WEAK VERB ROOTS IN HEBREW

WEAK VERB ROOTS IN HEBREW
All Hebrew verbs can be thought of spatially as containing three fields. The first field is
reserved for PREFIXES (special prefixes, prefixes of the PC, and a stem augment, in that order).
The second field is reserved for the BASE, which consists of the ROOT and any vowels. The
third field contains any SUFFIXES (SC endings and verbal suffixes, in that order).
SUFFIXES BASE PREFIXES
W rm.v. yI
1. When confronted with any form for which you want to determine the root, the first step is to
eliminate any prefixes and suffixes from the base.
A. Regarding PREFIXES, keep in mind the following:
1. w at the beginning of a form is always the prefixed “and.”
2. The special form of waw-consecutive always indicates a PREFIX CONJUGATION.
Therefore, the form must have a, t, y, or n as a prefix.
EXAMPLE: drm;v', “I
watched you;” yNIr

B. If there are three letters in the base:
1. These are generally the root:
lDeb.Y:w: — base is lDeb., root is ldb
WmWqy" — base is mWq, root is ~wq (see also “E” below)
2. If in first position you have A or y (with no vowel under it), then the first root letter
(R 1 ) is yod (y).
dr

impression of a nifal triangle in forms of the qal with no ending: aF'YIw: (“and he
lifted up” = qal).
b. EXCEPTION 2: if the two letters are xq (in that order), then the root is xql.
xQ;yI — the base is xQ;, the root is xql.
2. If no strong dagesh is present in the first of the two letters, check the following
possibilities:
a. The third root letter is h:
War" — the base is ar", the root is har.
!b,YIw: — the base is !b,, the root is hnb.
b. The middle root letter is w or y:
Wmq' — the base is mq', the root is ~wq.
hm'f' — the base is mf', the root is ~yf.
c. The first root letter is y: dleTe — the base is dle, the root is dly.
1) NOTE: The tsere with the prefix is a sign of this type of root.
2) A special case: the apparent root *$ly is actually $lh.
%l,YEw: — base is %l,, apparent root is *$ly, actual root is $lh.
D. If there is only one letter in the base: The first root letter is n and the third is h.
%Y:w: — the base is %, the root is hkn.
2. SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CERTAIN WEAK ROOTS
A. Middle-vav/yod roots (w or y as the second root letter, “hollow verbs”):
1. The PREFORMATIVE VOWEL for the qal AND hifil is qamets. If the characteristic
vowel is “u” class, the form must be qal; if it is “i” class, it may be either qal from a
root with y or (usually) hifil:
~Wqy" – “he will stand up” (qal) ~yqiy" — “he will raise up” (hifil)
~yfiy" — “he will place” (qal, but the root is ~yf).
2. The piel and hitpael are usually replaced by forms called polel and hitpolel. Notice
that the PREFORMATIVE VOWEL is still shewa.
Wmm.Aqy> — “they will raise up” (polel from ~wq)
hm'm.Aqt.mi — “one rising up against” (hitpolel from ~wq)
B. Final-he roots (h as the third letter):
1. The infinitive construct has the ENDING tA— .
tAf[]l; — base is f[], root is hf[
2. The 3m/fs PC has an “apocopated” (shortened) form for the jussive and for the wci.
f[;y: (“let him make”; cf. hf,[]y:, “he will make”) — root is hf[
!b,YIw: — root is hnb
Weak Roots in Biblical Hebrew; page 3 (Dr. Finley)

3. Any h at the end of a word following the vowel tsere or segol must be a root letter:
ha,r>a, — root har haer> — root har.
4. The h is dropped before verbal suffixes: WNa,r>a, — “I see him.”
C. Initial-yod roots (with y as R 1
), TYPE 1:
1. These verbs are not as common as type 2. Examples include arEy", be afraid; rc;y",
form, fashion; bjy, be good.
2. For these roots, the y becomes a vowel letter in certain forms:
a. Qal PC: bj;yyI, bj;yTi, bj;yai, etc.
b. Hifil SC: byjiyhe, hb'yjiyhe, T'b.j;yhe, etc.
c. Hifil PC: byjiyyE , byjiyTe, byjiyae, etc.
D. Initial-yod roots (with y as R 1
), TYPE 2:
1. Yod drops out only in the qal.
W[D. (“know”) — since it is from [dy, it must be qal. Why?
aceae (“I will go out”) — qal PC from acy.
2. Yod is replaced by A in the hifil.
dyliAh (“he begat”) — hifil from root dly.
3. In the nifal, the yod is replaced by vav with strong dagesh in the PC, imperative, and
infinitive construct; by A in the SC and participle:
[d;W"yI — “it will be known” (nifal PC) dleW"hi — “being born” (nifal inf. constr.)
dl;An — “he was born” (nifal SC) dl'An — “one being born” (nifal ptcp.)
4. In the qal infinitive construct, the yod drops and a tav ENDING is added.
td,r,l' (“to go down”) t[;d;l' (“to know”) tacel' (“to go out”) tb,v,l' (“to sit)
E. Initial-nun roots (with n as R 1
)
1. Assimilation (shown by strong dagesh) occurs always in the following forms:
a. Qal PC: aF'YIw: —base aF', root afn, qal wci (“and he lifted up”)
b. Hifil — all forms:
dyGIh'l] — base dGe, root dgn, hif. inf. constr. (“to tell”).
dyGIy" — PC, 3ms; dyGIm; — ptcp. ms; dGEh; — imperative, 2ms
2. In the qal of some roots the nun drops out for the imperative and infinitive construct.
The inf. constr. has an added tav.
WnT. — “Give!”; root !tn
tv,g

3. Determining the Pattern
A. Qal: this is the generic pattern. It is often recognized by what it is not (e.g., no augment,
no prefixed mem or nun with the participle, etc.).
1. Perfect, participle, imperative, and infinitives:
a. No augment
b. No signs of the piel
2. Imperfect or Prefix Conjugation:
B. Niphal
a. Vowel with the prefix will be either:
1) Chireq normally — rmov.yI
2) Patach if first root letter is a guttural — rbo[]y:
3) Qamets if from a “hollow” root — ~Wqy"
4) Tsere if from an initial yod root — aceTe (root acy)
5) Segol with alef or with a stative root —
rmov.a, ; qz:x/y<
6) Cholem with initial alef roots — rm,aOYw: (then he said)
7) Sheva under special conditions — yhiy>w: (& he was); hn"ym,WqT. (they [f] will
stand up)
b. Characteristic vowel will be:
1) Cholem normally: rbo[]y:
2) Patach with a stative root or with a guttural in second or third position:
dB;k.yI (he will be heavy); [r:q.yI (he will tear); [d;ae (I will know)
3) Qamets with a final alef root: ar"q.yI (he will call)
4) Segol with a final he root (true of all the patterns) or with some forms of
initial alef: hf,[]y: (he will do); rm,aOYw: (then he said)
1. Perfect and participle: augment nun (always): yTir>m;v.nI ; tr

C. Piel
1. No augment = perfect and infinitives without any prefix (formative)
2. All forms: strong dagesh in second root letter, unless it is guttural or resh or in some
cases if it has a sheva with it:
T'r>B;vi (you smashed); T'k.r:Be (you blessed); Wvq.Bi (they sought)
3. Imperfect: will always have the vowel sheva with the prefix: rBed;y> (he will speak)
4. Participle: will always have a mem prefix with a sheva: ~yLig:m. (root = hlg)
D. Hiphil
1. Perfect, imperative, and infinitives: must have an augment he:
yTil.d;b.hi (I divided); dGEh; (Tell!; root dgn); dyGIh;l. (to tell)
2. Imperfect, imperative, and infinitives: prefix vowel will be,
a. Patach normally: lDeb.y: (let it divide); hBer>h; (multiplying [inf. abs.])
b. Qamets with hollow roots: ~yqiy" (he will establish); Wbyvih' (Return [it]!)
c. Cholem-vav with initial yod roots (applies also to perfect):
yTib.v;Ah (I have settled [the people]); W[ydiAy (they will make known)
E. Hitpael: Look for the —it— sound as augment: WvD.q;t.hi (they sanctified; Sanctify
yourselves!)
F. Participles in all patterns
1. Qal = no prefix (rmevo = active participle; rWmv' = passive participle)
2. Niphal = nun prefix (rm'v.nI)
3. Piel = mem prefix + sheva (rBed;m.)
4. Hiphil = mem prefix + patach (etc. as listed above for imperfect; lyDib.m;)
5. Hitpael = mem prefix + -it sound (lLeP;t.mi)
Weak Roots in Biblical Hebrew; page 6 (Dr. Finley)