# Chapter 29 — Qal–Hiphil–Hophal Contrast Drill (Weak Roots)

*BBH Chapter 29 · Hophal Weak Verbs*

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## Instructions

This drill presents five root triplets, each showing the **same root in three stems: Qal, Hiphil, and Hophal**. All roots are weak (hollow or I-י).

For each triplet group:
1. **Identify the stem** of each form (Qal / Hiphil / Hophal).
2. **Parse** the conjugation and PGN.
3. **Translate** each form, observing how the meaning shifts across the three stems.

The answer key is at the bottom.

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## Exercise Table

### Part A — Root: בוא (Hollow, "to come / to bring / to be brought")

| # | Hebrew Form | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | בָּא | | | | |
| 2 | הֵבִיא | | | | |
| 3 | הוּבָא | | | | |

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### Part B — Root: ירד (I-י, "to go down / to bring down / to be brought down")

| # | Hebrew Form | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | יָרַד | | | | |
| 5 | הוֹרִיד | | | | |
| 6 | הוּרַד | | | | |

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### Part C — Root: שׁוב (Hollow, "to return / to bring back / to be brought back")

| # | Hebrew Form | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | שָׁב | | | | |
| 8 | הֵשִׁיב | | | | |
| 9 | הוּשַׁב | | | | |

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### Part D — Root: קום (Hollow, "to arise / to raise up / to be raised up")

| # | Hebrew Form | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | קָם | | | | |
| 11 | הֵקִים | | | | |
| 12 | הוּקַם | | | | |

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### Part E — Root: ילד (I-י, "to bear/father / to beget / to be born")

| # | Hebrew Form | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | יָלַד | | | | |
| 14 | הוֹלִיד | | | | |
| 15 | הוּלַד | | | | |

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## Discussion Questions

1. In each triplet, the Qal expresses a basic action, the Hiphil makes it causative, and the Hophal passivizes the Hiphil. Using the root בוא (Part A), express this relationship in a single sentence about each form (who acts, who is acted upon).
2. Compare the Hiphil forms across the five roots. Notice that roots II-ו (hollow, e.g. שׁוב, קום, בוא) tend to lengthen the middle vowel in the Hiphil (הֵשִׁיב, הֵקִים, הֵבִיא). What phonological phenomenon is occurring?
3. Notice that הוּרַד (ירד) and הוּשַׁב (שׁוב) and הוּקַם (קום) all share the same prefix (הוּ). What does the הוּ- prefix signal, and how does it differ from the הֵ- of the Hiphil?
4. The root ילד (Part E) yields both יָלַד "he bore/fathered" (Qal) and הוּלַד "he was born" (Hophal). Explain in your own words why the Hophal is the right stem to express "to be born" in terms of causality (who is the implied agent?).

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## Answer Key

### Part A — Root: בוא

| # | Hebrew Form | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | בָּא | **Qal** | Perfect | 3ms | he came |
| 2 | הֵבִיא | **Hiphil** | Perfect | 3ms | he brought |
| 3 | הוּבָא | **Hophal** | Perfect | 3ms | he was brought |

*Qal*: subject moves of his own accord. *Hiphil*: subject causes another to come/enter. *Hophal*: subject is caused by another to come/enter.

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### Part B — Root: ירד

| # | Hebrew Form | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | יָרַד | **Qal** | Perfect | 3ms | he went down |
| 5 | הוֹרִיד | **Hiphil** | Perfect | 3ms | he brought down |
| 6 | הוּרַד | **Hophal** | Perfect | 3ms | he was brought down |

*I-י root*: the י drops in all forms; the Hiphil uses הוֹ- prefix (with holem-waw, characteristic of some I-י Hiphil forms); the Hophal uses הוּ-.

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### Part C — Root: שׁוב

| # | Hebrew Form | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | שָׁב | **Qal** | Perfect | 3ms | he returned |
| 8 | הֵשִׁיב | **Hiphil** | Perfect | 3ms | he returned (it) / brought back |
| 9 | הוּשַׁב | **Hophal** | Perfect | 3ms | he was brought back |

*Hollow root*: the middle ו contracts; Hiphil lengthens with chiriq-yod (הֵשִׁיב); Hophal uses הוּ- prefix with contracted stem.

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### Part D — Root: קום

| # | Hebrew Form | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | קָם | **Qal** | Perfect | 3ms | he arose |
| 11 | הֵקִים | **Hiphil** | Perfect | 3ms | he established / raised up |
| 12 | הוּקַם | **Hophal** | Perfect | 3ms | he was raised up / was established |

*Hollow root*: Qal contracts to a single syllable (קָם); Hiphil הֵקִים lengthens with chiriq-yod; Hophal הוּקַם uses הוּ- prefix.

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### Part E — Root: ילד

| # | Hebrew Form | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | יָלַד | **Qal** | Perfect | 3ms | he fathered / he bore |
| 14 | הוֹלִיד | **Hiphil** | Perfect | 3ms | he begat / caused to be born |
| 15 | הוּלַד | **Hophal** | Perfect | 3ms | he was born |

*I-י root*: Qal has base vowels; Hiphil uses הוֹ- prefix with chiriq-yod; Hophal uses הוּ- prefix. The Hophal of ילד ("to be born") implies an agent (the parents/God) who caused the birth.
