Chapter 35 — "Spot the Hithpael" Passage Exercise

Stem: Hithpael (הִתְקַטֵּל) — Weak Verbs  |  Passages: Gen 22:5 · Gen 18:2 · Exo 20:5 · Psa 95:6 · Gen 35:7 · 1 Sam 10:6, 11 · Gen 44:16 · 2 Kgs 8:29

Instructions: For each bolded/numbered verb, fill in: (1) Is it Hithpael? (Yes/No) (2) Conjugation (3) PGN (4) Root (5) Stem/Function (note the weak class). Distractors are drawn from Qal, Niphal, and Hophal. Click ▶ Answer to reveal the key for that row.

Weak-root Hithpael markers:

Passage A — Genesis 22:5 · Genesis 18:2 · Exodus 20:5 · Psalm 95:6

Context: Abraham prepares to worship; Lot's visitors; the second commandment; Psalm of praise.

Root focus: Verbs 2–4 all come from שׁחה — a III-ה root with I-שׁ. The Hithpael shows metathesis in every conjugation: הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה (perfect), יִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה (imperfect), הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ (imperative), מִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה (participle).
וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ [1] לַיהוָה

"And he bowed down before the LORD." (Gen 24:26)

#VerbHithpael?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
1וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ
✓ Yes — Hithpael | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | שחה | Reflexive — "and he bowed down"; I-שׁ metathesis (הִתְ + שׁ → הִשְׁתַּ); III-ה short form (וּ ending in Wayyiqtol 3ms).
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֗ם אֶל־נְעָרָ֡יו שְׁבוּ־לָכֶ֣ם פֹּ֣ה עִם־הַחֲמוֹר֒ וַאֲנִ֣י וְהַנַּ֔עַר נֵלְכָ֖ה עַד־כֹּ֑ה וְנִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֔ה [2] וְנָשׁ֥וּבָה אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

"And Abraham said to his young men, 'Stay here with the donkey; I and the young man will go over there and worship [2], and we will come back to you.'" (Gen 22:5)

#VerbHithpael?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
2וְנִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה
✓ Yes — Hithpael | Cohortative | 1cp | שחה | Reflexive "let us worship/bow down" — I-שׁ metathesis: הִתְ + שׁ → הִשְׁתַּ; cohortative prefix נ replaces הִ: וְנִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה. III-ה ending: imperfect/cohortative takes ֶה. The full expected form: יִתְשַׁחֲוֶה → הִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה → cohortative נִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה.
וַיַּ֥רְא וַיָּ֖רָץ לִקְרָאתָ֑ם מִפֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֔הֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ [3] אָֽרְצָה׃

"When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed down [3] to the ground." (Gen 18:2)

#VerbHithpael?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
3וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ
✓ Yes — Hithpael | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | שחה | Reflexive "and he bowed down" — Wayyiqtol: וַיִּ + שְׁתַּחוּ; I-שׁ metathesis preserved; III-ה in Wayyiqtol 3ms = short form (no ה ending, final vowel וּ from 3ms apocopation + suffix). Compare: form וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ (3mp) has different ending.
לֹֽא־תִשְׁתַּחְוֶ֥ה [4]־לָהֶ֖ם וְלֹ֣א תָעָבְדֵ֑ם כִּ֣י אָנֹכִ֞י יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙

"You shall not bow down [4] to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God…" (Exo 20:5)

#VerbHithpael?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
4תִשְׁתַּחְוֶה
✓ Yes — Hithpael | Imperfect | 2ms | שחה | Reflexive "you shall not bow down" — תִ- (2ms prefix) + שְׁתַּחְוֶה; I-שׁ metathesis in imperfect; III-ה: ֶה ending in imperfect 2ms. This is the Decalogue's prohibition of idolatry — most frequent verb in the prohibition against bowing to idols.
Distractor alert — Qal: Psalm 95:6 has a Qal cohortative. Do not confuse the cohortative prefix נ with the Hithpael prefix הִתְ.
בֹּ֭אוּ נִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֣ה וְנִכְרָ֑עָה נִבְרְכָ֥ה [5] לִֽפְנֵי־יְהוָ֥ה עֹשֵֽׂנוּ׃

"Come, let us bow down and kneel; let us kneel [5] before the LORD our maker." (Psa 95:6)

#VerbHithpael?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
5נִבְרְכָה
✗ No — Qal | Cohortative | 1cp | ברך | Qal "let us kneel/bless" — נִ- is the 1cp cohortative prefix (נ + shewa), NOT a Hithpael or Niphal marker. Qal of ברך here = "to kneel" (cf. בֶּרֶךְ = knee). No הִתְ infix. No dagesh forte in R2.

Passage B — Genesis 35:7 · 1 Samuel 10:6, 11

Context: Jacob at Bethel; Saul's prophetic transformation.

Distractor alert — Niphal: Genesis 35:7 has a Niphal perfect, not Hithpael. Both can express reflexive/middle meaning — but the prefix is completely different.
וַיִּבֶן֩ שָׁ֨ם מִזְבֵּ֜חַ וַיִּקְרָ֧א לַמָּק֛וֹם אֵ֥ל בֵּֽית־אֵ֖ל כִּ֣י שָׁ֣ם נִגְלֽוּ [6]־אֵלָ֑יו הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים בְּבָרְח֛וֹ מִפְּנֵ֥י אָחִֽיו׃

"And there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed himself [6] to him when he fled from his brother." (Gen 35:7)

#VerbHithpael?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
6נִגְלוּ
✗ No — Niphal | Perfect | 3cp | גלה | Niphal — Reflexive/Passive "revealed themselves / were revealed" — נִ- prefix = Niphal, NOT Hithpael הִתְ-. Note: a Hithpael of גלה would be הִתְגַּלָּה (3ms) — the forms look completely different. III-ה Niphal perfect 3cp: נִגְלוּ (ה drops before 3cp suffix).
וְצָלְחָ֨ה עָלֶ֜יךָ ר֣וּחַ יְהוָ֗ה וְהִתְנַבִּ֙יתָ֙ [7] עִמָּ֔ם וְנֶהְפַּכְתָּ֖ לְאִ֥ישׁ אַחֵֽר׃

"Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy [7] with them and be turned into another man." (1 Sam 10:6)

#VerbHithpael?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
7וְהִתְנַבִּיתָ
✓ Yes — Hithpael | Weqatal | 2ms | נבא | Denominative/Iterative "you will prophesy" — I-נ root: נ does NOT assimilate in Hithpael (contrast Niphal where נ of root follows נִ prefix). הִתְ- + נַ + בִּי + 2ms suffix תָ. III-א: א quiesces; hireq-yod before suffix. Weqatal = consequence of the Spirit's coming.
וַיִּתְנַבְּאוּ [8] עַד בּ֥וֹא הַמִּנְחָֽה׃

"And they prophesied [8] until the offering of the evening sacrifice." (1 Sam 10:11a)

#VerbHithpael?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
8וַיִּתְנַבְּאוּ
✓ Yes — Hithpael | Wayyiqtol | 3mp | נבא | Denominative/Iterative "and they prophesied" — Wayyiqtol: וַיִּתְ- prefix (Hithpael Wayyiqtol) + נַבְּאוּ; I-נ (no assimilation); III-א with 3mp suffix וּ (א quiesces). Same root as #7 — weqatal perfect 2ms vs. wayyiqtol 3mp.

Passage C — Genesis 44:16 · 2 Kings 8:29

Context: Judah's plea before Joseph; Joram's return for healing.

Metathesis focus: Verb 9 shows I-צ metathesis — one of the rarest but most diagnostic weak-Hithpael patterns in the OT.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוּדָ֗ה מַה־נֹּאמַ֤ר לַֽאדֹנִי֙ מַה־נְּדַבֵּ֔ר וּמַ֖ה נִּצְטַדָּ֑ק [9] הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים מָצָ֛א אֶת־עֲוֺ֥ן עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ

"And Judah said, 'What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? How can we justify ourselves [9]? God has found out the iniquity of your servants.'" (Gen 44:16)

#VerbHithpael?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
9נִצְטַדָּק
✓ Yes — Hithpael | Imperfect | 1cp | צדק | Reflexive/Estimative "how can we justify ourselves?" — I-צ metathesis: expected הִתְצַדֵּק → ת and צ swap → הִצְתַּדֵּק → ת voices to ט → הִצְטַדֵּק; with 1cp prefix נ: נִצְטַדָּק. Qamets under R2 (דָּ) = pause/long form. One of only a handful of I-צ Hithpael forms in the OT.
וַיָּ֣שָׁב יֹורָ֣ם הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ לְהִתְרַפֵּ֥א [10] בְיִזְרְעֶ֖אל מִן־הַמַּכִּ֑ים

"And King Joram returned to be healed [10] in Jezreel from the wounds…" (2 Kgs 8:29)

#VerbHithpael?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
10לְהִתְרַפֵּא
✓ Yes — Hithpael | Inf. Construct | — | רפא | Reflexive "to be healed / to seek healing" — הִתְ- prefix + רַפֵּא; III-א root: א quiesces at end. Lamed-preposition לְ marks infinitive construct. Compare Piel רִפֵּא (to heal someone else) vs. Hithpael הִתְרַפֵּא (to heal oneself / be healed — reflexive or tolerative).
Distractor alert — Hophal: The next verb begins with הוּ- (u-class vowel after הּ). This is the Hophal prefix, NOT the Hithpael הִתְ- prefix.
וַיְהִ֗י כִּשְׁמֹ֤עַ אֱלִישָׁע֙ כִּי הוּשַׁ֥ב [11] הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ

"And when Elisha heard that the king had returned [11]…" (2 Kgs 8:29b)

#VerbHithpael?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
11הוּשַׁב
✗ No — Hophal | Perfect | 3ms | שוב | Hophal — Passive "was returned / had returned" — הוּ- prefix (u-class vowel = Hophal) + שַׁב; biconsonantal root שׁוּב. No תְ after הּ. Compare: Hithpael of שׁוּב would be הִתְשׁוֹבֵב (not common); Hophal הוּשַׁב = was caused to return.
Reflection Questions
  1. Verbs 2–4 all come from the root שׁחה (III-ה, with I-שׁ metathesis). In each form, identify: (a) where the metathesis appears, (b) what happened to the III-ה ending. How do the endings differ between perfect, imperfect, and cohortative?
  2. Verb 9 (נִצְטַדָּק) shows I-צ metathesis. Write out the expected form before metathesis, then explain the phonological rule: why does the ת of הִתְ swap with the initial צ of the root, and why does ת become ט?
  3. Compare verbs 7 and 8 (וְהִתְנַבִּיתָ and וַיִּתְנַבְּאוּ), both from נבא (I-נ). In Hithpael, why does the נ of the root not assimilate into the ת of the הִתְ prefix, even though it would assimilate in Niphal? (Hint: in Niphal the root-נ immediately follows the נ of the נִ prefix; in Hithpael, the ת stands between them.)

Quick Answer Key

#VerbHithpael?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
1וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּYesWayyiqtol3msשחהHithpael — Reflexive; I-שׁ metathesis; III-ה short form (וּ ending)
2וְנִשְׁתַּחֲוֶהYesCohortative1cpשחהHithpael — Reflexive; I-שׁ metathesis, III-ה
3וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּYesWayyiqtol3msשחהHithpael — Reflexive; I-שׁ metathesis, III-ה
4תִשְׁתַּחְוֶהYesImperfect2msשחהHithpael — Reflexive; I-שׁ metathesis, III-ה
5נִבְרְכָהNoCohortative1cpברךQal — "let us kneel"
6נִגְלוּNoPerfect3cpגלהNiphal — Reflexive/Passive
7וְהִתְנַבִּיתָYesWeqatal2msנבאHithpael — Denominative; I-נ (no assimilation), III-א
8וַיִּתְנַבְּאוּYesWayyiqtol3mpנבאHithpael — Denominative; I-נ (no assimilation), III-א
9נִצְטַדָּקYesImperfect1cpצדקHithpael — Reflexive/Estimative; I-צ metathesis
10לְהִתְרַפֵּאYesInf. Construct—רפאHithpael — Reflexive/Tolerative; III-א
11הוּשַׁבNoPerfect3msשובHophal — Passive