Quartz Hill School of Theology

Lesson 25: Hiphil

The hiphil form is sometimes referred to as the causative because it usually expresses the causative action of verbs that appear in the qal. Not all hiphil verbs are causative however. The primary characteristics of the hiphil are a prefixed ה and an infixed י ִ as the vowel between the second and third root letters of the verb. Together, the qal, niphal, piel, and hiphil, make up 97% of all verbs in the Hebrew Bible.


 
Perfect

‍Hiphil ‍QalPerson
הִקְטִיל קָטַל ‍3ms‍
הִקְטִילָה קָטְלָה ‍3fs‍
הִקְטַלְתָּ קָטַלְתָּ ‍2ms‍
הִקְטַלְתְּ קָטַלְתְּ ‍2fs‍
הִקְטַלְתִּי קָטַלְתִּי ‍1cs‍
הִקְטִילוּ קָטְלוּ ‍3cp‍
הִקְטַלְתֶּם קְטַלְתֶּם ‍2mp‍
הִקְטַלְתֶּן     קְטַלְתֶּן ‍2fp‍
הִקְטַלְנוּ קָטַלְנוּ ‍1cp‍

Imperfect

The characteristic ה is dropped in the imperfect, as is the ה of the definite article with an inseparable preposition, for example, לַבַּיִת for לְהַבַּיִת.

‍Hiphil ‍QalPerson
יַקְטִיל יִקְטֹל ‍3ms‍
תַּקְטִיל תִּקְטֹל ‍3fs‍
תַּקְטִיל תִּקְטֹל ‍2ms‍
תַּקְטִילִי תִּקְטְלִי ‍2fs‍
אַקְטִיל אֶקְטֹל ‍1cs‍
יַקְטִילוּ יִקְטְלוּ ‍3mp‍
תַּקְטֵלְנָה     תִּקְטֹלְנָה     ‍3fp‍
תַּקְטִילוּ     תִּקְטְלוּ ‍2mp‍
תַּקְטֵלְנָה תִּקְטֹלְנָה ‍2fp‍
נַקְטִיל נִקְטֹל ‍1cp‍

Imperative

‍Imperative     ‍Imperfect    Person
הַקְטֵל תַּקְטִיל ‍2ms‍
הַקְטִילִי תַּקְטִילִי ‍2fs‍
הַקְטִילוּ תַּקְטִילוּ ‍2mp‍
הַקְטֵלְנָה תַּקְטֵלְנָה ‍2fp‍

Infinitives

‍Infinitive Construct     ‍Imperative
הַקְטִיל הַקְטֵל

Infinitive Absolute

הַקְטֵל

Participle

The characteristic ה is dropped in the participle.

‍Hiphil ‍QalPerson
מַקְטִיל קֹטֵל ‍ms‍
מַקְטֶלֶת קֹטֶלֶת ‍fs‍
מַקְטִילִים     קֹטְלִים ‍mp‍
מַקְטִילוֹת     קֹטְלוֹת ‍fp‍

Cohortative

The characteristic ה is dropped in the cohortative.

‍Hiphil ‍QalPerson
אַקְטִילָה     אֶקְטְלָה ‍1cs‍
נַקְטִילָה     נִקְטְלָה ‍1cp‍

Jussive

The jussive is a short form.

‍Jussive     ‍Imperfect    Person
יַקְטֵל יַקְטִיל ‍3ms

Reading

Please read pages 190-193 in Biblical Hebrew Step-by-Step.

Exercises

1. Memorize the Hiphil paradigm.


Contact Details

Telephone: (661) 722-0891
Email: info@theology.edu
Website: www.theology.edu

Quartz Hill School of Theology
43543 51st Street West
Quartz Hill, CA 93536
USA

Join our Newsletter

Sign up for our newsletter for all the
latest news and information