# Chapter 26 — Semantic Function Sorting

*BBH Chapter 26 · Hiphil Strong Verbs*

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## Instructions

Below are 27 Hiphil verb forms drawn from the OT. Each item gives you the Hebrew form, its reference, and a contextual gloss.

**For each item, classify the Hiphil as one of the five semantic functions:**

| Label | Function | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| **C** | Causative | Does the subject *cause* something or someone else to do/experience the action? |
| **F** | Factitive | Does the subject *cause* an object to be in a certain state? (Often from a stative root.) |
| **D** | Declarative | Does the subject *declare or treat* something as being in a state? |
| **SA** | Simple Action | Is the Hiphil the standard form of the verb with no obvious Qal counterpart? |
| **DN** | Denominative | Is the Hiphil derived from a **noun**, performing an action related to that noun? *(not in BBH)* |

> **Tip:** Motion verb (go → bring) → **Causative**. Stative verb (be heavy → make heavy) → **Factitive**. Legal/evaluative declaration → **Declarative**. No common Qal counterpart → **Simple Action**. Hiphil built from a noun → **Denominative**.

Write your answer (C / F / D / SA / DN) in the blank column.

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## Exercise Table

| # | Hebrew Form | Conjugation | Ref | Contextual Gloss | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1  | וַיָּבֵא | Wayyiqtol 3ms | Gen 2:19 | "he brought them to the man" | |
| 2  | וַתּוֹצֵא | Wayyiqtol 3fs | Gen 1:12 | "the earth brought forth vegetation" | |
| 3  | וַיָּשֶׁב | Wayyiqtol 3ms | Gen 14:16 | "he brought back his brother Lot" | |
| 4  | הִשְׁקָה | Perfect 3ms | Gen 2:6 | "a mist…watered the whole surface" | |
| 5  | וַיּוֹלֶד | Wayyiqtol 3ms | Gen 5:3 | "Adam fathered a son" | |
| 6  | הַעֲלֵה | Imperative 2ms | Gen 22:2 | "offer him there as a burnt offering" | |
| 7  | וַתֹּרֶד | Wayyiqtol 3fs | Gen 24:18 | "she lowered her jar to give him a drink" | |
| 8  | וַיָּסַר | Wayyiqtol 3ms | Gen 30:35 | "he removed the streaked goats" | |
| 9  | וַיַּגֵּד | Wayyiqtol 3ms | Gen 9:22 | "Ham told his brothers" | |
| 10 | הִגִּיד | Weqatal 3ms | Gen 3:11 | "who told you that you were naked?" | |
| 11 | וַתַּשְׁלֵךְ | Wayyiqtol 3fs | Gen 21:15 | "she threw the child under one of the bushes" | |
| 12 | הִזְכַּרְתָּ | Perfect 2ms | Gen 40:14 | "mention me to Pharaoh" | |
| 13 | מַזְכִּיר | Participle ms | Gen 41:9 | "I am bringing my faults to mind" | |
| 14 | הֵמִית | Inf. Construct | Gen 18:25 | "Far be it from you to put the righteous to death" | |
| 15 | הַכּוֹת | Inf. Construct | Gen 4:15 | "lest anyone who found him strike him" | |
| 16 | הִשְׁמַדְתִּי | Perfect 1cs | Lev 26:30 | "I will destroy your high places" | |
| 17 | תַּשְׁמִידוּ | Imperfect 2mp | Num 33:52 | "you shall demolish all their figured stones" | |
| 18 | וַיַּכְבֵּד | Wayyiqtol 3ms | Exo 8:32 | "Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also" | |
| 19 | וְהַכְבֵּד | Inf. Absolute | Exo 8:15 | "he made his heart stubborn" | |
| 20 | וַתַּגְדֵּל | Wayyiqtol 2ms | Gen 19:19 | "you have shown great kindness to me" | |
| 21 | הִרְשִׁיעוּ | Perfect 3cp | Deu 25:1 | "they shall acquit the innocent and condemn the guilty" | |
| 22 | יַרְשִׁיעֻ | Imperfect 3mp | Exo 22:8 | "the judges shall declare him guilty" | |
| 23 | וַיַּעַל | Wayyiqtol 3ms | Gen 8:20 | "Noah offered burnt offerings on the altar" | |
| 24 | הָמִית | Inf. Construct | Gen 37:18 | "they conspired against him to kill him" | |
| 25 | מַמְטִיר | Participle ms | Gen 7:4 | "I am about to send rain on the earth" | |
| 26 | וַיַּשְׁכֵּם | Wayyiqtol 3ms | Gen 22:3 | "Abraham rose early in the morning" | |
| 27 | הַאְזִינוּ | Imperative 2mp | Deu 32:1 | "give ear, O heavens, and I will speak" | |

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## Discussion Questions

1. Items 18–19 both come from כָּבֵד (Exo 8:32, 8:15). The root means "to be heavy." How does the Hiphil meaning connect to that? Is this Factitive or Causative — and why?
2. Items 21–22 both use רָשָׁע and both classify as Declarative. Compare Deu 25:1 (a judicial verdict) with Exo 22:8 (a court decision). What do they have in common that makes both Declarative rather than Factitive?
3. Items 12–13 (זָכַר, "to remember") might seem like Simple Action, but they are classified as Causative. What is the Causative reading? Does it change the translation?
4. Items 25–27 are Denominative. For each one, identify the underlying noun. How does knowing the noun make the Hiphil meaning immediately transparent?

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## Answer Key

| # | Root | Function | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1  | בּוֹא | **C** | God caused the animals to come to Adam |
| 2  | יָצָא | **C** | Earth caused vegetation to come out |
| 3  | שׁוּב | **C** | Abraham caused people/goods to come back |
| 4  | שָׁקָה | **C** | The mist caused the ground to receive water; Qal = "drink" |
| 5  | יָלַד | **C** | Adam caused a son to be born; Qal = "give birth" |
| 6  | עָלָה | **C** | Isaac is to be caused to go up (as an offering) |
| 7  | יָרַד | **C** | Rebekah caused the jar to go down |
| 8  | סוּר | **C** | He caused the goats to move away; Qal = "turn aside" |
| 9  | נָגַד | **SA** | Tell/declare; rarely attested in Qal; Hiphil is the primary form |
| 10 | נָגַד | **SA** | Same root — reporting/declaring is the Hiphil's basic meaning |
| 11 | שָׁלַךְ | **SA** | To throw/cast; Hiphil is the normal form (no common Qal) |
| 12 | זָכַר | **C** | Cause Pharaoh to remember me = bring me to his mind |
| 13 | זָכַר | **C** | Causing something to be remembered |
| 14 | מוּת | **C** | To cause to die = put to death; Qal = "die" |
| 15 | נָכָה | **SA** | To strike; Hiphil is the primary form; no functional Qal |
| 16 | שָׁמַד | **SA** | To destroy; Hiphil is the primary form; Niphal = "be destroyed" |
| 17 | שָׁמַד | **SA** | Same root |
| 18 | כָּבֵד | **F** | Caused his heart to be in a state of heaviness/stubbornness |
| 19 | כָּבֵד | **F** | Same root; Inf. Absolute reinforces the factitive force |
| 20 | גָּדַל | **F** | Caused great things to exist; Qal = "be great" |
| 21 | רָשָׁע | **D** | Legal verdict: they *declare* the guilty party as guilty |
| 22 | רָשָׁע | **D** | Court declaration, not an act of causing wickedness |
| 23 | עָלָה | **C** | Noah caused offerings to go up; Qal = "go up" |
| 24 | מוּת | **C** | Causing death; Qal = "die" |
| 25 | מָטַר | **DN** | From noun מָטָר "rain" — to perform the action of rain; to send/cause rain |
| 26 | שָׁכַם | **DN** | From noun שְׁכֶם "shoulder" — to shoulder up early = to rise early / start at dawn |
| 27 | אָזַן | **DN** | From noun אֹזֶן "ear" — to ear = to give ear / listen attentively |

### Function summary

| Function | Items | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Causative | 1–8, 12–13, 23–24 | 13 |
| Simple Action | 9–11, 15–17 | 6 |
| Factitive | 18–20 | 3 |
| Denominative | 25–27 | 3 |
| Declarative | 21–22 | 2 |
