ, qamets) and nearly identical shapes. What is the only reliable way to know that נָכוֹן is Biconsonantal (root כּוּן) and נָסַב is Geminate (root סָבַב)?
2. Items 9 (הֵקִים) and 10 (הֵסֵב) both have הֵ prefix (tsere). One retains a medial vowel letter; the other shows a contracted stem. Describe precisely what the medial position of each form looks like and how that reflects the underlying root structure.
3. Items 11 (יָקִים) and 12 (יָסֵב) are both Hiphil imperfect 3ms with the same prefix vowel. A student encounters an unknown form יָדֵל. What question must they ask to determine whether it is Biconsonantal or Geminate, and what would each answer imply about the root?
4. In Part C, items 19 (יָרֻם) and 21 (הֵרִים) come from the same root (רוּם) but differ in stem. What vowel under R2 distinguishes the Niphal imperfect from the Hiphil perfect, and what does that difference in vowel reflect about the function of each stem?
5. Item 22 (הוּרַם) was classified as Hophal, not Niphal or Hiphil. After working through this drill, how would you describe a quick rule for identifying the Hophal Biconsonantal perfect, and how does its prefix vowel differ from both Niphal (נָ) and Hiphil (הֵ)?