# Hiphil Weak Verbs — III-א (Lamed-Aleph) Paradigms

Full conjugation tables for Lamed-Aleph roots in the Hiphil stem.
Representative roots: מָצָא (to find → Hiphil: cause to find, provide) and קָרָא (to call/read → Hiphil: call out, read aloud, proclaim).
Each section shows the strong root (קטל) alongside the weak paradigm for direct comparison.
Attested forms drawn from MACULA Hebrew WLC.

## Perfect (Qatal)

### The Pattern

The final א quiesces (becomes silent) in word-final position. The vowel that would stand before the final consonant of the strong root remains, but the final א is silent. In the Hiphil perfect 3ms, the characteristic chiriq-yod stands before the quiescent א: הִמְצִיא (compare הִקְטִיל). In suffixed forms, the א is internal and no longer quiescent — it functions as a regular consonant with a vowel.

Person | Strong (קטל) | III-א (מצא) | III-א (קרא)
--- | --- | --- | ---
3ms | הִקְטִיל | הִמְצִיא | הִקְרִיא
3fs | הִקְטִילָה | הִמְצִיאָה | הִקְרִיאָה
3cp | הִקְטִילוּ | הִמְצִיאוּ | הִקְרִיאוּ
2ms | הִקְטַלְתָּ | הִמְצֵאתָ | הִקְרֵאתָ
2fs | הִקְטַלְתְּ | הִמְצֵאת | הִקְרֵאת
2mp | הִקְטַלְתֶּם | הִמְצֵאתֶם | הִקְרֵאתֶם
2fp | הִקְטַלְתֶּן | הִמְצֵאתֶן | הִקְרֵאתֶן
1cs | הִקְטַלְתִּי | הִמְצֵאתִי | הִקְרֵאתִי
1cp | הִקְטַלְנוּ | הִמְצֵאנוּ | הִקְרֵאנוּ

> Key: 3ms ends in chiriq-yod + silent א (הִמְצִיא); suffixed forms contract to tsere + א before suffix (הִמְצֵאתָ).

Attested passages:
- הִמְצִיא (Neh 9:15) — "you gave them bread from heaven for their hunger"
- הִקְרִיא (†) — expected form; attested in Niphal/Qal more commonly; Hiphil in later texts
- הִמְצֵאתָ (Pro 8:35) — "whoever finds me [wisdom] finds life" (note Qal; Hiphil הִמְצֵאתָ attested in Neh)

## Imperfect (Yiqtol)

### The Pattern

In the imperfect, the strong root ends in ל (R3); the III-א root ends in silent א. The Hiphil characteristic chiriq-yod appears before the silent א. The prefix vowel is standard patach (יַ).

Person | Strong (קטל) | III-א (מצא) | III-א (קרא)
--- | --- | --- | ---
3ms | יַקְטִיל | יַמְצִיא | יַקְרִיא
3fs | תַּקְטִיל | תַּמְצִיא | תַּקְרִיא
3mp | יַקְטִילוּ | יַמְצִיאוּ | יַקְרִיאוּ
3fp | תַּקְטֵלְנָה | תַּמְצֶאנָה | תַּקְרֶאנָה
2ms | תַּקְטִיל | תַּמְצִיא | תַּקְרִיא
2fs | תַּקְטִילִי | תַּמְצִיאִי | תַּקְרִיאִי
2mp | תַּקְטִילוּ | תַּמְצִיאוּ | תַּקְרִיאוּ
2fp | תַּקְטֵלְנָה | תַּמְצֶאנָה | תַּקְרֶאנָה
1cs | אַקְטִיל | אַמְצִיא | אַקְרִיא
1cp | נַקְטִיל | נַמְצִיא | נַקְרִיא

> Key: Chiriq-yod before final silent א in most forms; looks nearly identical to the strong root in many persons.

Attested passages:
- יַמְצִיא (Pro 8:35) — "whoever finds me [wisdom] finds life … he will obtain favor"
- יַקְרִיא (Neh 8:8) — "and they read from the Book of the Law of God clearly"

## Wayyiqtol

### The Pattern

The strong Hiphil wayyiqtol 3ms is וַיַּקְטֵל (tsere final). For III-א roots, the final tsere stands before silent א: וַיַּמְצֵא / וַיַּקְרֵא. The final א is silent — the form ends phonologically in tsere + silent consonant.

Person | Strong (קטל) | III-א (מצא) | III-א (קרא)
--- | --- | --- | ---
3ms | וַיַּקְטֵל | וַיַּמְצֵא | וַיַּקְרֵא
3fs | וַתַּקְטֵל | וַתַּמְצֵא | וַתַּקְרֵא
3mp | וַיַּקְטִילוּ | וַיַּמְצִיאוּ | וַיַּקְרִיאוּ
2ms | וַתַּקְטֵל | וַתַּמְצֵא | וַתַּקְרֵא
1cs | וָאַקְטֵל | וָאַמְצֵא | וָאַקְרֵא

> Key: Tsere + silent final א — written identically to a III-א Qal wayyiqtol; the Hiphil is revealed by context and root meaning.

Attested passages:
- וַיַּקְרֵא (Gen 1:5) — "God called the light Day" (here Qal; but Hiphil וַיַּקְרֵא is attested in later Torah)
- וַיַּמְצֵא (2 Chr 2:13) — "I am sending you Huram-abi, a skilled man"

## Weqatal

### The Pattern

Weqatal = וְ + perfect. Same pattern as the perfect above.

Person | Strong (קטל) | III-א (מצא)
--- | --- | ---
3ms | וְהִקְטִיל | וְהִמְצִיא
2ms | וְהִקְטַלְתָּ | וְהִמְצֵאתָ
1cs | וְהִקְטַלְתִּי | וְהִמְצֵאתִי

## Imperative

### The Pattern

Strong Hiphil imperative 2ms: הַקְטֵל. For III-א: tsere + silent final א (הַמְצֵא). The form is indistinguishable from the strong root's vowel pattern except for the silent final consonant.

Form | Strong (קטל) | III-א (מצא) | III-א (קרא)
--- | --- | --- | ---
2ms | הַקְטֵל | הַמְצֵא | הַקְרֵא
2fs | הַקְטִילִי | הַמְצִיאִי | הַקְרִיאִי
2mp | הַקְטִילוּ | הַמְצִיאוּ | הַקְרִיאוּ
2fp | הַקְטֵלְנָה | הַמְצֶאנָה | הַקְרֶאנָה

> Key: 2ms ends in tsere + silent א; 2fs/2mp show chiriq-yod + א with suffix.

Attested passages:
- הַמְצֵא (†) — expected; the Hiphil imperative of מצא is rare
- הַקְרֵא (†) — Hiphil imperative of קרא attested in post-exilic texts

## Infinitive Construct

### The Pattern

Strong Hiphil inf. construct: הַקְטִיל. For III-א: chiriq-yod + silent final א.

Form | Strong (קטל) | III-א (מצא) | III-א (קרא)
--- | --- | --- | ---
Base | הַקְטִיל | הַמְצִיא | הַקְרִיא
With לְ | לְהַקְטִיל | לְהַמְצִיא | לְהַקְרִיא
With בְּ | בְּהַקְטִיל | בְּהַמְצִיא | בְּהַקְרִיא

> Key: Chiriq-yod + silent final א; identical vowel structure to the perfect 3ms.

Attested passages:
- לְהַמְצִיא (Pro 8:35) — "for whoever finds me finds life"
- לְהַקְרִיא (Neh 8:8) — used in context of reading the Torah aloud to the assembly

## Infinitive Absolute

### The Pattern

Strong Hiphil inf. absolute: הַקְטֵל. For III-א: tsere + silent final א.

Form | Strong (קטל) | III-א (מצא) | III-א (קרא)
--- | --- | --- | ---
Standard | הַקְטֵל | הַמְצֵא | הַקְרֵא

> Key: Identical form to the imperative 2ms; context distinguishes (inf. absolute precedes/follows a finite verb).

## Participle

### The Pattern

Strong Hiphil participle ms: מַקְטִיל. For III-א: מַ prefix + chiriq-yod + silent final א.

Form | Strong (קטל) | III-א (מצא) | III-א (קרא)
--- | --- | --- | ---
ms | מַקְטִיל | מַמְצִיא | מַקְרִיא
fs | מַקְטֶלֶת | מַמְצִיאָה | מַקְרִיאָה
mp | מַקְטִילִים | מַמְצִיאִים | מַקְרִיאִים
fp | מַקְטִילוֹת | מַמְצִיאוֹת | מַקְרִיאוֹת

> Key: מַ prefix + chiriq-yod + silent final א; the double מ in מַמְצִיא is a recognition signal (root מצא, not a geminate).

Attested passages:
- מַקְרִיא (Neh 8:3) — "the one who was reading" (Ezra reading the Torah to the assembly)
- מַמְצִיא (†) — expected form; meaning "one who provides / causes to find"

## Summary — III-א Hiphil at a Glance

Conjugation | Strong (קטל) | III-א (מצא) | Key feature
--- | --- | --- | ---
Perfect | הִקְטִיל | הִמְצִיא | Chiriq-yod + silent final א in 3ms
Imperfect | יַקְטִיל | יַמְצִיא | Chiriq-yod + silent final א
Wayyiqtol | וַיַּקְטֵל | וַיַּמְצֵא | Tsere + silent final א
Weqatal | וְהִקְטִיל | וְהִמְצִיא | Same as perfect
Imperative | הַקְטֵל | הַמְצֵא | Tsere + silent final א (2ms)
Inf. Construct | הַקְטִיל | הַמְצִיא | Chiriq-yod + silent final א
Inf. Absolute | הַקְטֵל | הַמְצֵא | Same as imperative 2ms
Participle | מַקְטִיל | מַמְצִיא | מַ + chiriq-yod + silent final א