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"Spot the Hithpael" — Chapter 34 Passage Exercise

Chapter 34 — Hithpael Strong

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Students identify and parse Hithpael Strong verbs across passages from 1 Kings 8, Genesis 20, Joshua 3, Exodus 19, Genesis 22, and 2 Samuel 10. The exercise presents 11 verbs: 8 Hithpael targets (strong roots only) and 3 distractors drawn from Piel, Pual, and Hiphil — the stems most easily confused with Hithpael. The Pual distractor (קֻדַּשׁ, same root as two Hithpael targets) is the critical discrimination challenge: students must identify that Qibbuts under R1 = Pual passive, while הִתְ- prefix = Hithpael reflexive. The focus verb throughout Passage A is הִתְפַּלֵּל (to pray), a denominative Hithpael with no Qal equivalent.

Sample Questions

Q1. 1 מִתְפַּלֵּל Yes No Perfect Imperfect Wayyiqtol Weqatal Imperative Inf. Construct Inf. Absolute Participle 3ms 3mp 3fs 3fp 2ms 2mp 2fs 1cs 1cp ms + 3mp suffix ms fs mp fp Reflexive Reciprocal Iterative Simple Action Passive Declarative Factitive NOT Hithpael

A: ✓ Yes Participle ms פלל Hithpael — Simple Action — "praying"; מִתְ - prefix marks Hithpael participle. BBH §34.2.4 uses this exact root as its own Simple Action example — no separate reflexive or reciprocal force.

Q2. 2 יִתְפַּלְּלוּ Yes No Perfect Imperfect Wayyiqtol Weqatal Imperative Inf. Construct Inf. Absolute Participle 3ms 3mp 3fs 3fp 2ms 2mp 2fs 1cs 1cp ms + 3mp suffix ms fs mp fp Reflexive Reciprocal Iterative Simple Action Passive Declarative Factitive NOT Hithpael

A: ✓ Yes Imperfect 3mp פלל Hithpael — Simple Action — "they pray"; יִתְ - prefix + i-class vowel under R1 + dagesh forte in doubled ל (R2=R3 geminate: יִתְפַּלְּלוּ ). The geminate doubling of ל ל is the hallmark of this root.

Q3. 3 יִתְפַּלֵּל Yes No Perfect Imperfect Wayyiqtol Weqatal Imperative Inf. Construct Inf. Absolute Participle 3ms 3mp 3fs 3fp 2ms 2mp 2fs 1cs 1cp ms + 3mp suffix ms fs mp fp Reflexive Reciprocal Iterative Simple Action Passive Declarative Factitive NOT Hithpael

A: ✓ Yes Imperfect 3ms פלל Hithpael — Simple Action — "he will pray"; יִתְ - prefix + Pathach under R1 ( פַּ ) + Tsere + geminate ל ל ; same root as #1–2 in imperfect 3ms.