The Hiphil Pattern (Stem): Strong Root

The Hiphil: Strong Roots
Elements of Hebrew II
Part 1: Telling the Difference between Qal, Piel, and Hiphil
1. Augmented versus non-augmented patterns: The fact that the hiphil is an augmented pattern,
while the qal and the piel are non-augmented, means that a lack of any augment will be a
clear signal of one of the latter two patterns. Consider the following examples:
A. yTix.L;vi — The SC of the hiphil must have a prefixed-he (the augment). The choice is
between either the qal or the piel. The form is piel. Do you see why?
B. yTik.l;v.hi — Since a verb root has only 3 letters, the root must be $lv, and the heaugment
means the form is hiphil.
C. Wnyfi[' — Sometimes students think a form like this must be hiphil because of the chireqyod.
However, there are no forms of the hiphil that will not have a prefix, that is, either
the augment or the prefix of the PC. The form is qal, from the root hf[.
D. ryvil' — This is an infinitive construct with prefixed lamed preposition. The form
cannot be hiphil, despite the chireq-yod, because there is no augment. Here is a hiphil
infinitive construct from a “hollow root” (lesson 34): aybih'l. (root aAB — “to come”).
2. The doubled second root letter: Under normal circumstances, the piel will have the second
root letter doubled (with strong dagesh). That will not be true of the qal and the hiphil.
Watch out, though, for some “false positives.”
A. 1) xl;v.yI 2) xL;v;y> — The lamed is the middle root letter; the dagesh shows that the
second one is in the piel.
B. 1) bTok.yI 2) bTek;y> — The second root letter (tav) has a dagesh in both cases.
However, it is lene with 1) but forte with 2). Therefore, 2) is piel; 1) is qal.
C. 1) lPoyI 2) #Pen:y> — Make sure that the dagesh is not the result of an assimilated
letter. In this case, the first word has a prefixed yod, and the first root letter, a nun, has
assimilated to the second root letter, as represented by the dagesh. Assimilation of nun
will not happen in the piel, so number 1) is qal; number 2) is piel.
3. The prefix vowel (in the PC): Any verb in the piel must have a sheva for the prefix vowel of
the PC. Under normal circumstances, the qal will have chireq for this vowel, while the
hiphil will have patach. Please note, however, that while a piel must have a sheva, it is
possible in certain cases for either the qal or the hiphil to have one also.
A. 1) dB;k.yI (qal) 2) dBek;y> (piel) 3) dBek.y: (hiphil jussive)
B. 1) yhiy>w: (qal) 2) hn"ym,WqT. (qal) 3) hn"v.Qñeb;T. (piel)
Notes on the Hiphil: Strong Roots, Page 1 of 2 (Dr. Finley)

4. The characteristic vowel: Only the qal is capable of having a u-class vowel for the
characteristic vowel. Considering the examples given above, this is why bTok.yI , lPoyI , and
hn"m,WqT. must be qal forms (roots btk, lpn, and ~Wq, respectively).
Part 2: Meaning of the Hiphil
1. The most common meaning for the hiphil is “causative,” that is, causing to do an action.
This sometimes results in verbs with two objects (when applied to a transitive verb). It is
different from the piel of stative roots, in that the latter implies to “make” a condition.
Sometimes the hiphil is also applied to stative roots in a similar way, but the piel is more
common for this. Waltke & O’Connor (Biblical Hebrew Syntax) follow Ernst Jenni’s
discussion (Das hebräische Piel) of the difference between the hiphil and the piel in this
idiom. For the piel the object of the verb does not contribute to the action in any way,
whereas for the hiphil the object participates in the event. Thus,
hk'(l'm.M;h; [r;zhi —condemn as guilty (caus.); act wickedly (intr.)
bAj — to be pleasing, good byjihe — to do well, act right
not attested
!ymia/h, — to believe, trust in (i.e., regard as true)
xl;c' — to be prosperous x:ylic.hi — to make prosper (caus.); to prosper (intr.)
!qez" — to be old !yqiz>hi — to grow old, become old
Notes on the Hiphil: Strong Roots, Page 2 of 2 (Dr. Finley)