# Chapter 28 — "Spot the Hophal" Passage Exercise

**Stem:** Hophal (הֻפְעַל) — passive of the Hiphil causative
**Passages:** Gen 22:20 · Exo 5:14–16 · Num 35:16–18, 30–31

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## Instructions

For each bolded verb, indicate:

1. **Hophal?** (Yes / No — is it the Hophal stem?)
2. **Conjugation** (Perfect, Imperfect, Wayyiqtol, Weqatal, Participle, Inf. Construct)
3. **PGN** (Person–Gender–Number)
4. **Root** (3-letter root, unvoweled)
5. **Corresponding Hiphil meaning** (what does the Hiphil of this root mean? → the Hophal passivizes it)

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## Passage A — Genesis 22:20–22

*Context: After the Akedah, Abraham receives news about his relatives.*

> וַיְהִ֗י אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה **וַיֻּגַּ֥ד (1)** לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר הִנֵּ֤ה יָלְדָה֙ מִלְכָּ֔ה גַם־הִ֖וא בָּנִ֥ים לְנָחֽוֹר׃

"Now after these things **it was told** to Abraham, saying, 'Behold, Milcah also has borne children to Nahor.'"

| # | Verb | Hophal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Hiphil meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | וַיֻּגַּד | | | | | |

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## Passage B — Exodus 5:14–16

*Context: Pharaoh's taskmasters beat the Israelite foremen for not meeting brick quotas.*

> **וַיֻּכּ֗וּ (2)** שֹׁטְרֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣מוּ עֲלֵהֶ֔ם נֹגְשֵׂ֥י פַרְעֹ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר מַדּ֡וּעַ לֹא֩ כִלִּיתֶ֨ם חָקְכֶ֤ם לִלְבֹּן֙ כִּתְמ֣וֹל שִׁלְשֹׁ֔ם

"And **the overseers of the people of Israel were beaten**, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, saying, 'Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday?'"

| # | Verb | Hophal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Hiphil meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | וַיֻּכּוּ | | | | | |

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> וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ שֹׁטְרֵ֣י בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיִּצְעֲק֖וּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה לֵאמֹ֗ר לָ֚מָּה תַעֲשֶׂ֣ה כֹ֔ה לַעֲבָדֶ֑יךָ׃ תֶּ֗בֶן אֵ֤ין **נִתָּן֙ (3)** לַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ וּלְבֵנִ֛ים אֹמְרִ֥ים לָ֖נוּ עֲשׂ֑וּ וְהִנֵּ֧ה **עֲבָדֶ֛יךָ מֻכִּ֖ים (4)**

"'Why do you treat your servants this way? No straw **is given** to your servants, yet they say to us, "Make bricks!" And behold, **your servants are being beaten**…'"

| # | Verb | Hophal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Hiphil meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | נִתָּן | | | | | |
| 4 | מֻכִּים | | | | | |

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## Passage C — Numbers 35:16–18, 30–31

*Context: Laws concerning murder and the death penalty.*

> וְאִם֩ בִּכְלִ֨י בַרְזֶ֧ל הִכָּ֛הוּ וַיָּמֹ֖ת מֽוֹת־**יוּמַ֖ת (5)** הָרֹצֵֽחַ׃

"If he struck him with an iron object, so that he died — the murderer **shall surely be put to death**."

| # | Verb | Hophal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Hiphil meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | יוּמַת | | | | | |

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> וְאִם֩ בְּאֶ֨בֶן יָ֜ד אֲשֶׁר־**יָמ֤וּת (6)** בָּהּ֙ הִכָּ֔הוּ וַיָּמֹ֖ת מֽוֹת־**יוּמַ֖ת (7)** הָרֹצֵֽחַ׃ וְאִ֨ם בִּכְלִי֩ עֵ֨ץ יָ֜ד אֲשֶׁר־**יָמ֤וּת (8)** בָּהּ֙ הִכָּ֔הוּ וַיָּמֹ֖ת מֽוֹת־**יוּמַ֖ת (9)** הָרֹצֵֽחַ׃

"If with a stone in the hand that could cause death he struck him and he died — the murderer **shall be put to death** (7). And if with a wooden instrument that could cause death he struck him and he died — the murderer **shall be put to death** (9)."

| # | Verb | Hophal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Hiphil meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | יָמוּת | | | | | |
| 7 | יוּמַת | | | | | |
| 8 | יָמוּת | | | | | |
| 9 | יוּמַת | | | | | |

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> עַל־פִּ֣י עֵדִים֮ **יֵרָצֵ֣חַ (10)** הָרֹצֵחַ֒ … וְלֹֽא־תִקְח֣וּ כֹ֔פֶר לְנֶ֖פֶשׁ רֹצֵ֑חַ אֲשֶׁר־ה֥וּא רָשָׁ֖ע לָמ֑וּת כִּי־מ֖וֹת **יוּמָֽת (11)**׃

"On the testimony of witnesses the murderer **shall be put to death** (10)… and you shall not accept ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, for **he shall surely be put to death** (11)."

| # | Verb | Hophal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Hiphil meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | יֵרָצֵחַ | | | | | |
| 11 | יוּמַת | | | | | |

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## Reflection Questions

1. Verbs 5, 7, 9, 11 all use the formula מוֹת יוּמַת. What two verb forms make up this formula (מוֹת and יוּמַת)? One is the Qal Inf. Absolute and one is the Hophal Imperfect — which is which, and what is the intensifying effect of this construction?

2. In Passage B, verbs 3 (נִתָּן) and 4 (מֻכִּים) are both passive forms, but from different stems. Verb 3 is Niphal (נ prefix in the Perfect) and verb 4 is Hophal (מֻ prefix). What does this difference in stem tell you about the *type* of passive? (Hint: what does the Hiphil of נכה mean?)

3. Verb 10 (יֵרָצֵחַ) is a Niphal Imperfect 3ms of רצח (to murder). It is NOT a Hophal. What formal feature tells you it is Niphal rather than Hophal? What does the use of passive voice here accomplish theologically — why say "he shall be put to death by witnesses" rather than "witnesses shall kill him"?

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## Answer Key

| # | Verb | Hophal? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Hiphil meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | וַיֻּגַּד | Yes | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | נגד | to tell, declare, report |
| 2 | וַיֻּכּוּ | Yes | Wayyiqtol | 3mp | נכה | to strike, beat, kill |
| 3 | נִתָּן | No (Niphal) | Participle ms | ms | נתן | — (Niphal passive of Qal) |
| 4 | מֻכִּים | Yes | Participle | mp | נכה | to strike, beat (Hiphil הִכָּה) |
| 5 | יוּמַת | Yes | Imperfect | 3ms | מות | to put to death (Hiphil הֵמִית) |
| 6 | יָמוּת | No (Qal) | Imperfect | 3ms | מות | — (Qal: to die) |
| 7 | יוּמַת | Yes | Imperfect | 3ms | מות | to put to death |
| 8 | יָמוּת | No (Qal) | Imperfect | 3ms | מות | — (Qal: to die) |
| 9 | יוּמַת | Yes | Imperfect | 3ms | מות | to put to death |
| 10 | יֵרָצֵחַ | No (Niphal) | Imperfect | 3ms | רצח | — (Niphal passive) |
| 11 | יוּמַת | Yes | Imperfect | 3ms | מות | to put to death |

> **Key teaching points:**
> - **#1** וַיֻּגַּד: Qibbuts under prefix (alternate Hophal form) + Dagesh in R2 (from Hiphil הִגִּיד, which has dagesh in gimel due to intensive doubling).
> - **#3 vs. #4**: Both passive, but נִתָּן is Niphal Participle (passivizes the Qal נָתַן); מֻכִּים is Hophal Participle (passivizes the Hiphil הִכָּה "to cause to be struck"). The Hophal specifically signals "caused to undergo" rather than a simple passive state.
> - **#5, 7, 9, 11 vs. #6, 8, 10**: Root מות in the Qal means "to die" (intransitive — יָמוּת). The Hophal יוּמַת = "to be put to death" (passive causative). The prefix vowel distinguishes them: יָ (Qal) vs. יוּ (Hophal).
