# Chapter 35 — "Spot the Hithpael" Passage Exercise

**Stem:** Hithpael (הִתְקַטֵּל) — Weak Verbs
**Passages:** Gen 22:5 · Gen 18:2 · Exo 20:5 · Psa 95:6 · Gen 35:7 · 1 Sam 10:6, 11 · Gen 44:16 · 2 Kgs 8:29

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## Instructions

For each bolded verb, indicate:

1. **Hithpael?** (Yes / No — is it the Hithpael stem?)
2. **Conjugation** (Perfect, Imperfect, Wayyiqtol, Weqatal, Imperative, Inf. Const., Inf. Abs., Participle)
3. **PGN** (Person–Gender–Number, e.g., 3ms, 2mp, 1cs)
4. **Root** (3-letter root, unvoweled)
5. **Stem / Function** (if Hithpael: Reflexive / Iterative / Reciprocal / Estimative / Denominative, and note weak class; if not: name the stem)

*Distractors include Niphal and Hophal forms — all stems you have already studied. Niphal (reflexive/passive) is easily confused with Hithpael (reflexive) since both can express reflexive or middle meanings.*

*Key weak patterns in Hithpael: I-שׁ/שׂ/ס metathesis (תְ + שׁ → שְׁתַ), I-צ/ז metathesis-with-change (תְ + צ → צְתַ or assimilation), III-ה forms with distinctive endings.*

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## Passage A — Genesis 22:5 · Genesis 18:2 · Exodus 20:5 · Psalm 95:6

*Context: Abraham prepares to worship; Lot's visitors; the second commandment; Psalm of praise.*

> **וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ֙ (1)** לַֽיהוָה — Psa 95:6 adapted: bow down before the LORD

*Note: this is the Hithpael Wayyiqtol 3ms of שׁחה — the most frequent form in the OT.*

| # | Verb | Hithpael? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ | | | | | |

---

> וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֗ם אֶל־נְעָרָ֡יו שְׁבוּ־לָכֶ֣ם פֹּ֣ה עִם־הַחֲמוֹר֒ וַאֲנִ֣י וְהַנַּ֔עַר נֵלְכָ֖ה עַד־כֹּ֑ה **וְנִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֔ה (2)** וְנָשׁ֥וּבָה אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

"And Abraham said to his young men, 'Stay here with the donkey; I and the young man will go over there and **worship**, and we will come back to you.'" (Gen 22:5)

| # | Verb | Hithpael? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | וְנִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה | | | | | |

---

> וַיַּ֥רְא וַיָּ֖רָץ לִקְרָאתָ֑ם מִפֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֔הֶל **וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ (3)** אָֽרְצָה׃

"When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and **bowed down** to the ground." (Gen 18:2)

| # | Verb | Hithpael? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ | | | | | |

---

> לֹֽא־**תִשְׁתַּחְוֶ֥ה (4)**־לָהֶ֖ם וְלֹ֣א תָעָבְדֵ֑ם כִּ֣י אָנֹכִ֞י יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙

"You shall not **bow down** to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God…" (Exo 20:5)

| # | Verb | Hithpael? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | תִשְׁתַּחְוֶה | | | | | |

---

> בֹּ֭אוּ נִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֣ה וְנִכְרָ֑עָה **נִבְרְכָ֥ה (5)** לִֽפְנֵי־יְהוָ֥ה עֹשֵֽׂנוּ׃

"Come, let us bow down and kneel; **let us kneel** before the LORD our maker." (Psa 95:6)

*Note: verb 5 is a distractor drawn from a stem you have already studied.*

| # | Verb | Hithpael? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | נִבְרְכָה | | | | | |

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## Passage B — Genesis 35:7 · 1 Samuel 10:6, 11

*Context: Jacob at Bethel ("El Bethel"); Saul's prophetic transformation.*

> וַיִּבֶן֩ שָׁ֨ם מִזְבֵּ֜חַ וַיִּקְרָ֧א לַמָּק֛וֹם אֵ֥ל בֵּֽית־אֵ֖ל כִּ֣י שָׁ֣ם **נִגְלֽוּ (6)**־אֵלָ֑יו הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים בְּבָרְח֛וֹ מִפְּנֵ֥י אָחִֽיו׃

"And there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there **God had revealed himself** to him when he fled from his brother." (Gen 35:7)

*Note: verb 6 is a distractor. Examine the prefix carefully.*

| # | Verb | Hithpael? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | נִגְלוּ | | | | | |

---

> וְצָלְחָ֨ה עָלֶ֜יךָ ר֣וּחַ יְהוָ֗ה **וְהִתְנַבִּ֙יתָ֙ (7)** עִמָּ֔ם וְנֶהְפַּכְתָּ֖ לְאִ֥ישׁ אַחֵֽר׃

"Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and **you will prophesy** with them and be turned into another man." (1 Sam 10:6)

| # | Verb | Hithpael? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | וְהִתְנַבִּיתָ | | | | | |

---

> וַיִּֽתְנַבְּא֖וּ עַד בּ֥וֹא הַמִּנְחָֽה׃ — וַיֹּ֙אמְר֜וּ מַה־זֶּ֣ה הָיָ֗ה לְבֶן־קִ֙ישׁ֙ הֲגַ֣ם שָׁא֔וּל **בַּנְּבִיאִֽים (8)**

"…and they prophesied until the offering of the evening sacrifice. And they said, 'What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets [8]?'" (1 Sam 10:11)

*Note: for #8, parse the entire verbal clause **הֲגַם שָׁאוּל בַּנְּבִיאִים** — the verb is implied (copula), and בַּנְּבִיאִים is a prepositional phrase. Skip #8 and instead parse the wayyiqtol verb that precedes it.*

> וַיִּֽתְנַבְּא֖וּ עַד בּ֥וֹא הַמִּנְחָֽה׃ **וַיִּתְנַבְּאוּ (8)**

"And **they prophesied** until the offering of the evening sacrifice." (1 Sam 10:11a)

| # | Verb | Hithpael? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | וַיִּתְנַבְּאוּ | | | | | |

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## Passage C — Genesis 44:16 · 2 Kings 8:29

*Context: Judah's plea before Joseph; Ben-hadad's illness context.*

> וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוּדָ֗ה מַה־נֹּאמַ֤ר לַֽאדֹנִי֙ מַה־נְּדַבֵּ֔ר וּמַ֖ה **נִּצְטַדָּ֑ק (9)** הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים מָצָ֛א אֶת־עֲוֺ֥ן עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ

"And Judah said, 'What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? How can **we justify ourselves**? God has found out the iniquity of your servants.'" (Gen 44:16)

| # | Verb | Hithpael? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | נִצְטַדָּק | | | | | |

---

> וַיָּ֣שָׁב יֹורָ֣ם הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ **לְהִתְרַפֵּ֥א (10)** בְיִזְרְעֶ֖אל מִן־הַמַּכִּ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַכֻּ֤הוּ אֲרַמִּים֙

"And King Joram returned to be healed [10] in Jezreel from the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted…" (2 Kgs 8:29)

| # | Verb | Hithpael? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | לְהִתְרַפֵּא | | | | | |

---

> וַיְהִ֗י כִּשְׁמֹ֤עַ אֱלִישָׁע֙ כִּי **הוּשַׁ֥ב (11)** הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ

"And when Elisha heard that **the king had returned**…" (2 Kgs 8:29b — Hophal distractor)

*Note: verb 11 is a distractor drawn from a stem you have already studied.*

| # | Verb | Hithpael? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | הוּשַׁב | | | | | |

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## Reflection Questions

1. Verbs 2–4 all come from the root שׁחה (III-ה, with I-שׁ metathesis). In each form, identify: (a) where the metathesis appears, (b) what happened to the III-ה ending. How do the endings differ between perfect, imperfect, and cohortative?

2. Verb 9 (נִצְטַדָּק) shows I-צ metathesis. Write out the expected form before metathesis, then explain the phonological rule: why does the ת of הִתְ swap with the initial צ of the root?

3. Compare verbs 7 and 8 (הִתְנַבִּיתָ and וַיִּתְנַבְּאוּ), both from נבא (I-נ). In Hithpael, why does the נ of the root *not* assimilate into the ת of the הִתְ prefix, even though it would assimilate in Niphal? (Hint: what letter does the נ directly follow in each stem?)

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## Answer Key

| # | Verb | Hithpael? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ | Yes | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | שחה | Hithpael — Reflexive; I-שׁ metathesis; III-ה short form (וּ ending in Wayyiqtol 3ms) |
| 2 | וְנִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה | Yes | Cohortative | 1cp | שחה | Hithpael — Reflexive; I-שׁ metathesis (הִתְ + שׁ → שְׁתַ), III-ה |
| 3 | וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ | Yes | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | שחה | Hithpael — Reflexive; I-שׁ metathesis; III-ה short form (וּ ending) |
| 4 | תִשְׁתַּחְוֶה | Yes | Imperfect | 2ms | שחה | Hithpael — Reflexive; יִתְ → שְׁתַ (I-שׁ metathesis); III-ה imperfect ending |
| 5 | נִבְרְכָה | No | Cohortative | 1cp | ברך | NOT Hithpael — Qal cohortative: "let us kneel/bless"; נִ- is NOT Hithpael prefix, no הִתְ |
| 6 | נִגְלוּ | No | Perfect | 3cp | גלה | NOT Hithpael — Niphal: "revealed themselves / were revealed"; נִ- prefix = Niphal, not Hithpael הִתְ- |
| 7 | וְהִתְנַבִּיתָ | Yes | Weqatal | 2ms | נבא | Hithpael — Denominative/Iterative; I-נ (no assimilation); הִתְ- + נַ + בִּי + 2ms suffix תָ; III-א |
| 8 | וַיִּתְנַבְּאוּ | Yes | Wayyiqtol | 3mp | נבא | Hithpael — Denominative/Iterative; יִתְ- prefix; I-נ (no assimilation); III-א with 3mp אוּ ending |
| 9 | נִצְטַדָּק | Yes | Imperfect | 1cp | צדק | Hithpael — Reflexive/Estimative; I-צ metathesis (הִתְ + צ → צְתַ → נִצְטַ with 1cp prefix נ) |
| 10 | לְהִתְרַפֵּא | Yes | Inf. Construct | — | רפא | Hithpael — Reflexive "to be healed / to heal oneself"; הִתְ- prefix + III-א root; lamed-preposition marks infinitive construct |
| 11 | הוּשַׁב | No | Perfect | 3ms | שוב | NOT Hithpael — Hophal: "was returned / was brought back"; הוּ- prefix (u-class vowel = Hophal mark); biconsonantal root שׁוּב |

> **Notes on distractors:**
> - **#5 נִבְרְכָה** — Qal cohortative of ברך ("let us kneel"). נִ here is the 1cp cohortative prefix נ + shewa, NOT the Hithpael הִתְ infix. No dagesh forte in R2.
> - **#6 נִגְלוּ** — Niphal perfect 3cp of גלה. נִ- prefix = Niphal passive/reflexive. Compare: Niphal of גלה means "was revealed / revealed itself"; Hithpael הִתְגַּלָּה (not used here) would mean the same but is grammatically distinct.
> - **#11 הוּשַׁב** — Hophal perfect 3ms of שׁוּב. הוּ- prefix (u-class = Hophal) + שַׁב. No הִתְ infix. Hophal passive-causative: "was returned/brought back."
> - **Verb #9 metathesis detail:** Expected form before metathesis: הִתְצַדֵּק. The ת of the prefix and צ of the root swap → הִצְתַדֵּק, then ת voices to ט after the sibilant → הִצְטַדֵּק. With 1cp imperfect prefix נ: נִצְטַדָּק.
