Chapter 28 — "Spot the Hophal" Passage Exercise

Stem: Hophal (הֻפְעַל) — passive of the Hiphil causative  |  Passages: Gen 22:20 · Exo 5:14–16 · Num 35:16–18, 30–31

Instructions: For each numbered verb, fill in: (1) Hophal? Yes/No (2) Conjugation (3) PGN (4) Root (5) Corresponding Hiphil meaning. Click ▶ Answer to reveal.

Passage A — Genesis 22:20

Context: After the Akedah, Abraham receives news about his relatives.

וַיְהִ֗י אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וַיֻּגַּ֥ד [1] לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר הִנֵּ֤ה יָלְדָה֙ מִלְכָּ֔ה

"Now after these things it was told to Abraham, saying, 'Behold, Milcah also has borne children…'"

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootHiphil meaning
1וַיֻּגַּד
✓ Hophal | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | נגד | Hiphil הִגִּיד = "to tell, declare, report" → Hophal = "it was reported." Qibbuts (ֻ) under the prefix consonant is an alternate Hophal vowel alongside Shureq. The Dagesh forte in the gimel (גּ) comes from the Hiphil doubling pattern.

Passage B — Exodus 5:14–16

Context: Pharaoh beats the Israelite foremen for not meeting brick quotas.

וַיֻּכּ֗וּ [2] שֹׁטְרֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣מוּ עֲלֵהֶ֔ם נֹגְשֵׂ֥י פַרְעֹ֖ה

"And the overseers of the people of Israel were beaten, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them."

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootHiphil meaning
2וַיֻּכּוּ
✓ Hophal | Wayyiqtol | 3mp | נכה | Hiphil הִכָּה = "to strike, beat, kill" → Hophal = "were struck/beaten." The root נכה is I-נ: the nun assimilates into the next consonant (here into כ, giving dagesh: יֻּכּוּ). Qibbuts under prefix = Hophal marker.
Parsing challenge — Passage B: Verb 3 (נִתָּן) is a Niphal Participle, not a Hophal. Both are passive forms. The נ prefix (vs. מ prefix) distinguishes Niphal from Hophal. Verb 4 (מֻכִּים) is the Hophal — the מֻ prefix + u-class vowel marks it.
לָ֚מָּה תַעֲשֶׂ֣ה כֹ֔ה לַעֲבָדֶ֑יךָ׃ תֶּ֗בֶן אֵ֤ין נִתָּן֙ [3] לַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ וּלְבֵנִ֛ים אֹמְרִ֥ים לָ֖נוּ עֲשׂ֑וּ וְהִנֵּ֧ה עֲבָדֶ֛יךָ מֻכִּ֖ים [4]

"'…No straw is given to your servants, yet they say "Make bricks!" And behold, your servants are being beaten…'"

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootHiphil meaning
3נִתָּן
✗ No — Niphal | Participle ms | ms | נתן | Niphal passive (not Hophal). The נִ prefix distinguishes it. נִתָּן = "is given" (Niphal of נתן "to give"); this is the Niphal passivizing the Qal, not the Hiphil causative. No u-class vowel under prefix — that confirms it is NOT Hophal.
4מֻכִּים
✓ Hophal | Participle | mp | נכה | Hiphil הִכָּה = "to strike, beat." מֻ prefix (Qibbuts) + כּ (dagesh from assimilation of נ) + י-stem. The Hophal Participle prefix מֻ/מוּ + u-class vowel is the key. This passive participle is used predicately: "your servants are [ones being] struck."

Passage C — Numbers 35:16–18, 30–31

Context: The death penalty statutes for homicide.

Key form to watch: The formula מוֹת יוּמַת appears 4× in this passage. יוּמַת (Hophal Imperfect) is always Hophal. יָמוּת (Qal Imperfect) appears in the conditional clauses. The prefix vowel distinguishes them: יָ (Qal patach) vs. יוּ (Hophal shureq).
וְאִם֩ בִּכְלִ֨י בַרְזֶ֧ל הִכָּ֛הוּ וַיָּמֹ֖ת מֽוֹת־יוּמַ֖ת [5] הָרֹצֵֽחַ׃

"If he struck him with an iron object, so that he died — the murderer shall surely be put to death."

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootHiphil meaning
5יוּמַת
✓ Hophal | Imperfect | 3ms | מות | Hiphil הֵמִית = "to put to death, cause to die." יוּמַת: יוּ prefix (Shureq) + מַת (Patach under R2). This is the most common Hophal form in the OT (99×), used almost exclusively in capital punishment formulas. The preceding מוֹת is the Qal Inf. Absolute (not Hophal).
וְאִם֩ בְּאֶ֨בֶן יָ֜ד אֲשֶׁר־יָמ֤וּת [6] בָּהּ֙ הִכָּ֔הוּ וַיָּמֹ֖ת מֽוֹת־יוּמַ֖ת [7] הָרֹצֵֽחַ׃ וְאִ֨ם בִּכְלִי֩ עֵ֨ץ יָ֜ד אֲשֶׁר־יָמ֤וּת [8] בָּהּ֙ הִכָּ֔הוּ וַיָּמֹ֖ת מֽוֹת־יוּמַ֖ת [9] הָרֹצֵֽחַ׃

"If with a stone that could cause death he struck him and he died — the murderer shall be put to death [7]. And if with a wooden instrument that could cause death he struck him and he died — the murderer shall be put to death [9]."

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootHiphil meaning
6יָמוּת
✗ No — Qal | Imperfect | 3ms | מות | Qal: "he dies / could die." יָמוּת = יָ prefix (Patach, Qal) + Shureq from biconsonantal root. Context: the relative clause "a stone by which someone dies" — this is the intransitive Qal, not causative. Critical contrast with יוּמַת (verbs 5, 7, 9, 11).
7יוּמַת
✓ Hophal | Imperfect | 3ms | מות | Same as verb 5. יוּ prefix (Shureq) = Hophal marker.
8יָמוּת
✗ No — Qal | Imperfect | 3ms | מות | Same as verb 6: Qal intransitive "to die." יָ prefix (Patach) = Qal.
9יוּמַת
✓ Hophal | Imperfect | 3ms | מות | Same as verbs 5 and 7.
עַל־פִּ֣י עֵדִים֮ יֵרָצֵ֣חַ [10] הָרֹצֵחַ֒ … כִּי־מ֖וֹת יוּמָֽת [11]׃

"On the testimony of witnesses the murderer shall be put to death [10]… for he shall surely be put to death [11]."

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootHiphil meaning
10יֵרָצֵחַ
✗ No — Niphal | Imperfect | 3ms | רצח | Niphal of רצח (to murder) = "shall be put to death / murdered." The נ of the Niphal prefix assimilated into the ר giving the יֵ prefix vowel. No u-class vowel under prefix — not Hophal. This is the passive of the Qal (not the Hiphil causative).
11יוּמַת
✓ Hophal | Imperfect | 3ms | מות | Same as verbs 5, 7, 9. יוּ prefix = Hophal.
Reflection Questions
  1. Verbs 5, 7, 9, 11 use the formula מוֹת יוּמַת. What two verb forms make up this formula? One is the Qal Infinitive Absolute (מוֹת) and one is the Hophal Imperfect (יוּמַת). What intensifying effect does the cognate absolute construction produce, and why does the law use the Hophal rather than the Qal יָמוּת?
  2. In Passage B, verbs 3 (נִתָּן, Niphal) and 4 (מֻכִּים, Hophal) are both passive. What does the difference in stem (Niphal vs. Hophal) tell you about the kind of passive? (Hint: what is the Hiphil of נכה, and what does it add to the meaning that a Niphal/Qal passive would not?)
  3. The Hophal appears heavily in legal texts (Leviticus, Numbers) and narrative (Genesis, Exodus). In Num 35, the passive formulation יוּמַת (he shall be put to death) puts the focus on the outcome rather than the agent. What effect does this have on the legal force of the statement? Compare to a Qal active formulation like "the community shall kill him."

Quick Answer Key

#VerbHophal?ConjugationPGNRootHiphil meaning
1וַיֻּגַּדYesWayyiqtol3msנגדto tell, declare
2וַיֻּכּוּYesWayyiqtol3mpנכהto strike, beat
3נִתָּןNo (Niphal)Participle msmsנתן—
4מֻכִּיםYesParticiple mpmpנכהto strike, beat
5יוּמַתYesImperfect3msמותto put to death
6יָמוּתNo (Qal)Imperfect3msמות—
7יוּמַתYesImperfect3msמותto put to death
8יָמוּתNo (Qal)Imperfect3msמות—
9יוּמַתYesImperfect3msמותto put to death
10יֵרָצֵחַNo (Niphal)Imperfect3msרצח—
11יוּמַתYesImperfect3msמותto put to death