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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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