The Strong Verb

Qal Nifal Piel Pual Hitpael Hifil Hofal

lq' l['p]nI l[ePi l['Pu l[eP't]hi ly[ip]hi l['p]h;
G N D Dp HtD H Hp
Perfect/ 1cs yTil]fq' ; yTil]fq' n] I yTil]F'qi yTil]Fq' u yTil]Fq' 't]hi yTil]fq' h] i yTil]fq' h] ;
Suffix conj.
2ms T;l]fq' ; T;l]fq' n] I T;l]Fq' i T;l]Fq' u T;l]Fq' 't]hi T;l]fq' h] i T;l]fq' h] ;
qå†al
2fs T]l]fq' ; T]l]fq' n] I T]l]Fq' i T]l]Fq' u T]l]Fq' 't]hi T]l]fq' h] i T]l]fq' h] ;
3ms lf'q; lf'qn] I lFeqi lF'qu lFeq't]hi lyfiq]hi lt'qh] ;
3fs hl;f]q; hl;f]qn] I hl;F]qi hl;F]qu hl;F]q't]hi hl;yfiqh] i hl;f]qh] ;
1cp Wnl]fq' ; Wnl]fq' n] I Wnl]Fq' i Wnl]Fq' u Wnl]Fq' 't]hi Wnl]fq' h] i Wnl]fq' h] ;
2mp µT,l]fq' ; µT,l]fq' n] I µT,l]Fq' i µT,l]Fq' u µT,l]Fq' 't]hi µT,l]fq' ]hi µT,l]fq' h] ;
2fp ˜T,l]fq' ; ˜T,l]fq' n] I ˜T,l]Fq' i ˜T,l]Fq' u ˜T,l]F'q't]hi ˜T,l]fq' h] i ˜T,l]fq' h] ;
3cp Wlf]q; Wlf]qn] I WlF]qi WlF]qu WlF]q't]hi Wlyfiqh] i Wlf]q]h;
Imperfect/ 1cs lfoqa] , lfeQa; , lFeq'a} lF'qau } lFeq't]a, lyfiq]a' lf'qa] ;
Prefix conj.
2ms lfoqT] i lfeQT; i lFeq'T] lF'qTu ] lFeq't]Ti lyfiq]T' lf'qT] ;
yiq†øl
2fs ylif]qT] i ylif]QT; i yliF]q'T] yliF]qTu ] yliF]q't]Ti yliyfiqT] ' ylif]q]T;
3ms lfoqy] I lfeQy; I lFeq'y“ lF'qyu “ lFeq't]yI lyfiq]y" lf'qy] :
3fs lfoqT] i lfeQT; i lFeq'T] lF'qTu ] lFeq't]Ti yliyfiqT] ' lf'qT] ;
1cp lfoqn] I lfeQn; I lFeq'n“ lF'qnu “ lFeq't]nI lyfiq]n" lf'qn] :
2mp Wlf]qT] i Wlf]QT; i WlF]q'T] WlF]qTu ] WlF]q't]Ti WlyfiqT] ' Wlf]q]T;
2fp hn:l]fqo T] i hn:l]fQe T; i hn:lFeq'T] hn:l]Fq' Tu ] hn:l]Fqe 't]Ti hn:l]yfeqT] ' hn:l]fq' T] ;
3mp Wlf]qy] I Wlf]Qy; I WlF]q'y“ WlF]qyu “ WlF]q't]yI Wlyfiqy] " Wlf]qy] :
3fp hn:l]fqo T] i hn:l]fQe T; i hn:lFeq'T] hn:l]Fq' Tu ] hn:l]Fqe 't]Ti hn:l]yfeqT] ' hn:l]fq' T] ;
Cohortative s hl;f]qa] , hl;f]Qa; ,
p hl;f]qn] I hl;f]Qn; I
Imperative ms lfoq] lfeQh; i lFeq' lFeq't]hi lfeqh] '
fs ylif]qi ylif]Qh; i yliF]q' yliF]q't]hi yliyfiqh] '
mp Wlf]qi Wlf]Qh; i WlF]q' WlF]q't]hi Wlyfiqh] '
fp hn:l]fqo ] hn:l]fQe h] i hn:l]Fqe 't]hi hn:l]fqe h] '
Jussive s lfoqy] I lfeQy; I lFeq'y“ lFeqyu “ lFeq't]yI lteqy] " lt'qy] :
Infinitive abs lfoq; lfoQh; i lFoq' lFoqu lFeq't]hi lfeqh] ' lteqh] ;
cstr lfoq] lfeQ'hi lFeq' lFeq't]hi lyfiq]h'
Participle ms lfe/q lf;qn] I lFeq'm] lF'qmu ] lFeq't]mi lyfiq]m' lt;qm] ;
fs tl,f,/q tl,f,qn] I
mp µylif]/q µylif;qn] I
fp t/lf]/q t/lf;qn] I
wayyiq†øl lfoqY] Iw" lfeQY; Iw" lFeq'y“w" lFeqyu “w" lFeq't]YIw" lteqY] "w" lt'qY] :w"
 The Hebrew Verb: The Stem System
SIMPLE FACTITIVE CAUSATIVE

Qal Piel Hifil

ACTIVE/

STATIVE rb'v; rBevi ryBiv]hi

Moses broke the tablets Moses put the tablets into the The LORD caused Moses to
state of having been broken break the tablets

Nifal Pual Hofal

PASSIVE

rB'v]nI rB'vu rB'v]h;

The tablets were broken (by The tablets were put into the Moses was caused to break
Moses) state of having been broken the tablets

Nifal Hitpael Internal Hifil

REFLEXIVE

rB'v]nI rBev't]hi byrIq]hi

The tablets broke themselves The tablets put themselves Moses caused himself to be
into the state of having been near
broken

• The actual form of the Hitpael for the verb rbv is not rBev't]hi but rBeT'v]hi. In the Hitpael of I-v verbs there is
metathesis of the t of the prefix and the v of the root (for the sake of euphony).
• The internal Hifil is a reflexive use of the Hifil stem, corresponding only to verbs that are active-transitive or
stative in Qal.
 Hebrew Verb Forms
VERB FORMS VERB FORMS
Perfect Imperfect

lf'q; lfoq]yI
suffix conjugation (sc) prefix conjugation (pc)
qå†al yiq†øl
Waw-consecutive Imperfect Waw-consecutive perfect

lfoq]YIw" lf'q;w“
waw-consecutive pc waw-consecutive sc
wayyiq†øl wéqå†al
Waw-simple Perfect Waw-simple Imperfect

lf'q;w“ lfoq]yIw“
waw-simple sc waw-simple pc
wéqå†al wéyiq†øl

MEANING MEANING
Aspect: views the action or state as an entire singular Aspect: views the action or state as unfolding or in
event or situation; presents the action or state as a whole, progress; presents the action or state as ongoing or
as complete (not completed) repeated;

—this verb-form is also used to express an action or

state that is dependant, which would include future,
modal and volitional usage
Translation into English: most common ways of Translation into English: most common ways of
rendering these verb-forms into English are: rendering these verb-forms into English are:
• simple past • future
• perfect • durative past or present
• present (esp. for verbs of state, disposition, • modal (could, would, should, might, may, etc.)
perception) • volitional (expressing wish, will, desire)

The verb forms on the left of the chart are employed mostly in past time narrative contexts.

The verb-forms on the right side of the chart are employed mostly in speech or direct discourse, where statements
concerning the future or expressions of obligation, necessity, purpose (modal notions), or desire (volitional notions)
would be expected. They would also be used in discourse describing customary or habitual (recurring) action in the
past.
 Mechanical Parsing Chart

NIFAL NIFAL NIFAL

inf abs participle perfect
HIFIL HIFIL
+ final ø + final å + final a impv/inf

HIFIL HIFIL
a a perfect
i n i NIFAL
impv/inf

s
HOFAL u
m PARSING h u HOFAL
PIEL +a
é SYSTEM é
HIFIL
+u

s
PUAL -it
-it
a
y T a n -it HITPAEL
HITPAEL +i i u é
other +u
other +a +d.f. HITPAEL
HIFIL +d.f. +d.f.
+a
QAL PUAL
QAL PIEL
NIFAL HOFAL

A class I class U class Indistinct

Historical long / (ô) y e(ê) y i (ª) W (û)
Tone long ; (å) e (∑) o (ø)
Tone short ' (a) , (e) i (i) u (u) (; o)
Shewa } ‘ (é) ’ (ó) ] (é)
No prefix ô+∑ Qal act ptc i+d.f. Piel perf u+ø Pual inf abs Shewa Qal
3 radicals present å+û Qal pass ptcp o+shewa not propretonic impv/inf
Qal, Piel, Pual å+ô Qal inf abs i+no d.f. Qal impv w/ suffix Qal inf cstr
å+other Qal perf w/ W or y i Qal impv Shewa Qal perf
propretonic µt,/˜t,
u+other Pual perf Qal pass ptcp
a+d.f Piel impv/inf
inflected
a+no d.f Piel impv Qal perf/impv
w/ W y i Qal impv +pron sfx
No prefix Perfect hollow impv I-w hollow impv hollow (II-w) Shewa+W, y i or h ;
p

2 radicals present geminate geminate

Qal Ptc hollow inf cstr hollow inf cstr hollow (II-w) impv I-n
Impv I-n segolate types geminate I-w/y
Inf. cstr I-n/I-w I-n/I-w inf abs hollow III-h
e+e+t/i w/sfx