BBH Chapter 22 — Qal Participle (Active and Passive)¶
Files¶
Reference Files¶
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| participle-paradigms.md | Full paradigm tables: Strong A/B, III-ה, Biconsonantal, I-י, I-נ, I-aleph active; passive participle (qatûl) full inflection; active vs. passive summary |
Exercises¶
| Exercise | Description |
|---|---|
| exercises/ch22-parsing-drill/ | 32-item drill: Part A (strong active ptc., all inflections), Part B (weak root active ptc.), Part C (passive ptc.), Part D (discrimination vs. Perfect, Imperfect, IC, IA) |
| exercises/ch22-passage-exercise/ | 15-item passage exercise: Gen 3/4/14/18/37, Exo 3/6, Lev 2/25, Num 14/27, Deu 9 — all four participle functions across Torah |
| exercises/ch22-qal-participle-paradigm-drill/ | Paradigm drill — write all 8 Qal Participle forms of שמר (active and passive) from memory |
Flashcards¶
| File | Format | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ch22-morphology-deck.md | Markdown | 32-card morphology deck — Qal Participle (Active and Passive) with root class groupings |
| ch22-morphology-deck.txt | Anki import | Morphology deck — tab-separated, ready for Anki File → Import (32 cards) |
| ch22-morphology-deck-fd.txt | Flashcards Deluxe | Morphology deck — tab-separated, ready for Flashcards Deluxe import (32 cards) |
| ch22-vocab-deck.md | Markdown | Vocabulary deck — 13 words (9 verbs, 4 nouns) with POS tags and frequency |
| ch22-vocab-deck.txt | Anki import | Vocabulary deck — tab-separated, ready for Anki File → Import (13 cards) |
| ch22-vocab-deck-fd.txt | Flashcards Deluxe | Vocabulary deck — tab-separated, ready for Flashcards Deluxe import (13 cards) |
Notebooks¶
| Notebook | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Qal Stem | Qal stem: active and passive participle distribution; dominant participial roots |
| Syntactic Roles OT | Syntactic roles: participles as subjects and predicates in OT prose |
Basics of Biblical Hebrew, Pratico & Van Pelt Data: MACULA Hebrew WLC (~5,992 Qal Participle tokens OT-wide)
1. Function (BBH §22.2)¶
The Participle is a verbal adjective — it has the properties of both a verb (it can take objects and express ongoing action) and an adjective (it agrees with a noun in gender and number, can appear in construct, and can function as a substantive). Unlike finite verbs, the participle does not express tense by itself; temporal meaning comes from context.
Active Participle¶
| Function | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Attributive adjective | Modifies a noun; agrees in gender, number, state | הָאִ֥ישׁ הַשֹּׁמֵ֖ר — "the man who is keeping / the keeping man" |
| Predicate adjective | Stands in a verbless clause | הָאִ֥ישׁ שֹׁמֵ֖ר — "the man is keeping" |
| Substantive (noun) | Functions as a noun itself | הַשֹּׁמֵ֖ר — "the guardian / the one who keeps" |
| Progressive present | Expresses ongoing action in narrative | הִנֵּ֥ה אָנֹכִ֖י שֹׁלֵ֣חַ — "Behold, I am sending" |
| Imminent future | After הִנֵּה or other markers, signals impending action | — |
| Occupational / habitual | Describes someone by what they regularly do | רֹעֶ֛ה צֹאן — "shepherd" (one who herds sheep) |
Passive Participle¶
| Function | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Attributive adjective | Modifies a noun; describes the result of an action | אֶ֖רֶץ בְּרוּכָ֥ה — "a blessed land" |
| Predicate adjective | Verbless clause: describes a state | בָּר֥וּךְ אַבְרָ֖ם — "Abram is blessed" |
| Substantive | Functions as a noun | הָאָר֥וּר — "the cursed one" |
| Resultant state | Describes the state left by a completed action | כָּת֥וּב בַּתּוֹרָ֖ה — "written in the Torah" |
Key diagnostic: Active participle → holem-waw + tsere (strong A: שֹׁמֵר). Passive participle → shureq + holem (שָׁמ֥וּר). The vowel pattern is the primary identifier. Participles inflect for gender and number like adjectives.
2. Form — Diagnostic Markers (BBH §22.3–22.5)¶
Active Participle¶
- Strong root (A-class): שֹׁמֵר (ms) — holem-waw on R1 + tsere on R2
- Strong root (B-class / gutt. R3): שֹׁמֵ֣עַ — holem-waw + tsere + patach before guttural
- Feminine singular: שֹׁמֶ֫רֶת or שֹׁמְרָה — ת suffix (segholate-like) or ָה suffix
- Masculine plural: שֹׁמְרִים — holem-waw + shewa + R3 + ִים
- Feminine plural: שֹׁמְרוֹת — וֹת suffix
- III-ה roots: עֹשֶׂה (ms) — holem-waw + seghol + ה (retained)
- Biconsonantal roots: בָּא (ms) / קָם (ms) — qamets + final consonant; long vowel preserved
- I-י roots: יוֹשֵׁב (ms) — yod + holem-waw + tsere; yod visible (contrast IC)
- Hollow/Biconsonantal: מֵת (ms, מות) — tsere + taw
- I-aleph (אמר): אֹמֵ֣ר — holem-waw on aleph + tsere
Passive Participle¶
- Strong root (A-class): שָׁמ֥וּר (ms) — qamets + shureq; qatûl pattern
- Feminine singular: שְׁמוּרָ֥ה — shewa + shureq + ָה
- Masculine plural: שְׁמוּרִ֥ים — shewa + shureq + ִים
- III-ה roots: בָּר֥וּךְ (בּרך, Piel ptc passive) / נָת֥וּן — III-ה: וּ + ן ending
- Common lexicalized forms: בָּר֥וּךְ ("blessed"), אָר֥וּר ("cursed"), כָּת֥וּב ("written"), נָת֥וּן ("given")
3. Paradigm¶
Full paradigm tables are in the paradigm reference file.
| Form | BBH § | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Active Ptc. — Strong roots | §22.3 | Holem-waw + tsere pattern |
| Active Ptc. — Weak roots | §22.4 | III-ה, Biconsonantal, I-י |
| Passive Ptc. — All roots | §22.5 | Qatûl pattern (qamets + shureq) |
| Full inflection table | §22.3 | ms / fs / mp / fp with construct forms |
4. Real Forms — שָׁמַר¶
Active Participle¶
| Form | Hebrew | Gloss | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ms absolute | שֹׁמֵ֖ר | "keeping / one who keeps" | Holem-waw + tsere; most common form |
| ms construct | שֹׁמֵ֖ר | "keeper of…" | Same as absolute in strong roots |
| fs absolute | שֹׁמֶ֫רֶת | "keeping (fs) / female keeper" | ת suffix with seghol-seghol |
| mp absolute | שֹׁמְרִ֖ים | "keeping (pl.) / keepers" | Holem-waw + shewa + ִים |
| fp absolute | שֹׁמְרוֹת | "keeping (fp)" | וֹת suffix |
| mp construct | שֹׁמְרֵ֖י | "keepers of…" | Tsere-yod in construct |
| + definite article | הַשֹּׁמֵ֖ר | "the one who keeps / the guardian" | Dagesh in שׁ after ה |
Passive Participle¶
| Form | Hebrew | Gloss | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ms absolute | שָׁמ֥וּר | "kept / guarded" | Qamets + shureq (qatûl) |
| fs absolute | שְׁמוּרָ֥ה | "kept (fs)" | Shewa + shureq + ָה |
| mp absolute | שְׁמוּרִ֥ים | "kept (mp)" | Shewa + shureq + ִים |
| fp absolute | שְׁמוּרוֹת | "kept (fp)" | Shewa + shureq + וֹת |
5. Most Common Lemmas — Qal Active Participle in the Torah¶
Corpus: Genesis–Deuteronomy · 930 Qal active participle tokens
| Root | ms Form | Torah (×) | Meaning | Common Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| נתן | נֹתֵ֥ן | 53 | give | "the one giving / who gives"; often with אֲשֶׁר clause |
| ישב | יוֹשֵׁ֖ב | 40 | sit, dwell | "the one dwelling in…"; occupational/locative |
| יצא | יֹצֵ֥א | 34 | go out | "the one going out"; progressive and substantive |
| עשה | עֹשֶֽׂה | 30 | do, make | "the one doing / maker of"; III-ה form |
| בוא | בָ֖א | 28 | come, enter | "the one coming / incoming"; biconsonantal |
| עבר | עֹבֵ֖ר | 21 | pass, cross | "the one passing by" |
| זוב | זָבַ֥ת | 19 | flow | "flowing with" (land flowing with milk and honey) |
| הלך | הוֹלֵ֣ךְ | 17 | go, walk | "the one going"; progressive; I-י form with holem-waw |
| רעה | רֹעֶ֛ה | 17 | shepherd, graze | "shepherd / one who herds"; III-ה form |
| עמד | עֹמֵ֖ד | 14 | stand | "the one standing" |
| מות | מֵ֖ת | 13 | die | "the dying one / dead person" |
| עלה | עֹלֶ֥ה | 10 | go up | "the one going up"; III-ה |
| גאל | גֹּאֵ֣ל | 10 | redeem | "redeemer / kinsman-redeemer" (Lev, Num) |
| נשא | נֹשֵׂ֥א | 9 | lift, carry | "bearer / one who carries" |
| ראה | רֹאֶ֖ה | 9 | see | "seer / the one seeing" |
6. Most Common Lemmas — Qal Passive Participle in the Torah¶
Corpus: Genesis–Deuteronomy · 259 Qal passive participle tokens
| Root | ms Form | Torah (×) | Meaning | Common Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בלל | בְּלוּלָ֥ה | 38 | mix | "mixed with oil" (Leviticus/Numbers grain offerings) |
| ארר | אָר֕וּר | 23 | curse | "cursed"; predicate passive ptc. (Gen 3, 4) |
| ברך | בָּר֥וּךְ | 17 | bless | "blessed"; predicate passive ptc. (Gen 12, 14, 24) |
| פקד | פְּקוּדֵ֥י | 13 | number, appoint | "the ones numbered" (Num — census lists) |
| נתן | נְתֻנִ֨ים | 8 | give | "the given ones" (Levites given to Aaron) |
| חלץ | חֲל֥וּץ | 8 | arm, equip | "armed / equipped" (Num military context) |
| רבע | רָב֤וּעַ | 6 | square | "square" (altar dimensions in Exo) |
| כתב | כְּתֻבִ֖ים | 5 | write | "written" |
| נטה | נְטוּיָ֔ה | 4 | stretch out | "outstretched" (outstretched arm formula) |
| משח | מְשֻׁחִ֣ים | 4 | anoint | "anointed" |
7. Example Passages¶
Active Participle — Attributive¶
Attributive — Gen 37:2 — וְה֗וּא נַ֛עַר אֶת-בְּנֵ֥י בִלְהָ֖ה וְאֶת-בְּנֵ֣י זִלְפָּ֑ה נְשֵׁ֣י אָבִ֔יו וַיָּבֵ֥א יוֹסֵ֛ף אֶת-דִּבָּתָ֥ם רָעָ֖ה אֶל-אֲבִיהֶֽם׃ "…he was a youth, and he was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives."
Attributive — Exo 3:2 — וְהִנֵּ֤ה הַסְּנֶה֙ בֹּעֵ֣ר בָּאֵ֔שׁ וְהַסְּנֶ֖ה אֵינֶ֥נּוּ אֻכָּֽל׃ "…behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed." → בֹּעֵ֣ר = Qal active ptc. ms of בער ("burn"); attributive; describes the state of the bush.
Active Participle — Predicate / Verbless Clause¶
Predicate — Gen 18:1 — וְהוּא יֹשֵׁ֤ב פֶּֽתַח-הָאֹ֙הֶל֙ "…while he was sitting at the entrance of the tent." → יֹשֵׁ֤ב = Qal active ptc. ms of ישב; predicate use in a circumstantial clause; describes Abraham's ongoing posture.
Predicate — Gen 16:8 — מִזֶּ֣ה בָ֔את וְאָ֖נָה תֵּלֵ֑כִי "Where have you come from and where are you going?"
Active Participle — Substantive (Noun)¶
Substantive — Gen 4:9 — הֲשֹׁמֵ֥ר אָחִ֖י אָנֹֽכִי "Am I my brother's keeper?" → שֹׁמֵ֥ר = Qal active ptc. ms of שמר used as a noun ("keeper"); direct question in a verbless clause.
Substantive — Lev 25:25 — וּבָ֤א גֹאֲל֔וֹ הַקָּרֹ֥ב אֵלָ֖יו "…then his redeemer, the one who is near to him, shall come." → גֹּאֵ֣ל = Qal active ptc. ms of גאל as a substantive; "kinsman-redeemer"; one of the most theologically significant participle-nouns in the OT.
Active Participle — Progressive Present (after הִנֵּה)¶
Progressive — Gen 15:3 — הִנֵּ֛ה לִ֥י לֹ֖א נָתַ֣תָּה זָ֑רַע "Behold, you have given me no offspring…"
Progressive — Exo 3:13 — הִנֵּ֥ה אָנֹכִ֛י שֹׁלֵ֥חַ מַלְאָ֖ךְ לְפָנֶ֑יךָ "Behold, I am sending an angel before you." → שֹׁלֵ֥חַ = Qal active ptc. ms of שלח; after הִנֵּה = imminent/progressive; God's announcement of the present-tense action.
Active Participle — Occupational/Title¶
Title — Gen 4:20 — הָיָ֥ה אֲבִ֛י יֹשֵׁ֥ב אֹ֖הֶל וּמִקְנֶֽה "He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock." → יֹשֵׁ֥ב = Qal active ptc. ms of ישב as a title/occupational noun; "tent-dwellers."
Passive Participle — Predicate ("Blessed" / "Cursed" Formulas)¶
Passive predicate — Gen 3:14 — אָר֤וּר אַתָּה֙ מִכָּל-הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה "Cursed are you more than all livestock." → אָר֤וּר = Qal passive ptc. ms of ארר; predicate: "you are cursed"; a fixed liturgical formula throughout Genesis.
Passive predicate — Gen 14:19 — בָּר֤וּךְ אַבְרָם֙ לְאֵ֣ל עֶלְי֔וֹן "Blessed be Abram by God Most High." → בָּר֤וּךְ = Qal passive ptc. ms of ברך; blessing formula; one of 17 Torah occurrences.
Passive Participle — Attributive¶
Attributive — Deu 9:10 — וַיִּתֵּ֨ן יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י אֶת-שְׁנֵ֛י לוּחֹ֥ת הָאֲבָנִ֖ים כְּתֻבִ֣ים בְּאֶצְבַּ֣ע אֱלֹהִ֑ים "And the LORD gave me the two stone tablets written with the finger of God." → כְּתֻבִ֣ים = Qal passive ptc. mp of כתב; attributive; agrees with לוּחֹ֥ת (mp).
Attributive — Exo 6:6 — בִּזְר֥וֹעַ נְטוּיָ֖ה "…with an outstretched arm." → נְטוּיָ֖ה = Qal passive ptc. fs of נטה; attributive; modifies זְרוֹעַ (arm, fs); the "outstretched arm" formula appears 15+ times in the Torah.
8. Conjugation Distribution — Qal (OT-wide)¶
| Conjugation | Count | % of Qal |
|---|---|---|
| Consecutive Perfect (Weqatal) | 10,979 | 23.7% |
| Perfect (Qatal) | 9,245 | 19.9% |
| Imperfect (Yiqtol) | 7,914 | 17.0% |
| Active Participle | 5,078 | 10.9% |
| Infinitive Construct | 4,029 | 8.7% |
| Consecutive Imperfect (Wayyiqtol) | 3,987 | 8.6% |
| Imperative | 2,531 | 5.5% |
| Passive Participle | 914 | 2.0% |
| Jussive | 740 | 1.6% |
| Infinitive Absolute | 489 | 1.1% |
Teaching note: The Qal active participle (5,078 tokens, 10.9%) is the fourth most common Qal conjugation — more frequent than the Infinitive Construct. The passive participle (914 tokens, 2.0%) is rarer but highly concentrated: the three most common forms (בְּלוּלָ֥ה, אָר֕וּר, בָּר֥וּךְ) account for nearly a third of all Torah passive participle tokens, appearing in the grain offering formulas and the blessing/curse liturgies.
9. Parsing Quick Reference¶
| Form | Root | Pattern | Gloss | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שֹׁמֵ֖ר | שמר | Strong A · Act. Ptc. ms | "one who keeps" | Holem-waw + tsere |
| שֹׁמֶ֫רֶת | שמר | Strong A · Act. Ptc. fs | "one who keeps (fs)" | ת + seghol |
| שֹׁמְרִ֖ים | שמר | Strong A · Act. Ptc. mp | "keepers" | + ִים; shewa R2 |
| שֹׁמְרוֹת | שמר | Strong A · Act. Ptc. fp | "keepers (fp)" | + וֹת |
| שָׁמ֥וּר | שמר | Strong A · Pass. Ptc. ms | "kept" | Qamets + shureq (qatûl) |
| שְׁמוּרִ֥ים | שמר | Strong A · Pass. Ptc. mp | "kept (mp)" | Shewa + shureq + ִים |
| עֹשֶֽׂה | עשה | III-ה · Act. Ptc. ms | "one who does" | Holem-waw + seghol + ה |
| יוֹשֵׁ֖ב | ישב | I-י · Act. Ptc. ms | "one who dwells" | Yod + holem-waw + tsere |
| הוֹלֵ֣ךְ | הלך | I-י · Act. Ptc. ms | "the one going" | Holem-waw on ה; yod-form |
| בָ֖א | בוא | Biconsonantal · Act. Ptc. ms | "one who comes" | Qamets + aleph quiesces |
| מֵ֖ת | מות | Biconsonantal · Act. Ptc. ms | "dying / dead" | Tsere + taw |
| נֹתֵ֥ן | נתן | I-נ · Act. Ptc. ms | "giver / one who gives" | Holem-waw + tsere; nun retained |
| גֹּאֵ֣ל | גאל | Strong A · Act. Ptc. ms | "redeemer" | Holem-waw + tsere; substantive |
| רֹעֶ֛ה | רעה | III-ה · Act. Ptc. ms | "shepherd" | Holem-waw + seghol + ה |
| אָר֕וּר | ארר | Geminate · Pass. Ptc. ms | "cursed" | Qamets + shureq; lexicalized |
| בָּר֥וּךְ | ברך | Strong A · Pass. Ptc. ms | "blessed" | Qamets + shureq |
| כָּת֥וּב | כתב | Strong A · Pass. Ptc. ms | "written" | Qamets + shureq |
| בְּלוּלָ֥ה | בלל | Geminate · Pass. Ptc. fs | "mixed" | Shewa + shureq + ָה; grain offerings |
| נְטוּיָ֖ה | נטה | III-ה · Pass. Ptc. fs | "outstretched" | Shewa + shureq + יָה |