# Chapter 26 — Semantic Function Sorting

BBH Chapter 26 · Hiphil Strong Verbs

Classify each Hiphil verb as C (Causative), F (Factitive), D (Declarative), SA (Simple Action), or DN (Denominative). Type your answer in the Function column, then click ▶ Answer to check.

Label | Function | Key diagnostic question
--- | --- | ---
C | Causative | Does the subject cause someone/something else to do or experience the action?
F | Factitive | Does the subject cause an object to be in a certain state? (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 Qal counterpart in normal usage?
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.

# | Hebrew Form | Conjugation | Ref | Contextual Gloss | Function |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
1 | וַיָּבֵא | Wayyiqtol 3ms | Gen 2:19 | "he brought them to the man" |  |
C — Causative · Root: בּוֹא (Qal: to come/go) · God caused the animals to come to Adam
2 | וַתּוֹצֵא | Wayyiqtol 3fs | Gen 1:12 | "the earth brought forth vegetation" |  |
C — Causative · Root: יָצָא (Qal: to go out) · The earth caused vegetation to come out
3 | וַיָּשֶׁב | Wayyiqtol 3ms | Gen 14:16 | "he brought back his brother Lot" |  |
C — Causative · Root: שׁוּב (Qal: to return) · Abraham caused Lot to return
4 | הִשְׁקָה | Perfect 3ms | Gen 2:6 | "a mist watered the whole surface" |  |
C — Causative · Root: שָׁקָה (Qal: to drink) · The mist caused the ground to receive water
5 | וַיּוֹלֶד | Wayyiqtol 3ms | Gen 5:3 | "Adam fathered a son" |  |
C — Causative · Root: יָלַד (Qal: to give birth) · Adam caused a son to be born
6 | הַעֲלֵה | Imperative 2ms | Gen 22:2 | "offer him as a burnt offering" |  |
C — Causative · Root: עָלָה (Qal: to go up) · Cause Isaac to go up as an offering
7 | וַתֹּרֶד | Wayyiqtol 3fs | Gen 24:18 | "she lowered her jar to give him a drink" |  |
C — Causative · Root: יָרַד (Qal: to go down) · Rebekah caused the jar to go down
8 | וַיָּסַר | Wayyiqtol 3ms | Gen 30:35 | "he removed the streaked goats" |  |
C — Causative · Root: סוּר (Qal: to turn aside, depart) · Caused the goats to depart/move away
9 | וַיַּגֵּד | Wayyiqtol 3ms | Gen 9:22 | "Ham told his two brothers" |  |
SA — Simple Action · Root: נָגַד (rare Qal) · Hiphil = standard form; to tell/report is the basic meaning
10 | הִגִּיד | Weqatal 3ms | Gen 3:11 | "who told you that you were naked?" |  |
SA — Simple Action · Root: נָגַד · Same root as #9; Hiphil is the operative form
11 | וַתַּשְׁלֵךְ | Wayyiqtol 3fs | Gen 21:15 | "she threw the child under one of the bushes" |  |
SA — Simple Action · Root: שָׁלַךְ (no common Qal) · To throw/cast; Hiphil is the primary form
12 | הִזְכַּרְתָּ | Perfect 2ms | Gen 40:14 | "mention me to Pharaoh" |  |
C — Causative · Root: זָכַר (Qal: to remember) · Cause Pharaoh to remember; bring to his mind
13 | מַזְכִּיר | Participle ms | Gen 41:9 | "I am bringing my faults to mind" |  |
C — Causative · Root: זָכַר · Causing something to be remembered; same Causative pattern
14 | הָמִית | Inf. Construct | Gen 18:25 | "Far be it from you to put the righteous to death" |  |
C — Causative · Root: מוּת (Qal: to die) · To cause to die = put to death
15 | הַכּוֹת | Inf. Construct | Gen 4:15 | "lest anyone who found him strike him" |  |
SA — Simple Action · Root: נָכָה (no Qal) · To strike; Hiphil is the primary and standard form
16 | הִשְׁמַדְתִּי | Perfect 1cs | Lev 26:30 | "I will destroy your high places" |  |
SA — Simple Action · Root: שָׁמַד (no Qal) · To destroy; the Niphal of this root means "to be destroyed"
17 | תַּשְׁמִידוּ | Imperfect 2mp | Num 33:52 | "you shall demolish all their figured stones" |  |
SA — Simple Action · Root: שָׁמַד · Same root as #16; conquest context
18 | וַיַּכְבֵּד | Wayyiqtol 3ms | Exo 8:32 | "Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also" |  |
F — Factitive · Root: כָּבֵד (Qal: to be heavy/honored) · Pharaoh caused his heart to be in a state of heaviness/stubbornness
19 | וְהַכְבֵּד | Inf. Absolute | Exo 8:15 | "he made his heart stubborn" (intensified) |  |
F — Factitive · Root: כָּבֵד · Same Factitive force; Inf. Absolute here intensifies the action (made it truly heavy)
20 | וַתַּגְדֵּל | Wayyiqtol 2ms | Gen 19:19 | "you have shown great kindness to me" |  |
F — Factitive · Root: גָּדַל (Qal: to be great) · Caused your kindness to be great; to magnify or make great
21 | הִרְשִׁיעוּ | Perfect 3cp | Deu 25:1 | "they shall acquit the innocent and condemn the guilty" |  |
D — Declarative · Root: רָשָׁע (Qal: to be wicked) · Legal verdict: the judges declare someone to be in the state of guilt (not making them wicked)
22 | יַרְשִׁיעֻ | Imperfect 3mp | Exo 22:8 | "the judges shall declare him guilty" |  |
D — Declarative · Root: רָשָׁע · Same root and function as #21; a judicial pronouncement
23 | וַיַּעַל | Wayyiqtol 3ms | Gen 8:20 | "Noah offered burnt offerings on the altar" |  |
C — Causative · Root: עָלָה (Qal: to go up) · Noah caused the offerings to go up (on the altar)
24 | הָמִית | Inf. Construct | Gen 37:18 | "they conspired against him to kill him" |  |
C — Causative · Root: מוּת (Qal: to die) · To cause to die = kill; same form as #14, different context
25 | מַמְטִיר | Participle ms | Gen 7:4 | "I am about to send rain on the earth" |  |
DN — Denominative · Root: מָטַר · From noun מָטָר ("rain") — the Hiphil performs the action of rain; to send/cause rain
26 | וַיַּשְׁכֵּם | Wayyiqtol 3ms | Gen 22:3 | "Abraham rose early in the morning" |  |
DN — Denominative · Root: שָׁכַם · From noun שְׁכֶם ("shoulder") — to shoulder up early = to rise early / start at dawn
27 | הַאְזִינוּ | Imperative 2mp | Deu 32:1 | "give ear, O heavens, and I will speak" |  |
DN — Denominative · Root: אָזַן · From noun אֹזֶן ("ear") — to ear = to give ear / listen attentively

## 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 make the translation different?
4. Items 25–27 are Denominative. For each one, identify the underlying noun. How does knowing the noun make the Hiphil meaning immediately transparent?