Chapter 24 — Semantic Function Sorting

BBH Chapter 24 · Niphal Strong Verbs

Classify each Niphal form by its semantic function using the legend below.

Code	Function
P	Passive — subject receives the action
R	Reflexive — subject acts on or for itself
RC	Reciprocal — subjects act on one another
SA	Simple Action — Niphal-only root; no distinct Qal meaning

Tip: Ask "Is the subject receiving the action, doing it to itself, doing it mutually, or is this simply what the root means in the Niphal?" When in doubt, check whether the Qal of the same root expresses an action that could logically be applied to the Niphal subject.

#	Hebrew Form	Conjugation	Reference	Gloss
1	וַיִּמָּכֵר	Wayyiqtol 3ms	Gen 37:36	"and Joseph was sold into Egypt"
P — Joseph receives the action of being sold
2	נִצָּבָה	Perfect 3fs	Gen 37:7	"my sheaf stood upright"
R — The sheaf stations itself upright (acts on itself)
3	וַיִּנָּחֶם	Wayyiqtol 3ms	Gen 6:6	"the LORD regretted"
SA — נָחַם Niphal-only: no standard Qal; "to regret/relent" is the base meaning
4	יֵאָכֵל	Imperfect 3ms	Exo 12:46	"it shall be eaten"
P — The Passover lamb receives the action of eating
5	הִשָּׁמְרוּ	Imperative 2mp	Exo 19:12	"take heed for yourselves!"
R — Guard yourselves — the subject directs the keeping action back on itself
6	נִשְׁמַע	Perfect 3ms	Gen 45:16	"the report was heard"
P — The report receives the action of hearing — it becomes audible
7	הִשָּׁבְעָה	Imperative 2ms	Gen 47:31	"swear to me!"
R — Bind yourself by oath (reflexive oath-taking)
8	הַנִּמְצָא	Participle ms	Gen 47:14	"that which was found"
P — The silver was found (discovered by Joseph's collectors)
9	וְנִכְרְתָה	Weqatal 3fs	Exo 12:15	"that person will be cut off"
P — The person receives the covenant-exclusion penalty
10	נִצָּבִים	Participle mp	Exo 5:20	"standing before Pharaoh"
R — The overseers have stationed themselves before Pharaoh
11	אִוָּעֵד	Imperfect 1cs	Exo 29:42	"I will meet with you there"
RC — God and Israel meet one another at the tent of meeting
12	וַיִּשָּׁבַע	Wayyiqtol 3ms	Gen 47:31	"and he swore to him"
R — Jacob binds himself by oath at Joseph's request
13	וַיֵּאָסֶף	Wayyiqtol 3ms	Gen 49:33	"and he was gathered to his people"
P — Jacob is gathered in (brought to his ancestors — die)
14	יִלָּחֵם	Imperfect 3ms	Exo 14:14	"the LORD will fight for you"
SA — לָחַם Niphal-only: "to fight" is the base meaning
15	נִשְׁבְּעוּ	Weqatal 3mp	Gen 21:31	"both of them swore"
R — Abraham and Abimelech each bind themselves — reflexive, not quite reciprocal since each takes the oath individually
16	תִּכָּרֵת	Imperfect 3fs	Gen 41:36	"the land will not be cut off"
P — The land would be cut off (suffer the action of deprivation)
17	נִלְחָם	Participle ms	Exo 14:25	"the LORD is fighting for them"
SA — לָחַם Niphal-only: the LORD is fighting (no Qal to contrast)
18	הֵאָסְפוּ	Imperative 2mp	Gen 49:1	"gather yourselves!"
P — Gather yourselves (be gathered) — passive-like imperative of assembly
19	וְנוֹעֲדוּ	Weqatal 3mp	Num 10:3	"all the congregation shall assemble"
RC — The congregation assembles mutually, gathering together
20	נִחַמְתִּי	Weqatal 1cs	Gen 6:7	"I regret that I made them"
SA — נָחַם Niphal-only: "I regret" is the base meaning
21	נְמַלְתֶּם	Weqatal 2mp	Gen 17:11	"you shall be circumcised"
P — The males receive the action of circumcision
22	נִצַּבְתָּ	Perfect 2ms	Exo 7:15	"station yourself to meet him"
R — Moses stations himself (positions himself) at the Nile
23	לְהִלָּחֵם	Inf. Construct	Exo 17:10	"to fight against Amalek"
SA — לָחַם Niphal-only: "to fight" — the inf. construct form
24	יִמָּצֵא	Imperfect 3ms	Gen 44:9	"whoever is found [with the cup]"
P — Whoever is discovered (the cup is found on him)
25	הִמָּצֵא יִמָּצֵא	Inf. Abs. + Imperfect	Exo 22:3	"if it is actually found in his possession"
P — Emphatic passive — the stolen item is certainly found; the doubling stresses the discovery

Hebrew Form

Conjugation

Reference

Gloss

Function

וַיִּמָּכֵר

Wayyiqtol 3ms

Gen 37:36

"and Joseph was sold into Egypt"

P — Joseph receives the action of being sold

נִצָּבָה

Perfect 3fs

Gen 37:7

"my sheaf stood upright"

R — The sheaf stations itself upright (acts on itself)

וַיִּנָּחֶם

Wayyiqtol 3ms

Gen 6:6

"the LORD regretted"

SA — נָחַם Niphal-only: no standard Qal; "to regret/relent" is the base meaning

יֵאָכֵל

Imperfect 3ms

Exo 12:46

"it shall be eaten"

P — The Passover lamb receives the action of eating

הִשָּׁמְרוּ

Imperative 2mp

Exo 19:12

"take heed for yourselves!"

R — Guard yourselves — the subject directs the keeping action back on itself

נִשְׁמַע

Perfect 3ms

Gen 45:16

"the report was heard"

P — The report receives the action of hearing — it becomes audible

הִשָּׁבְעָה

Imperative 2ms

Gen 47:31

"swear to me!"

R — Bind yourself by oath (reflexive oath-taking)

הַנִּמְצָא

Participle ms

Gen 47:14

"that which was found"

P — The silver was found (discovered by Joseph's collectors)

וְנִכְרְתָה

Weqatal 3fs

Exo 12:15

"that person will be cut off"

P — The person receives the covenant-exclusion penalty

נִצָּבִים

Participle mp

Exo 5:20

"standing before Pharaoh"

R — The overseers have stationed themselves before Pharaoh

אִוָּעֵד

Imperfect 1cs

Exo 29:42

"I will meet with you there"

RC — God and Israel meet one another at the tent of meeting

וַיִּשָּׁבַע

Wayyiqtol 3ms

Gen 47:31

"and he swore to him"

R — Jacob binds himself by oath at Joseph's request

וַיֵּאָסֶף

Wayyiqtol 3ms

Gen 49:33

"and he was gathered to his people"

P — Jacob is gathered in (brought to his ancestors — die)

יִלָּחֵם

Imperfect 3ms

Exo 14:14

"the LORD will fight for you"

SA — לָחַם Niphal-only: "to fight" is the base meaning

נִשְׁבְּעוּ

Weqatal 3mp

Gen 21:31

"both of them swore"

R — Abraham and Abimelech each bind themselves — reflexive, not quite reciprocal since each takes the oath individually

תִּכָּרֵת

Imperfect 3fs

Gen 41:36

"the land will not be cut off"

P — The land would be cut off (suffer the action of deprivation)

נִלְחָם

Participle ms

Exo 14:25

"the LORD is fighting for them"

SA — לָחַם Niphal-only: the LORD is fighting (no Qal to contrast)

הֵאָסְפוּ

Imperative 2mp

Gen 49:1

"gather yourselves!"

P — Gather yourselves (be gathered) — passive-like imperative of assembly

וְנוֹעֲדוּ

Weqatal 3mp

Num 10:3

"all the congregation shall assemble"

RC — The congregation assembles mutually, gathering together

נִחַמְתִּי

Weqatal 1cs

Gen 6:7

"I regret that I made them"

SA — נָחַם Niphal-only: "I regret" is the base meaning

נְמַלְתֶּם

Weqatal 2mp

Gen 17:11

"you shall be circumcised"

P — The males receive the action of circumcision

נִצַּבְתָּ

Perfect 2ms

Exo 7:15

"station yourself to meet him"

R — Moses stations himself (positions himself) at the Nile

לְהִלָּחֵם

Inf. Construct

Exo 17:10

"to fight against Amalek"

SA — לָחַם Niphal-only: "to fight" — the inf. construct form

יִמָּצֵא

Imperfect 3ms

Gen 44:9

"whoever is found [with the cup]"

P — Whoever is discovered (the cup is found on him)

הִמָּצֵא יִמָּצֵא

Inf. Abs. + Imperfect

Exo 22:3

"if it is actually found in his possession"

P — Emphatic passive — the stolen item is certainly found; the doubling stresses the discovery

Discussion Questions

Items 3, 14, 17, 20, and 23 all involve "Simple Action" Niphal-only roots (נָחַם and לָחַם). What is the practical difference between a Niphal-only root and a root that simply lacks a Qal in the OT corpus? How would a lexicon help you distinguish them?
Compare items 7 and 12 (both שָׁבַע Niphal). The imperative (item 7) and the wayyiqtol (item 12) appear in the same verse (Gen 47:31). How does the sequential narrative create a scene of formal oath-taking? What does each form contribute?
Item 11 (אִוָּעֵד — Reciprocal) differs subtly from item 19 (וְנוֹעֲדוּ — Reciprocal). In Exo 29:42 God promises to meet with Israel; in Num 10:3 the congregation assembles. Is the "reciprocal" label equally apt for both? Who initiates the meeting in each case?
Item 18 (הֵאָסְפוּ) is listed as Passive, yet it is an imperative addressed to Jacob's sons. Explain how a Niphal imperative can be both a command and passive in force.