Chapter 26 — Qal–Hiphil Contrast Drill

BBH Chapter 26 · Hiphil Strong Verbs

For each Hiphil form below: (1) translate it into English, (2) name the semantic function (Causative / Declarative / Factitive / Simple Action), and (3) explain in one sentence why the Hiphil meaning follows from the Qal.

Part A — Motion Verbs (Causative)

These roots describe motion in the Qal. The Hiphil makes someone else do the moving.

#	Root	Qal Meaning	Hiphil Form	Ref
1	בּוֹא	to go in, come	יָּבֵא (Wayyiqtol 3ms)	Gen 2:19
he brought (them) — Causative — God caused the animals to come to Adam; Qal "to come" → Hiphil "to cause to come / bring"
2	יָצָא	to go out	תּוֹצֵא (Wayyiqtol 3fs)	Gen 1:12
it brought forth — Causative — the earth caused vegetation to come out; Qal "to go out" → Hiphil "to cause to go out / bring forth"
3	שׁוּב	to return	הֵשִׁיב (Weqatal 3ms)	Gen 14:16
he brought back — Causative — Abraham caused Lot to return; Qal "to return" → Hiphil "to cause to return / restore"
4	עָלָה	to go up	הַעֲלֵה (Imperative 2ms)	Gen 22:2
offer up! — Causative — Abraham is to cause Isaac to go up as a burnt offering; Qal "to go up" → Hiphil "to bring up / offer"
5	יָרַד	to go down	תֹּרֶד (Wayyiqtol 3fs)	Gen 24:18
she lowered (her jar) — Causative — Rebekah caused the jar to go down; Qal "to go down" → Hiphil "to bring down / lower"
6	מוּת	to die	הָמִית (Inf. Construct)	Gen 18:25
to put to death / to kill — Causative — causing someone to die; Qal "to die" → Hiphil "to cause to die / kill"
7	יָלַד	to give birth	יּוֹלֶד (Wayyiqtol 3ms)	Gen 5:3
he fathered / begat — Causative — Adam caused a son to be born; Qal "to give birth" → Hiphil "to cause to be born / beget"
8	שָׁקָה	to drink	הִשְׁקָה (Perfect 3ms)	Gen 2:6
it watered — Causative — the mist caused the ground to receive water; Qal "to drink" → Hiphil "to give to drink / water"

Root

Qal Meaning

Hiphil Form

Ref

Translation

Function

בּוֹא

to go in, come

יָּבֵא (Wayyiqtol 3ms)

Gen 2:19

he brought (them) — Causative — God caused the animals to come to Adam; Qal "to come" → Hiphil "to cause to come / bring"

יָצָא

to go out

תּוֹצֵא (Wayyiqtol 3fs)

Gen 1:12

it brought forth — Causative — the earth caused vegetation to come out; Qal "to go out" → Hiphil "to cause to go out / bring forth"

שׁוּב

to return

הֵשִׁיב (Weqatal 3ms)

Gen 14:16

he brought back — Causative — Abraham caused Lot to return; Qal "to return" → Hiphil "to cause to return / restore"

עָלָה

to go up

הַעֲלֵה (Imperative 2ms)

Gen 22:2

offer up! — Causative — Abraham is to cause Isaac to go up as a burnt offering; Qal "to go up" → Hiphil "to bring up / offer"

יָרַד

to go down

תֹּרֶד (Wayyiqtol 3fs)

Gen 24:18

she lowered (her jar) — Causative — Rebekah caused the jar to go down; Qal "to go down" → Hiphil "to bring down / lower"

מוּת

to die

הָמִית (Inf. Construct)

Gen 18:25

to put to death / to kill — Causative — causing someone to die; Qal "to die" → Hiphil "to cause to die / kill"

יָלַד

to give birth

יּוֹלֶד (Wayyiqtol 3ms)

Gen 5:3

he fathered / begat — Causative — Adam caused a son to be born; Qal "to give birth" → Hiphil "to cause to be born / beget"

שָׁקָה

to drink

הִשְׁקָה (Perfect 3ms)

Gen 2:6

it watered — Causative — the mist caused the ground to receive water; Qal "to drink" → Hiphil "to give to drink / water"

Part B — Stative Verbs (Factitive and Declarative)

These roots describe a state in the Qal. The Hiphil either causes that state (Factitive) or declares something to be in that state (Declarative).

Factitive vs. Declarative:

Factitive — the Hiphil causes the state: כָּבֵד Qal "be heavy" → Hiphil "make heavy"
Declarative — the Hiphil declares something as being in that state: רָשָׁע Qal "be wicked" → Hiphil "declare wicked / condemn"

#	Root	Qal Meaning	Hiphil Form	Ref
9	כָּבֵד	to be heavy, honored	יַּכְבֵּד (Wayyiqtol 3ms)	Exo 8:28
he hardened (his heart) — Factitive — Pharaoh caused his heart to be in a state of heaviness/stubbornness
10	גָּדַל	to be great	תַּגְדֵּל (Wayyiqtol 2ms)	Gen 19:19
you have made great (your kindness) — Factitive — caused kindness to be great; Qal "to be great" → Hiphil "to make great / magnify"
11	רָשָׁע	to be wicked	הִרְשִׁיעוּ (Perfect 3cp)	Deu 25:1
they condemned (the guilty) / declared wicked — Declarative — a legal verdict declaring someone to be in the state of guilt (Deu 25:1 contrasts this with acquitting the innocent)

Root

Qal Meaning

Hiphil Form

Ref

Translation

Function

כָּבֵד

to be heavy, honored

יַּכְבֵּד (Wayyiqtol 3ms)

Exo 8:28

he hardened (his heart) — Factitive — Pharaoh caused his heart to be in a state of heaviness/stubbornness

גָּדַל

to be great

תַּגְדֵּל (Wayyiqtol 2ms)

Gen 19:19

you have made great (your kindness) — Factitive — caused kindness to be great; Qal "to be great" → Hiphil "to make great / magnify"

רָשָׁע

to be wicked

הִרְשִׁיעוּ (Perfect 3cp)

Deu 25:1

they condemned (the guilty) / declared wicked — Declarative — a legal verdict declaring someone to be in the state of guilt (Deu 25:1 contrasts this with acquitting the innocent)

Part C — Verbs with No Common Qal

Some roots are attested almost exclusively in the Hiphil. The Hiphil is their "base" form in terms of usage frequency.

#	Root	Qal Situation	Hiphil Form	Ref
12	נָכָה	no Qal in BH	הַכּוֹת (Inf. Construct)	Gen 4:15
to strike / smite — Simple Action — Hiphil is the primary form; no causative "extra layer" since there is no Qal counterpart
13	שָׁמַד	no Qal in BH	הִשְׁמַדְתִּי (Perfect 1cs)	Lev 26:30
I will destroy — Simple Action — Hiphil is the primary form; the Niphal of this root means "to be destroyed"
14	נָגַד	rare Qal	יַּגֵּד (Wayyiqtol 3ms)	Gen 9:22
he told / reported — Simple Action — the Hiphil is the standard form; the root idea is "to place before / face" someone; Hiphil = to put information before someone

Root

Qal Situation

Hiphil Form

Ref

Translation

Function

נָכָה

no Qal in BH

הַכּוֹת (Inf. Construct)

Gen 4:15

to strike / smite — Simple Action — Hiphil is the primary form; no causative "extra layer" since there is no Qal counterpart

שָׁמַד

no Qal in BH

הִשְׁמַדְתִּי (Perfect 1cs)

Lev 26:30

I will destroy — Simple Action — Hiphil is the primary form; the Niphal of this root means "to be destroyed"

נָגַד

rare Qal

יַּגֵּד (Wayyiqtol 3ms)

Gen 9:22

he told / reported — Simple Action — the Hiphil is the standard form; the root idea is "to place before / face" someone; Hiphil = to put information before someone

Discussion Questions

For the motion verbs in Part A, describe the pattern in one sentence: what does the Hiphil consistently do to the Qal meaning?
Which of Part B's three verbs is Factitive and which is Declarative? How did you decide?
Does the lack of a Qal counterpart (Part C) affect how you translate the Hiphil? Why or why not?