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

Full conjugation tables for Lamed-Aleph roots in the Niphal stem.
Representative roots: מָצָא (to find) and יָרֵא (to fear).
Each section shows the strong root (קטל) alongside the weak paradigm for direct comparison.
Attested forms drawn from MACULA Hebrew WLC.

## The Pattern

The final root letter א is a guttural that quiesces (becomes silent) in word-final position. It does not close a syllable; instead the vowel before it is simply held or lengthened. In practice the Niphal forms of III-א roots look nearly identical to the strong root — the main diagnostic is the final silent א and, in certain forms, a slightly different vowel under R2.

- Perfect / Weqatal / Participle: The נִ prefix behaves exactly as in the strong root. The final syllable ends in אָ (silent א with qamets) rather than the strong root's final consonant.
- Imperfect / Wayyiqtol / Imperative / Infinitives: The נ assimilates as usual (dagesh in R1). The tsere final vowel of the strong root appears as tsere + silent א (יִמָּצֵא vs. יִקָּטֵל).

## Perfect (Qatal)

Person | Strong (קטל) | III-א (מצא) | III-א (ירא)
--- | --- | --- | ---
3ms | נִקְטַל | נִמְצָא | נִירָא
3fs | נִקְטְלָה | נִמְצְאָה | נִירְאָה
3cp | נִקְטְלוּ | נִמְצְאוּ | נִירְאוּ
2ms | נִקְטַלְתָּ | נִמְצֵאתָ | נִירֵאתָ
2mp | נִקְטַלְתֶּם | נִמְצֵאתֶם | נִירֵאתֶם
2fs | נִקְטַלְתְּ | נִמְצֵאת | נִירֵאת
2fp | נִקְטַלְתֶּן | נִמְצֵאתֶן | נִירֵאתֶן
1cs | נִקְטַלְתִּי | נִמְצֵאתִי | נִירֵאתִי
1cp | נִקְטַלְנוּ | נִמְצֵאנוּ | נִירֵאנוּ

> Key: The נִ prefix is fully retained. The 3ms/3fs/3cp end in silent א with qamets (נִמְצָא) — the form is visually identical to the strong participle except for the vowel class. In the 2nd/1st person forms, the א quiesces before the suffix and the vowel contracts to tsere (נִמְצֵאתָ).

Attested passages:

- נִמְצָא בְּיַד אֲחִיכֶם (Gen 44:12) — "it was found in the hand of your brother" — perfect 3ms passive
- וְלֹא נִמְצָא שָׁם אֶלֶף (Num 31:49) — "not one man was found missing" — negated perfect 3ms
- אֲשֶׁר נִמְצְאוּ (Exo 12:19) — "whoever is found" — perfect 3cp within a legal clause
- הֲנִמְצָא כָזֶה (Gen 41:38) — "Can such a man as this be found?" — perfect 3ms in a rhetorical question

## Imperfect (Yiqtol)

Person | Strong (קטל) | III-א (מצא) | III-א (ירא)
--- | --- | --- | ---
3ms | יִקָּטֵל | יִמָּצֵא | יִירָא
3fs | תִּקָּטֵל | תִּמָּצֵא | תִּירָא
3mp | יִקָּטְלוּ | יִמָּצְאוּ | יִירָאוּ
3fp | תִּקָּטַלְנָה | תִּמָּצֶאנָה | תִּירֶאנָה
2ms | תִּקָּטֵל | תִּמָּצֵא | תִּירָא
2mp | תִּקָּטְלוּ | תִּמָּצְאוּ | תִּירָאוּ
2fs | תִּקָּטְלִי | תִּמָּצְאִי | —
2fp | תִּקָּטַלְנָה | תִּמָּצֶאנָה | —
1cs | אֶקָּטֵל | אֶמָּצֵא | אִירָא
1cp | נִקָּטֵל | נִמָּצֵא | נִירָא

> Key: נ assimilates → dagesh forte in מּ. The final syllable ends in tsere + silent א. The form is almost indistinguishable from a strong root imperfect except for the silent final א.

Attested passages:

- אִם יִמָּצֵא בְּיַד אֶחָד מֵאַחֶיךָ (Gen 44:10) — "if it is found with one of your brothers" — conditional imperfect
- לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְּבֵיתְךָ (Deu 18:10) — "there shall not be found among you" — negative prohibition
- הֲלֹא תִמָּצֵא אֶת־הַמַּיִם (Job 28:12) — rhetorical; wisdom cannot be found
- כִּי יִמָּצֵא הַגַּנָּב (Exo 22:1) — "when the thief is caught" — conditional legal clause

## Wayyiqtol

Person | Strong (קטל) | III-א (מצא)
--- | --- | ---
3ms | וַיִּקָּטֵל | וַיִּמָּצֵא
3fs | וַתִּקָּטֵל | וַתִּמָּצֵא
3mp | וַיִּקָּטְלוּ | וַיִּמָּצְאוּ
2ms | וַתִּקָּטֵל | וַתִּמָּצֵא
1cs | וָאֶקָּטֵל | וָאֶמָּצֵא

> Key: The wayyiqtol of III-א is identical to the strong root wayyiqtol except for the silent final א.

Attested passages:

- וַיִּמָּצֵא הַגָּבִיעַ (Gen 44:12) — "and the cup was found" — narrative wayyiqtol; the Joseph story climax
- וַיִּמָּצְאוּ כְּבֵדִים (Gen 47:14) — "and all the silver was gathered" — 3mp wayyiqtol
- וַתִּמָּצֵא מִרְיָם (Num 12:10) — "and Miriam was found [with leprosy]" — 3fs wayyiqtol

## Weqatal

Person | Strong (קטל) | III-א (מצא)
--- | --- | ---
3ms | וְנִקְטַל | וְנִמְצָא
3fs | וְנִקְטְלָה | וְנִמְצְאָה
3cp | וְנִקְטְלוּ | וְנִמְצְאוּ
2ms | וְנִקְטַלְתָּ | וְנִמְצֵאתָ
1cs | וְנִקְטַלְתִּי | וְנִמְצֵאתִי
1cp | וְנִקְטַלְנוּ | וְנִמְצֵאנוּ

> Key: Weqatal retains the נִ prefix (like the perfect). The 3ms ends in אָ; suffix forms contract to tsere + א before the suffix.

Attested passages:

- וְנִמְצָא בְּיָדוֹ (Exo 22:3) — "if it is found in his hand" — weqatal in a legal conditional sequence
- וְנִמְצֵאתֶם חַטָּאִים (Num 32:23) — "and you will be found guilty" — second-person plural weqatal in Moses's warning

## Imperative

| Strong (קטל) | III-א (מצא)
--- | --- | ---
2ms | הִקָּטֵל | הִמָּצֵא
2mp | הִקָּטְלוּ | הִמָּצְאוּ
2fs | הִקָּטְלִי | הִמָּצְאִי

> Key: הִ prefix + dagesh forte in מּ + tsere + silent א. Identical shape to the inf. construct.

Attested passages:

- הִמָּצֵא לִי (1 Sam 13:15) — "present yourself to me" — 2ms imperative; Saul's command
- Note: The imperative of מָצָא Niphal is rare; הִמָּצֵא יִמָּצֵא (Exo 22:3) uses the inf. absolute + imperfect construction rather than the imperative.

## Infinitive Construct

Form | Strong (קטל) | III-א (מצא)
--- | --- | ---
Base | הִקָּטֵל | הִמָּצֵא
With לְ | לְהִקָּטֵל | לְהִמָּצֵא
With בְּ | בְּהִקָּטֵל | בְּהִמָּצֵא

> Key: הִ prefix + dagesh forte in מּ + tsere + silent א. Identical in form to the imperative.

Attested passages:

- לְהִמָּצֵא לְפָנָיו (Ezr 8:21) — "to seek from him" — inf. construct with לְ; the congregation humbles itself before God
- בְּהִמָּצְאוֹ (Isa 55:6) — "while he may be found" — inf. construct + 3ms suffix; seek the LORD while accessible

## Infinitive Absolute

Form | Strong (קטל) | III-א (מצא)
--- | --- | ---
Standard | נִקְטֹל | הִמָּצֵא

> Key: III-א Niphal roots typically use the infinitive construct form (הִמָּצֵא) as the infinitive absolute rather than creating a distinct form with holem.

Attested passages:

- הִמָּצֵא יִמָּצֵא (Exo 22:3) — "if it is actually found" — inf. absolute + imperfect; emphatic passive construction in the Book of the Covenant

## Participle

| Strong (קטל) | III-א (מצא) | III-א (ירא)
--- | --- | --- | ---
ms | נִקְטָל | נִמְצָא | נִירָא
mp | נִקְטָלִים | נִמְצָאִים | נִירָאִים
fs | נִקְטֶלֶת | נִמְצֵאת | נִירֵאת
fp | נִקְטָלוֹת | נִמְצָאוֹת | נִירָאוֹת

> Key: The participle ms form (נִמְצָא) is identical to the perfect 3ms. Context distinguishes them — the participle functions as an adjective or substantive; the perfect is a finite verb. The qamets under R2 (participle) vs. patah (perfect 3ms) may differ in some roots.

Attested passages:

- הַנִּמְצָא בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם (Gen 47:14) — "that which was found in the land of Egypt" — participle ms substantival use
- נוֹרָא (Exo 15:11) — participle ms of יָרֵא Niphal; "awesome, fearsome" — commonly used as an adjective
- הַנִּמְצְאִים (Gen 47:14) — participle mp; the people found throughout Egypt

## Summary — III-א Niphal at a Glance

Conjugation | Strong (קטל) | III-א (מצא) | Key feature
--- | --- | --- | ---
Perfect | נִקְטַל | נִמְצָא | נִ prefix retained; final אָ
Imperfect | יִקָּטֵל | יִמָּצֵא | dagesh forte in מּ; final אֵ
Wayyiqtol | וַיִּקָּטֵל | וַיִּמָּצֵא | dagesh in מּ; final אֵ
Weqatal | וְנִקְטַל | וְנִמְצָא | נִ prefix retained; final אָ
Imperative | הִקָּטֵל | הִמָּצֵא | הִ + dagesh in מּ; final אֵ
Inf. Construct | הִקָּטֵל | הִמָּצֵא | הִ + dagesh in מּ; final אֵ
Inf. Absolute | נִקְטֹל | הִמָּצֵא | uses inf. construct form
Participle | נִקְטָל | נִמְצָא | נִ retained; final אָ; identical to perfect 3ms