Hackett, J. 2010. Basic Introduction BH

A Basic Introduction to
Biblical Hebrew
with CD
Jo Ann Hacl<ett
~,-HENDRICKSON
~~ P U B L TS H E R S
A Basic Introduction to Biblical Hebrew
CONTENTS
© 2010 by Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC
P. 0. Box 3473
Peabody, Massachusetts 01961-3473 Acknowledgments xvii
How to Use This Book xix
ISBN 978-1-59856-028-2 Abbreviations xxiii
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any 1. INTRODUCTORY MATTERS .................................................... ........... ...................... 1
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, record- 1.1. Overview 1 ..
ing, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in 1.2. Linguistic setting 1
writing from the publisher. 1.3. Historical development 1
1.4. Written (scribal) development 2
Printed in the United States of America 1. 5. Exercise for lesson 1 4
Third Printing-May 2014 CONSONANTS N THROUGH i1 AND

...................................... 5
2. THE SHORT VOWELS
2.1. Scope of the lesson
5
Hendrickson Publishers is strongly committed to environmentally responsible Two systems for pronunciation
2.2. 5
printing practices wherever possible. Except for the color signature, the pages of 2.3 The aleph 6
this book were printed on 30% post conswner waste recycled stock using only soy 2.4. The bet 6
or vegetable content inks. 2. 5. The gimel 7
2.6. Short vowels 7
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data 2.7. The dalet 7
2.8. The he 7
Hackett, Jo Ann. 2.9. Exercises for lesson 2 8
A basic introduction to Biblical Hebrew, with cd I JoAnn Hackett.
p.cm. 3· CONSONANTS 1 THROUGH., AND THE LONG VOWELS
Text in English and Hebrew (Masoretic text). 3.1. Scope of the lesson ........................................... 9
Includes bibliographical references and index. 3.2. The vav 9
ISBN 978-1-59856-028-2 (paper binding: alk. paper) 3·3· The zayin 9
1. Hebrew language- Grammar. 2. Hebrew language-Grammar-Problems, 3·4· The khet 9
10
exercises, etc. 3. Bible O.T.-Language, style. I. Title. 3. 5. Long vowels 10
PJ4567.3.H33 2010 3.6. The tet 10
492.4'82421-dc22 2010001283
3·7· The yod 10
CONTENTS CONTENTS vii
vi
11 6.10. The furtive patakh 25
3.8. Vocabulary for lesson 3
11 6.11. The triconsonantal root in Semitic languages 25
3·9· Exercises for lesson 3
6.12. Exercises for lesson 6 25
4· CoNSONANTS :J THROUGH !J AND IRREDUCIBLY LONG VOWELS .............. ......... 12
4.1. Scope of the lesson 12
7. INDEPENDENT PERSONAL PRONOUNS AND ADJECTIVES ......... .............. ............. 2 7
4.2. The kaph 12
7 .1. The independent personal pronouns 27
7.2. Adjectives 28
4·3· The lamed 13
4·4· The mem 13 7·3· Attributive adjectives 28
4· 5. Irreducibly long vowels 13 7 ·4· Predicate adjectives 29
4.6. The nun 14

7·5· The adverb 1NI;l 29
4·7· The samekh 14

7 .6. Vocabulary for lesson 7 29
4.8. The ayin 14

7. 7. Exercises for lesson 7 30
4·9· The pe 15
4.10. Vocabulary for lesson 4 15
8. NOUNS, THE DEFINITE ARTICLE, AND THE CONJUNCTION 1............................. 32
8.1. Nouns generally 32
8.2. Two-syllable nouns with qamets in the first syllable 32
5· CONSONANTS~ THROUGH nAND DIPHTHONGS ...... .. ........... ....... ... ........... ........ 16 8.3. Segholate nouns 33
5 .1. Scope of the lesson 16
8-4. Gender of nouns 33
5.2. The tsade 16
8.5. The definite article 34
5·3· The qoph 16
8.6. The definite article with initial gutturals and resh 34
8.7. The definite article with certain words 35
5·4· The resh 17
5. 5. Diphthongs 17
8.8. Agreement between definite nouns and adjectives 35
8.9. The word 'and' 36
5.6. The shin/sin 17
5·7· The tav 18 8.10. Vocabulary for lesson 8
5 .8. The beged-kephet consonants 18 8.11. Exercises for lesson 8
5·9· Vocabulary for lesson 5 19

5.10. Exercises for lesson 5 19 9· PREPOSITIONS, THE RELATIVE PRONOUN, AND THE "RULE OF SHWA" ............ 40
9.1. Three kinds of prepositions 40
6. THE HEBREW SYLLABLE AND REDUCED VOWELS ................................. .. ............ 20 9.2. Inseparable prepositions and the definite article 41
6.1. The scope of the lesson and a caveat 20 9·3· Prepositions with pronouns (the paradigm :;1) 41
6.2. The two Hebrew syllables 20 9·4· Prepositions with pronouns (the paradigm..:;~) 42
6.3. The accent 20 9·5· The preposition 1~ · 43

6-4. The dagesh 21 9.6. Another meaning oft~ 44
6.5. Compensatory lengthening 21 9-7 · The relative pronoun iW~ 44
9.8. Another way to constru.ct. a sentence 45
6.6. The reduced vowels and shwa 21
6.7. Five guidelines for the use of shwa 22 9·9· The rule of shwa for inseparable prepositions 45
6.8. The hateph-vowels 23 9.10. Vocabulary for lesson 9 45
6.9. Unaccented syllables and the vowels they may contain 24 9.11. Exercises for lesson 9 47
viii CONTENTS CONTENTS ix
10. THE CONSTRUCT CHAIN AND DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES 13. THE PREFIX CONJUGATION OF VERBS WITH VARIANT PATTERNS;
AND PRONOUNS ..... ····· ............................................................................................. 49 RESUMPTIVE PRONOUNS ........................................................................................ 7 4
10.1. The construct chain in general 49 13.1 Second- and third-guttural verbs 74
10.2. The definiteness or indefiniteness of a construct chain 49 13.2. Stative verbs 75
10.3. The regular forms of a noun in the construct state 50 13.3. Other verbs with patakh 75
10-4. The forms of certain nouns in the construct state 51 13.4. Third-aleph verbs 75
10.5. Position of adjectives modifying members of a construct chain 52 13.5. First-guttural verbs 76
10.6. The demonstrative adjectives and pronouns 52 13.6. First-guttural verbs with patakh 77
10.7. Vocabulary for lesson 10 53 13.7. First-aleph verbs 77
10.8. Exercises for lesson 10 54 13.8. Resumptive pronouns 78
13.9. Vocabularly for lesson 13 79
11. NoUNS WITH PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES ................................................................. 56 13.10. Exercises for lesson 13 So
11.1. Possessive pronouns generally 56
11.2. Possessive pronouns on the feminine singular noun 57 14. INDIRECT IMPERATIVES, THE PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES ON VERBS,
11.3. Possessive pronouns and vowel reduction on two-syllable words 57 AND THE PARTICLES ~.l- AND -il .......................................................................... 82
T -:
11.4. Possessive pronouns on plural nouns 58 14.1. The indirect imperative or volitive forms generally 82
11.5. Nouns with dual number 59 14.2. The cohortative form 82
11.6. Possessive pronouns on segholate nouns 6o 14·3· The jussive form 83
11.7. Possessive pronouns on irregular nouns 61 14.4. The negative imperative forms 84
11.8. The two pronunciations of the vowel qamets 62 14.5. The particle Nt 84
11.9. Vocabulary forlesson 11 63 14.6. Object suffixes on prefix conjugation and imperative forms 84
11.10. Exercises for lesson 11 64 14.7. The particle -t) 85
14.8. Vocabulary forlesson 14 86
12. THE QAL PREFIX CONJUGATION, THE IMPERATIVE, AND THE 14.9. Exercises for lesson 14 87
DIRECT OBJECT MARKER ...................................................................................... 66
12.1. The qal prefix conjugation's use 66 15. THE CONSECUTIVE PRETERITE VERBAL FORM ................................................... 89
12.2. The form of the qal prefix conjugation 66 15 .1. The consecutive preterite generally 89
12.3. The subject in the form of the qal prefix conjugation 67 15.2. The retraction of accent in the consecutive preterite form 90
12-4. Further remarks on the form of the qal prefix conjugation 67 15.3. Other names for the consecutive preterite 90
12.5. The imperative form 68 15 ·4· An aside: The history of the consecutive preterite form 90
12.6. A brief note on the negative imperative form 69 15.5. Where the consecutive preterite may be found and where
12.7. The verbal sentence in Biblical Hebrew 69 it will not be found 91
12.8. The definite direct object marker 69 15.6. The lengthening of patakh to qamets before the 1cs form 92
12.9. The negation of the prefix conjugation 70 15.7. Vocabulary for lesson 15 92
12.10. Vocabulary for lesson 12 70 15.8. Exercises for lesson 15 93
X CONTENTS CONTENTS xi
16. THE QAL SUFFIX CONJUGATION, THE VJ-QATAL FORM, AND 18.5. The participle does not use the relative pronoun 110
ITs OBJECT SuFFIXES ............................................................................................. 95 18.6. The meaning and forms of the passive participle 111
16.1. The suffix conjugation generally 95 7,
18.7. Forms of possession using tV\ and p~ 111
16.2. The meanings of the suffix conjugation 95 18.8. The use ofp~ with pronominal suffixes 112
16.3. The form of the suffix conjugation 95 18.9. Accents: the soph pasuq and the atnakh 112
16.4. The negation of the suffix conjugation 96 18.10. Vocabulary for lesson 18 112
16.5. Examples of translations of the suffix conjugation 97 18.11. Exercises for lesson 18 113
16.6. First, second, and third gutturals in the suffix conjugation 97
16.7. Additional meaning of the word ':;> 98 19. THE DERIVED STEM NIPHAL (PART 1) AND THE ACCENT SILLUQ ................... 115
16.8. The VJ-qatal ("converted perfect") form 98 19.1. The derived stems generally 115
16.9. Pronominal suffixes on the suffix conjugation 98 19.2. The naming of the derived stems 115
16.10. Vocabulary for lesson 16 99 19.3. The meaning and forms of the niphal stem 115
16.11. Exercises for lesson 16 100 19.4. Passives in Biblical Hebrew do not express agent 117
19.5. Strong verbs learned to this point with niphal stems 118
17. THE QAL INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT AND THE INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE .............. 102 19.6. Accent: the silluq 119
17.1. The uses of the infinitive construct 102 19.7. Vocabulary forlesson 19 119
17.2. The form ofthe infinitive construct 102 19.8. Exercises for lesson 19 120
17·3· The ambiguity of the infinitive construct 103
17-4. The infinitive construct with pronominal suffixes 103 20. THE DERIVED STEM NIPHAL (PART 2); THE NuMBERS 1-2,
17.5. The negation ofthe infinitive construct 103 THE PARTITIVE iQ, AND THE ACCENT ZAQEPH ................................................. 122
17 .6. The infinitive construct in temporal sentences 103 20.1. The niphal as reflexive or reciprocal 122
17.7. The infinitive construct in conjunction with other 20.2. The niphal with active meaning 122
temporal verbs 104 20.3. Variations of the form of nip hal verbs learned to this point 122
17.8. The "when" clause of a regular temporal sentence 104 20.4. Clues for recognizing niphal verbs 123
17.9. The "when" clause of a temporal sentence without an 20.5. Recognizing numbers generally 124
infinitive construct 105 20.6. The numbers 1 and 2 124
17.10. The infinitive absolute as more frequently used 105 20.7. The partitive F;J 125
17 .11. The infinitive absolute as a substitute for any other 20.8. Accent: the zaqeph 125
verbal form 1o6 20.9. Vocabulary for lesson 20 125
17.12. Vocabularyforlesson 17 106 20.10. Exercises for lesson 20 125
21. THE DERIVED STEM HIPHIL (PART 1) AND THE ACCENT REVIA ..................... 127
18. THE QAL PARTICIPLES, THE WORDS W~ AND p~, AND THE 21.1. The most common meaning of the hiphil stem 12 7
ACCENTS SOPH PASUQ AND ATNAKH .................................................................. 109 21.2. The forms of the hiphil stem 127
18.1. The active and passive participles generally 109 21.3. Strong verbs learned to this point with hiphil stems 129
18.2. The meanings of the active participle 109 21.4. The hiphil with double accusative 130
18.3. The forms of the active participle 109 21.5. Verbs with niphal and hiphil stems 130
18.4. Word order with the active participle 110 21.6. Accent: the revia 130
xii CONTENTS CONTENTS xiii
21.7. Vocabulary for lesson 21 130 2 5. THIRD-WEAK VERBS ............................... ............................................................. 15 5

21.8. Exercises for lesson 21 132 25.1. Third-weak verbs generally 155
25.2. Form of the third-weak verb in the qal, niphal, hiphil, and piel 155
22. THE DERIVED STEM HIPHIL (PART 2), THE DERIVED STEM 2 5. 3. Similarity of the most common forms of the third-weak verbs 15 7
HOPHAL, THE NUMBERS 3-10, AND THE ACCENT MUNAKH ........................... 134 25.4. Jussive and consecutive preterite forms of the third-weak verbs 160
22.1. The secondary hiphil meaning: denominative 134 25.5. Forms ofthe third-weak verb with first or second gutturals 161
22.2. The tertiary hiphil meaning: stative 134 25.6. Unusual deviations from the form ofthird-weak verbs 164
22.3. More strong verbs learned to this point with hiphil stems 134 25.7. Vocabulary for lesson 25 164
22.4. Clues for recognizing hiphil verbs 135 25.8. Exercises for lesson 25 166
22.5. The hophal stem 135
22.6. The numbers 3-10 136 26. FIRST-NUN VERBS AND nj??; THE VERB illt)lJo/iJ ........................................... 168
22.7. Accent: the munakh 137 26.1. First-nun verbs generally 168
22.8. Vocabulary for lesson 22 137 26.2. Two types oflirst-nun verbs 168
22.9 Exercises for lesson 22 138 26.3. Type 1 first-nun verbs 168
26.4. Type 2 first-nun verbs 169
23. THE DERIVED STEMS PIEL AND PUAL, THE ORDINAL NUMBERS, 26.5. The qal forms of the type 2 first -nun verb N~J 171
AND THE ACCENTS nPHKHAH AND MERKHAH ................................................. 140 26.6. The qal forms of the type 2 first-nun verb il"J 171
23.1. The piel stem generally 140 26.7. The qal forms of the type 2 first-nun verb Tti~T 171
23.2. The forms of the piel stem for the strong verb 140 26.8. The mixing of type 1 and type 2 forms 172
23.3. The forms of the piel stem with second guttural or resh 142 26.9. The verb nj?7 172
23.4. The meanings of the piel stem: intensive 142 26.10. The niphal forms of the first-nun verbs 173
23.5. The meanings of the piel stem: transitive 142 26.11. The hiphil forms of the first-nun verbs 175
23.6. The meanings of the piel stem: denominative 143 26.12. The hiphil forms of the first-nun, third-weak verb il:JJ 175
23.7. The meanings of the piel stem: unclassified 143 26.13. The rare stem hishtaphel 175
23.8. Clues for recognizing piel verbs 143 26.14. Vocabulary for lesson 26 177
23.9. The pual stem 143 26.15. Exercises for lesson 26 178
23.10. Accents: The tiphkhah and the merkhah 144
23.11. Vocabularyforlesson 23 144 27. FIRST-WEAK VERBS, INCLUDING THE VERB 17~; THE VERB ':l' ..................... 181
23.12. Exercises for lesson 23 146 27.1. The first-weak verbs generally 181
27.2. The qal forms of the type 2 first-weak verbs 182
24. THE DERIVED STEM HITPAEL AND THE PARSING OF VERBS ............................ 148 27.3. The qal forms of the type 2 first-weak, third-guttural verb 183
24.1. The meanings of the hitpael stem 148 27.4. The niphal and hiphil forms of the type 2 first-weak verb 183
24.2. The forms of the hitpael stem 148 2 7. 5. The piel forms of the type 2 first-weak verbs 18 5
24.3. The art of parsing 150 27.6. The qal forms of the type 1 first-weak verbs 185
24.4. Vocabulary for lesson 24 151 27.7. The verb 17~ 186
24.5. Exercises for lesson 24 15 2 27.8. The verb;:::>' 187
xiv CONTENTS CONTENTS XV
28. MIDDLE- WEAK VERBS AND LOCATIVE i1 ........................................................... 193 APPENDICES

28.1. Middle-weak ("hollow") verbs generally 193 A. The Consonants of Biblical Hebrew 229
28.2. The qal forms of the middle-weak vav verbs 193 B. Transliteration of Hebrew Vowels 233
28.3. The qal forms of the middle-weak yod verbs 195 C. Genesis 22: 1-19 235
28.4. The qal forms of the verb Ni~ 197 D. Clues for Finding the Root of Weak Consecutive Preterites 239
28.5. The niphal and hiphil forms of the middle-weak verbs generally 198 E. Accents and Other Special Markings 242
28.6. The niphal forms of the middle-weak verbs 198 F. Wordlist, English to Hebrew 243
28.7. The hiphil forms of the middle-weak verbs 199 G. Wordlist, Hebrew to English 263
28.8. A summary of the forms of the middle-weak verbs 201 H. Verbal Paradigms 279
28.9. The locative i1 201
28.10. Vocabulary for lesson 28 202 FURTHER READING ......... .. ...................... ...... .. .............. ............................ .......... ........ 289
JNDEX .............. ........ .... .. .. .......... ............. ......... .............. ............ ........ .. .... .............. ........ 293
29. THE DERIVED STEMS POLEL, POLAL, AND HITPOLEL, THE WORD
il~j}, AND THE FORMS OF OATHS ........................................................................ 206
29.1. The derived stems polel, polal, and hitpolel generally 206
29.2. The forms of the polel 206
29.3. The forms of the polal 207
29.4. The forms of the hitpolel 207
29.5. The word il~;:J 208
29.6. Forms of oaths 209
29.7. Vocabularyforlesson 29 210
29.8 Exercises for lesson 29 211
30. GEMINATE VERBS AND THE NUMBERS ABOVE TEN .......................................... 214
30.1. Geminate verbs generally 214
30.2. The difficulties associated with distinguishing geminate verbs 214
30.3. The regular nonstative qal forms for geminate verbs 215
30.4. The regular stative qal forms for geminate verbs 216
30.5. The alternative qal forms for geminate verbs 217
30.6. The niphal and hiphil forms for geminate verbs 218
30.7. The numbers 11 and 12 220
30.8. The numbers 13-19 221
30.9. The decade numbers 221
30.10. The numbers 100, 1,000, and 10,000 222
30.11. The numbers to commit to memory 222
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Several years of my beginning Biblical Hebrew classes at Harvard and the Uni-
versity of Texas have been the guinea pigs for this book, and their reactions, cor-
rections, and good humor have made it a much better work, for which I thank
them tremendously. Many individuals have also been instrumental in helping me
through the process of turning out a finished product. A number have been using
the book in its photocopied form and have often added their own and their classes'
comments (and, as always, corrections): Mark Arnold, Walter Aufrecht, Joel Baden,
Cory Crawford, Robert Daum, Peggy Day, Carrie Duncan, John Ellison, Eve Fein-
stein, Karen Grumberg, Martien Halvorson-Taylor, Ted Hiebert, Vivian Johnson,
Jonathan Kaplan, Na'ama Pat-El, Greg Schmidt-Goering, Jennifer Singletary, Jef-
frey Stackert, Keith Stone, Christine Thomas (and my sincere apologies to anyone
I may have missed). Catherine Beckerleg is responsible for much of the final proof-
reading. I know how good her Hebrew is and was delighted that her trained eye was
combing through the galleys. Both Josef Tropper and Carol Norman read earlier
versions and encouraged me with their positive feedback to get the book finished.
Two readers deserve special mention: Jonathan Kline and Ben Thomas both went
through the book with a fine- toothed comb; no matter how much I worked on
the final version, the two of them found more errors. They were both amazingly
attuned to the fine points (pun intended) of Biblical Hebrew.
Michael Heidenreich, at the College of Liberal Arts Instructional Technology
Services at the University of Texas in Austin, recorded John Huehnergard and me
reading from the book's lessons for the CD included with this book. He worked
with us at very short notice, making us feel perfectly comfortable in what is, for
us, an alien environment, even providing candy to keep our growling stomachs
from ruining the readings-all the while calmly and professionally producing the
recordings that made it possible for us to stay on a very tight schedule. Without
him, we would have been lost.
I am particularly grateful and indebted to Bob Buller, who pulled off the daunt-
ing task of typesetting the book. He not only dealt with details like standardizing
my idiosyncratic font use but also enhanced the usefulness and look of each page.
-xvii-
xviii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
What a treat to have a typesetter with his knowledge of Hebrew! And as the sched-
ule for finishing the book stretched on far beyond our original projections, he kept
his sense of humor with each change of the hundreds we asked him to make. I can't
imagine anyone doing a better job.
Allan Emery at Hendrickson Publishers was the editor for this book. I have HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
known Allan well for more years than either of us will admit to. It was his encour-
agement that got me to put on paper finally the ideas I had had for years about a
one-semester, basic grammar of Biblical Hebrew. He stuck with the project through
many years of my procrastination, my sickness, and my change of venue. He has This textbook is meant as a one-semester or one-term introduction to the basics
been splendid. He has kept track of thousands of details that made my head spin, of Biblical Hebrew. It is divided into 30 lessons in order to fit into IS-week semes-
and he always approaches his work with a kindness and professionalism that made ters and 10-week terms. Any instructor will find, however, that the last 6lessons are
me want to do him proud. more challenging than the first 24, so the ideal division into two or three lessons
As with everything scholarly I've ever written, John Huehnergard has read every per week will probably never be followed. In the following paragraphs, I explain
word of this book, and read them again, and yet again. John is a brilliant scholar some of my thinking behind various aspects of this grammar, in the hope that it
and knows Biblical Hebrew inside and out, and so my work through the years has will make that thinking transparent, to use a timely term.
benefited enormously from his comments, but he also has a fine eye for the way a The boxes and paradigms in this textbook present words from right-to-left, or
book should look. He has been involved in virtually every aspect of this project and top-to-bottom and right-to-left, in the hope that using the Hebrew order will help
has actually seemed to enjoy it. The number of errors he has caught and the number to familiarize students with that aspect of the writing system. In general, anything
of illogical explanations he has pointed out are far too many to remember, let alone in boxes with single lines around them is information that is interesting for the
mention, and he has stea,dfastly encouraged me through the above-mentioned pro- student to know but not necessary for learning the language. Information in boxes
crastination, sickness, and change of venue, and so much more. It is to him, with with double lines around them, however, is something that is essential to the lan-
love, that this book is dedicated. guage.
As noted in the book, I have presented verbs in the vocabularies according to
the 3ms suffix conjugation, even before the suffix conjugation is introduced. Since
this is the way most verbs in Biblical Hebrew are "named" ('to guard' is 1QW), I
have continued that tradition. The exception is the middle-weak verbs, which are
usually "named" according to their infinitives construct ('to arise' is O~j?). More
controversial is that I have listed the verbal paradigms in the order first-person,
second-person, then third-person, unlike the traditional Biblical Hebrew textbook
order, which begins with the third-person, since that is in the suffix conjugation
the simplest form of the verb. Most of us have learned the verbal paradigms in the
traditional way, but I have found that listing pronominal suffixes from first-person
to third-person ('~, 'Tff., and so on), while listing verbal forms from third-person
to first-person, is confusing to many students. This is especially so as modern
languages, including English, present the verbs in the order first-person, second-
person, third-person, and that is the order students are used to when they first
approach Biblical Hebrew.
-xix -
XX HOW TO USE THIS BOOK HOW TO USE THIS BOOK xxi
I deliberately introduced the strong verb first, through all its stems and forms, study, the impossibility of some of my combinations will not affect their learning
and only at the end do I bring in the weak verbs. The other common way to intro- the usefulness of the system as a whole. Those who know biblical accentuation well
duce Biblical Hebrew is to introduce the qal completely, strong and weak verbs · will cringe, but the students will know what to do with the most common accent
alike, and then to move on to the other stems. I have always found that I learn lan- marks when they approach the biblical text.
guages more easily when they are presented in the former order, so I have followed This leads me to explain another decision: most of the exercises are artificial;
it here. they are not generally biblical passages. As my professor Thomas Lambdin once
I have also deliberately not used the rubrics "perfect;' "imperfect;' or "con- said (and here I am supplying my own examples), if the biblical text has a sentence
verted;' because they carry with them either complete misinformation ("con- such as "He struck the cat" and we know the word for "dog;' it does not matter that
verted") or old-fashioned methods of dealing with the Biblical Hebrew verbal "He struck the dog" is nowhere in the biblical text. We still know how it would have
system ("perfect" and "imperfect"). Luckily, the merely descriptive terms "prefix been said/writte~. On the other hand, in making up examples of biblical prose, I
conjugation" and "suffix conjugation" are available (and were in fact the terms we have risked introducing Hebrew phrases and syntax that never, in fact, existed. I
used in the first Hebrew clas es I took as a student). I have also been happy to see can only say that I hope I have avoided that pitfall.
the term v<J-qatal applied to the form that is 1plus suffix conjugation (often called Thus, not every form for a given "model" verb in a paradigm will be found in
"converted perfect"), and I have used it here. Several years ago, john Huehnergard Biblical Hebrew. If, however, that form that is not found in the "model" verb is
and 1 together came up with the term "consecutive preterite" for the verb form that found in another verb, it will usually be provided in the paradigm as part of the
is usually called the "converted imperfect:' I hesitated to use a new name in this "model" verb (with exceptions such as i11t:J in the hishtaphel). A blank space in a
beginning textbook for such a common form, but our rubric fits so perfectly that I paradigm indicates that the form is not found in any verb of the type that the para-
decided to introduce it here. It is the only time I have used a term that is otherwise digm represents.
not a part of the scholarly literature. We have since been made aware that a few I have always found it useful for students to memorize a few paradigms because
other scholars had previously proposed the same terminology. their forms are used again and again. The endings of the paradigm of the preposi-
I have presented the verbs in an order that is unusual: first the prefix conjugation, tion :jl plus pronominal suffixes are almost exactly the same as those of singular
then the volitives, then the consecutive preterite. I was first given the idea to begin the nouns with possessive pronominal suffixes, but the :jl paradigm is much easier to
Biblical Hebrew verbs with the prefix conjugation by George Landes in an offhand con- remember. Likewise, '?~ plus pronominal suffixes prepares one for the plural nouns
versation many years ago, and I have thought it a good idea ever since. It is a logical and their possessive pronominal suffixes. Furthermore, learning the entire para-
progression to begin with the prefix conjugation and lead up to the con ecutive pret- digm of the qal strong verb makes recognizing the same forms in other stems, and
erite. The consecutive preterite is the form beginning students must know thoroughly even in the weak verbs, a much easier task.
in order to read most biblical prose, and in order to lead tl1em to that form, I needed This textbook includes a CD with a great deal of pronunciation supplied for the
to introduce the jussive, and in order to introduce the jussive, I first needed to present beginning student: of some necessary but unfamiliar English words (for lesson 1);
the prefix conjugation. So the order of lessons 12-15 was determined by my desire to of many of the paradigms; and of all of the vocabulary words. It also includes pro-
get to the consecutive preterite as quickly as possible, plus the seed planted long ago by nunciation of all the Hebrew-to-English exercises in lessons 1-15 and of the first
George Landes. The suffix conjugation and VCJ-qatal forms follow in the next lessons, two exercises in lessons 16-30. Assuming the computer has speakers, the vocabu-
along with the infinitives and participles. lary words can be heard by passing one's cursor over the word in the vocabulary list.
Using the accent marks of the biblical text, the tl,Q~'?· can be a great help to The phrases and sentences of the exercises can be heard by passing one's cursor over
students attempting to discover the syntax of a given passage; I have introduced those phrases and sentences. At first, the reading seems painfully slow-painful for
the most common ones in this book and have used them in the sentences in the the instructor, but probably not for the student. Gradually the speed of reading is
exercises. I did this knowing that I was often not using the accents in the appropri- increased. Moreover, many Biblical Hebrew instructors use Genesis 22:1-19 as a
ate way, according to the biblical rules, but I wanted to present both disjunctive and sample text to help students learn to read more quickly and correctly, and I have
conjunctive accents to the students, and at this early time in their Biblical Hebrew included it on the CD as well. It is a well-known text for most students, and it has
xxii HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
the helpful feature that the consecutive preterite of most of the common Biblical
Hebrew verbs are part of the passage. On this textbook's CD, John Huehnergard ·
and I are the readers, except for the recording of Gen 22:1-19 made by Prof. David
Levenson of Florida State University. Both Prof. Huehnergard and Prof. Levenson
have kindly given me permission to use their voices for this textbook. ABBREVIATIONS
Like all language textbook authors, I considered not including answers for the
exercises, because too many students simply use the answers given to them without
struggling with the exercises first, and then, of course, they are in trouble when
they take exams. On the other hand, anyone attempting to use the book outside an 1cp first person common plural (in paradigms)
organized class will definitely need an answer key. Hendrickson suggested a com- 1cs first person common singular (in paradigms)
promise: the answers to the exercises are included in this package, but they are on 2fp second person feminine plural (in paradigms)
the CD rather than in the textbook itself. This at least forces people to go to some 2fs second person feminine singular (in paradigms)
trouble to find the answers, and I hope it will promote working on the exercises in 2mp second person masculine plural (in paradigms)
the book without access to the answers, then checking the work with the answers 2ms second person masculine singular (in paradigms)
on the CD, if one wants to. 3cp third person common plural (in paradigms)
It was Allan Emery's idea to number each lesson in Arabic numerals augmented 3fp third person feminine plural (in paradigms)
on the left and right with the same numbers in the Hebrew system, which uses 3fs third person feminine singular (in paradigms)
Hebrew consonants to represent numbers: aleph is "1 ;' bet is "2;' and so on. This 3mp third person masculine plural (in paradigms)
system adds to the distinctive appearance of the beginning of each lesson and pain- 3ms third person masculine singular (in paradigms)
lessly teaches students the look of the Hebrew numbers 1-30. The student will adj. adjective
notice that in the traditional Hebrew numbering system "15" is written,~ rather B.C.E. Before the Common Era
than il~, because the latter looks too much like the Tetragrammaton, the name of BH Biblical Hebrew
Israel's god, il,il,_ "16" is t~ rather than,~ for the same reason. BHS Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia
Finally, a second book is in the works that will depend on this basic textbook. ca. circa, about
It will consist of graded readings of biblical passages, with glosses where neces- C.E. Common Era
sary, additional vocabulary, and references to this book when something basic cf. confer, compare
might need to be reviewed. I hope instructors and students alike will appreciate the cohort. cohortative
approach and the contents of this basic introduction. cons. pret. consecutive preterite
cs. construct
Jo Ann Hackett def. art. definite article
Austin, Texas dir. direct
January 2010 dir. obj. direct object
du. dual
e.g. exempli gratia, for example
esp. especially
f feminine (in paradigms)
fern. feminine
fp feminine plural (in paradigms)
-xxiii-
xxiv ABBREVIATIONS ABBREVIATIONS XXV
fs feminine singular (in paradigms) Lev Leviticus

I-N Hebrew letter aleph for first consonant (in a verbal root) Num Numbers
I-G Hebrew guttural letter for first consonant (in a verbal root) Deut Deuteronomy
I-l Hebrew letter nun for first consonant (in a verbal root) Josh Joshua
I-weak Hebrew "weak" letter for first consonant (in a verbal root) Judg Judges
II-, Hebrew letter vav for the second consonant (in a verbal root) 1, 2 Sam 1, 2 Samuel
II-G Hebrew guttural letter for second consonant (in a verbal root) 1, 2 Kgs 1, 2 Kings
IP Hebrew letter yod for second consonant (in a verbal root) Ps(s) Psalm(s)
II-weak Hebrew "weak'' letter for second consonant (in a verbal root) Is a Isaiah
III- N Hebrew letter aleph for third consonant (in a verbal root) Jer Jeremiah
III-G Hebrew guttural letter for third consonant (in a verbal root) Hab Habakkuk
III-il Hebrew letter he for the third consonant (in a verbal root) Zeph Zephaniah
III-weak Hebrew "weak" letter for third consonant (in a verbal root)
III-I"' Hebrew letter tav for the third consonant (in a verbal root)
impv. imperative
inf. abs. infinitive absolute
inf. cs. infinitive construct
juss. jussive
LBH Late Biblical Hebrew
LXX Septuagint
m masculine (in paradigms)
mas c. masculine
mp masculine plural (in paradigms)
ms masculine singular (in paradigms)
MH Mishnaic Hebrew
MT Masoretic Text
obj. object
pref. conj. prefix conjugation
pl. plural
ptcp. participle
SBH Standard Biblical Hebrew
suff. conj. suffix conjugation
sf. suffix
sg. singular
Biblical references
Gen Genesis
Exod Exodus
1
INTRODUCTORY MATTERS
1.1. OVERVIEW
In this lesson we will place Biblical Hebrew, which is the focus of this grammar,
in summary fashion within its linguistic, historical, and written (scribal) settings.
Much has been written on each of these subjects, for which see the suggestions for
further reading.
1.2. LINGUISTIC SETTING

Biblical Hebrew (BH) is a member of the Canaanite branch of the Semitic lan-
guage family, along with Phoenician, Moabite, Ammonite, and Edomite. It is also
closely related to Aramaic, Ugaritic, and even Arabic. The literature of the Hebrew
Bible extends from ca. 1100 B.C.E. to ca. 150 B.C.E.
In the Bible itself, the word 'Hebrew' is not used
B.C.E. and C.E. stand for
by Israelites or Judahites to describe their own lan- "Before the Common Era"
guage. Instead, we have 'the language of Canaan' (Isa and //Common Era:/ B.C.E.
19:18) and 'Judahite' (e.g., 2 Kgs 18:26 = Isa 36:11). and c.E. are modern schol-
The prologue to the Wisdom of Ben Sira (writ- arly conventions for B.c.
and A.D. respectively/ an
ten in Greek) contains our first extant attestation 1
attempt to represent time

of 'Hebrew' being used of the language: Ben Sira's in something other than a
grandson claims to have translated his grandfather's purely Christian way.
words from the original Hebrew.
1.3. HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

Biblical Hebrew is usually divided into three large chronological periods: early
poetry, Standard Biblical Hebrew (SBH), and Late Biblical Hebrew (LBH). Not all
scholars agree on what should be included in the "early poetry:' but many would
-1 -
2 1. INTRODUCTORY MATTERS 1.4. WRITTEN (SCRIBAL) DEVELOPMENT 3
accept that the poems in Exod 15 and Judg 5 are earlier than the tenth century 'Ihe received text of the Hebrew Bible Because the Masoretes were con-
B.C.E., because linguistic and stylistic features in those poems can be compaieq to called the Masoretic Text (MT) because cerned that the biblical text be copied
those of the thirteenth-century Ugaritic epics from Ras Shamra and to the Canaan- is . 1 scholars known as Masoretes and transmitted correctly from one
medieva .
ite language known from the fourteenth-century Amarna letters found in EgyPt, .J d ocalization and accentuatiOn to copyist to the next, they wrote thou-
Other passages that are often considered tenth century or earlier are Deut 33 and due v tal text. (They were ca e11 d sands of marginal notes (also called
the consOnan Masorah), pointing out when a word
Gen 49, and some would add one or more of the following: parts of the oracles of ecause they handed down the
Masoret eS b . . or combination of words only occurs
Balaam in Num 23 and 24; and the poems in Deut 32; 1 Sam 2; 2 Sam 22 == Ps 18· tradition, the Masorah, of thetr pronunCia-
' once in the Bible or only two or three
Pss 29; 68; 72; 78; 2 Sam 1; 23; and Hab 3.
SBH is generally used to refer to the narrative prose of the Deuteronomistic His-
tory and of the Pentateuch. LBH includes grammar .and vocabulary that is different
::ow
. of the Hebrew text.) It is possible to
·
the dates for the addition of vowel
and accents to ca. 600-750 c.E., on
times, for instance. A selection of the
Masorah to the MT is included in many
modern Bibles, and the Biblia Hebraica
s1gns . . Stuttgartensia (BHS) includes notes in
from SBH and can be found, in part or completely, in Chronicles (those portions tb basis of citatwns m external sources.
that are not parallel to material elsewhere in the Bible); Ezra; Nehemiah; Esther· e 1he history of the Hebrew Bible that the margins (the Masorah parva [Mp])
Ecclesiastes; Daniel; and Ben Sira. The Hebrew of the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) is the'
and in an apparatus at the bottom of
we use today is even more complicated. each page (pointing to discussions in
latest LBH. The Hebrew of the rabbinic writings (the Mishnah and the Talmuds), 1he Masoretic tradition most commonly the Masorah magna [Mm], available in
called Mishnaic Hebrew (MH), is a different dialect of Hebrew from any BH. MH available today is the Tiberian Masoretic several collections).
was still spoken in the second century c.E., but after the failure of the Bar Kokhba tradition, but it is only one of three (or
revolt, Hebrew became a literary language and lingua franca for Jews all over the more) used in antiquity: Tiberian, Bab-
world, until its revival in modern times. ylonian, and Palestinian. The Tiberian system was passed down by at least two
schools, named after the family names of their most famous adherents: the Ben
1.4. WRITTEN (SCRIBAL) DEVELOPMENT Asher school and the Ben Naphtali school. BHS is based on the Leningrad Codex,
The earliest Hebrew script was an offshoot of the Phoenician script, as was a manuscript from ca. 1000 c.E., which is a Ben Asher Tiberian Masoretic text, as
Aramaic, and the Phoenician script was itself a continuation of an earlier Old is the Aleppo Codex, an even earlier (tenth century) but incomplete manuscript,
Canaanite tradition that goes as far back as the eighteenth century a.c.E. The which is the basis for the Hebrew University Bible. So the "Biblical Hebrew" we
earliest Hebrew inscriptions copied the Phoenician custom of writing only the will learn in this book is actually the vocalized Hebrew of the MT of the Ben Asher
consonants. In ninth-century Aramaic inscriptions, we begin to see the use of Tiberi an tradition, as represented by the Leningrad Codex.
matres lectionis ("mothers of reading"; pronounced mah-tres lek-tee-6h-nis), that As we have seen, there is a span of almost one thousand years of literature
is, consonants used to indicate a (long) vowel sound. This Aramaic innovation inGluded in the Hebrew Bible, and over that long time period, the Hebrew lan-
seems to have influenced Hebrew writing so that Hebrew inscriptions have final guage must have changed considerably. The Masoretic tradition, however, used
matres lectionis beginning in the eighth century and regularly use internal matres the same vocalization system for the entire text, leveling any differences in pro-
lectionis by the end of the seventh. The earliest Hebrew system of final matres lec- nunciation or accentuation or even possibly grammar that might have existed at
tionis used w (Hebrew 1) to mark a final long u, y (Hebrew') for final long i, and h an earlier time. (Note the Shibboleth story in Judg 12, which turns on precisely
(Hebrew i1) for all other final long vowels. The earliest Hebrew system of internal the existence of dialectal differences in pronunciation.) Furthermore, the Maso-
matres lectionis copied the system of final matres lectionis and used w to mark retic tradition of the biblical text was not the only ancient Hebrew biblical tradi-
long u andy to mark long i. Eventually, the system was expanded so that both tion. The Hebrew text from which the earliest Greek translation was made (called
final and internal w could represent long o as well as long u, and final and internal the Septuagint and abbreviated LXX) was not identical to the MT, nor are many
y could mark long e as well as long i. An h was used for all other final long vowels of the Dead Sea Scrolls found at Qumran. The differences are mostly small but
and was never used as an internal mater lectionis (mah-ter lek-tee-6h-nis), often sometimes significant. So the Masoretes not only added a system of vowel and
referred to as simply a mater. accent signs but also preserved a tradition of the consonants themselves that was
4 1. INTRODUCTORY MATTERS
only one among several extant around

Unlike the Qimkhi system, the Masoretic.
the turn of the eras.
vocalization (or vowel "pointing") itself
The Tiberian Masoretic vowel suggests seven basic vowels, differenti-
system is usually interpreted accord- ated by vowel quality ([a] versus [o], for
ing to Joseph Qimkhi's (twelfth century instance) rather than quantity (long or
c.E.) system of corresponding short and short), and medieval grammarians cor-
roborate this interpretation of the system.
long vowels. Because by their time the
Despite these problems, most modern
consonantal text was considered sacred, students and scholars of Hebrew still use
the Masoretes had to insert vowel marks the Qimkhi short and long vowel pronun- CONSONANTS N THROUGH i1
without changing the line of the conso- ciation system, so that is the system we
nantal text; consequently, vowels in BH will learn in this grammar.
AND THE SHORT VOWELS
are small lines and combinations of dots
inserted above, below, and within the consonantal text.
2.1. SCOPE OF THE LESSON

When we speak of"the Hebrew alphabet;' we mean only the twenty-two consonantal
We will now begin learning to recognize, draw, and pronounce the BH alphabet.
letters. That is, reciting the alphabet is simply reciting the consonants.
You have already memorized the names of the first five letters; you can !urn to the
Consonants Chart in appendix A and see their names written out in a scholarly
transliteration. In this textbook, however, we will use neither the phonetic spell-
Be sure to read and refer back to the section "How to Use This Book;' beginning ing you will memorize at the end of each of the first four lessons nor the scholarly
on page xix, for information on decisions about various features of the book, such transliterations. Rather, we will use more generally recognized spellings of conso-
as the ordering of paradigms. nants, vowels, and grammatical terms, with indications of correct accentuation:
aleph (spelled "ahlef" at the end of the last lesson; note the accent on the first syl-
1.5. EXERCISE FOR LESSON 1
lable), bet ("bait"), gimel ("gimmel"; note the accent on the first syllable), dalet
In lesson 2 we will begin to learn how to recognize, draw, and pronounce the con- ("d6llet"; note the accent on the first syllable), and he ("hay").
sonants and vowels of BH. It is important to learn the alphabet in its proper order,
of course, in order to use a dictionary, so we will also memorize and recite the 2.2. Two SYSTEMS FOR PRONUNCIATION
alphabet. At the end of each of the first four lessons, we will memorize the names There are at least two popular pronunciation systems for BH: one based on the
of the letters of the alphabet that are to be taken up in the following lesson. These pronunciation of Modern Israeli Hebrew; and one that was invented in the nine-
names are not written out here in any transliteration system, but rather, they are teenth century and was meant to be scientific, that is, to approximate as closely as
written in a fashion that will make them easily pronounceable by English speakers. possible the pronunciation of Hebrew in biblical times. Today, virtually all aca-
We will learn their proper transliterated spellings as we learn to draw them. So, demic and religious venues use the Modern Israeli pronunciation system, and that
before going on to lesson 2, memorize the following set of "words": is the system we will learn in this book. For reference, the scientific pronunciation
of a given consonant or vowel will be noted, where it differs from the Modern
ahlef, bait, gimmel, dollet, hay. (The gin gimmel is a hard gas in "get:') Israeli.
Repeat this list until you can say it when called upon.
-5-
6 2. CONSONANTS N THROUGH i1 AND THE SHORT VOWELS 2.5 . THE GIMEL 7
2.3 THEALEPH 2.5. THE GIMEL

We will begin with aleph (N). English speakers actually pronounce alephs The letter gimel (l) is also a beged-kephet letter, but in the Modern Israeli
l
all the time, but we don't mark it in our alphabet. When you say "Ouch!" pronunciation system, no distinction is made between gimel with a
you have made an aleph at the beginning of the word. In fact, it is very dagesh (l) andgimel without a dagesh (l) . Both are pronounced like the g
difficult for English speakers to begin a sentence with a vowel without in "get:' (In the scientific pronunciation system, gimel without a dagesh is
pronouncing an aleph before the vowel. The aleph is the catch in the throat that pronounced like the guttural French r.)
you can feel if you put your hand to your throat and say "Ouch!" again. Most of the
time, aleph is pronounced as a glottal stop. When English speakers see aleph plus a 2.6. SHORT VOWELS
vowel in a BH syllable, if they simply pronounce the vowel they will automatically BH has four vowel "lengths": short, long, irreducibly long, and reduced. In this
be pronouncing the aleph as well. lesson, we will take up the short vowels, using ::1 as a dummy consonant: patakh ~
Occasionally we find that an aleph in a word has "quiesced;' that is, it is written (pronounced like the a in "father"; the accent mark is added here so that the word
but not pronounced at all. We will take up these examples as we come to them. will be pronounced with the accent on the first syllable); hireq ~ (pronounced like
the i in "bit"; again, the accent mark here is to ensure the first syllable is accented);
2.4. THE BET seghol ~ (pronounced like the e in "bet" and written with a il mater when it is the
The letter bet (::1) has two pronunciations in BH. When the letter is writ- last sound in a word; the vowel name is pronounced se-g61, with a long o-sound);
ten with a dot in the middle (::1), called a dagesh, it is pronounced like the and qibbuts ~(pronounced like the oo in "book"). For the moment, we will post-
b in "bat." When it is written without the dagesh (::1), it is pronounced like pone the dis~ussion of o as a short vowel. (For discussion of the vowel qamets, see
the v in "vat." (The pronunciation of dagesh is obvious from its spelling, 3.5 and 11.8.) For a summary of how BH vowels are transliterated, see appendix B.
although many people pronounce it as though the accent falls on the first syllable:
dagesh.) Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following mean- Note that Hebrew is written
ingless "words": ::1~, l~, l~, ::1~, ::1~, l~, l~. from right to left, so that l~
is pronounced "bag" and :J~ is
pronounced "gav:'
,
2. 7. THE DALET
The Beged-Kephet Consonants 'I11e letter da let ( i) is t he third
beged-keph et lette r we've encountered (hence the first half of
Bet is the first of six letters that in ancient times were pronounced differently
depending on whether the dagesh was written. These are called beged-
beged-kephet-b-g-d connected bye-vowels). In the Modern Israeli pro-
kephet letters, an acronym for the sounds of the six letters. (The accent nunciation system, dalet is pronounced like the d in "dog;' both with and
marks on beged-kephet are provided so that each word is pronounced on without the dagesh. (In the scientific system, spirantized dalet is pronounced like
the first syllable. They will be left off the words from now on.) We will discuss the th in "the" or "this:')
the beged-kephet letters in more detail below; for the moment, you should
simply learn the pronunciations of the letters both with and without the
Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: ::11, 1~, 1~, i~, l':[, 1~.
dagesh. When writing the letter in isolation (for instance, when writing out
the alphabet), always use the form without the dagesh. (The pronunciation
without the dagesh is referred to as "spirantized" or "soft:' The pronuncia- 2.8. THE HE
tion of the letter with the dagesh is referred to as the "hard" pronunciation.) The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, he (il), is pronounced like the h in
..... "hat;' but he can also be a final mater lectionis for a final vowel sound (see
f ' 1.4 above), in which case it is not pronounced at all. (Rarely, a final he is
not a mater lectionis but is in fact to be pronounced h [a simple release of
8 2. CONSONANTS N THROUGH i1 AND THE SHORT VOWELS
breath, or "aspiration"]; in this case, a dot is put in the middle of the letter [i1]. This
dot is not referred to as a dagesh but rather as a mappiq.) Note that the left-hand
vertical does not touch the top horizontal.
Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following:
2.9. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 2

~iJ, ilf., 1~, ..'1;:1, i11, 1;:1.
l~ 3 ~.)
A. Practice writing aleph through he according to the instructions on the Conso- CoNSONANTS1THROUGH~
nants Chart (appendix A).
B. Memorize these informal names of the next five letters of the alphabet:
AND THE LoNG VowELS
vahv, zayin, khet, tet, yod (with a long 0 as in "code")

You have now learned to pronounce the names of the first ten letters of the Hebrew
alphabet. We will move on to learning the drawing and pronunciation of the
second five letters. The scholarly transliterations of their names are gi~en on the
Consonants Chart (appendix A): vav (spelled "vahv" at the end of the last lesson),
zayin ("zayin"; note the accent on the first syllable), khet ("khet"), tet ("tet"), and
yod ("yod" with long o).
,
3.2. THE VAV
The sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is vav (the same v pronuncia-
tion as~ without dagesh). In the Modern Israeli pronunciation system ,
it is prono unced like the v in "vat." (In the scientific system, it is p ro-
nounced like the w in "water.") Vav can al o be a mater lectionis, eith er
in the middle of a word or at its end, and in that case, it is not pronounced as a
consonant at all.
Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: 11, ..'1~.• ~1-
3·3· THE ZAYIN

The next letter is zayin (t), pronounced like the z in "zebra:'
t Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: ..'11', t~, ..'1!, try, 1!, 11,, t1, ..'1~.
-9 -
10 3· CONSONANTS 1 THROUGH' AND THE LONG VOWELS 3.8. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 3 11
3·4· THE KHET

3 .8. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 3
n
The next letter is khet (n), which has no equivalent in the English conso- Memorize the following vocabulary words, from Hebrew to English and from Eng-
nant system, but the ch in German "Bach'' or Scottish "loch'' is the right lish to Hebrew:
sound. The sound is a lind of throat-clearing along with a release of :J~ 'father, kinsman'
breath that is difficult for English speakers but can be made with practice.
n~ 'brother, kinsman, cousin'
Note that the left-hand vertical must be written so as to touch the top horizontal
stroke; otherwise, khet is easily confused with he. 1,T
'hand'
3·5· LONG VOWELS 3·9· EXERCISES FOR LESSON 3

In this lesson, we will learn the long vowels in BH: qamets f (in the system we are A. Practice writing vav through yod according to the instructions on the Conso-
using, pronounced exactly like patakh, i.e., like the a in "father"; usually written nants Chart (appendix A).
with a i1 mater when it is the last sound in a word; note the accent on the first syl-
lable); tsere ~(pronounced like thee in "they" and written with a i1 mater when it B. Practice writing the vocabulary words above.
is the last sound in a word. Note the accent on the first syllable; the vowel's name
is pronounced tseh-reh); and h6lem ·::1 (pronounced like the o in "pose"; note the C. Memorize these informal names of the next seven letters of the alphabet:
accent on the first syllable).
koff, lommed, maim, noon, sahmekh, ayin, pay
Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: n~, 11), :Jl), -'!· :Jh, n1, ni), ill), -'f· 1N.
3.6. THE TET
The ninth letter in the Hebrew alphabet is tet (\?),and it i pronounced
like the t in "top:' Tet is the first "emphatic" consonant we have come to:
in antiquity it was probably pronounced with an extra glottal stop (the
N-sound) along with the t-sound, but in modern pronunciation systems
it" is simply pronounced t.
Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: l~, ntp,, \?:;!., \?~, t?i), 1~_, t?b, ::11.
3·7· THE YOD

The tenth letter of the alphabet is yod (,). It is the smallest letter, and it
' hangs from the top line. Yod is pronounced like they in "yet;' but it can
also be a mater lectionis, both in the middle of and at the end of words, in
which case it is not pronounced.
Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: 1~, \?.~. :J~, t?t:J, 11, \?:;1, ,X, i~, l~, t3, il>
4.2. THE KAPH 13
Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: ;:,~, lf., 0~, 11, 1~, i!;>, 1J., nf, 1.~, il'f.
t..
4·3· THELAMED
The next letter is lamed(?), pronounced like the lin "lid:'
1~ 4 .,.._, l Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: ?1, 1?,, :1~, 0~, 6, lf., ?J,, 11J, 0~.
4·4· THEMEM
CONSONANTS :J THROUGH !J AND The thirteenth letter of the alphabet is mem (D), and it is the second letter
IRREDUCIBLY LONG VOWELS we have come to that has a final form (0). Mem is pronounced like them
. map."
m ((
4·5· IRREDUCIBLY LONG VOWELS

The vowels we will learn in this lesson are "irreducibly" long. We will see that there
are rules in BH that cause some long vowels to "reduce" to much shorter vowels.
In this lesson we will learn how to draw and pronounce letters 11-17 of the Hebrew (These "reduced" vowels will be taken up in lesson 6.)
alphabet, the names of which you have already memorized. The scholarly transliter- There is a category of long vowels, however, that are not reduced by these rules;
ations of their names are given in the Consonants Chart (appendix A): kaph (spelled hence they are called "irreducibly" long vowels. These are hireq gadol ("big hireq")
"koff" at the end of the last lesson), lamed ("16mmed"; note the accent on the first '~, which is pronounced like the i in "machine" and is written as a hireq followed by
syllable), mem ("maim''), nun ("noon''), samekh ("sahmekh"; note the accent on the a '-mater; tsere-yod '~, pronounced the same as tsere and written as a tsere followed
first syllable), ayin ("ayin''; note the accent on the first syllable), and pe ("pay"). by a '-mater; shureq ~:J, pronounced like the oo in "mood" and written between
consonants as a dot nestled into a 1-mater (note the accent on the first syllable);
4.2. THE KAPH
holem-vav i:J, which is simply holem written on top of a 1-mater placed between
The eleventh Jetter of the alphabet, kaph (~), is another beged-kephet consonants. Holem is pronounced the same way with or without the mater. When
~ letter, and it is also the first of five letters that are written differently when holem is the last sound in a word, it is always written with a mater, almost always
.J they occur at the end of a word. Kaph with a dagesh (:;>)is pronounced with a 1-mater, but on rare occasions with a i1-mater. (Occasionally, simple holem,
like the k in "kid:' In Western systems, the spirantized pronunciation one of the long vowels we learned in lesson 3, is also irreducible.)
(without the dagesh: ~) is pronounced exactly like n, that is, like the chin "Bach" Rarely, the irreducibly long vowels hireq (gadol) and shureq are written "defec-
or "loch:' Final kaph is usually written with two dots arranged like a colon, nestled tively;' that is, without a mater. In such cases, the irreducibly long i-vowel is writ-
into its space: 1· These two dots are called shwa in Hebrew, a vowel to be taken up ten as a simple hireq, and the irreducibly long u-vowel is written as a qibbuts. For
in lesson 6. examples of this phenomenon, see 28.11 note 14, 29.8 note 9, and 30.13 note 38
for the missing vav mater, and 30.13 note 44 for the missing yod mater. (See also
The Sophit Forms appendix B.)
Five letters in BH have "final" forms; that is, when they occur at the end of a word, they
are written differently from their usual forms. Such a form is called sophit in Hebrew, pro- Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: :l'Q, l~N, :17., T~, 'i:J, ?J, n, i1, tQ, '7, Of..
nounced "sofeet:' So final kaph is also called kaph sophit. Final forms are easily identifiable,
and in four of the five cases the final forms extend well below the line.
- 12 -
14 4· CONSONANTS :::l THROUGH !l AND IRREDUCIBLY LONG VOWELS 4·9· THE PE 15
4 .9. THEPE
The Vav as Vowel or Consonant
The final consonant in this lesson is pe (!J). Pe is both a beged-kephet
Some confusion may arise at this point about how to know when vav is a consonant and " letter and a letter with a separate final form(~).
With a dagesh (!:l), pe is
when it is part of a vowel. BH syllable structure is the key. Words in BH almost always follow
the same pattern: consonant+ vowel (+consonant). So, if vav is being used as a conso-
;.J pronounced like the pin "pit"; the spirantized pronunciation (without a
nant, it should have its own vowel. If it follows another consonant immediately, it is part
dagesh) is like the fin "fit:' While the sound of the pe without the dagesh
of a vowel. is j as in "fit;' by convention, the transliteration of the sound is normally ph.
Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: ~i!:l, ~l?, 0\?, N'i}, il, 1.?,, l;j, n:;,, l~~. ';>.
4.6. THE NUN
The next letter in the alphabet is nun (J) , and, like kaph and mem, it has
J a different form when it is the last letter in a word (1). Nun is p1·onounced
like the n in "nap:'
4 .10. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 4
Memorize the following vocabulary words, from Hebrew to English and from Eng-
lish to Hebrew:
,
Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: rm, ll, tJ~, :J.i1, ill~, u~l), T· ;:,, p~, '~- p 'son
Nm 'he, it'
4·7· THE SAMEKH
'she, it'
N'i}
The fifteenth letter of the alphabet is samekh (0), which is pronounced ,
0 like the s in "sit:'
Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: tJ~Q, iJ, ON, :m, l;;n, 0~, t9, 1~.•
t:Ji' 'day
t~, io, li}, p. A. Practice writing kaph through pe according to the instructions on the Conso-
nants Chart (appendix A).
4.8. THE AYIN
B. Practice writing the vocabulary words you have learned so far.
The next letter of the alphabet is ayin (V). In biblical times, ayin was
V
C. Memorize these informal names of the last five letters of the alphabet:
pronounced in the back of the throat in a way that is difficult for most
English speakers; consequently, ayin is simply pronounced like aleph,
tsah-day, kof (with a long o as in "vote"), raysh, sheen, tahv
that is, as a glottal stop.
Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: ;~p, 'liN, i1f., ~V, ilt;>, FJ, tiJ, l~~. Vt?,, ov.
The "Gutturals"
N, il, n, and V are referred to rather loosely as "guttural" conso-

nants. The gutturals in BH share certain features, to be taken
up in future lessons, so this short list should be memorized.
5·3· THE QOPH 17
Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: i'¥, ?~p, 11, ~j?, t)~~, i1Q, j?1, lr,?, tN, 1~,
pi', :lj?,.
il ..... 5 .. il
,
5 .4. THE RESH
The next letter in the alphabet is resh (i). English speakers generally pro-
nounce resh like the r in "red;' but those who have learned to make a
guttural r, like the pronunciation of r in French, often use that pro nun-
CONSONANTS ~THROUGH n dation instead.
5·5· DIPHTHONGS
AND DIPHTHONGS
The next group of vowels we will take up are called diphthongs. A diphthong
is a pair of vowel sounds that follow each other immediately, with no consonant in
between. In BH, the diphthongs are combinations of vowels followed by the sound
of w or y. In the scientific pronunciation, and in biblical times, all combinations
5.1. SCOPE OF THE LESSON of vowels followed by vav or yod really were pronounced as diphthongs. The term
You have now memorized, in order, the pronunciation of the names of all the let- "diphthong" is not really appropriate, however, for the modern Israeli pronuncia-
ters of the alphabet. In this lesson we will learn the drawing and pronunciation of tion of many of these vowels, since in that system vav is pronounced v rather than w
the remaining letters of the alphabet. The scholarly transliterations of their names or u. Because the term is still appropriate in the scientific pronunciation system and
are given in the Consonants Chart (appendix A): tsade (spelled "tsah-day" at the makes sense in the biblical system, we will continue to use it here, with the caveat
end of the last lesson; note the accent on the first syllable), qoph ("kof" with long that for most speakers today half of these examples are not truly diphthongs.
o), resh ("raysh"), shin ("sheen"; with similar sin, "seen''), and tav ("tahv"). The diphthongs, with a dummy :l, are: iv ,~~, pronounced "eve"; ev ,~;~ and ev
1;1, both pronounced "ave" as in "save"; av q, av ,~f., and av ,~, all pronounced like
5 .2. THE TSADE the "av" in "bravo"; ay ~~ and ay ~f., both pronounced like the "y" in "sky"; oy ~;:l
Tsade is the first consonant to be taken up in this lesson. It is pronounced and oy ~!:I., both pronounced like the "oy" in "boy"; and finally uy ~~:l and uy ~f, both
like the ts in "hits." Tsade (~) is the fifth and last letter in the alphabet pronounced like the "uey" in "gluey:'
with a final form (f). It is also the second "emphatic" consonant we have
learned (t) was the first), probably pronounced in biblical times with an Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: ii?, 1~!, i~1, ~~, ~~i, ?~Q, th, 1~!, ~iJ, ?1.
extra N-sound (ts plus a glottal stop) but pronounced simply ts in modern times.
5.6. THE SHIN/SIN
Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: fiJ, o~~, o7, :Ji1, t)~, ~~, .:11, f~, '1¥, n~. When reciting the alphabet, we always move from resh to shin, but in
' ' ' fact the basic part of the letter shin can indicate either shin (t.Z>), pro-
5·3· THE QOPH " - ' nounced like the sh in "ship;' or sin (i.V), pronounced the same as
The next letter of the alphabet is qoph (j?), our third and last emphatic samekh, like the s in "sip." When the dot is over the right arm, the letter
i?
I
consonant. Qoph today is pronounced like the k in "kid;' although in bib-
lical times it was probably pronounced with an extra N-sound (i.e., k plus
a glottal stop).
is shin; when the dot is over the left arm, the letter is sin. Although we skip sin
when reciting the alphabet, it is a separate letter in Biblical Hebrew dictionaries:
sin appears just before shin, as in the Consonants Chart (appendix A).
-16-
18 5. CONSONANTS ll THROUGH nAND DIPHTHONGS 5 .8. THE BEGED-KEPHET CONSONANTS 19
Sometimes, though not always, a shin (W) pre- For the three consonants where the dagesh lene makes a difference in pronunci-
The Hebrews borrowed their
ceded by a holem will have only one dot, which alphabet from the Phoeni- ation, we refer to the pronunciation without a dagesh as "spirantized:' ::1 is [b], but ~.
functions as both the holem and the dot over the cians, and Phoenician had by the spirantized pronunciation, is [v]. ::>is [k], but :J, the spirantized pronunciation,
right-hand arm of the W. So W~ is pronounced that time lost the sin sound: it is [kh] as in German "auch." !:1 is [p], but !:l, the spirantized pronunciation, is [f].
mash. This same double-duty dot can function as had fallen together with the There are, however, exceptions to the above rules. ( 1) There are several "dou-
shin sound. Consequently,
both the holem and the dot over the left-hand arm bling" rules in Biblical Hebrew, such as the shape of the definite article: iJ plus dou-
the Phoenicians only needed
of sin (W): OW is pronounced som. one letter for what was earlier bling of the next consonant (with the doubling dagesh, dagesh forte). You put the
two sounds. The Hebrews, dagesh forte into even n~~ 1~# consonants when you prefix the definite article's iJ
Mini -exercise: Pronounce the following: t:HW, however, still kept the dis- to a noun, so in tllis case you have a n~~ 1~# consonant, preceded immediately by
''W, W.l, 'iW, iiN, 'W, U\ u>n, WV, iil, 'W.
• •• •• T '•, '." -
tinction between the two the vowel patakh, but the consonant has a dagesh, because the definite article rule
sounds, so they had to adapt "trumps" the n~~ 1~~ rule. There are other doubling rules we will encounter in this
the Phoenician alphabet to
5·7· THE TAV
work for the consonants they
course, and they, too, will "trump" the n~~ 1~~ rules.
n
The final letter of the alphabet, tav (n), were pronouncing in their (2) When a word begins with a n~~ 1~~ consonant, that consonant should
is a beged-kephet letter. In the Modern own language. They took the receive a beged-kephet dagesh, because it would seem that by definition the first
Israeli system, tav is always pronounced basic form of the letter from letter in a word "is not preceded immediately by a vowel sound:' In practice, how-
like the t in "top;' both with and without the Phoenicians but added ever, it is sometimes the case that a vowel sound at the very end of the previous
a dot to it-on the right for
a dagesh. (In the scientific system, tav without the word can affect the n;J$. 1J~ consonant, producing the form without dagesh. When
shin and on the left for sin.
dagesh is pronounced like the th in "think:') this happens depend~ .on. the syntax of the sentence in the Bible and should not
concern you in this class. Do not, however, be surprised when you see a n~~ 1~~
Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: lD,, n'!, U"], 'ir-1, 'm, niN, W~, nh, j?l). consonant at the beginning of a word without the dagesh, if that word is preceded
immediately by a vowel sound.
5 .8. THE BEGED-KEPHET CONSONANTS
n~~ 1~~ is a mnemonic for the six letters in Biblical Hebrew whose pronunciation 5·9· VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 5
was dependent on the presence or absence of a dagesh, the so-called dagesh lene. Memorize the following vocabulary words, from Hebrew to English and from Eng-
This dagesh is not the doubling dagesh (dagesh forte, which will be explained in the lish to Hebrew:
next lesson), but simply determined pronunciation based on the sounds around
iiJ 'mountain' V1 'bad'
the consonant in question. (The beged-kephet dagesh is pronounced leh-nay;forte
is pronounced f6r-tay.) ~iu 'good' OW 'name'
In the modern Israeli pronunciation of Biblical Hebrew, these pronunciation
0~0 'horse'
distinctions have been kept with only three of the original six consonants: ~. :J, and
b. This means that there is no difference in pronunciation between l and l (both [g] 5.10. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 5
as in "get"), or between 1 and 1 (both [d] as in "dog"), or between nand n (both
[t] as in "top"). The beged kephet dagesh is still an essential part of the spelling of a A. Practice writing tsade through tav according to the instructions on the Conso-
word, however, for all six n!:l~ 1l:i consonants. nants Chart (appendix A).
When a n~~ 1~~ cons~~a~t \s preceded immediately by a vowel sound, it is B. Practice reciting the 22-letter Hebrew alphabet, in its proper order.
written without a dagesh (see below for exceptions). When the n~~ 1~~ consonant
is not preceded immediately by a vowel sound, it is written with a dagesh. C. Practice writing the vocabulary words you have learned.
6.3. THE ACCENT 21
ultimate syllable or penult), and so there is an accent mark ' over the accented syl-
lable. We will learn the common biblical accent marks in future lessons.
6 ~,
6.4. THE DAGESH
,~ The next-to-last column in the Consonants Chart

(appendix A) shows how most letters look when
BH words cannot begin with
a doubled consonant, and
used with a dagesh. We have already seen that with rare exceptions, they do
beged-kephet letters appear both with and with- not end in a doubled conso-
THE HEBREW SYLLABLE out a dagesh (dagesh lene) and that there is also nant. A doubled consonant
a "doubling" dagesh (dagesh forte). The doubling will almost always be in the
AND REDUCED VOWELS dagesh is used whenever a letter needs to be dou- middle of a word.
bled in BH. Unlike English spelling, BH never

indicates a doubled letter by writing that letter
twice; instead, the letter is written only once, but with a doubling dagesh inside the
6.1. THE SCOPE OF THE LESSON AND A CAVEAT letter. In English, we rarely actually pronounce the doubling of consonants, but
This lesson discusses the syllables found in Hebrew, the reduced vowels, and the there are exceptions, like the word "meanness:' for instance. In BH, however, the
triconsonantal root structure of Semitic languages in general. Bear in mind the doubling is an important part of any word in which it occurs. The word for 'cubit'
following caveat. There are a great many details included in this lesson, and it is in BH was pronounced with a doubled m sound: 'ahm-mah. It is written.il~N, with
probable that they will not all be understood thoroughly at this point. Much of the the doubled m-sound represented by mem with a dagesh: ~. T -
information will come in handy in future lessons, however, so it is presented here

6.5. COMPENSATORY LENGTHENING
with the understanding that it will only truly be digested when it is applied in the
upcoming lessons. When a rule of the language dictates that one of
The gutturals (N, il, n, and
the gutturals or i be doubled, the vowel preced-
V) plus 1 cannot be doubled
6.2. THE TWO HEBREW SYLLABLES ing that consonant will sometimes be affected. in BH. (There are actually
BH has two kinds of syllables: open, which consists of a conso- All syllables in Sometimes the vowel will be lengthened from a rare exceptions to this in
nant+ a vowel (Cv), and closed, which consists of a consonant BH begin with short vowel to a long vowel, called "compensatory the Bible, but they need not
+ a vowel + a consonant (CvC) or consonant + diphthong. a consonant. 1 lengthening" (i.e., a lengthening of the vowel to worry us here.)
"compensate" for the undoubled consonant), but
6.3. THE ACCENT sometimes nothing at all will happen to the pre-
Most words in Hebrew are accented on the final syllable. In this book, words with ceding vowel, in which case we speak of "virtual doubling" (i.e., the word looks
the accent on the last syllable will not be marked for accent at all; words with the exactly as it would if the consonant in question actually were doubled). When a
accent on any other syllable will have that syllable marked with an accent mark: rule of the language dictates that a beged-kephet letter be doubled, it is always the
' . For instance, tl~t;>m 'horses' is accented on the final syllable and is therefore hard pronunciation that is doubled (i.e., the pronunciation with the dagesh). We
unmarked for accent; 1?¢ 'king' is accented on the next-to-last syllable (the pen- will never see a doubled spirantized !l, for instance, with a doubled f pronuncia-
tion. It will always be a doubled hard !:1, with a doubled p pronunciation.
6.6. THE REDUCED VOWELS AND SHWA

1. There is actually one minor exception to this rule, some forms of the word for 'and', which
we will take up in a future lesson. The final set of vowels we must take up are the reduced vowels: shwa and the
-20-
22 6. THE HEBREW SYLLABLE AND REDUCED VOWELS 6.7. FIVE GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF SHWA 23
hateph-vowels. (Hateph is sometimes pronounced rather sloppily hah-tef and some- Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: o~··91 'words'; tJ~!~i.z> 'watchers'.
times more correctly khah-tayf.) These are very short vowels, shorter even than BH
"short" vowels. (Note that the reduced vowels are transliterated with a breve sign," , Guideline 2
indicating that they are the shortest vowels in BH.) The hateph-vowels are simple:
When two shwas occur together in the middle of a word, the first is
they are a combination of a short vowel plus shwa and are pronounced as an even always silent, and the second is always vocal.
shorter version of the short vowel.
Shwa itself is more difficult, because it has two uses in the BH system of pro-
nunciation we are using: shwa can be either "vocal;' that is, pronounced, or "silent;' Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: ~:Jl;l:;>;
. . 'they will write'; nin~TQ
.. 'altars'.
not pronounced at all. When it is vocal, it is pronounced like the e in "petition"-
the shortest possible distance between two consonants. Guideline 3
Silent shwa has a very specific use. The last consonant in a BH word need not
When shwa occurs under a doubled consonant it is always vocal.
have a vowel sign after it, but every other consonant is always followed by a vowel
sign. 2 For open syllables (Cv) this is no problem. For closed syllables (CvC), how-
ever, a vowel sign is not really necessary after the second consonant; there is no Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: m¥·r, 'they will murder'; o~~i?.-!7 'for
vowel sound there, simply a closed syllable ending in a consonant sound. All the the elders'.
same, the Masoretes inserted a vowel sign even there, and the sign they inserted
was shwa. This is the "silent" shwa; it is not pronounced. This means that a closed Guideline 4
(CvC) syllable that is not at the end of a word is actually written C + v + C + silent
Vocal shwa can only occur in open syllables.
shwa. (Silent shwa is not ordinarily written at the end of a word; the most common
exception is the silent shwa that is nestled into the final kaph ':[, as in 1?.1? 'king'.)
The two shwas, vocal and silent, look exactly alike, so the decision to pronounce or
Guideline 5
not pronounce the shwa must take into account other features of the word in which
it occurs. Shwa is silent when it is preceded in the word by a short vowel. (But
see rule 3 for an exception. Rule 3 "trumps" rule 5; that is, when shwa
occurs under a doubled consonant, it is vocal even if it is preceded
6.7. FIVE GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF SHWA
in the word by a short vowel.)
The following guidelines hold true in the vast majority of cases; there are some
accented syllables, however, such as in the word ilf161.pl;l 'you/they will keep' (fern.
pl.), that ignore these guidelines. You will simply learn these very few exceptions as Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: i~""[Q 'wilderness'; ilf7Q 'queen'; 1!!7'P
they arise. 'table'.
6.8. THE HATEPH-VOWELS

Guideline 1 The guttural consonants (N,
The hateph-vowels are most often used to sub-
il, n, and V) are never fol-
Shwa is always vocal when it is the first vowel in a word or when it is stitute for shwa in situations where shwa is lowed by a vocal shwa.
preceded immediately in the word by a long vowel. impossible.
We saw above that there are words in BH that
have a consonant plus vocal shwa as part of their pattern. tJ~!~l 'words: for exam-
2. An exception is the "quiescent aleph" discussed in lesson 2 and first noted in the word for ple, begins with a consonant plus shwa, and that shwa is vocal because it is the first
"head" in lesson 8. vowel in the word (see above, 6.7). When we have words that follow the same pat-
24 6. THE HEBREW SYLLABLE AND REDUCED VOWELS 6.10. THE FURTIVE PATAKH 25
tern as t:l'!;t1 but begin with a guttural consonant, 6.10. THE FURTIVE PATAKH
Hateph-vowels can occur only
a hateph-vowel substitutes for the vocal shwa. in open syllables. There is one vowel we have not yet dealt with, and that is what is known as a "fur-
For instance, t:l'iP1D. 'new things' has exactly the tive patakh:' When a word ends in certain long vowels plus one of the gutturals n,
same pattern as t:l'!;t1, except that the vocal shwa l), or i1 (i.e., i1 with mappiq, a true h sound), there is a very short a-sound that is
in t:l'!;t1 has been replaced in t:J'iP1D. by a hateph-patakh. Hateph-patakh is by far pronounced between the long vowel and the guttural. This is the furtive patakh.
the most common hateph-vowel, but all three can be used in this way. As another Unlike a regular patakh, a furtive patakh is not written directly under a consonant
example, t:Ji1~ 'Edam' has the exact same pattern as ii:Jf 'firstborn', except that the but rather slightly to the right of the position of a normal patakh: n.~~ 'tablet', pro-
vocal shwa in ii:J~. has been replaced in t:Ji1~.. by a hateph-seghol. nounced looakh (only one syllable), where the superscipt a represents a very short
a-sound. The furtive patakh does not add a syllable to the structure of the word,
6.9. UNACCENTED SYLLABLES AND THE VOWELS THEY MAY CONTAIN
although the Anglicized pronunciation of some words treats the syllable as if it
While accented syllables in BH can contain any kind of vowel except the reduced were two: the final a in the name Joshua, for instance, is actually a furtive patakh,
vowels, in some unaccented syllables, the kind of syllable (open or closed) and the l?~iz>iil;, so that in Hebrew the name is pronounced "yd-ho-shoo•:'
quantity of the vowel (long or short) are interconnected. For instance,
6.11. THE TRICONSONANTAL ROOT IN SEMITIC LANGUAGES
an unaccented closed syllable in BH will almost always contain a short vowel (patakh, All Semitic languages operate with a triconsonantal system; that is, there are three-
hireq, seghol, qibbuts, or qamets as short o). 3 consonant roots that carry a general meaning, which is made specific by the patterns
of vowels, prefixes, suffixes, and doubling of consonants that occur within a given
Less predictably, word. For example, in Hebrew, the root 1-~-D has something to do with 'ruling':
an unaccented open syllable in BH will usually contain a long vowel (qamets, tsere, 1?9 means 'king'
holem, holem-vav, shureq, hireq gada/, or tsere-yod) or a reduced vowel (shwa or one of 'n:J?D means 'I ruled'
• ; - T
the hateph-vowels).
1~/?D means 'she will rule'
Taking together what we know about syllables and shwa, we can see that an 'D~71?0 means 'I caused (someone else) to rule'
unaccented closed syllable in BH will (with two exceptions) consist of consonant+ il~~~l? means 'kingship'
short vowel + consonant + silent shwa. (Remember, however, that the silent shwa is
not generally used at the end of a word.) See the first syllable of i~1Q and of 1t:'7iP. Much of learning BH, then, is a matter of figuring out the root of a given word and
above. deciding whether the pattern of the word is one that is already familiar. A word from
We can also see that most unaccented open syllables consist of consonant + long an unfamiliar root and/ or pattern must be looked up in a dictionary, and the most
vowel or of consonant + reduced vowel. See the first two syllables of t:l'!;t1 and of popular English-language scholarly dictionary, Brown-Driver-Briggs, arranges all
tl'!I?W above. its words alphabetically according to the perceived root of the word, so learning to
identify roots is a very important step in any Hebrew study.

3. In the entire language there are only two words that are exceptions to this rule: the plural of
A. Divide the Hebrew words used in this lesson (listed below) into syllables, and
I1;$ 'house' is o~r:9 'houses; with the mark to the left of the qamets (called a metheg, to be discussed
in a later lesson) indicating that the unaccented qamets is to be pronounced long a, even with the
indicate the length of each vowel and whether each syllable is open or closed and
accent on the final syllable; and the rare interjection of entreaty il~~, with the metheg indicating the whether it is accented or unaccented. For instance, t:l'i:l1 can be divided and ana-
same thing. lyzed in the following way: · T '
26 6. THE HEBREW SYLLABLE AND REDUCED VOWELS
third (and last) syllable second syllable first syllable
0'! 1
accented closed syllable, unaccented open syl- unaccented open syl-
irreducibly long vowel lable, long vowel lable, reduced vowel
Do the same thing for the following words; for this exercise, none of the dageshes in
beged-kephet letters is a doubling dagesh; they are all simply beged-kephet dageshes:
7
INDEPENDENT PERSONAL
1?.¢ (remember that at the end of a word, silent shwa is usually not written,
PRONOUNS AND ADJECTIVES
but in a word that ends in kaph, it is nestled into the 1)
i19~ (note that the doubled mem includes one mem that closes the first syl-
lable and a second mem that begins the second syllable)
4 ..
O't?m i':l7W. 12~wm; 7 .1. THE INDEPENDENT PERSONAL PRONOUNS
0'11)\V
• I
0'1Z.hn T -: 'D~?I? In the box below are the BH independent personal pronouns, with singular and
~:mJ'
t :. Oi1~ 1~/?D plural number distinguished in all three persons, and masculine and feminine
gender distinguished in second and third persons.
nin::nn.
; ; 1iJf 'D~?I?D
~~~¥~; 1::111)
T : '
il:;>~~l? INDEPENDENT PERSONAL PRONOUNS
tJW?."!7 ilf7Q
we m~j~ 'JN 'JjN
• -:) • T
I
B. We saw above that 'D~?I? comes from the root 1~n and means 'I ruled: Given
the root 1mz> 'to observe, guard, watch', how would you write and pronounce 'I you (mp) tJl)~ (i1)11N T -
you (ms)
observed'? We also saw above that 1~/?D means 'she will rule'. How would you write
<
you (fp) i1JI1N
T " -
1;1~ you (fs)
and pronounce 'she will observe'? 4
they (m) OiJ N~il he, it
C. Practice reading the first line of Gen 22:1 (appendix C). <
they (f) jJJjJ
T •• N'D she, it
Note that T has two forms, with the shorter form more common. 'You' (ms) is
written with or without the il-mater. The doubled n (11 +,) at the end of 1;1~ is there
for historical reasons, even though it breaks the rule about doubled consonants at
the end of words. There are, further, less common alternate plural forms such as
iD~ ('you' fp) and i190 ('they' mp ). Independent personal pronouns are generally
4. The name Joshua is spelled this way only twice in the Bible, normally being spelled with a used as the subject of a sentence.
qibbuts, ll1f}iil;. Because of the two instances where it is written with a shureq, we know there is a long
vowel before the ayin, so in all the other instances the qibbuts represents a long vowel even though
it is written without the vav mater.
-27 -
28 7. INDEPENDENT PERSONAL PRONOUNS AND ADJECTIVES 7·3· ATTRIBUTIVE ADJECTIVES 29
We will use the nouns 'horse: 'mare', 'horses: and 'mares' to demonstrate the use of
The Feminine Plural in Biblical Hebrew attributive adjectives in Hebrew. An attributive adjective follows the noun it modi-
fies and agrees with it in gender, number, and definiteness (to be discussed later).
The feminine plural is used in BH only when the entire group in
question is feminine in gender. The masculine plural is used for
groups of items that are all masculine in gender and for groups that ATTRIBUTIVE ADJECTIVES
are mixed in gender.
a good mare il:Jit> ilDm
T T
a good horse
7 .2. ADJECTIVES good mares ni:Ji'O niom good horses tJ~:;J.i'O tJ~t;lm
Adjectives in BH are either masculine or feminine, singular or plural. Using the
adjective :Ji'O 'good: the chart below demonstrates the forms for both genders and
7.4. PREDICATE ADJECTIVES
both numbers (the chart reads from right to left).
Predicate adjectives are used with a subject to form a sentence. In the sentence
ONE-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES
'He is good' N1il :Ji'O, 'good' :Ji'O is a predicate adjective. 1 A predicate adjective
agrees with the noun it modifie in number and gender but not definiteness; it is
mp ms always indefinite, as in il~O ni:Ji'O 'They are good~, where 'they' stands for a group of
females or a group of items that are all feminine in gender.
fp il:Ji'O
T
fs
7·5· THE ADVERB 1N~
In two-syllable adjectives with qamets in the first syllable, the qamets often The adverb 1NQ 'very' modifies adjectives and follows them in a phrase or sen-
reduces to shwa when gender and number endings are added, as in ?i1~ 'big, large, tence. It does not change with gender or number. For instance, 1N~ :Ji'O 'very
great' below. This reduction of the vowel will be noted in the vocabularies, when good'; 1N~ ni?i1~ niom 'very large mares:
appropriate.
7.6. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 7
TWO-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES WITH QAMETS
noun
mp o~7i1~ ?i1.1 ms ilDmT
'mare' (fern. of om 'horse')
T
fp ni?i1~ i1?i1l fs pronouns

T '
~J~ 'I'
~::JjN
• T
'I'
7·3· ATTRIBUTIVE ADJECTIVES u~j~ 'we'
BH has both attributive adjectives and predicate ilt;l~ 'you' (ms); sometimes written t;~~
adjectives. Attributive adjectives are part of a noun- Note that BH does not use
a form of the verb 'to be' r;t~ 'you' (fs)
adjective phrase, like 'the good woman'. 'Good' in that
unless it is important that
phrase is an attributive adjective. A predicate adjec- tense be indicated (see
tive comes after the verb 'to be', either expressed or lesson 8 for more on this
unexpressed. In the sentence 'The man is good: 'good' 1. The word order used in N1il :J.i'IJ, i.e., predicate adjective first, then pronoun subject, is the
issue).
normal order. The opposite order, pronoun subject first, then predicate adjective (i.e., :J.i'IJ N1il) does
is a predicate adjective.
occur, but much less frequently.
30 7. INDEPENDENT PERSONAL PRONOUNS AND ADJECTIVES 7·7· EXERCISES FOR LESSON 7 31
o.p~ 'you' (mp)

il~D~ 'you' (fp) mfl niJi'l? .5
T ••
N~il 'he, it'

N~D 'she, it'
B. Translate from English to Hebrew:
Oi} 'they' (mp)
1. I am good. (spoken by a woman)
il~D 'they' (fp)
2. I am good. (spoken by a man)
adjectives
;;,~ 'big, large, great' (the qamets reduces to shwa) 3. She is great.
li?.! 'old' (the qamets reduces to shwa) 4. He is old.
:lit> 'good'
5. They (masc.) are very good.
ibj?, l'?i? 'small, little' (irregular: ni~l,;>i?, o~~\;>i?, il~\;>i?)
C. Practice reading the second line of Gen 22:1.
adverb
1Nf? 'very'
7·7· EXERCISES FOR LESSON 7

A. Translate from Hebrew to English:
1. Phrases
i1Ji'l? i10~0
T T
.1
Ji'l? 0~0 .2
;;,"' 0~0
T
.3
i1Ji?.T i1t?m .5
niJi'l? nio~o .6
1N'? o~~~i? o~t?~O .7

2. Sentences
N~i1 1ND: Ji'l? .1
N~i1ibj? .2
N~;:J i1Ji?.T .3
8.3. SEGHOLATE NOUNS 33
8.3, SEGHOLATE NOUNS

Two-syllable nouns with the accent on the first syllable, commonly known as "seg-
holates;' have a set pattern for the plural: shwa or hateph-vowel in the first syllable,
8 ~n
qamets in the second syllable, and the plural ending.
n ..... 1?.¢ king pl. tJ':;l79

slave, servant
NOUNS, THE DEFINITE ARTICLE, 8.4 . GENDER OF NOUNS

AND THE CONJUNCTION 1 Unlike adjectives, however, the gender of a noun is not always obvious from the
endings or lack of ending. Some feminine nouns have no feminine ending in the
singular, yet the gender is still feminine (as can be deduced from the feminine
adjectives that modify the noun). Names of countries and towns tend to be femi-
nine in gender, for example, as do paired body parts. The most common of these
8.1. NOUNS GENERALLY
endingless feminine nouns are:
Nouns in BH, like adjectives, have gender and number: masculine or feminine, .<
singular or plural. A few nouns, especially paired body parts like hands or eyes, tJ~ mother HN ear
also occur in the dual (to be discussed separately in lesson 11.5). We will use the < <
l'l.~ earth, land r~l' eye; spring, source
BH noun om 'horse' as a convenient paradigm noun.
i'l:' city, town ,~ hand; side
NOUNS BY NUMBER AND GENDER
So, 'a good land' is il~it) l'":)~; 'an old mother' is il~i?.r tJ~; and so on.
mp horses horse ms There are also nouns with ni- plurals that are actually masculine in gender. The
most common are:
fp mares mare fs
father pl. ni:1~
As is obvious from the paradigm above, the feminine singular, masculine plural, place pl. ninip9
and feminine plural endings for nouns can be, and usually are, the same as the
endings on adjectives. voice, sound pl. nil;p
There are two other feminine endings that are somewhat common: n _-, as in
n~ 'daughter: and n . . -,for example, on feminine participles such as nl.QW 'watcher',
Likewise, some feminine words with the feminine ending il in the singular haveT-
to be discussed below, in lesson 18. plurals in tJ'.-. The most common of these is the irregular plural of il~~:
woman
8.2. TWO-SYLLABLE NOUNS WITH QAMETS IN THE FIRST SYLLABLE
In two-syllable nouns with qamets in the first syllable, the qamets often reduces to
shwa when gender and number endings are added, for instance, i~1 'word, thing,
matter, affair; plural tJ'1~1·
1. Note that the hateph-patakh in t:J~1~P, substitutes for the vocal shwa found in t:J~:;J?f?.
-32-
34 8. NOUNS, THE DEFINITE ARTICLE, AND THE CONJUNCTION i 8.7. THE DEFINITE ARTICLE WITH CERTAIN WORDS 35
It is important to note that these words do not change gender from singular to 8.7• THE DEFINITE ARTICLE WITH CERTAIN WORDS
plural. 'A good woman' is il-?itJ il'f}~, and 'good women' is ni:JitJ o~~r 'A good Finally, there are a few nouns in BH that have slightly different vowel patterns
father' is :Jit) :J~, and 'good fathers' is o~~;t) ni:J~. when the definite article is added. These words must simply be learned as part of
BH vocabulary. The most common such words are identified in the box below.
8.5. THE DEFINITE ARTICLE
There are several ways that a noun in BH can be definite. First, all proper nouns fl.~ earth, land the earth, the land
are considered definite. Second, a noun can be defined by the addition of a definite
t:Jl} people, nation t:Jl'il the people, the nation
article, "the" in English. 2 T T
In BH, the definite article for most nouns is iJ on the beginning of the word, ijJ mountain iilil
T T
the mountain
plus doubling of the first letter of the noun itself. So:
1?9 king, a king the king The Definite Article: Nine Words to Remember
om horse, a horse the horse Memorizing a list made up of the following nine words will help you to
remember the rules for the definite article in almost every instance:
8.6. THE DEFINITE ARTICLE WITH INITIAL GUTTURALS AND RESH nB~ ~~~iJjJ il~~~ 1?9iJ
Because the definite article is iJ plus doubling, it is a problem that N, il, n, l', and ov,~ :rv)D 1VNi~
i cannot be doubled. We learned in lesson 6.5 that the two responses to this prob-
lem are compensatory lengthening of the preceding vowel and virtual doubling of ~~~ .,~v.~
the consonant. The definite article on words beginning with N, l', and i is almost
always Q, with patakh lengthening to qamets before the N, l', or i. For instance:
8.8. AGREEMENT BETWEEN DEFINITE NOUNS AND ADJECTIVES
woman, a woman ilWNil
T " T
the woman The definiteness of a noun has an effect on the way adjectives are used in BH. An
attributive adjective agrees with the noun it modifies in gender and number, and
head, ahead the head
also in definiteness. So:
city, a city i~l'il the city
1?9 1?90
• T
:Jit) a good king :Jitltl the good king

For words beginning with il or n, the definite article is almost always iJ without
o~:JitJ o~wJN goodmen o~:Jitlil- o~WJNil the good men
doubling of the next letter; hence the il or n is "virtually" doubled. For instance: • T -: " T -: T
il:JitJ ilWN a good woman il:Jitlil- ilWNil the good woman

palace, temple :,::J~ilil
T •• -
the palace, temple T T • T T " T
sword the sword A predicate adjective also agrees with the noun it modifies in gender and number,
but it is always indefinite. In fact, when a definite noun is paired with an indefinite
There are a few situations where the definite article is i). These will be pointed out predicate adjective of the same number and gender as the noun, the result is actu-
as we come to them. ally a sentence:
2. There is no indefinite article in BH, so 1?9 is both 'king' and 'a king'.
8. NOUNS, THE DEFINITE ARTICLE, AND THE CONJUNCTION 1 8.9. THE WORD 'AND' 37
'The king is good: 3

Vav Rule 4
'The men are good: Finally, at the beginning of a word whose first vowel is a hateph-
vowel, the vowel of 'and' will"mirror" the hateph-vowel. For exam-
'The woman is good: ple,'kings and slaves' is tl'!~Vl tl':;l?i?·
Remember: the word 'to be' need not be used in BH, unless it is Summary: 'and' is usually), but in some phonological environments it can change to 1
important to determine tense in a clause. The combination of a defi- or 1 plus a "mirroring" hateph-vowel; finally, at the beginning of a word, ;1 becomes '1·
nite noun and an indefinite adjective assumes the verb 'to be:

8.9. THE WORD 'AND'
nouns
The word for 'and' in BH is simply 1, which is written at the beginning of the word w~~ 'man, a male human being'
that follows 'and'. For instance, 'the man and the woman' is iWJNi11 W~Ni1. T ' T : ' T o~WJN 'men'; irregular pl. ofw~~
• T -:
While the ordinary form of the conjuntion is 1, its form can change for phono-
'mother' (fern.); pl. niD~
logical reasons.
l'~.~ 'earth, land, country' (fern.); with def. art. l'lBO; pl. ni~l~
Vav Rule 1 i1l.VN 'woman' (fern.)
T •
Before :::1, D, or !J, 1becomes 1. This is the"BuMP"rule: before a b-sound, 'women' (fern.); irregular pl. of i1o/~
an m-sound, or a p/f-sound (the B, M, and P of BuMP), 1 becomes 1
(the u of BuMP). For example,'a queen and a king' is 17.91. ilf?r,l. 'word, thing, matter, affair'
'temple, palace'; pl. nil;~~o (masc., like the sg.)
iiJ 'mountain, mountain range'; with def. art.iQQ; pl. 0~!;;; with def. art.
Vav Rule 2 D~!Ov (note the seghol of the def. art.)
At the beginning of most words whose first vowel is shwa, 1becomes :Jin 'sword' (fern.); pl. ni:Jlt)
1. For example, 'voices and words' is tl''"9"P ni~p. . ·.· ·.·
17.9 'king'; pl. D~:;l?l?
i1::hn
T : -
'queen' (fern.); pl. ni~?7? 4
oip9 'place'; pl. ninipQ (masc., like the sg.)
Vav Rule 3
,~~ 'slave, servant'; pl. D~!~P,
At the beginning of a word, ;1 becomes '1· For example, 'Judah' is
il)1il;, and 'the city and Judah' is ilj1il'1 I'J?i;. i~l:' 'city, town' (fern.)
D~!l? 'cities' (fern.); irregular pl. ofi~l:'; with def. art. D~!l?v (note the seghol
of the def. art.)
3. As with the phrase N1il :li\:l 'He is good', explained in 7.4 above, the more common word
order for a sentence like 'The king is good' is predicate adjective first and defined noun second. The 4. ilf?l;l is, in fact, the feminine counterpart of the segholate 17.9- Note the similarity between
opposite order does occur, but less frequently. this plural and the plural of 1?¢, immediately above.
8. NOUNS, THE DEFINITE ARTICLE, AND THE CONJUNCTION 1 8.11. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 8 39
o.p 'people, nation' (collective); with def. art. O~Q; pl. o~~,P; both singular o~1vm
• T •: :
0'1i1i1 .7
• T •:
and plural adjectives (and verbs) are used with this noun, with no dif-
ference in meaning ri~iP1 O'i:t1 .8
~ip 'voice, sound'; pl.: we would expect ni~ip, but in fact it is never writ- O'lVJ, O'lVJN .9
• T: • T -:
ten in the extant text with both vavs. We find instead r6ip, ni~p, or
even ri~p (masc., like the sg.). i1:liOjJ 0Ni1 .10
T " T
WN1 'head'; pl. irregular o~WNl (Note the quiescent N in both the singular
and plural; see above, 2.3.) 2. Sentences
adjectives 0'1Vi1 n;;;,.l .1
• T •.•
'beautiful, handsome'; fern. sg. il~~, masc. pl. o~~~, fern. pl. ni!:l;. There
I
il!J~
•: T
<
are many adjectives and nouns that end in i1 . . - (the i1 is a mater lectio- ::111)0 n~tti? .2
nis). Note that in the feminine and plural forms, the il.,- simply drops
away before the endings are added. ':l'iJ jJ i1!J' .3
T •: T
V1 'evil, bad, troublesome'; fern. sg. il~l, masc. pl. t:l'l:)l, fern. pl. niVl
Note that the patakh becomes qamets in the feminine and plural 'if?~o v1 .4
forms.
OjJ 0'1:'1 .5 T
definite article
tJ + doubling of the next letter Ol.)i1 ;i1.l .6
T T T
conjunction ,~~~ Ti?.! .7

, 'and'; can also mean 'but' and 'or' when the sense calls for it
1'1~~ n?i1~ .8
I

0'1i1i11 0'1lJi1 O'!J' .9
• T "." : • T "." • T
A. Translate the following into English:

N'D i1~i?.T .10
1. Phrases
n:ti~ 1'1~ .1 B. Translate the following into Hebrew:
n:tio;:~ 1'1~~ .2 1. the big city and the beautiful land
V1- 1::11 .3 2. the handsome king and the beautiful queen

T T
3. good places
V1i1 1:11i1 .4
- T T T -
4. He is a small horse.
ni!Jlli1
T -
nio~on- .s 5. You are a good queen.
C. Practice reading the third line of Gen 22:1.
9.2. INSEPARABLE PREPOSITIONS AND THE DEFINITE ARTICLE 41
9.2. INSEPARABLE PREPOSITIONS AND THE DEFINITE ARTICLE
When the object of one of these inseparable prepositions has the definite article,
there is a loss of the il of the definite article, and the preposition takes the vowel of
the definite article.
9 'for a king' is 1?.97

'for the king' is not 17.9o7, as you might expect, but rather 1?.9?
'for a woman' is iliz>N:,
T • :
PREPOSITIONS, THE RELATIVE PRONOUN, 'for the woman' is iliz>N:, T ' T
AND THE "RULE OF SHWA" 'in the palace' is :,~,iJ~

'like the men' is tJ'WJN:;J
' T -; T
9·3· PREPOSITIONS WITH PRONOUNS (THE PARADIGM f)

9.1. THREE KINDS OF PREPOSITIONS When prepositions take pronouns as their objects, the pronouns are not written
Prepositions in BH occur in three forms. as separate words but rather occur as pronominal suffixes, on the end of the prep-
1. Some prepositions are separate words that come directly before their objects. osition. For instance, 'in it' (masc.) is iJ; 'to me' is '7~. It will be very useful to
For instance, :,¥~ is 'near, next to: and 'near the city' is i'l:'Q :,¥~· memorize two different paradigms of preposition + suffixes: once they are memo-
2. Some prepositions are connected to their noun objects by a sort of above-the- rized, it will be easy for you to recognize the forms of the several similar paradigms
line hyphen called a maqqeph ("mah-kayf"). For instance, -:,l} is 'on, above, on top given below. The first paradigm to be memorized is from f 'in'. 2
of', and mt::>;T:,l} is 'on the horse';-:,~ is 'to: and 'to the city' is i'l:';;-:,~. 1
3. The most common prepositions, however, are the three inseparable preposi- THE PREPOSITION :t
tions. That is, they are connected directly to their (usually) noun objects and go <
in us ~Jf. ':;1 in me
together with them to form a single word (as 1'and' does).
in you (mp) tJ:JJ 1=il in you (ms)
f is 'in, on, at; with [instrumental], by means of': 'in a palace' is :,~'iJ=il; ',' T
'with [instrumental] a loud voice' is:,;,~ :,;i'=il· in you (fp) Pf. 1:::1.
T
in you (fs)
7 is 'to, for'(not used, however, for traveling 'to' a place; that is -:,~, in them (m) tJJ T
iJ in him/it
~bove). 'To a king' (as in someone gave something to a king) is 1?.97; 'f~r in them (f) i1J in her/it
a man' (as in someone did somethingfor a man) is iZh~7. tf. T
:p is 'like: and 'like a queen' is ilf7Q:p. 'In them' can also be written tJi)f. and ti)f., even ilr~Of. and il~Of., but the shorter
forms should be memorized. 7follows the same pattern as :;J., except we usually get
tJv? and m? (rarely ;,~6? and ;,~6?), never tJ? orr?. .
1. When words are tied together in this way, there is only one accent for the entire combination,
and that is the accent on the final word. Remember, the Masoretes were simply indicating what they
were saying and hearing; the use of a maqqeph between two (or more) words indicates that they 2. When used in a paradigm, the number in parentheses after each form is the person (1st, 2nd,
were pronouncing the first word(s) without any accent. or 3rd); them or f is masculine or feminine gender; the s or p is singular or plural.
-40-
42 9· PREPOSITIONS, THE RELATIVE PRONOUN, AND THE "RULE OF SHWA" 9·4· PREPOSITIONS WITH PRONOUNS (THE PARADIGM-?~) 43
tJl? 'with' and ntWn~ 'with' (used interchangeably) have similar patterns but THE PREPOSITION -!;~
are not exactly the same. In these two paradigms, the second consonant is doubled;
otherwise, once the :jl paradigm is memorized, the forms of tJl? and n~ are easily to us ~J'7.~ ,,~
tome
recognized. Be sure to note the unexpected but common form '19V.. to you (mp) tJ:J'?N
..
~.. - ; 1'7~ to you (ms)
with us um~
T •
<
'T:l~ with me to you (fp) P'?~ 1~7~ to you (fs)
with you (mp) tJ:lnN 1T;l~ with you (ms) to them (m) tJi1'?N
... "'' -;
1'?NT "
to him/it
... : 0
with you (fp) 1?T;l~ 1nN T •

with you (fs) to them (f) FJ'?~ i1'17N
T '." ••
to her/it
with them (m) onN T '
in~ with him/it
-?l} 'on, above, over' has the same paradigm, including the hateph-patakh under
with them (f) 1T;l~ ;:,nN with her/it
T '
the V in the second and third persons plural, but qamets under V everywhere else:
'?ll and tJ;;J'?P,. (Without a suffix, -?l} is usually, but not always, written with a
with us Ulbl' T '
'1rJl' or 'rJl'
' T ' .. with me maqqeph.)
with you (mp) tJ:JrJl' with you (ms) nJJD 'under; in the place of' and '"1D,~/i1J~ 'after' also follow this same para-
•,• T • 1~l?
digm. They begin
with you (fp) P9l? 19.1? with you (fs)
'DT)D '!D.~
with them (m) tJrJl' irJl? with him/it
T '
1'~T)D 1'lD.~
with them (f) 19.1? i1rJl' with her/it
T '
and the remainder of these paradigms can be figured out from there.
The preposition :p 'like' has a similar paradigm, but with more variation. Note
9·5· THE PREPOSITION 1Q
especially the addition of the accented syllable in in most forms; the endings for
'me: 'him: and 'her' are somewhat different from those in the :jl paradigm. One very common preposition, which we have yet to take up, is 1Q 'from'. 1Q is
usually written directly on the front of its object. It behaves slightly differently,
like us uinf like me however, from other inseparable prepositions, because, as we will see again and
again, when J comes immediately before another consonant, it tends to "assimi-
like you (mp) tJ:J::l 1inf like you (ms)
'," T
late" to that consonant; that is, the J disappears, and the next consonant is doubled.
like you (fp) Pf 1inf like you (fs) 'From a king' is, theoretically, 1?Q~Q, but since
like them (m) tJi1::l ~i1in::> like him/it the shwa under the J is silent, the J would be Note: nun regularly assimilates
•,• T T
pronounced immediately before the n in 1?¢; to the following consonant if
like them (f) i13ib T '' T
i1in::>
T T
like her/it so the J assimilates, and the form we actually get no vowel sound intervenes.
is 1?JbQ. 'From a horse' is OH:>Q; 'from a voice' is
9·4· PREPOSITIONS WITH PRONOUNS (THE PARADIGM-?~) ?ipQ;.and so on.
Th~ second paradigm to be memorized is from-?~ 'to'. Note that 1'7~, 1'7~, and
Because there is doubling involved in adding the word 1Q to its object, prob-
~'7~ are pronounced as if the ' were not there.
lems will inevitably occur when the noun object begins with one of the gutturals
or i. In those cases, because the first letter of the noun object cannot be doubled,
we get compensatory lengthening instead, and the hireq lengthens to tsere. 'From a
44 9· PREPOSITIONS, THE RELATIVE PRONOUN, AND THE "RULE OF SHWA" 9·7· THE RELATIVE PRONOUN io/~ 45
woman' is i1o/~9; 'from a sword' is ::r~ljq. Occasionally we find "virtual doubling" near the river' -in BH the relative pronoun 1W~ must be used between the noun
(see 6.5), as in pm~. and the prepositional phrase that modifies it. · ·
The definite article, since it begins with the guttural consonant i1, is an obvious
subset of this doubling problem. Besides the usual solution, that is, 'from the horse' 9.8. ANOTHER WAY TO CONSTRUCT A SENTENCE
O~OjJQ, we also find the entire word 1~ hung from the front of its noun object with We saw above in lesson 8.8 that it is possible to make a sentence in BH by jux-
a maqqeph. So 'from the horse' can also be written o~o;:t-1~· taposing a definite noun and an indefinite predicate adjective: W'~i/ ~itl 'The
When the object of 1~ is a pronoun, the pronominal suffixes are very similar to man is good'. It is also possible to make a sentence by juxtaposing a noun and a
those of the :f paradigm. prepositional phrase (although here the prepositional phrase follows the noun):
< < n~$~ i1o/~i/ 'The woman is in the house'. As before, the verb 'to be' is usually not
from us U~Q '~~~ from me expressed.
from you (mp) of~ 'T[~~ from you (ms) We can combine the sentences in 9.7 and 9.8 to make sentences like the follow-
ing: 'The woman in the house is good' n~$~ 1lV~ i1o/~i/ i1.7titl; 'the tree near the river
from you (fp) PQ 1~~ from you (fs)
is large' 1i/?D !;¥~ 1lV~ 1'+-'i/ ~;;,~.
from them (m) Oi1D
·.· ..
uno
·.·. from him/it
< <
9·9· THE RULE OF SHWA FOR INSEPARABLE PREPOSITIONS
from them (f) i1;'1i10 i1.:17JD from her/it
T •• " T '.' '
7,
Because the prepositions :f, and :p come at the beginning of a word, the shwa-
.... the difference must be discovered
Note that 'from him' and 'from us' are both UDD; vowels of the prepositions will always be vocal. If, however, the noun object to
from context. 'From you' (fs) has a tsere 1~~ instead of the qamets we have come which they are attached also has a shwa as its first vowel, the result would be two
to expect. Note, finally, the compensatory lengthening that occurs when the pro- vocal shwas at the beginning of a word, and that is something the language will
nominal suffix begins with the guttural i1. not allow. Instead, what is called the "rule of shwa" takes over: whenever a word
would begin with two vocal shwas, the first one becomes hireq instead. Therefore,
9.6. ANOTHER MEANING OF l~ 'in places' is not nioij?Q:;l but niDij?~:;l (with a now silent shwa under the first D);
Besides its meaning 'from', 1~ is also used to express comparison in BH: 'more/ 'like kings' is 0'~79:;> (~ith a silent sh'wa under the first D); and so on. 3
better than' or 'too (much) for' (the difference to be decided from context). 'The It is equally impossible in BH to have as the first two vowels of. a word a vocal
slave is better than the king' in BH is actually 'good is the slave from the king', shwa followed by a hateph-vowel. In such cases, as we learned with the forms of
17.9D9 1~~i/ ~it>; 'the man is too old for the woman' = 'old is the man from the 1'and: the vocal shwa "mirrors" the hateph-vowel. 'For slaves' is not 0'1.:t.P.7 but
woman', i1o/~i/-l~ W'~i/ li?.!· rather 0'1~1.)1;.
• T -; -
..
9·7· THE RELATIVE PRONOUN 1W~ 9.10. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 9
In BH, the relative pronoun ('which', 'who') is 1W~ .1'V~ does not change with the nouns
gender, number, or definiteness of its antecedent; it is always ilV~· We will take up n~$ 'house'
the use of 1lV~ in verbal sentences in a later lesson, but at this point it is important 4
0'f:l~ 'houses'; irregular pl. of n~$
to know that a noun that is modified by a prepositional phrase in BH is ordinarily
separated from that prepositional phrase by 1W~. The word for 'house' is n~$, so
3. Remember that we learned in lesson 8 that forms of the 1 'and' are an exception to this rule.
'the woman in the house' would be written n~~~· 1lV~ i1o/~i/· 'The tree (fV.) near Instead of becoming 1in these circumstances, it ordinarily beco~es t (When :1 becomes ~1, however,
the river (1i/~)' is 1i/?D !;¥~ 1W~ l'V.i/· it is because of the rule of shwa.) ..
Note that although it is perfectly grammatical in English usage to leave out the 4. The small vertical line to the left of the qamets is called a metheg (pronounced meh-teg and,
relative pronoun in phrases like the ones above-'the woman in the house: 'the tree less correctly but quite commonly, meh-theg). In this textbook, when used next to a qamets, a
9. PREPOSITIONS, THE RELATIVE PRONOUN, AND THE "RULE OF SHWA " 9.11. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 9 47
1l't 'road, way; journey; way of life' 9.11. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 9
i~~ 'river'; pl. nii~~ (masc., like the sg.) A. Complete the paradigms for nm) and ~1t)~ that were started in section 9.4.
l'+.' 'tree' B. Translate from Hebrew to English:
i11~ 'field'; pl. nii~ (masc., like the sg.)
1. Phrases
proper nouns
111 'David' (also written 1~11 in mostly later texts; we will use i11)
i1i1i1~
T :
'Judah'
i11.p0 'Moses'
pronoun/ conjunction
iiJ~ 'after' OW 1WN ilWNil
T '." -: T ' T
.4
i1.p~ relative pronoun/ conjunction: 'who, which'
adverb
ow 'there; in that place' ~ii~D 1?$D"'Ol:' 1W~ W'~O .6
T
prepositions 1"'t!D-~'J 1W~ ·,~~O .7

~inN/inN
.. -: - - - 'after, behind; to the west of'
il!J~il 1i1Jil ~~N 1WN n~iil .8
-Z,N... 'to'; regularly with verbs of motion (not with indirect object; see 7 '.' T - T T - '." •• '.' -: ' - -
below) ill'1il 1'1':1 1WN

TTT •,o-:
"T
O'W~il •y-
.9
Z,~~ 'near, next to' (follows pattern of~ with pronoun sf., e.g., ~7¥~)
n~v-n~ 'with, along with'
2. Sentences
~ 'in, on, at; with' (i.e., instrumental 'with' = 'by means of')
:p 'like' ~:J'ililO n'ilil ~iil
T ••-•• ·-- T
.1
7 'to, for, as' (as 'to: used with indirect object; used with infinitive of
il1~il; 1N1? il:tit? 1'1~ .2
verbs; not ordinarily used with verbs of motion)
lQ 'from'; used to express the comparative li?.'!D om;:~-~)J il~~O .3
-r,~ 'on; above; on top of; beside; against'
ill~~ 1W~ W'~O ii?.! .4
0~ 'with; along with'
~:J'il:l ,,, .5
nm) 'under; in the place of, instead of' T '' - ' T
metheg indicates that the qamets is to be pronounced long a. This will be discussed in more detail in
Oil 0'1'1 O'WJN .7
a later lesson. Remember that O'I;l~ is one of two words in the language that contain a long vowel in •• ' T ' T -:
a closed, unaccented syllable.

48 9· PREPOSITIONS, THE RELATIVE PRONOUN, AND THE "RULE OF SHWA"
jl::hn:;:, jlWNjl
T : - : T " T
.9
C. Translate the following into Hebrew:

1. a good king
10
2. the good king THE CONSTRUCT CHAIN AND DEMONSTRATIVE
3. The king is good. ADJECTIVES AND PRONOUNS
4. The good king is on the horse.
5. The mares in the field are very small.
D. Practice reading all of Gen 22:1. 10.1. THE CONSTRUCT CHAIN IN GENERAL
In BH, a phrase like 'the king of the land' would be written without a word for 'of:
Instead of using 'oC BH expresses this relationship between nouns by juxtapos-
ing the nouns: Pl~i! 1?9. The first noun in such a chain is said to be "in. construct
with" the second, and the chain itself is called a "construct chain:' A construct
chain may include any number of nouns, but there are seldom more than three.
10.2. THE DEFINITENESS OR INDEFINITENESS OF A CONSTRUCT CHAIN
The entire chain will be either definite or indefinite. The definiteness of a construct
chain is determined by the definiteness of the last member of the· chain, and as
it happens, construct chains in BH are nearly always definite. All members of a
definite construct chain except the final one, however, are considered definite by
the mere fact of their being "in construct" with the next noun in the chain, so the
nonfinal members of a construct chain are never
written with the definite article. Note the example
The entire construct chain is
above: we translate 'the king of the land' in Eng-
either definite or indefinite.
lish, but the word 1?9 1?9
in Pl.~i! is not written The definiteness of the chain
with a definite article; only the final word is. In a is determined by the defi-
three-member construct chain, such as 'the horse niteness of the final member
of the king of the land', as before, only the final of the chain. Only the final
word is definite: Pl~i! 1?9 0~0. Since proper member of a definite con-
struct chain will be marked as
nouns are always definite, we can also write a def- definite.
inite construct chain with a proper noun at the
-49 -
so 10. CONSTRUCT CHAIN; DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES AND PRONOUNS 10.3. THE REGULAR FORMS OF A NOUN IN THE CONSTRUCT STATE 51
end. ~~no/: is 'Israel', and the phrase ~~lip: 1?1.? om is 'the horse of the king of form as the feminine plural construct, even though, as we have seen, not all ni- plu-
Israel'. rals are feminine in gender.
Sometimes a construct form is not easy to figure out. The plural of i~l is 0~!~1·
10.3. THE REGULAR FORMS OF A NOUN IN THE CONSTRUCT STATE The ending changes to~"], and the qamets reduces to (vocal) shwa, which would give
We recognize the chain as expressing the 'of' relationship simply because there is us ~"1-?1· We learned in lesson 9 that two vocal shwas in a row at the beginning of a
nothing else that those three nouns in a row could mean. Many nouns, however, word brings the rule of shwa into play, so the plural construct form here will be ~"1~1
have special "construct" forms when they are the nonfinal members of a construct (the first shwa becomes hireq by rule of shwa). ·
chain. These forms must be recognized as readily as the regular forms of the nouns o~\PJ~ is similar, but with the complication that there is a hateph-vowel under
are. The regular form is said to be in the "absolute" state and to be the "absolute" the N. o~\PJ~ substitutes the construct ending ~..• yielding 'WJ~, then reduces the
form of the noun, while the special form for use in construct chains is said to be qamets to give us 'W~~· But just as we do not get two vocal shwas together at the
in the "construct" state and to be the "construct" form of the noun. (The "absolute" beginning of a word, we also never get a vocal shwa and a hateph-vowel together
forms are the dictionary forms of the nouns.) When a noun has an unpredictable at the beginning of a word. This combination is resolved by the rule of shwa for
construct form, that will be pointed out in the vocabulary list. gutturals: if the hateph-vowel is first, it becomes a full vowel, and the vocal shwa
For instance, the construct form of i~l is i;l-1, and 'the word of the king' is becomes silent. So, ~w~~ becomes ~w~~. 2
1?r.?D i;l-1. This is more recognizable as a construct chain: not only is it two juxta-
posed nouns, only the second of which is formally defined; we can also recognize 10.4. THE FORMS OF CERTAIN NOUNS IN THE CONSTRUCT STATE
i;l-1 as a construct form. Some nouns have construct forms that follow patterns that cannot be deduced by
10.3.1. Like the feminine singular, masculine plural, and feminine plural the rules above, but words of the same form are consistent with each other, all the
forms of words like ~i1~ or the plural of i~l· the construct form of a word with a same:
qamets in an unaccented open syllable substitutes vocal shwa (or a hateph-vowel) The construct of n:~ is n~~ (all similarly formed words have similar con-
for the qamets; hence the first syllable ofi;l-1 (tsere in an unaccented open syllable struct forms).
reduces to shwa also ). 1
10.3.2. The second syllable shows us that a qamets in a closed final syllable will
The construct of n~.¢ 'death' is nin (likewise all similarly formed words).
reduce to patakh in the construct form. The construct of ill~ is il1ip (il . . - singulars have il . - construct forms)
10.3.3· Feminine singular nouns that end in i\- in the absolute state end in Masculine singular segholates are unchanged in the construct (as are end-
n - - in the construct state: absolute il::>~n;
T:-
construct n::>~n.
- : - ingless feminine singular segholates, e.g., 1'"1~).
10•3•4• Masculine plurals, or more correctly, all plural nouns that end in o~. -,
Some construct forms are not predictable:
end in~ .. - in the construct: absolute o~Ql}; construct ~~l}. We refer to this form as
the masculine plural construct, even though, as we have seen, not all o~.- plurals are The construct forms of :lN 'father' and
T
nN 'brother' are ~:lN and 'nN.
T " -: " -:
masculine in gender. The plural construct forms of masculine and endingless feminine segho-
10.3.5· Feminine plural nouns, or rather, plural nouns that end in ni-, retain lates do not follow the expected rules, and their forms will be noted in the
the ni- ending in the construct but undergo the changes discussed above con- vocabulary lists.
cerning qamets in an open syllable (as do feminine singular and masculine plural Other, less common construct forms will be noted in the vocabulary lists.
nouns): il¥3} 'advice, counsel: plural ni~l}; construct plural ni~P,. We refer to this
2. The other possibility, with the hateph-vowel second, has nothing to do with construct forms,
but we have seen it before, at 9.10. For instance, we would expect that 'for slaves' would be tJ~!~P,?.
1. In some circumstances, a qamets or a tsere will not reduce. These construct forms will be In this situation, however, rule of shwa for gutturals says that the first vowel "mirrors" the hateph-
noted in the vocabulary lists. vowel, so that what we actually get is tl~!~P,?.
52 10. CONSTRUCT CHAIN; DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES AND PRONOUNS 10.7. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 10 53
10 .5. POSITION OF ADJECTIVES MODIFYING MEMBERS OF A CONSTRUCT CHAIN 10.7. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 10
An adjective that modifies one member of a construct chain must go at the end of Here are the attested construct forms of vocabulary words we have learned in les-
the entire chain. (In fact, it is very rare that anything interrupts the flow of a con- sons 7-9:
struct chain.) 'The house of the good woman' is il:;titDiJ ilo/~~ n~~, and 'the good
house of the woman' (= 'the woman's good house') is :litDiJ ilo/~~ n~~. (Remember, o~wJN;
• T -;
construct: ~wJN " ; -
ni:J~n; construct: ni:J~n
T : : -
all members of the chain are considered definite if the final member is definite.) ni~iN; construct: ni~iN t:l~:J~n; construct: ~:J~n
T -; ; - • T : " ; -
The example above pairs a feminine and a masculine noun, so it is clear which
word the adjective modifies. This will not always be the case, and some cases will be ill.ZlN; construct: nwN
T ' •,• ••
t:Jip~; construct: t:JiP'?
ambiguous. What does :litDiJ modify in the following phrase: :li'IDiJ Ch~~ n~~? There n~i construct: n~:l
0 - ) ••
i~J; construct: iiJ~
is no way to know. 3
1:::11· construct: i:l1
T T) - ;
t:l~WJ·
• T)
construct: ~wJ•• :
10.6. THE DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES AND PRONOUNS

t:l~i:l1·
• T :)
construct: ~1:::11 •• ; •
t:l~l:;tP,; construct: ~1=t~
A distinct set of adjectives that must be learned are the demonstrative adjectives/
pronouns: 'this', 'that: 'these', 'those'. il~ is 'this' masculine singular; nNt is 'this' fem- ~:J~il; construct: ~:J~il
T •• - ••
o~·w; irregular construct: ~~w
inine singular; and il?,~ is 'these' for both genders. 'That' and 'those' are simply the t:l~!~; irregular construct: ~'1~ t:J~IP~fl; irregular construct: ~WNl
third-person independent pronouns, plus the definite article, used as attributive ni:lin; construct: ni:lin il1i.v; construct: il1i.v
adjectives: NmiJ, N~;:JiJ, t:liJ~, il?D~. 4
y- ; ; - •,• T " ;
Demonstrative adjectives are the last adjectives in a noun-adjective phrase il::::l?n; construct: n:::l~n
T ; - - : -
and agree with the nouns they modify in gender, number, and definiteness, like
all attributive adjectives. 5 'This good man' is il"!iJ :litDiJ w~~~- Like all adjectives, Note: 'woman of' can= 'wife of'; 'women of' can= 'wives of.
indefinite demonstratives paired with definite nouns produce a sentence: 'This is
the good man' is :litDiJ w~~~ il!. 6 nouns
In a construct chain, the demonstrative goes at the end of the chain and after
:::1~ 'father, kinsman'; cs. ~:;1~; pl. ni:l~ (masc., like the sg.);.cs. pl. ni:l~
any other adjectives that modify a member of the chain. 'The house of that good
woman' is N~ilil il:litDil ill.ZlNil n~:l. iiN 'light' (pl. t:l~!iN only occurs once)
• - T - T ' T ''
n~ 'brother, kinsman, cousin'; cs. ~D~; irregular pl. t:l~D~; cs. pl. 'D~
p 'son'; cs. usually -p; pl. t:l'~;t; cs. pl. ').f.
n~ 'daughter' (fern.); with sf. 'D~; pl. niJ;t; cs. pl. niJf.
1wn 'darkness'
3. It is also possible to get around this problem by a circumlocution using the preposition in 7 t:Ji~ 'day'; irregular pl. t:l'Q;; cs. pl. 'Q;
the sense 'belonging to': 1l-h~7 ilp~ :Ji\:l;:l 11;~;:~ 'the good house that belongs to the man'= 'the mans
good house: 1~~ 'wine'; cs. r~
4. Note that when DiJ and il?V are used as attributive adjectives, the definite article that appears m6 •,• T
'death'; cs. nin
on them is Qinstead of the expected jJ.
5. With the exception of nouns with pronominal suffixes: il! and I1Nr are generally not definite
t:l~l~
• T
'face' (always pl.); cs. ').~
when they modify a noun with a pronominal suffix, which, as we will learn in the next lesson, is also 'name'; cs. usually t:ltp; pl. nint,p (masc., like the sg.); cs. pl. nintp
considered definite in BH.
6. In this example, the demonstrative is more properly a pronoun.
54 10. CONSTRUCT CHAIN; DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES AND PRONOUNS 10.8. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 10 55
proper nouns 2. Sentences

'7N1i.V' 'Israel'
1?¢;:~ 1'~ :J.i~
•• T : •
.1
pronouns
The demonstrative adjectives are also used as pronouns but will be listed under N'ilil i'lm nu>N ill'i
• - • T •,• •• T T
.2
adjectives in this list. ,,, n:~. il!l' ' T - T T
.3
adjectives ci~il- 1iN 1ND il!l' : •: T
.4
i1t... 'this' (ms) N~il 'that' (ms)
C':;titliJ 1?¢iJ '1~1 il?~ .5
nNt 'this' (fs) N'i} 'that' (fs)
il~N
..... 'these' CiJ 'those' (mp) UT:JJ~ il!iJ V1v 1?¢iJ ').~7 .6
<
il:lil 'those' (fp) il:l,~il 010 il!l' .7
T : - - '•' T
T ••
':;>j~ ,v~iJ ;¥~ ,W~ ;;,~;:~ l'+-'v ntJJil .8

prepositions:
'J~7 'in front of, in the presence of, in the sight of'; 'before' (in both space N'i} il!iJ :J.itliJ ,~~ 0 c~ .9
and time) N'i}iJ il~\?i?iJ l'l~v 'W~ n;;;,~ .10
B. Translate the following into Hebrew:
1. the house of David
1. Phrases
2. the words of the women
1?¢;:~ ow .1 3. the darkness of the beautiful city
ilf?~;:~-p~. .2 4. He is the king of Israel.
T '
'J!l
il~NilT n:~.- .. :
.3
5. They are the kings of the lands.
;,u>o
... nio 'inN
.. -: - .4
C. Practice reading the first line of Gen 22:2.
ri?.tiJ il~~o 'D~ .s
1Wfq 1iN .6
nNm il?i1~iJ 1'l:'v 1?~ .7
N'i}iJ il~tti?iJ l'l~v '1~ .8
il~Nil C'1:am 1::11
'/ '' T ' T - : T - l
.9
;Nilv' iilJ •• T : • - :
.10
11.2. POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS ON THE FEMININE SINGULAR NOUN 57
11 .2. PoSSESSIVE PRONOUNS ON THE FEMININE SINGULAR NOUN

With a feminine singular noun, the suffixes are the same, but the i1,- ending
changes to n,- or n_- before the suffixes. As
our paradigm word, we will use the word The n plus a-vowel is a more origi-
11 i1"1irl, 'instruction, teaching, law'. i1iin is

T T
often used to refer to the entirety of the first

five books of the Bible. It is also used to refer
nal form of the fs noun. By the time
of BH, however, the t-sound has
dropped off at the end of a such
a word, and we are left with the
to the bodies of law that are present in those
NOUNS WITH PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES books. The word is developed, however, from
a-vowel plus il-mater. The original
form remains when it is "guarded"
a root that means 'to teach', so we will trans- by a suffix of some kind.
late it 'teaching' here or sometimes simply
leave it untranslated and transliterated into
11.1. POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS GENERALLY Latin characters: Torah.
In BH, possessive pronouns ('my', 'his: 'your', etc.) are not written as separate words
FEMININE SINGULAR NOUNS WITH PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES
but are expressed as suffixes on the noun being possessed.
There are two sets of these suffixes: one set is used on singular nouns, whether our teaching m1iin ~n1in my teaching
•• T • T
masculine or feminine; another set is used on plural nouns (masculine or femi-
nine). The suffixes used on singular nouns are almost exactly the same as the suf- your (mp) teaching D~J;l"}in 1J;l'Jirl your (ms) teaching
fixes that you have memorized with the preposition f· your (fp) teaching i~J;l"Jin 1.r::qin your (fs) teaching
We will use the word om as the masculine singular (or endingless feminine
singular) paradigm noun; the possessive suffixes are as follows: their (m) teaching on1in
T T
inlin his teaching
their (f) teaching i.t;lin ;:,.r;lin her teaching
NOUNS WITH PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES
our horse u¢.m ~t;l~O my horse

11.3. POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS AND VOWEL REDUCTION ON TWO-SYLLABLE WORDS
your (mp) horse o:mm
... 1t;'~O your (ms) horse
:
Two-syllable words with an open first syllable, and qamets or tsere as the vowel of
your (fp) horse pt;>m 1t;?~O your (fs) horse that syllable, have the usual vowel reductions (see above, lesson 8.2), which make
the paradigm a bit different:
their (m) horse 09~0 imo his horse
their (f) horse rom
T
;:,om
T
her horse
Note that 1t;?m and UQ~O differ from the f paradigm: tsere has replaced qamets.
Also, remember that the masculine plural is used both for groups of objects or
people that are all masculine in gender and for groups of objects or people that
are mixed in gender, with one or more feminine objects or people and at least one
masculine object or person.
-56-
ss 11. NOUNS WITH PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES 11.4. POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS ON PLURAL NOUNS
59
TWO-SYLLABLE WORDS WITH AN OPEN FIRST SYLLABLE The suffixes 0_;;1-, p-, ory-, and try -are known as "heavy suffixes:' The basic stem
<
before the heavy suffixes is the construct form of the word in question (except for
our word ~Ji:J.1
"T ;
~i:J.1
• T ;
my word feminine plurals; see below). 0_;;1""91· above, is 1:;11 (construct form of i :tl) plus o~;
1 and try'Qm is ~Qm (constr uct form ofO't;:l~D) plus try. Next we will take up the wor.d
your (mp) word O~i:J.1
'.' : - : 1l~1 your (ms) word
0~1~1 plus suffixes, and we will see that the stem before the heavy suffixes is ~1~1,
your (fp) word Pl:;l1 'if).:~q your (fs) word the construct form of 0~1::11.
• T :
their (m) word Oi:J.1

T T !
ii:J.1 T :
his word
PLURAL NOUNS WITH PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES 2
their (f) word 1l~1 ili:J.1
T T :
her word
our words u~'1:11
•• T :
~i:J.1
- T !
my words
11.4. POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS ON PLURAL NOUNS your (mp) words o~~1:11
·: "! • 1~'~91 your (ms) words
The pronominal possessive suffixes that are used on plural nouns are exactly the your (fp) words p~1~1
<
your (fs) words
'if~1~1
same as those already memorized with the preposition -?~. We will use o~t;>m as
the paradigm word. First, the o~.- ending is removed, and then the endings from their (m) words tJi1~i:J.1
... "! •
,~i:J.1
T T ;
his words
the -?~ paradigm are substituted. their (f) words try~1~1
<
i1~i:J.1 her words
T •,• T ;
PLURAL NOUNS WITH PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES 1

Finally, we will see the pronominal suffixes on a feminine plurar noun (or
<
our horses u~Qm ~Q~D my horses rather, a noun with an ni- plural) such as niiin. Feminine plural nouns retain the
< ni- ending and also add the pronominal suffixes for plural nouns.
your (mp) horses o_;;l~Qm 1~9m your (ms) horses
<
your (fp) horses p~Q~D 'if~Q~D your (fs) horses FEMININE PLURAL NOUNS WITH PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES
their (m) horses OiTQ~D ,~om

T
his horses our teachings u~l)iiin ~Diiin my teachings
their (f) horses liTQ~D ;,~om her horses your (mp) teachings o~~niiin 1~~iiin your (ms) teachings
T •,• .....
your (fp) teachings p~Diiin TDiiin your (fs) teachings
Note that the ~ in these pronominal suffixes on plural nouns (here and in the
their (m) teachings ory~Diiin ,~Qiiin his teachings
two paradigms just below) is not pronounced in most forms, except ~Qm, where it
is part of a diphthong, and 'if~Qm, where it is a proper consonant. In all the other their (f) teachings try~Diiin ;,~r,;,;n
T ',"
her teachings
forms, the words should be pronounced as if the ~ were not there. In these words,
the ~ is probably simply an unpronounced marker of the plural nature of the noun,
11.5. NOUNS WITH DUAL NUMBER
and it distinguishes ?etween 'our word' ~J'1~1 and 'our words' u~1~1, for instance.
The seghol-yod in 1~9~0 is pronounced exactly the same as a simple seghol (su-seh- In a few circumstances, BH uses a dual ending on a noun rather than a plural ending.
kha), and the qamets-yod in 1~9m is pronounced as simple qamets, with no ~ sound The most common situation that calls for a dual is the case of naturally occurring
whatsoever (su-sahv). pairs. When we say something like "David's hands are large;' we are really saying
that his two hands are large, and BH incorporates this fact into its grammar. There
1. Note that ';n;p has a metheg next to the qamets under the :::1, which indicates that the qamets are also a few other words (mostly denoting time periods) that have a normal plural
I
is pronounced as a long a-vowel. but are expressed in the dual when exactly two units are being discussed. tJ~~ -is the
:
I
6o 11. NOUNS WITH PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES 11.6. POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS ON SEGHOLATE NOUNS 61
dual ending for masculine nouns, and o;J\- for feminine nouns. There are no dual "ni ~::li1· ~:li1
. : -' .. : -
adjectives or verbs in BH; duals take plural adjectives and plural verbs. The construct :qry ~:~.in;
. : - ni::J.in
: -
dual endings are the same as the construct plural endings (they will be noted in the
1o/i1 ~~o/1) (short o); no plural
vocabulary lists). The most common of the BH duals are presented below.
< ,~~ ~,~~; ~,~~
,~
hand o~i~ (two) hands ilJIV year o~mw two years
T ' -T T T ' - T :
•<
2 t:l~JTN
< • 11·7· POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS ON IRREGULAR NOUNS
1!N ear (two) ears oi~ day o;QP two days
The pronominal suffixes on the singular of words like n;~ and n~.¢ occur with the
· - : T
<
r>-' eye o:~~+.' (two) eyes D~~ once o;QP,$ twice construct singular as the base: 'my house' ~J:l~~; 'my death' ~Din.
?xi
...... foot o~?.:ti
. -: - (two) feet (no sg.] 2
t:l~'1mz
' - T: T
noon The words ::J.~ and n~ have irregular forms with suffixes, both with the singular
2 nouns and with the plural nouns.
(no sg.] o~.lnn
• - : T
loins
<
The possessive suffixes used with these duals are the ~7~ set, just as with plural our father ~J~::J.N
' T
~::J.N
• T
my father
<
nouns: 'my (two) hands' is ~1> Two words often thought to be duals, because they your (mp) father D:l~::J.N
·: 0 -:
1~:;1~ your (ms) father
have dual forms, are in fact simply plurals: o;Q 'water'; and o;Qo/ 'sky, heaven'.
etc. T:;l~ your (fs) father
<
11.6. POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS ON SEGHOLATE NOUNS 1~::J.N
• T
or m~::J.N' T
his father
Segholate nouns (two-syllable nouns with the accent on the first syllable) have il~:lN her father
T ' T
special forms both in the construct plural and in the singular with pronominal
suffixes. Each segholate noun has a "characteristic vowel" (either patakh, hireq, The suffixes on the singular n~ 'brother' follow the same pattern.
or qamets as short o) that shows up in these two places. Consequently, segholate The suffixes on the plural ni::J.~ 'fathers' are like the suffixes on any ni- plural.
nouns should be learned along with their characteristic vowels. The plural t:l~D~ 'brothers' with suffixes, however, is sometimes irregular.
For the construct plural or the singular with pronominal suffixes, the base word
collapses into one syllable, with the characteristic vowel as the vowel of that syl- our brothers u~o~ ~o~ my brothers
lable; then the appropriate endings are added. The characteristic vowel of 1?.¢ is your (mp) brothers D:l~nN
... ..
-:
1~Q~ your (ms) brothers
patakh, which means that 'my king', 'his king', and 'their (m) king', for example, are <
etc. Ttl~ your (fs) brothers
~:;}?Q, i::>7Q, and of7Q; the construct plural 'kings of' is ~~7Q. It is useful to memorize
a word like 1?.¢ along with its 'my' form of the singular: ~~7Q, 1?.¢. 3 The character- ,~nN
T '.'
his brothers
istic vowels of the segholates we have already learned follow: il~nN
<
her brothers
T •,• -
l'l.$ with first-person suffix:~~~~; construct plural: ni~~~

(Note the seghol in the 3ms suffixed form: 1~1)~ "his brothers:')
2. O~~f~, O~J~'?, and o~'1Q¥ are the first three words we have encountered with qamets used for Four Ways a Noun Can Be Definite
a short a-sound (short in BH, that is; still pronounced like the o in pose). They are pronounced oz-
n:i-yim; mot-n:i-yim; and tso-ho-ni-yim. See below for discussion. A noun with a pronominal suffix is considered definite in BH. We have now
3. The characteristic vowel is actually the original vowel of the word; the "segholate" form of the learned the four ways in BH that a noun can be definite: (1) it can have the defi-
word is a later development. When it is "guarded" by the pronominal suffix or the construct ending, nite article; (2) it can be a proper noun; (3) it can be in construct with a definite
the original form remains. Also, the reason for the beged-kephet dagesh in the kaph in some forms noun; (4) it can have a pronominal suffix.
but not in others is historical, but a discussion of the reason would not benefit us at this point.
62 11. NOUNS WITH PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES l1.8. THE TWO PRONUNCIATIONS OF THE VOWEL QAMETS
11.8. THE TWO PRONUNCIATIONS OF THE VOWEL QAMETS

Qamets Followed by Hateph-Qamets
It is time to discuss the two pronunciations of qamets in BH, according to the
Qimkhi system of pronunciation, which we are using (see above, lesson 1). We know Another rule of thumb: the combination qamets followed by hateph-qamets
is almost always pronounced o + 6. See o:1w¥'noon' above, in section 5.
that an unaccented, closed syllable must contain a short vowel (with only two excep-
tions) but that an unaccented open syllable will usually contain a long vowel. We also
know that shwa is silent when preceded by a short vowel but vocal when preceded
by an unaccented long vowel. Knowing these rules of thumb, how do we analyze a nouns
word like i19~'! 'wisdom'? There is no problem with the i19 syllable; it is open with a
From this point on, the nouns in the vocabulary lists will be assumed to be fem-
long vowel (qamets as long a). The beginning of the word, however, poses a problem.
inine if they have the i1 ending and masculine if they have no ending, unless
If the first qamets is long a, then the shwa is vocal and we have two syllables: I! plus
T-
otherwise noted.
~- If, however, the qamets represents short o, then the shwa is silent and we have only
one syllable: ~I!' pronounced "khokh:' Looked at another way, if the shwa is vocal, 1!N 'ear' (fern.); with sf. ~~T~; du. O~JT~; cs. du. ~~T~
then the qamets must be a long a, but if the shwa is silent, then the qamets is a short i1D:Jn 'wisdom'; cs. nQ~l!
T : T
o. The problem, in other words, is how to pronounce the two vowels when qamets
'hand' (fern.); cs.1~; du.o~i;; cs. du. ~1;
is followed by shwa. The two ways just given of figuring the pronunciation of the
qamets and shwa are interdependent; there is no firm ground to begin from. 'night' (masc.); cs. ?~?;pl. ni?~? (masc., like the sg.)
O~Q 'water(s)' (always pl.); cs. ~Q
Qamets Followed by Shwa o~.lnD
'- ! T
'loins; waist'; middle part of the body (always du.); cs. ~~1;19; du. with
A rule of thumb is that in a noun, qamets followed by shwa is almost sf. ~mD
- : T
always pronounced short o plus silent shwa (see i19iQ above, pro- 'eye' (fern.); cs. p+.J; with sf. ~~~+.'; du. o~j~+.J; cs. du. ~~~+.'; du. with sf. ~J~+.J;
nounced khokh-ma). The same combination in verbs is not as predict-
also means 'spring, water source'; cs. P+.J; pl. niJ;P,; cs. pl. niJ~+.J
able but is usually pronounced long a plus vocal shwa. (We will take
this up again when we have learned some verbs.) i1~1J
T ••
'advice, counsel'; cs. n~P,; pl. ni~+.J
O+.J~ 'time' (= occurrence, as in 'one time: 'two times' = 'once', 'twice');
The only common exception to the noun part of this rule of thumb is some 'pace, footstep' (fern.); du. O~QP,.!? 'twice, two times'; pl. O~QlJ~; cs. du./
singular nouns with the second-person masculine singular (2ms) suffix, such as pl.~QP,.!?
o;n;;rr. Note the metheg beside the qamets under the~. We learned in lesson 9, in o~1iJ¥ 'noon' (always du.)
the footnote discussing the word for 'houses' 0~1;1~, that a metheg is used (incon-
sistently in the Hebrew Bible but consistently in this textbook) whenever there is ?~'1. 'foot' (fern.); with sf. ~7n; du. o~?rJ; cs. du. ~?n; du. with sf. ~7n
some question about the pronunciation of qamets. The metheg indicates a long a O~Q~ 'sky, heaven(s)' (always pl.); cs. ~Qt.p; with sf. ~Qo/
pronunciation. So 1"1~1 is actually four syllables: 1 plus~ (long a) plus l (vocal i1Jo/ 'year'; cs. nJt.p; du. O~DJo/; pl. o~~~; cs. pl. ~~t.p (less common, niJt_p); pl.
shwa) plus ';f. If it had been written without the metheg, it would have been pro- with sf. ~JiV or ~niJiV
nounced as three syllables: 1 plus l~ (short o and silent shwa) plus ';f. 0~1;1~ con-
- T - :
tains a metheg because the word is pronounced as two closed syllables, n;t plus i1lil1 'instruction, teaching; law; Torah' (the first five books of the Bible);
0~1;1, and we would ordinarily expect the unaccented, closed syllable n;t to have a
cs. n""}irl; pl. and cs. pl. niiin
short -o vowel. The metheg tells us that, against all expectations, the qamets here is
pronounced as long a. 4. Note that the accent is on the first syllable. This is a masculine noun, not a feminine noun;
the feminine i1,- ending is accented.
11. NOUNS WITH PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES 11.10. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 11
proper nouns Nmil Viii oi~il ~1:::11

- - T - '': •
.s
tlili:lN 'Abraham'
T T I -
i\?i?iJ i~~iJ ~Q .9
tli:lN 'Abram' (Abraham's name before it was changed)
5
tl~W~i~
T : -
'Jerusalem'
il!iJ :JitliJ ii?;'P0 'ifo/n ~, 0 ~ .1o
•- T :
ilbt,w: 'Solomon' 2. Sentences
adjective Any adjective in BH can be "substan- 1:;f*~ 0~ il~i?.T .1

VWi T T
'wicked; criminal'; often inter- tivized;' that is, used as a noun. So, i~~Q il9~t:l il~it> .2
changeable with V1 :JiO is both "good" (rnasc.) and "a good
person/thing" (rnasc.); il:tio is both 1~Jnon
T : T '
iWN
'.' -:
O'J:lil
' T -
O'l'Wi
T :
.3
preposition "good" (fern.) and "a good person/
Oil Oili:JN ~nN .4
~J~lJ::l
.... : 'in the eyes of, in the opinion thing" (fern.); Vo/1 is "wicked" (rnasc.) '' T T : - '' -;
of' or "a wicked person/thing" (rnasc.);

and ill;'o/1 is both "wicked" (fern.) and
"a wicked person/thing" (fern.). ni!J~il iiWD ':JN '1~ ii~N
T - '." • -: ••: '/ ••
.6
A. Translate from Hebrew to English: ii:Jitlil iiWNil n~l' nNt

T - T ' T - -;
.7
1. Phrases N~il Oi:JN ·nWN T : - '." ••

.8
il:l,Oil ~,~
T : - -
.1 ilb;w ~:JN ;;,l .9 : ' -: T
O'W~il ''.li
.. : - .2
• T -
~ol'
. - nJw
- nNt .1 o :
<
1~:JN 1:JV. .3
• T '." •:
• <
,,, nwN .4
• T ·.· .. 1. my father's wife
VWiil ~rl':l .5
T T T '' '" :
2. his horses' ears
6
in:;l '~'~ '~-?7 .6 3. your (masc. sg.) Torahs
<
O'DWil nn:m .7
• - T - - : T
4. Our brother is small.
5. Your (fern. pl.) word is great.
5. Note the hireq that is not quite centered under the C. The Masoretes were pronouncing the
name of the city c~?o/~1;, but the people who wrote the consonants centuries before were pronounc- C. Practice reading the second line of Gen 22:2.
ing it c?.o/~1;. So the Masoretes were faced with indicating their own pronunciation in a word that
was lacking the ' that was essential to them. They could not add a ' to the sacred consonantal text,
so they indicated their pronunciation by inserting a hireq after the 7syllable, but to the right of the
normal place where a vowel would be under the 0 (much like a furtive patakh). Thus, the word is to
be pronounced c~?o/~1;, even though we will only rarely see the second yin the biblical text.
6. It is often the case that beged-kephet consonants lose their dageshes, even at the beginning
of a word, if the word immediately before them ends in a vowel sound and the two words are pro-
nounced quickly together.
12.2. THE FORM OF THE QAL PREFIX CONJUGATION
QAL PREFIX CONJUGATION
lcp we will keep ibtp~ ibWN

: ...
I will keep lcs 2
2mp you (mp) will keep ~i'?o/D ibo/D you (ms) will keep 2ms
12 2fp
3mp
you (fp) will keep 3 i1t)DtpD
they (m) will keep ~i'?o/~
'!'?o/D
ibtp~
you (fs) will keep
he will keep
2fs
3ms
THE QAL PREFIX CONJUGATION, 3fp they (f) will keep 3 i1t)DtpD ibo/D she will keep 3fs
THE IMPERATIVE, AND THE Note that in the second and third persons, verbs in BH mark number and gender.
DIRECT OBJECT MARKER In the first person, only number is expressed; as with the pronouns, the gender of
the first-person verb is "common;' that is, the same for masculine and feminine.
12.3. THE SUBJECT IN THE FORM OF THE QAL PREFIX CONJUGATION
In most cases, the pronominal subject is not written with the prefix conjugation:
12.1. THE QAL PREFIX CONJUGATION'S USE
the form ibtp~ includes the pronoun "I" within it. In fact, writing the pronoun
We will begin our study of verbs with the qal (?j?) or "simple" stem. The prefix con- in addition to the verb implies emphasis; that is, ibo/~ '~~ is 'I will keep' or 'It is
jugation (pref. conj.; often referred to as the imperfect) is used in BH to express: I who will keep: In BH, 'I will keep' without special emphasis is simply ibtp~, a
fact that may cause difficulty for many English speakers and students who know
1. simple future he will write modern Hebrew, but leaving out the separate pronoun is the usual custom for BH.
2. ongoing action in any tense he was writing; he is writing When the subject of the prefix conjugation verb is a noun rather than a pro-
noun, it will almost always follow the verb. 'The king will watch' is 1?¢0 ibtp\
3. habitual action in any tense he writes (for a living, all the time); he Switching the word order so that the subject comes first implies emphasis on the
used to write subject: ib\P~ 1?~iJ is 'The king will watch' or 'It is the king who will watcll.
4. modal uses he would write, should write
12.4. FURTHER REMARKS ON THE FORM OF THE QAL PREFIX CONJUGATION
12.2. THE FORM OF THE QAL PREFIX CONJUGATION The prefix conjugation is so called because each item in the paradigm begins with
The paradigm for the prefix conjugation should be memorized using the root 1iTJW a prefix, called a "preformative" letter: N for lcs; J for lcp; 'for 3ms and 3mp; n
'to keep, observe (e.g., the commandments); guard, watch: for everything else (all second-person forms and all feminine forms). The vowel of
the preformative is hireq, except for lcs ibo/~, when it is seghol. Finally, note that
the 2fp and 3fp are identical: i1JlDo/D (sometimes written ,llDo/D. without the i1
mater).
2. The number after each form is the person (first, second, or third); the c, m, or f is common,
masculine, or feminine gender; the s or p is singular or plural.
3. Note that this word violates one of the shwa rules you learned above in lesson 6. 7: the shwa
1. Remember or reread the discussion of triconsonantal roots in lesson 6.11. after the long vowel is silent; the word is pronounced tish-m6r-nah.
-66-
68 12. QAL PREFIX CONJUGATION, IMPERATIVE, DIRECT OBJECT MARKER 12.5. THE IMPERATIVE FORM
Although the conjugation is named after its prefixes, half the forms also have pref. conj. 'you (fs) will watch' (without the prefor-
suffixes. 2fp and 3fp ilr16'PD have unaccented ilJ-; 2fs ~17?'-PD has an accented ~. mative this would be ~17?'-P, an impossible
suffix; 2mp ~iT?'PD and 3mp ~i'?'P~ have accented ~- suffixes. The accented suffixes form because it begins with two shwas;
have the effect of both adding a syllable to the end of the word and creating open rule of shwa gives us a hireq instead)
syllables right before the (new) stressed syllable. That is, we start with ib'P~ (two impv. 'Watch!' (spoken to one woman)
closed syllables) in the 3ms and add the plural suffix to it, to end up with (or so we
would expect) ~ibt.p~ (one closed and two open syllables) in the 3mp. But that is not pref. conj. ~i'?'PD 'you (mp) will watch'
exactly the form we get. Note: impv. ~iT?l.P 'Watch!' (spoken to a group of men or to
a mixed group)
In prefix conjugation verbs, if there is an open syllable right before the
accented syllable and that syllable has a vowel that can be reduced, that 12.6. A BRIEF NOTE ON THE NEGATIVE IMPERATIVE FORM
vowel will be reduced (to shwa or a hateph-vowel). We will discuss the negative imperative in a later lesson. For now, note that the
negative of the imperative is never simply a negative word plus the imperative. It is
So the 3mp form that we actually get is ~iQ\P\ still consisting of one closed and a bit more complicated than that.
two open syllables, but the holem in the middle syllable has reduced to shwa. The
first shwa (under iV) is silent, and the second (under D) is vocal, according to the 12.7. THE VERBAL SENTENCE IN BIBLICAL HEBREW
second rule we learned in lesson 6.7. A verbal sentence in BH is one that includes a "finite" verb, that is, a verb that
can be conjugated for person, gender, and number, like the prefix conjugation. In
The paradigm above for the prefix conjugation should be memorized. BH, verbal sentences almost always begin with the verb, which is followed by the
subject (if it is something other than the pronoun included in the verb), then any
12.5. THE IMPERATIVE FORM direct or indirect objects (commonly referred to as V-S-0 sentences).
Direct commands in BH are expressed by the imperative form. The imperative ::m:::> means 'to write', and the word for 'book' is i;Jp. Thus, 'He will write a book'
(impv.) proper in BH 4 is always second person and is formed by removing the pre- is i.?,P :Jh?~· 'The king will write a book' is i.?,P 179~ :Jh?~· Again, this word order
formative from the second-person prefix conjugation forms. Thus: is difficult for English speakers and those who have studied modern Hebrew, but it
must be observed.
pref. conj. ib'PD 'you (ms) will watch, keep' Adverbial phrases, especially those concerned with time, will generally precede
impv. 5
ib'P 'Watch! Keep!' (spoken to a male) the verb, even in a verbal sentence. 'On that day the king will write a book' would
usually be i.?,P 179o :Jh?~ NmiJ t:Ji~~l.
pref. conj. m16wn
T : : '
'you (fp) will watch'
impv. i1Ji61.V
T : :
'Watch!' (spoken to a group of women) 12.8. THE DEFINITE DIRECT OBJECT MARKER
When the direct object of a verb in BH is definite, the word n~ comes directly
With the 2fs and 2mp forms, once we remove the preformative, we are left with before the direct object. It is called a direct object marker. 6 'The king will write
impossible forms, and the rule of shwa takes over: the book' is i.P¢.iJ n~ 1?QiJ :Jh:;J~. n~ is most commonly written, not as a sepa-
rate word, but ·connected ~ith m~qqeph to the definite direct object that follows it.
4. As opposed to other forms that express a wish, such as "Let's go!"; these forms that will be
discussed in a future lesson. 6. There are, admittedly, instances in the Hebrew Bible where we would expect n~ but it does
5. The shwa has become vocal because it is now the first vowel in the word. not appear. This lack of n~ is, in fact, common when the direct object is a part of the body.
70 12. QAL PREFIX CONJUGATION, IMPERATIVE, DIRECT OBJECT MARKER 12. 10. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 12 71
Since this connection takes the stress off of n~, the long vowel tsere of n~ reduces verbs
to seghol, and the form we get is -n~: i-?.¢.o-n~ 1?9o :J.il:;>:. 'to remember'; pref. conj. jjr:
This n~ is not originally the same word as the preposition n~ 'with: which we 'to cut; cut off (from a community)'; used idiomatically with n'l~ to
learned in lesson 9, although they look the same in BH. This direct object marker mean 'to make (a covenant)'; pref. conj. n"l:;>:
n~ can also take pronominal suffixes, however, and that paradigm is not the same
:J.t9 'to write'; pref. conj. :J.il:;>:
as the paradigm for the preposition n~ plus pronominal suffixes. The direct object
marker plus suffixes follows the ':;1 paradigm, but the tsere or seghol changes to 179 'to rule, reign; be a monarch';-;~ 'over';~ 'in; over'; pref. conj.i;~:
holem in most forms: 'Qi? 'to kill'; pref. conj. ;up:
iQo/ 'to watch, guard; keep, observe'; pref. conj. ibo/:
THE DIRECT OBJECT MARKER WITH PERSONAL PRONOUN
<.
'-';lo/ 'to judge'; pref. conj. t)blp:
( (
us' as direct object ~mN 'DN me' as direct object

T
nouns
( (
you' (mp) as direct object tl~J;l~ 'TfJ;lN you' (ms) as direct object ii?f 'cattle' (collective noun for bovines); pl. rare
(
you' (fp) as direct object Pt;l~ 1nN

(
you' (fs) as direct object n'lf 'covenant, treaty' (fern.); no pl.

T
'them' (m) as direct object tll}N inN 'him, it' as direct object mj 'priest'; pl. tl'~t)j
;mm 'commandment'; cs. nnzQ; pl. n1¥Q
'them' (f) as direct object tl}N i1J}N 'her, it' as direct object T: •
'-'~o/Q 'judgment, justice, ordinance; custom'; cs. '-'$o/Q; pl. tl'\?~lpQ; cs. pl.
''-'.. !IW
: : rJ
.
For instance, the expression 'He will watch me' is 'DN iblp\
i~J '(unmarried) young man; boy; servant'; with sf. 'lP,~
12.9. THE NEGATION OF THE PREFIX CONJUGATION i-?.Q 'book, document, scroll'; with sf. 'l~t?
The prefix conjugation is negated by the word ~6, which goes immediately before tN~ 'sheep, goats, sheep and goats' (fern.) (collective noun for bovines);
the verb. 'The king will not write the book' is i-?.¢.o-n~ 1?9o :J.il:;>: ~6. no pl. (Note the quiescent N.)
12.10. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 12 proper nouns

tl';:i;~ 'God; gods': a pl. form that can indeed mean 'gods: it is more com-
.. monly used as a way of addressing the God of the Bible and is then
The Lexical Form of the Verb in Biblical Hebrew treated as a singular noun; the reason for the pl. form is debated.
Construct '0";~ can al o mean either 'gods of' or 'God of' (Israel, for
By convention, verbs in BH are referred to, not by their infinitive forms, as in English
('to go; 'to work; and so on), but rather by the 3ms suffix conjugation form of the verb.
instance). When tl';:i;~ is preceded by one of the inseparable prepo-
This is the simplest form of any verb. (Sometimes a slightly different form is used as sitions, the N quiesces, and the vowel under the preposition is tsere.
the "name" of the verb, but the 3ms suffix conjugation form is the norm.) Even though 'To God' is tl';:i;N; (only three syllables). Observant Jews will often
we have not yet learned the suffix conjugation, the verbs in our vocabulary lists will pronounce the word as if it were tl'i?;~ (see immediately below).
be written out in this form for ease of reference. Thus, the first vocabulary word, i~!·
i1li1~ the personal name of the God of Israel, "the Tetragrammaton;'
means 'he remembered; but in a vocabulary list or when referring to the root in the
abstract, we will render the word 'to remember'. "Yahweh" in modern scholarly writing; this word is usually vocalized
by the Masoretes so that the reader will read Adonay 'my lord' ('t'T~),
because pronouncing the personal name of God was taboo, at least by
72 12. QAL PREFIX CONJUGATION, IMPERATIVE, DIRECT OBJECT MARKER 12.11. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 12 73
the Hellenistic period. Observant Jews today will pronounce Adonay

or Hashem, 'the name: rather than Yahweh. The name is often repre-
sented in English Bibles as "the LoRD:' In this textbook, we will vocal-
ize the Tetragrammaton in the way usually done in the Hebrew Bible, C. Translating English to Hebrew
and the student can decide how to pronounce and translate it. As
1. I will remember his words.
with O';:i~~ above, theN of't"T~ quiesces when an inseparable prepo-
sition comes before it; 'for Yahweh' is written iJlil'7, with patakh, and 2. You (masc. sg.) used to observe the commandments.
it is to be pronounced 'tn~7 (only three syllables).
3. We will not make a covenant.
However il1il; is pronounced and translated, the two words il1il; and
O';:i~~ must be kept separate, each with its own translation. il1il; is not D. Practice reading the third line of Gen 22:2.
'God:· and O'ii~N is not 'the LORD'.
adverb
~6 'not'; negates the prefix conjugation
particle
n~;-n~ marker for definite direct objects
A. Completing the paradigm

Write out the complete paradigm for the prefix conjugation of 1~1J.
B. Translating Hebrew to English sentences
lN~iTI1~1 ii?fiTI1~ ilJ~iJ ibo/~ .2

ini1" ni:!ln I1N O".li1:>i1
T : : • " ' -; -
~iOW": : •
.3
';fl-?t?-I1~ ::ltlf .5
In sentence 8, the word order (with '7 imme-
diately after the verb, and even preceding 0"::lit>i1 ini1" "t>!IWO-I1N "iOW .6
• - T : •• : : • '." • : •
the subject) is correct for the situation in

which the indirect object ('me') is a pronoun Q]o/~i":;l i1f7QiJ 'l~l?T:l .7
and the direct object is a noun (ii.~t;l).ln fact,
when :;J., ?, n~, -?~, or -?l' plus p.ronominal
1i-?t?-I1~ li?.!iJ i~~~ "7 :Jtl~~ N~ .8
suffix is part of a verb phrase, it is likely that i1~"?1 Oi" Oil"i!JO~ 1"nN ~::lrl:l"
T :- : •,• '' : ' : T •,• : : '
.9
the':;!, inN, 1'?J?, and so on, will come imme-
diately after the verb.
13.2. STATIVE VERBS 75
13.2. STATIVE VERBS

The second such category is "stative verbs:' Stative verbs are verbs that describe a
state rather than an action. The translation value of these verbs is usually 'to be' plus
an adjective: 1~f' for instance, means 'to be heavy, weighty; important, honored'.
13 The prefix conjugation of "stative" verbs usually has patakh rather than holem.
THE STATIVE VERB
THE PREFIX CONJUGATION OF VERBS WITH 1~?~
VARIANT PATTERNS; RESUMPTIVE PRONOUNS n:pn 1~?D
i1J1:b.n
T ; - : •
'1:l::lfl
. .
; ;
1:1:::>'
- : .
13.1 SECOND- AND THIRD-GUTTURAL VERBS

In this lesson we will learn to recognize several forms of the prefix conjugation that
differ in small ways from ibo/tt, ibo/f:l, and so on. There are several categories of 13·3· OTHER VERBS WITH PATAKH
verb that have patakh as the last vowel instead of holem. The first such category The third such category is a small set of verbs that have patakh in the prefix conju-
comprises most verbs (with a few exceptions) in which the second of the three gation for no obvious reason, for instance, :l;Jo/ 'to lie down'; 107 'to learn'; and :l;l'l
root consonants of the verbal root is a guttural (N, il, n, p), like iiJf. 'to choose: or 'to ride'.
in which the third root consonant is one of the gutturals il, n, or V, like VQ~ 'to
hear' (called "second-guttural" and "third-guttural" verbs, or "II-G" and "III-G" VERBS WITH PATAKH
respectively):
:l;>o/~ :l:!WN
- : •.•
THIRD-GUTTURAL VERB SECOND-GUTTURAL VERB
~:l:Po/D :l;>o/D
VOo/~ VOo/tt iiJ:;t~ in:lN
- : ... T ; -
<
ilJ :::1:! t.Z): .n ':::1:!
. t.Z).n.
; ;
~VQWD VOo/D ~in:m

-: : . ~:l::>W' :l::>W'
: ; . - : .
i1J.U6t.Z>.n
T : - ;
'.u 1) t.Z).n
• : ; 0
ilJitl:l.n
T ; - ; •
'in:l.n
0 -: : •
T ; -
<
ilJ :::1:! t.Z): .n :l::>t.Z>.n
- ; .
~VT?o/~ vnw'
- . : ~it):;t:
ilJ.U 6t.Z).n
T : - ;
ilJitl:l.n
T ; - ; •
13·4· THIRD-ALEPH VERBS
Verbs with N as the third root consonant (third-N verbs) are a subset of the first
Note the hateph-patakh in the iiJf. paradigm: 2fs, 2mp, and 3mp. group above. When N comes at the end of a word (or even a syllable), it quiesces,
and the vowel before it tends to lengthen. See, for instance, the following paradigm
for N'li? 'to cry, call, summon':
-74-
13. PREFIX CONJUGATION, VARIANT PATTERNS; RESUMPTIVE PRONOUNS 13.6. FIRST -GUTT URAL VERBS WITH PATAKH 77
THE THIRD-ALEPH VERB 13.6. FIRST-GUTTURAL VERBS WITH PATAKH

First-guttural (I-G) verbs with patakh as the last vowel are generally stative verbs;
Nlm Nli?~ their preformative vowel is seghol, with hateph-seghol under the first root conso-
nant. For example, Pit:! 'to be strong':
~Nli?D Nli?D
ilJNli?D ~~li?D THE FIRST-GUTTURAL VERB WITH PATAKH
~Nli?~ Nli?~
PI!;P PIP~
ilJNl.i?D Nli?D ~PP:Jl) P!Dl)
<
ilJi?!Dl) 3~mryl)
Note the anomalous seghol in the 2fp and 3fp.
~prry~ PH:t
13·5· FIRST-GUTTURAL VERBS
First-guttural verbs (other than I-N, see below) have two basic forms in the prefix ilJi?IDl) P!Dl)
conjugation: as before, those with holem as the last vowel; and those with patakh
as the last vowel. The first-guttural (I-G) prefix conjugations with holem as the last 13·7· FIRST-ALEPH VERBS
vowel usually have patakh under the preformative, plus hateph-patakh (sometimes
Verbs that haveN as the first root consonant (first-N verbs) occur in several forms
referred to as an "echo vowel") rather than the expected shwa under the guttural, as
in the prefix conjugation. Most are just like other I-G verbs, with the minor varia-
with 10V 'to stand' (note the usual seghol in the lcs).t
tion that those with holem in the last syllable have seghol plus hateph-seghol instead
of patakh plus hateph-patakh. 4 We will use '1Q~ 'to gather' as our model verb:
THE FIRST-GUTTURAL VERB
THE FIRST-ALEPH VERB

1bP,J 1bp~
~1'?~D 1bP,D '10~9 '10~~

ill1DlJn
T :
z~1'?~D ~.!:lt;>~D '10~1)
~1DlJ~
t --
1bP,~ ~.;Jt;>~D
ill1DlJn
T : -; -
1bP,D '10~~
'10~1)
The most interesting and most common I-N verbs, however, are five verbs that
have the now-familiar patakh as the last vowel but holem as the first; also, the root
1. Note that I -G verbs do not always have an echo vowel, e.g., :J.\Vt;1~, 11i;1~ ·
2. The 2fs, 2mp, and 3mp get their forms from the rule of shwa for gutturals: 11Q.P.~ is an impos-
sible form, with a hateph-vowel and a vocal shwa together in the middle of the word·. The resolution 3. Again, note the 2fs, 2mp, and 3mp forms, with two seghols as a result of rule of shwa.
for such patterns is to lose the hateph-vowel and substitute the corresponding full vowel. 4. This is a peculiarity of words with N followed by an o-vowel, which we will see frequently.
13. PREFIX CONJUGATION, VARIANT PATTERNS; RESUMPTIVE PRONOUNS 13·9· VOCABULARLY FOR LESSON 13 79
letter N quiesces in every form. Three of these five verbs are iQ~ 'to say', ;:;1~ 'to eat', 1 3.9. VOCABULARLY FOR LESSON 13
and 1:;1.~ 'to die'. (The other two are i1~~ 'to be willing' and i1-?~ 'to bake.)
verbs
;:JN- T
'to eat'; pref. conj. ;:;lN~
THE FIRST-ALEPH VERB il:lN
iDN - T
'to say' ('to' someone, with 7 or-;~); pref. conj. iQN~
iQNJ iQN "lDf 'to choose'; pref. conj. iD:t~ (dir. obj. with :p.: 'he will choose me'
nt?N.n iQN.n ~~ iD:t~)
< 'to be strong'; pref. conj. PTD~
i1JiDN.n
T : -
~11?N11
'to stand'; pref. conj. 1bP,~
~it?N~ iQN~
<
'to call'; 'to summon' (with 7); 7
'to name' (with or n~; with or with-
i1JiDNil
T : -
iQN.n out the noun OW in the phrase); pref. conj. Nli?~
'to hear; to listen to' (with-;~ or 7); 'to obey' (with ;;p7 or ;;p:p.); pref.
Note that the lcs form has only one N, whereas we would expect two: one to repre- conj. ))Qo/~
sent the lcs and one to be the first root letter. Instead, the second N disappears, and
we are left with only one. nouns
itl~ 'strong or mighty man; warrior; soldier'
ory? 'bread; food'; with sf. ~QT;J7
To summarize, in this lesson we have seen:
i:l1D
T : •
'wilderness'; cs. i~lQ
(1) several types of prefix conjugation verbs with patakh in the mnl:l
... - -:
'camp'; cs. ilmQ
last syllable-stative verbs (including 1-G); 11-G; 111-G; a small
1~7Q 'messenger; angel'; cs. 1~7Q; with sf. ~:;>~7Q; pl. o~:;>~7Q; cs. pl. ~~~7Q
group with no obvious reason for the patakh;
(2) 111-N verbs with qamets in the last syllable; i1?. 'mouth'; 'edge' (of a sword, for instance); cs. ~.!;!;with sf.~.!;!, -;p~, and so
(3) 1-G verbs that begin with either patakh plus hateph-patakh on, on the pattern of :J.~ and n~; pl. very rare
or segho/ plus hateph-seghol;
(4) five 1-N verbs with holem in the first syllable. 'army'; cs. N~¥; pl. niN~¥; cs. pl. niN:t¥; used especially in the phrase
niN~¥ i1li1; 'the LoRD of hosts' (masc., like the sg.)
13.8. RESUMPTIVE PRONOUNS proper nouns

We learned in lesson 9 that io/~ is the relative pronoun in BH. Besides the uses we illo/ personal name, 'Sarah'
have already seen, iW~ is used to introduce entire clauses. 'This is the man who '1o/ personal name, 'Sarai' (the spelling of Sarah's name before it was
will rule over Israel' i~ ~~ntp~-;1' 1;1?~ i1.p,~ u,h~ij i1!. changed in Gen 17)
In most of BH, there is no word-for-word equivalent to English 'in which', pronoun
'to whicll, 'for which', and so on. Instead, BH uses io/~ plus a preposition with a ~Q 'who?'; usually comes at the beginning of the sentence
"resumptive pronoun:' Thus, 'this is the city in which I will write the book' is writ-
ten i1f i-?¢.D-n~ :J.h?~ io/~ i~V.ij nNt (literally, 'This is the city which I will write adjective
the book in it' -bad English, but perfectly normal Hebrew). P~1~ 'righteous'
So 13. PREFIX CONJUGATION, VARIANT PATTERNS; RESUMPTIVE PRONOUNS 13.10. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 13 81
preposition B. Translate the following into Hebrew:

1l} 'up to, as far as; until' 1. He will say these words.
conjunction 2. I will name him David.
~~ 'because'; sometimes 'when'; after a negative, 'but rather'
3. We will listen to the king's wife.
particle
ibN? literally 'to say: this word can be used to mark the onset of direct C. Practice reading all of Gen 22:1-2.
speech; often translated 'saying' but better left untranslated and rep-
resented by quotation marks.

i:l1Dil on?-I1N O'ii:::U ~~:lN' .1
T : • - '." •,• •,• • • :
6
17.97 111f 5 0~i/ i!J~: ibN? i11il~ 1~7Q-~~ iQNj .2
Oili:lN-~N O'i6N 7iCN;i .3 T T : - '.' • '."! '." -
(Gen 17:15) i1f?o/ illo/ ':;> ''1\p i1f?o/-I1~ Nli?D N~

o?w~i' 'n nN i:m • - T : •• •• : •
A
il~t)QiJ 'J!;J7 ~~lip; N~¥ 1bP,~ o:'1Q¥~ ibN? i1~7b7 i11il~ Nli?: .5
i:l iliil' t?!lWC iWN i!l0il-I1N ::Lh:ln .6
T : - : • '.' -: '.' " - '•' : •
8
i11il~ i1f iD~: iW~ ili?'1~iJ-n~ O'~Q::>iJ 10-?o/: .7
il~li/ 1D¥P,7 ilo/~i/ VQo/T:l .8
Oili::LN ibW' iWN ni~Dil il~N .9
T T : - : ' •,• -; ; ' - '." "
m~Q Ptn; iW~ O>J 03:' I1'!f 01~~ ':;l~ n'"l:;>: .1o
o;Qo/iJ 17.9 'J-?7 1bP,~ 'Q .11
'nin-11' iliil' '!l I1N VCWN ibN~ ilWC~ il'jil iON~ .12
• - T ; • '' - : ·: " ',' ; - - - -
5. tJ~ is used as both a singular and a plural. Sometimes in the same sentence, 0~ will be used
with a singular adjective and a plural verb.
7
6. can be translated 'as' here.
7. 'And [God] said;
8. See the explanatory box that goes along with sentence 8 in lesson 12.
14.2. THE COHORTATIVE FORM
imperative in BH, there are also special forms of the verb in each person that make
it clear that the indirect imperative is being expressed. In the verbs we have learned
thus far, 1 only the first person exhibits such a form: an accented il is added at the
T -
,., ~
14
end of the verb. This form is known as the cohortative.
THE COHORTATIVE
1bo/J We will guard/Let's guard. il1DW.l

T : : •
Let's guard.
INDIRECT IMPERATIVES, ~h:lN I will write/Let me write. il~.!1:lN Let me write.
: ·.· T ; : ·:
THE PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES ON VERBS,

AND THE PARTICLES NJ-
T
AND -il
-:
The cohortative is a special form of the first-person prefix
conjugation that expresses a wish.
14·3· THE JUSSIVE FORM

In the qal "weak'' verbs (see the note below), however, there is sometimes a special
14.1. THE INDIRECT IMPERATIVE OR VOLITIVE FORMS GENERALLY
form of the prefix conjugation to express the indirect imperative, not o.nly for the
Besides the direct imperative, BH uses indirect imperatives to express a wish, in first person (the cohortative), but for the second and third persons as well. These
all three persons. Taken together, the imperative and the indirect imperatives are special forms for the second and third persons are referred to as jussives. In the qal
called "volitive" forms-verb forms that express a wish. In English, the first-person "strong" verbs, the jussive looks exactly the same as the prefix conjugation, in both
plural indirect imperative is best illustrated by the contraction "Let's:' "Let's go to second and third persons.
the beach'' does not ask for someone to allow us to go the beach; rather, it expresses Weak verbs will be taken up in later lessons, but for the purpose of illustration,
a wish: I want for us to go to the beach. The first-person singular indirect impera- we will use a few as examples here. We will look at only the most co~mon types.
tive is uncommon in English, but the bumper sticker "Let me be the person my
dog thinks I am" is one example. Again, the dog owner is not using "let" to ask for 'He will arise' is o~p:, and 'May he arise' (third-person singular jussive) is
permission but rather is expressing a wish or hope. op:, from the root mp.
In the second and third persons in English, the indirect imperative is most
easily thought of as a toast at a celebration. "May you live long and prosper!" is a 'You (ms) will build' is ilJ:;lf:l, and 'May you build' (second-person singular
second-person example, and it works for singular and plural. "May she have many jussive) is pt\ from the root il.l~.
happy years in her new home!" is a third-person singular example; "May they be 'It (masc.) will be' is il~i;J\ and 'Let it be/Let there be' is ~0;, as in 'Let there be
happy together!" is a third-person plural example. light' (Gen 1:3): 1iN ~0;, from the root il~il.
In BH, the prefix conjugation can always have the indirect imperative meaning,
if the context allows or demands it. 1!lt:, ~h:l.l can be both 'We will write a book' and
'Let's write a book!' 1!l~irnN
..... - ... ~h:l.n·
: . . ~~n ~~an both 'She will write the book' and
In this textbook, the word jussive is used to indicate a special
form of the second- and third-person prefix conjugation that
'May she (finally) write the book!' expresses a wish.
14.2. THE COHORTATIVE FORM
Although the prefix conjugation can always have the meaning of the indirect 1. Referred to as the qal "strong" verbs. We will learn the "weak" verbs later in the semester.
-82-
84 14. INDIRECT IMPERATIVES; PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES ON VERBS; t-q- AND -t) 14.6. OBJECT SUFFIXES ON PREFIX CONJUGATION AND IMPERATIVE FORMS 85
14·4· THE NEGATIVE IMPERATIVE FORMS suffixes occur on prefix conjugation or imperative verbs. They must be recognized
The negative imperative is the negative word-;~ plus the jussive. 2 'Don't watch!' but need not be memorized; nor is it necessary to memorize the changes that occur
on the verbs themselves when suffixes are added. Recognition and understanding
(said to a man) is ibt.pn-;~. In BH, the imperative form is never negated.
There is also a negative imperative that uses the negative word ~6 plus the prefix are the goals.
There are two paradigms, neither complete: one that usually has an accented
conjugation. When this form is used, the command is meant to be especially strong
tsere plus pronominal suffixes; and one with an accented seghol plus a doubled con-
or forceful, even a universal prohibition; this is the form used in many of the Ten
sonant. In fact, with very few exceptions, a tsere or seghol before a verbal objective
Commandments. For instance, 'Don't close that window!' would be -;~ plus the
suffix tells you that the verb itself is a prefix-conjugation verb or an imperative. That
jussive; 'Don't ever close that window!' would be ~6 plus the prefix conjugation. 3
is, you can use the suffix to help you identify the verb. So:
-?~"not": used with the jussive to negate the imperative; in gen-
THE OBJECT SUFFIXES ON THE PREFIX CONJUGATION AND IMPERATIVES
eral, used to negate forms that express a wish (volitive forms)
N7 "not": negates the prefix conjugation, as we saw above; also '~.:-or'~.:- 'me' as direct object (as in '~'1~1.¥: 'he will observe me')
serves as an emphatic negative imperative when used with the
second-person prefix conjugation 'T(- or :r.:- 'you' (ms) as direct object
1 - 'you' (fs) as direct object
14·5· THE PARTICLE Nr T
The particle N~!Nt can be added after any of the volitive verb forms. It is often m-, ~i1.: -, or U .: - 'him' as direct object
translated 'please: but its meaning is debated. It is useful, however, in distinguish- i!.:- or i1~.:- 'her' as direct object
ing between the simple future and volitive meanings of those verbs that look alike
U .: - 'us' as direct object
in the prefix conjug~tion and jussive. i{;l¢. :lh-?: is 'He will write a book' or 'May
he write a book: i{;lt;? N~ :lh-?: is definitely 'May he write a book' (with maqqeph, 0 - 'them' (m or mixed) as direct object
written i{;l¢. Nt:l~-?:). When the negative ;~ is used, N~ is added directly to the
1.. - 'them' (f) as direct object
negative: Nt;~.
14.6. OBJECT SUFFIXES ON PREFIX CONJUGATION AND IMPERATIVE FORMS When these suffixes are added to a verb that ends in a vowel, the tsere or seghol will
We learned pronominal suffixes on nouns in lesson 11. Very similar suffixes occur disappear. There are only rarely examples of second-person plural suffixes.
when the direct object of the verb is a pronoun. (We have learned 'J:lN, etc. for
these situations, but the object suffixes are actually more common.) The following 14·7· THE PARTICLE -t)
The particle t), when added directly to the first word in a clause, turns the clause
2. As noted above, in the qal strong verb, the jussive and the prefix conjugation look exactly into a question:
alike; consequently, the negative imperative is often referred to in textbooks as -?~ plus the prefix
conjugation (or plus the "imperfect"). This formulation does, in fact, work for many kinds of verbs, He will watch the sheep/goats.
but in reality only those for which the jussive and the prefix conjugation look exactly alike. The more
iN~iTn~ ibt.p;
lN~;Tn~ ibo/:o Will he watch the sheep/goats?
correct formulation is as above, -?~ plus jussive.
3. There is the possibility for ambiguity from the point of view of English speakers: Is the sen-
tence 'Don't ever close that window!' or 'You will not close that window'? They look exactly the Before words that begin with gutturals or with shwa, the interrogative particle is
same. This very point, however, shows us that the ancient Hebrews did not see a distinction between usually iJ. (This particle can only rarely be confused with the definite article.) A
those two possibilities. To say 'You will not close that window' is the same as saying 'Don't ever close negative question begins with N;Q.
that window!'
86 14. INDIRECT IMPERATIVES; PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES ON VERBS; NJ,- AND -il., 14.8. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 14
14.8. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 14 it; that is to say, ?j is sometimes considered definite, even without a
definite article, although that use is not predictable.
verbs
N~!Nt volitive particle, no clear translation
1:::11.' - T
'to serve; work' (cf. i11!JP, below); pref. conj. 1!JP,~
n?w - T
'to send' (something, someone); 'to reach out, extend' (e.g., a hand); 14·9· EXERCISES FOR LESSON 14
pref. conj. n7~;
'let him build' (from the root i1J:l) Ji, 'iJ;. and op; are jussive forms
that you should simply memo- i:J '010 iWN i11Wi1 i1li1 .1
'let it be, let there be' (from the rize as they are. They will be
- ',' -: '." T - '." -:
root i1'i1) useful for the discussion of the Nm V1 W'~ ':;l oi~D 1i1r1:pp;J-~~ .2
verbal system in general, even
'let him arise, stand up' (from the
though we have not studied O'OW:l iiN 'i1' ibN~ i11i1' 4inN~1
•-T- •: '' T! '.' -
.3
root tl1p) them in depth yet.
1il?lp ibN?. ... 1~~ 1?¢D 7 i1W 6 1J'~T~9 ':;l1?¢;:n:p,.-~~ 5'1: n?o/~-N~ .4
nouns
;mn?n 'battle, war'; cs. nT?l)7Q; with sf. 'DT?D7Q; pl. niDI)7Q; cs. pl. niDt)7Q (adapted from 2 Sam 18:12) il}jjJ-!1~
T T ! '
< < t...
I1;~D-I1~ P,lT7~
8
i11!:ll'
T -:
'work; service; labor' (cf. 1~-\:' above); cs. n1!JP,; no pl. N1i1iJ .5
o?iv 'eternity: either future or antiquity; o?iv7 or o?iV-1~ 'forever'; with a urp~ O';:i~~ ':;l o?iv7 U'1i:t~ 1PT1}~ .6
negative, 'never'
i1?i1-;'D i'~;t iW~ ~~,iJ~ 1iv i1Vl;> op:-~~ .7
proper noun
i1V!;J 'Pharaoh' 1'l~TI1~ i1~l;'Qo/D N~1 m:m I1'~f 1:17o/1i; 'Wt~f i1rf6!!D .8
adverbs
9
(taken from 1 Kgs 18:24) i1!i1;-oW:t Nli?~ '~~1 O~';j~~ 90Wf 1Nli?D .9
-?~ forms the negative imperative: negates the jussive I1N~iJ l'"1.~i)-~l} Oi)l:t~ '~;-~f O':;li" .10
'today'; less commonly oi~~ with the same meaning N'i1i1 i1nn~ni1-~N ':JN~n-I1N N·ri1n~WN .11
•- TT:•- ',' 'T:- T::•: ',' T
with the pref. conj., either negates the pref. conj. (see lesson 12) or
forms the universal negative imperative ('thou shalt not's')
1iV 'again; still'; after a negative, 'no longer'
particles
0 interrogative particle 4. 'And he said;
?j;-?? 'all; each; every' (for instance, tllJ~-?? 'all the people'; i1~W?? 'each 5. Note that when the definite direct object is a part of the body, the direct object marker n~ is
often not used. (See footnote 6 oflesson 12.)
woman, every woman'; with pronominal suffixes, i~~ or n7~ 'all of it:
6. This is one of those situations mentioned above when the beged-kephet letter is pronounced
o?~ 'all of them'. Whether written with holem as a separate word or, without the dagesh even though it is at the beginning of a word, because the preceding word ends in
more commonly, attached to the next word with a maqqeph, the vowel a vowel, and the two words are pronounced closely together.
is an o-vowel. The word is always pronounced like English "coal:' (For 7. 'commanded'
a different set of two forms with the same sort of variation, see 12.8.) 8. This is the same verb asp.~, which is 3ms, but in this case it is the jussive of the second-person
When ?j is part of the direct object, it sometimes takes n~ in front of masculine singular or of the third-person feminine singular.
9. Nij? + DW:;t ="to call on the name of'
88 14. INDIRECT IMPERATIVES; PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES ON VERBS; N~- AND -Q

1. Will the man rule over us?
2. The man will rule over us.

3. The man will not rule over us.
4. May the man not rule over us!
C. Practice reading the first three lines of Gen 22:3.
15
THE CONSECUTIVE PRETERITE VERBAL FORM
15.1. THE CONSECUTIVE PRETERITE GENERALLY

The most common narrative past-tense form in BH we will call the consecutive
preterite (cons. pret.) in this book. 1 It is based on the jussive form but has nothing to
do with the meaning of the jussive. It is made by attaching the word 1'and' (which in
these verbs usually has the vowel patakh) to
the front of the jussive plus, usually, doubling
the preformative letter of the jussive. For Remember: in the qa/ strong verb,
instance, we learned in the last lesson that p.~ the prefix conjugation form and the
jussive form look exactly alike, so it is
means 'let him build'; now we will learn that
not obvious in the qa/ strong consec-
ph means 'and he built'. ib'¥~ means both utive preterite that we are starting
'he will watch' (pref. conj. meaning) and 'may with the jussive form. lt is only obvi-
he watch' (jussive meaning); 'and he watched' ous when we begin with weak verb
is ibu>~t jussives like p~. Still, it is correct to
: .-
say in general that the consecutive
We learned in the last lesson that ~i1~ . : is preterite is built off the jussive form,
'let there be'; now we can see that 'and there not the prefix conjugation form.
was' is ~i1~1:
. :- iiN ~i1~1
2
. :- iiN ~i1~
. : 'Let there be
light! And there was light' (Gen 1:3).
1. Preterite = past tense. The form is called "consecutive" because it begins with l 'and: imply-
ing that it follows another verb. It usually does, but it will be noted that the form has become so
common that it can stand at the beginning of a sentence.
2. In theory, the ~ preformative should be doubled and so would contain a doubling dagesh, but
in fact, when doubled yod (~) appears with shwa as its vowel, it tends to lose the doubling. This is true
of several letters in BH: 0/VJ, j?, l, n, ?, l, and '. The mnemonic for remembering which letters lose
the doubling when they appear with shwa is Skin 'em Levi or Skin 'em alive, which uses the sounds
of all the consonants involved.
-89-
90 15. THE CONSECUTIVE PRETERITE VERBAL FORM 15.4. AN ASIDE: THE HISTORY OF THE CONSECUTIVE PRETERITE FORM 91
15.2. THE RETRACTION OF ACCENT IN THE CONSECUTIVE PRETERITE FORM prose'1 only after the word 'and' (also written in its earlier form 1 rather than 1). 5 'TI1is
Sometimes a word's accent moves back toward the beginning of the word when is what is known as a "frozen form'': it is as if the 1"protects" the form from being
the 1is added. (We will refer to this 1as the "vav consecutive:') We also learned in updated, even though the rest of the language has left this old past tense behind.
the last lesson that op; is 'may he arise'; after adding the vav consecutive to make
'and he arose', we get op;1. But this verb is one in which the accent moves in the We are using the name "consecutive preterite" in this book to express the idea that
consecutive preterite form, so we would have t:JP~l- But notice that the retraction this form has always been a past-tense form in Hebrew (hence"preterite"), and it is
of the accent has left us with a final syllable that is unaccented and closed. It really preserved in BH narrative prose with the word "and" at the beginning (hence "con-
secutive"). Students should be aware, however, that this is idiosyncratic terminol-
should not have a long vowel, and in fact the form we get in BH does not. We get
ogy: "the converted Imperfect" or "the Imperfect with vav consecutive" is the norm.
instead qamets with the value short-a, and the actual form for 'and he arose' is
t:Jj?~1- (Remember: the first qamets is the usual long a-vowel, but the second is an
a-sound: vay-ya-qom.) 15·5· WHERE THE CONSECUTIVE PRETERITE MAY BE FOUND AND WHERE IT
Another verb that retracts the accent in the consecutive preterite form is the WILL NOT BE FOUND
very common 19N~1 'and he said' that we have already seen in a few sentences in the The consecutive preterite is ordinarily only used in positions where the word 'and'
exercises. We also get the expected 1QN~1, which is often, but not always, the form is not inappropriate; for instance, it would not come between subject and object:
that is used when a quotation begins with the very next word. 1.P.Q :Jil:;J~l 'iJ'?QiJ 'the king and he wrote a book' would be wrong. Also, it would not
c~me i~medi~tely after another conjunction: 1-9¢. 1?¢0 :Jil?~l ':;l 'because and the
15.3. OTHER NAMES FOR THE CONSECUTIVE PRETERITE king wrote a book' is also wrong. There is no place in such a sentence for the 'and'
The form we are calling the consecutive preterite is usually called the "converted in English or in Hebrew. ·
imperfect;' as if the addition of the 1somehow "converted" a future- tense verb into On the other hand, because the consecutive preterite is a frozen form, it comes
a past-tense verb. It is also called the "imperfect with vav consecutive;' a better all together, as a package. It has become, by the time of BH, simply a past-tense
choice, but also misleading, since the basic verb is not the "imperfect" (our prefix verb, with the sense of the 'and' at the beginning acknowledged only when it is
conjugation) but rather the jussive. useful. So the sentence 1,PQ 'iJ'?QiJ :Jil:;l~1 'And the king wrote a book' could come at
the very beginning of a docu~~nt, where the tie between that sentence and what-
15·4· AN ASIDE: THE HISTORY OF THE CONSECUTIVE PRETERITE FORM ever is perceived to have come before it (represented by the 'and') is very loose. In
The reason the consecutive preterite looks the way it does is a historical one. Stu- fact, even entire books of the Bible begin with consecutive preterites, such as Nli?~l
dents need not know the following explanation, but they might find it helpful, so it '(and) he called' (Yahweh to Moses; the book is Leviticus, called Nli?~l in Jewish
is included here. tradition). The 'and' in this case, while it can be thought of as connecting Leviticus
The consecutive preterite is a past-tense verb based on the jussive form, because to Exodus, is really extraneous in translation. Although 'and' is ordinarily not inap-
in an earlier form of Hebrew the jussive and the past tense were the same form. That propriate, as was explained above, it is not necessarily to be translated in every case.
is, p~ would have meant both 'may he build' and 'he built'. 3 By the time we get to It is left to the discretion of the translator whether to translate a particular consecu-
the form of Hebrew used in the Bible, this old past-tense meaning is preserved in tive preterite form with 'and', to use some other conjunction such as 'then', or not to
translate the 1at all.
3. We come to this conclusion from reading the fourteenth-century Ugaritic texts, which oper-
ate under this same system, but even more important is the evidence from the fourteenth-century
B.C.E. Akkadian texts found at el-Amarna in Egypt, because many of them were written in an Akka- 4. Examples of this early past-tense/jussive form without 'and' do occur in the Hebrew Bible,
dian that exhibits features of the underlying language of the Canaanite scribes, especially in the in early poetry.
verbal system. (See also the beginning oflesson 1.) 5. The origin of the doubling of the preformative that follows this 1 is debated.
92 15. THE CONSECUTIVE PRETERITE VERBAL FORM 15.8. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 15 93
15.6. THE LENGTHENING OF PATAKH TO QAMETS BEFORE THE lCS FORM 15.8. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 15
Because N cannot be doubled, the 1 plus doubling of the consecutive preterite A. Translate from Hebrew to English:
becomes lin the 1cs form. ibt.p~ means 'I will guard' or 'may I guard'; '(and) I
guarded' is ib'P~l· 11)~ oi~ ii?,S.-~0;1 :r:!~-~0;1 il?;? 6 ~1~ 1Wt171 ci~ ii~? o~iJ'~~ N1i?~1 .1
(Gen 1:5)
15·7· VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 15
(from Gen 16:7) iflQ~ O~~iJ 1~~-~~ il1il; 1~7Q i)~¥7?~1 .2
verbs
N¥9 'to find'; pref. conj. N¥1?~ ij?,:liJ ,;~-1~ 11l~iJ-I1~ ~i~~~l s;n~ iW~ OlJi)-~:;>1 111 7 0j?~1 .3
'to cross (over), travel through, traverse; to transgress' (a command- (from 2 Sam 17:22)
ment); pref. conj. ijP,~
(Judg 2:13) 10 I1ii~o/~71 9 ~~~7 n~~~l il)il;-!1~ ~:JW~1 .4
:mJ 'to abandon, leave'; pref. conj. :JTP.~
1~~~D iJ~ 12 ~9~ 1~7?~1 111 i~~f ii1N ~ifi?~1 1~J)j~-o~ no;:;1~ :J~o/~1 .5
- T
'to bury' (see i~R below); pref. conj. iJ.p~

'to lie down'; pref. conj. :J~t.p~ (1 Kgs 15:8)
nouns (from Exod 17:5) OlJi) ~~~7 ij!? ilwo-~~ il)il; i9N;1 .6
ip:i 'morning'; pl. very rare ;,:::~.~-~.u i!!Oil-!1~ ilW~il :Jh:>n1 .7
T' - ·: •• - '." T'T :•-
:::1? 'heart; mind' (the seat ofknowledge); with sf. ~~7; pl. ni:J7 (masc., like
B. Translate Hebrew short sentences with consecutive preterite:
the sg.)
:::1:::1~
T "
'heart; mind'; cs. :::1~7; with sf. ~:;9.7; pl. ni:J~? (masc., like the sg.)
:ll.~ 'evening'; no pl. attested, but a dual is: C~~l~ 13
0ilr~.U
•: T •
I1~i::J.
• :
!1"1:::>)1
: • -
.2
,~t? 'grave' (see i~i? above); with sf. ~!:;li? ~:J:J~::J. 11I1N ibt.V~1 .3
' T : ' T : '.' T
proper nouns
r:n~ 'Jordan River' 6. The accent on this word is unusual and is here for the sake of authenticity. Often in the
Hebrew Bible, having two accents directly next to each other is avoided, so N)i? here is accented
~~No/ personal name, 'Saul' on the first syllable because its regular accent, on the final syllable, would come immediately before
adjectives (numbers) the accent on the next word, il?~?. If the verse is being memorized, the accentuation should be
remembered correctly, but otherwise, such intricate matters of accentuation will not be a part of
1':1~ 'one, first' (masc.); cs.1)J~; pl. 0~1':1~ 'several' this textbook.
no~ 'one, first' (fern.); can also be written n':l~ (called a "pausal" form; 7. See above, 15.2.
such forms will be taken up in lesson 23) 8. When a compound subject follows the verb, it is possible in BH for the verb to agree with
only part of the compound subject-the part that is immediately after the verb (here: David). That
is, Oj?:1 can be understood to go with the entire compound subject.
9. ~~~iJ is the usual spelling of the divine name Baal.
10. This is the plural of the divine name Ashtoret = Astarte. The plural usage is generally taken
to mean various manifestations of the deity at different locations.
11. A personal name.
12. A personal name.
13. An alternate form of O'?l?·
94 15. THE CONSECUTIVE PRETERITE VERBAL FORM
iN~o-n~ ibo/~1 .4
P:;l~ i;tPf inN iji?~1 .5

'Q~;-n~ ~:;lN1 .6
il'3J
---
i1Jin:Jm
T:-:•-
Ol'i1-nN t>!nvm
T T '•' : ' -
.7
.s
16 .,._ t\?
'1~ P!Ql)1 .9 THE QAL SUFFIX CONJUGATION, THE
~.:l'i1i1 'l!l~ 1bl'~1 .10
T .. - •• : • -; - -
VJ-QATAL FORM, AND ITS OBJECT SUFFIXES
Q?o/~i':;l n~~ p~1 .11
1'i:J1-nN ~vmz>m .12
T T : '." : : ' -
C. Translating English to Hebrew:

16.1. THE SUFFIX CONJUGATION GENERALLY
1. (And) the old man wrote the book.
In lesson 15 we learned that the consecutive preterite is the most common past-
2. (And) I remembered the name ofYahweh. tense verb form in BH narrative prose. We also learned that the consecutive
3. (And) we made a covenant with the king of the great land. preterite is used in positions where the word 'and' is not inappropriate, for instance,
at the beginning of a clause. That leaves a number of situations unaccounted for,
D. Practice reading all of Gen 22:3. however, including: past-tense clauses that begin with ':;l (we do not get 'because
and he wrote'); past-tense clauses that, for one reason or another, begin with the
subject (we do not get 'the king and he wrote'); past-tense clauses that begin with
other conjunctions, such as iW~ (we do not get 'the man who and he wrote the
book'); past-tense clauses that begin with Nl;1.
16.2. THE MEANINGS OF THE SUFFIX CONJUGATION

In these situations, BH uses the suffix conjugation (suff. conj.), which is actually
the simplest form of the verb and, therefore, the form we have been using to iden-
tify verbs in the vocabulary lists. The meaning of the suffix conjugation is: ( 1) a
past tense in most forms, as in 'I wrote', including what is called in English the
present perfect 'I have written' and the pluperfect 'I had written'; and (2) present
tense in stative verbs and verbs of perception, for instance, 'I know' as well as 'I
knew' (verbal root V1').
16.3. THE FORM OF THE SUFFIX CONJUGATION

The paradigm of the suffix conjugation is as follows and should be memorized
(using the verbal root iOl.V):
-95-
96 16. QAL SUFFIX C ONJUGATION; VCI-QATAL FORM; OBJECT SUFFIX ES 16. 5 . EXAMPLES OF TRANSLATIONS OF THE SUF F IX CONJUGATION 97
THE SUFFIX CONJUGATION t6·5· EXAMPLES OF TRANSLATIONS OF THE SUFFIX CONJUGATION
< We will look at a few examples:

we kept UiDW : - T
'rliQ\V
• ! - T
I kept
you (mp) kept 1 tllJ ·wo/ rliQ\V
T ! - T
you (ms) kept He did not observe Yahweh's commandment.
you (fp) kept tl)lOo/
2
rliDW
; ; - T
you (fs) kept This is the man who served Yahweh.
they (m and f) kept 4
1iDl.V 3ji.)\V he kept He will not rule over us because he has not iQo/ ~6 ':;J 1J'?J;' 1~1?~ N~
! IT - T
kept Yahweh's commandment. il1il' m~m-nN T : - ; ' '.'

5
i1iDl.V
T ! IT
she kept
16.6. FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD GUTTURALS IN THE SUFFIX CONJUGATION
The suffix conjugation has no preformatives but instead has distinctive endings, When one of the verb's root consonants is a guttural, predictable changes occur.
most of which are unaccented; they should be noted, as they will occur in every In the four paradigms below, note 7 explains the quiescence of N throughout most
stem. The lcs ('D-), 2ms (J;l- ), and 2fs (f;l-) all have n as part of their ending. The of the paradigm; the other unusual forms are contained in boxes and explained in
3ms is the simple form, without a special ending; remember that it is this form notes 8, 9, and 10:
that identifies most verbs in Biblical Hebrew. The 3fs ends in il -, a familiar femi- T
nine ending from nouns and adjectives. The lcp ends in U-, and the third-person THE SUFFIX CONJUGATION WITH GUTTURALS
plural ending 1- does not distinguish between masculine and feminine. Finally, the
second-person plural endings are accented tll)- and 11)-, masculine and feminine, lcs 7
'DN'~H? 'rll)Q\V 'rliJb ~J11Ql)
• : - T ; - T ; - T
respectively. 6 < < <

2ms J;Nli? J1l)Q\V
T ! - T
nin:J
T ; - T
l11Dl'
T ; - T
16.4. THE NEGATION OF THE SUFFIX CONJUGATION 2fs 19nNli? I 18 f;l~H~o/ I nin:J
: ! - T
1117:)1)
: ; - T
Like the prefix conjugation, the suffix conjugation is negated with ~6, placed 1Ql}
3ms Nli? VQ~ iD;t
directly before the verb.
3fs il~li?, illmwT : IT
llOill t);t I i11Dl'T : IT
lcp UN1pT T
Ul'QW ! - T
U"")D;t U1Ql' ; - T
2mp tll)Nli? tlrll'DW

... : - : tll)lD:P. Itll)lQP, I
1. Note the shwa under the IV in the second-person plural forms.
2. Both shwas at the end of the word are silent. The word is pronounced sha-mart. This is one 2fp tl)Nli? 1l)l;'Oo/ tl)lD~ I tl)lO!? I
of the very rare occurrences of a final consonant cluster in BH, that is, two consonants pronounced
together at the end of a word without a vowel in between.
3cp 1Nli?. 1Vf?V? 1 ,,nf 1 nnl' ! IT
3. Note that this is the 3ms suffix conjugation form of the verb that we are using as the verb's
"name."
4. There is only one form in the third-person plural suffix conjugation. It works for both gen- 7. The~ quiesces throughout this paradigm, except for 3fs and 3cp.
ders. Note the metheg with the qamets, to indicate that this qamets plus shwa combination is pro- 8. This is an irregular form .
nounced as long a and vocal shwa: sha-ma-ru, where a= vocal shwa. 9. No shwa is needed under this n. The usual f:1 at this point in the paradigm comes after another
5. Note the metheg with the first qamets, used to indicate that this qamets plus shwa combina- consonant with shwa and indicates a consonant ciuster at the end of the word. But here, with the ~
tion is pronounced as long a and vocal shwa: sha-ma-ra, where a= vocal shwa. quiescent, there is no consonant cluster, just a simple ri sound after a vowel.
6. There is also a stative paradigm in the suffix conjugation, which usually differs from the non- 10. The hateph-patakh substitutes for vocal shwa under the guttural, here and in iit)f., Dl)"]'Ql?,
stative paradigm only in the 3ms form, which has tsere rather than patakh, e.g., 1~f · and t.r;qQl?.
98 16. QAL SUFFIX CONJUGATION; VJ-QATAL FORM; OBJECT SUFFIXES 16.9. PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES ON THE SUFFIX CONJUGATION 99
16.7. ADDITIONAL MEANING OF THE WORD ~:;J THE PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES FOR THE SUFFIX CONJUGATION
The familiar word ~:;l 'because, since' has another common use in BH. It is used to ~.J·~mw he observed me
me
mean 'that' after certain verbs, notably verbs of perception and iQ~, in phrases • - T :
~.ln,~w
.- :- : you (ms) observed me
such as the following: 'I said that he was there' Nm Do/ ~:;l ~r:q~~; 'I know that you
are there' i1J;l~ Do/ ~:;J ~.n>rb 'I heard that she was there' N~i} Do/ ~:;l ~.nv,~o/. youms 'Tfl9o/ he observed you (ms)
16.8. THE V3-QATAL ("CONVERTED PERFECT") FORM 'Tf~f:l·wo/ I observed you (ms)
Corresponding to the consecutive preterite, there is a form of the suffix conjuga- you fs 1- TWo/ he observed you (fs)
tion with a prefixed vav, the va-qatal (?\?j?1) 11 form, which, instead of meaning 'and' 13 m- I m,'_ I i- I 1- ~;r1~w and ii~l.V he observed him 14
him T T l T :
plus past tense, as would be logical, has the same meaning as the simple prefix con-
~i1~ni~W and 1~fli~W I observed him
jugation. That is, iQ~1 is to be translated 'and he will say'. (1\nd he said: remember, . :- : . :- :
is iQN~l, the consecutive preterite.) For instance, 'He will remember my name, and her tsi1 , _ 1 i1-
r
i=li~W he observed her
T T :
he will write it in his book' is ii!JO:J. inN ::m:n ~mv-nN 1::n~. Note that ::m:n is trans-
lated as future. ' .' - ' ' . ' .. '. -' ' I observed her
In this textbook we will refer to this form simply as the va-qatal (pronounced us u"1~1.V T T l
he observed us
va-qatal) form. It is usually called the "converted perfect" or the "consecutive per-
uni~l.V you (ms) observed us
fect" or the "perfect with vav consecutive:' Unlike the history of the consecutive T : - :
preterite, outlined in lesson 15, the history of the ?\?j?l form is not clear. It prob- themm D-ID r I D- - Di~W
l T T
he observed them (m
ably arose either as an imitation of the consecutive preterite (that is, if vav + prefix or mixed)
conjugation= past tense, then vav +suffix conjugation= future tense) or as a gen- you (ms) observed them
Dfli~W
eralization of some specific use of ?\?i?1 as future. (We will see such a use in condi- T : - l
tional clauses, to be taken up at the very end of this book.) Whatever the reason, it them f 1-11,/L- 1l9o/ he observed them (fp)
is important to remember that throughout most of the Hebrew Bible ?\?j?l is to be you (ms) observed them
1J;llQo/
translated with all the possible meanings of the prefix conjugation: future; ongoing
or habitual action in any tense.
Note that the vowels of the base verb change slightly when these suffixes are
16.9. PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES ON THE SUFFIX CONJUGATION
added, but the verb is still identifiable. Second-person plural suffixes on verbs
In lesson 14 we learned the pronominal object suffixes on most prefix conjugation occur only rarely.
verbs. There is a set of suffixes for suffix conjugation verbs as well. The verb iQo/
will be used to provide some simple examples.
verbs (the pref. conj. of these verbs will be learned later)
1'?i) 'to go, walk'
3.'1~ 'to know'
11. So called because the root ?t?p to 'kill' is one of the roots that grammarians have used 12. Cf. the indep. pronoun~~~-
over the centuries (in the 3ms form) to describe generic verbs. So the prefix conjugation might be 13. m- and m'- should look familiar (cf. the independent pronoun ~~il); also i- (cf. 1om).
referred to as ?bp', and the consecutive preterite would be ?bp~l, and so on. ?1,?j?1, then, is simply a 14. There are ~tber possibilities, much less common. We will note these when they arise.
way of saying "any suffix conjugation verb, with 1at the beginning:' 15. i'l,- should look familiar (cf. i1tfi0). i)-should look familiar (cf. i)~\?10).
100 16. QAL SUFFIX CONJUGATION; VJ-QATAL FORM; OBJECT SUFFIXES 16.11. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 16 101
11~ 'to go down, descend' i19J;7QiJ 'lin:jl ~~~a ~~ o~1¥Q-?tt i~~~?~-ntt m:>;:~ n7o/ N? .6
:JW~ 'to sit; dwell; live in; inhabit' ~~~DiJ i11o/ 1in:jl it.?,}~ l'~~ not~ o~l:t~ 1bP,~ .7
?~~ 'to fall'
(from 2 Sam 14:19) nNt-~~f 'll;l~ 17 :l~i~ 1~0 17~iJ i9N~1 .8
noun
tJ~ 'sea'; cs. tJ~; pl. o~~~ (note the difference between this word and 'days'
i1·!iJ Oij?7piJ-~~ ~=>77?~ it.?,}~ ~~lo/~ ~~:t i1?~ .9
o~~~); cs. pl. ~~~ (again, note the difference between this word and N~i1i1 i1JW:J. ii:J.li1 il'J nN onN~O N~
•- TT- •- -- '' '•' T :
.10
'days of' ~~~)
i19:;>t;:jl t>!:lo/f:l N~ ':;l 18111 u~7.,v 'i~l?f:l N~ .11
proper nouns
~~lo/~=ll 1io~ 20 ~Q~ ;,~~ l.Z-h~ N~O 19 i~:tW~tt 111 i9N~1 .12
o~"l~o
. -:. 'Egyp t'
?~mw 'Samuel' (from 1 Sam 26:15)
.. :
adjective B. Translate from English to Hebrew:
::11 'much; many'; fs i1f.1; mp o~~1; fp ntn (note the doubled :J in every
form except the ms) 1. The king wrote the book.
adverbs 2. And the king wrote the book.

oM·o~ 'also'; when used more than once, can mean 'both ... and' 3. And the king will write the book.
;,nv 'now )
T -
C. Practice reading Gen 22:1-3.
prepositions
p~ 'between'; generally used twice in a prepositional phrase, 'between
the king and the queen' i1f7QiJ p~~ :r?,¢iJ p~; sometimes paired with
7: i1f7Q'? :r?.¢iJ p~
'in the middle of, midst of'

i~~ 1'~~ i~~iJ 1'~ it.?,}~ i11'fm-~tt ,;~ it.?,}~ l.Z,h~~ i1! .1
o~~n o~Q; i11~;,; i~"TQ 1in:jl ~:;t~ nt.?,>~-ol:' :1w;1 ~:;t~·ntt i!:>T~ .2
17. A personal name, Joab.
o;;:~ 1T!-~tt i1Vl~ 11; ~6 ~:;l 16 ~~o o~-ntt o.v~1 ilt.?,}O ~i:t~~l .3 18. There is rarely any indication of the vocative in BH, so a noun or name that seems to stand
alone, with no syntactic connection to what is around it, is often to be translated '0 ...';here translate
~7iP7 ~l:'Oo/ ~:;> ~r:wi; ~:;l1~1)~-ol:' OJ11'Pl:' n~!=ll n'"l:;>tt .4 '(0) David;.
o7;v·1~ ~dw~ N?1 ~~¢;:1~ i~~=ll ~~mt¥ o~-ntt ~i=lli?~ .5 19. A personal name, Abner.
20. 1is often to be translated as something other than simple 'and: For instance, sometimes it is
logical t~ translate 'but', and sometimes the 1is to be ignored altogether. Here the 1seems simply to
16. 'Reed'; the entire phrase is generally translated 'Sea of Reeds: tie the two questions together.
17.3. THE AMBIGUITY OF THE INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT 103
1 7.3· THE AMBIGUITY OF THE INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT

Infinitives are often somewhat ambiguous. A common illustration of this ambigu-
ity is the phrase "the love of God:' When we use that phrase, are we talking about
our love for God or God's love for us? (In the former case, God would be called the
17 infinitive's object, and in the latter God is the infinitive's subject.) Such cases are
rare in BH and must be decided by context.
17·4· THE INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT WITH PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES

THE QAL INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT When the subject or object of an infinitive construct is a pronoun, the form of the
infinitive changes with the addition of pronominal suffixes:
AND THE INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE
THE INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT WITH PRONOMINAL SUFFIX
<
our guarding ~jjrJ\Z) ~irJW
• : T
my guarding
•• : T
17 .1. THE USES OF THE INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT

your (mp) guarding O:JirJ\Z.i
'." : : T 1l~o/ your (ms) guarding
Two verb forms in BH are called "infinitives": the infinitive construct and the infin- your (fp) guarding Pl~o/ TWo/ your (fs) guarding
itive absolute. Only the infinitive construct, however, acts like an English infinitive, their (m) guarding OirJW iirJ\Z.i his guarding
T : T : T
and we will take that form up first. The infinitive construct in BH has several uses:
( 1) It is used like an English infinitive. In the sentence "I like to write;' "write" is their (f) guarding n~o/ i1irJ\Z.i
T : T
her guarding
an infinitive. (2) It is used like an English gerund, the -ing form that is a noun.
In the sentence "Writing is my favorite activity;' "writing" is a gerund. (3) A very In these forms, the qamets under the root consonant (Where) is pronounced as
common use of the infinitive construct is as part of a temporal ("when ... then") short o: 'my guarding' is shom-ree.
sentence, in which the infinitive is used with the prepositions f and f·
17.5. THE NEGATION OF THE INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT
17.2. THE FORM OF THE INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT
The infinitive construct is negated with ~n7~1~D7~7- 'Not to remember' is i::JT ~n7~7-
The form of the qal infinitive construct is ib!.p. The preposition 'to', 'in order 7
to' is often used with the infinitive construct, so that 'to keep' is ib1P7, with hireq 17.6. THE INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT IN TEMPORAL SENTENCES
under the ? because of the rule of shwa. (The pattern for the infinitiv~ construct in We said above that the infinitive construct with the prepositions f and f is often
I -G verbs is 1b~7; in I-N verbs, it is ?::J~~?,.) used in temporal sentences. Consider the following examples:
'I sent him to watch the sheep/goats' is 1N!:liTl1~ ibo/7 ~i1D?o/~!· ?Niw~-?v ~:J?rJ::l When I ruled/will rule over Israel. ..
'' T : ' - ' : T :
'I sent him to write the book' is i!JOi1-l1N :J.h:J? mn?1.Z.iN1.

'.' " - '.' : ' '' T : '." T ~;~no/~-?l} 1?¢0 ,,~~ When the king ruled over Israel. ..
'I will remember the writing of the book' is i~QiJ :::lhf-11~ i:>T~· When I heard/will hear his words ...
1. In this case, the infinitive 1~Q really is" in construct with'' the noun 17.1Jlo. It is this usage that
gives the infinitive construct its name.
-102-
104 17. QAL INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT AND INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE 17.8. THE "wHEN" CLAUSE OF A REGULAR TEMPORAL SENTENCE 105
,,,~.,-n~ i1W~i1 2l.lbiV:l When the woman heard/will hear his words ... Similarly, a temporal sentence with i1;i)l at the beginning of the "when" clause
TT ; '." T ' T - ! '
will usually have a ?\?i?l form at the beginning of the "then'' clause.
The four phrases read literally: 'In my ruling over Israel'; 'In the king's ruling over
i!ltb OI1N 'I1~I1:l1 1'i~'1-n~ 'l.lnW:l i1'i11
Israel'; 'As (of) my hearing his words'; 'As (of) the woman's hearing his words: This •:••- T •;-y; TT! '.' '!T! TT!
type of phrase, however, is simply one of the normal ways of beginning a "when ... When I hear his words, I will write them in the book.
then" sentence in BH, so they should be translated idiomatically, as they are above.
Note that in English we do not translate the '0;1 or i1;i)l, and we do not translate
17·7· THE INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER TEMPORAL
the vav at the beginning of the "then" clause in either case. In Hebrew, this vav is
VERBS
connecting the two clauses, but in English translation it is at most the "then" of the
"then" clause and can even be thought of simply as the comma between the two
The phrases in 17.6 are ambiguous as to tense, because infinitives do not have
clauses.
tense, person, gender, or number (hence the "infinity" or unboundedness of the
form). They take their tense from the context in which they are used. The tense 17·9· THE "WHEN" CLAUSE OF A TEMPORAL SENTENCE WITHOUT AN INFINI-
context is often provided by the use of '0;1 or i1;i)l at the beginning of the phrase, to TIVE CONSTRUCT
indicate past tense and future tense, respectively.
There is another type of temporal sentence in BH that is closer to the English word
?~itzr?l.l ':l?n:l 'i1'1
'' T ; ' - ' : T : ' :-
When I ruled over Israel. .. order. Instead of an infinitive construct, the sentence uses a conjunction like iW~~
'when, as' or '~ 'when', plus a prefix conjugation or suffix conjugation verb. For
When the king will rule over Israel. ..
instance,
or, more colloquially in English, 'When the king rules over Israel. . .', which is
?~iizr?l.l 'I1:J7n iW~:l 'i1'1 When I ruled over Israel. ..
common English usage for future temporal sentences, for example, "When the '' T ! ' - ' ! - T '.' -: - ' ! -
king rules over Israel, he will rule in God's name." The meaning is future tense When the king rules/will rule over Israel. ..
throughout.
17.10. THE INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE AS MORE FREQUENTLY USED
When I heard his words ...
The second infinitive in BH, the infinitive absolute, does not really behave in the
1'i~'1-n~
TT! ',"
i1W~i1
T'T-
l.lbW:l
:•
i1'i11
TT!
When the woman hears his words ... same way as the English infinitive at all but rather is usually used as an adverb, to
add emphasis to a verb from the same root. The form of the qal infinitive abso-
Although '0;1 and i1;i)lliterally mean 'and it was' and 'and it will be', respectively, it
lute is iint.V (the vav mater is usually written). Other than the possible alternation
is best in this context to leave them untranslated and let them serve simply as tense
between holem and holem-vav, the form is unchangeable.
markers in the temporal sentence.
The infinitive absolute used for emphasis usually comes before the finite verb
(prefix conjugation or suffix conjugation) that it is giving emphasis to.
17.8. THE "WHEN" CLAUSE OF A REGULAR TEMPORAL SENTENCE
When the "when" clause of a temporal sentence begins with '0;1, a consecutive lN2:.tiTI1~ ib'P: iin'V He will certainly/of course watch the sheep/goats.
preterite form, the "then" clause usually also begins with a consecutive preterite
?~'iJ~ 1;1~ 1i~~ He served diligently in the temple/palace.
form verb.
Note that there is a certain amount of flexibility in translation. "Indeed" or "surely"
i!ltb onN ~i'l:l~, ,,,~.,-n~ 'l.lnW:l 'i1'1
'.' "- T !'."T TT! ',' '!T ! •;-
will suffice, but they are not elegant translations.
When I heard his words, I wrote them in the book.
2. Note the furtive patakh, which appears because of the long o-vowel before the guttural)).
106 17. QAL INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT AND INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE 17.12. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 17 107
17.11. THE INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR ANY OTHER VERBAL pronoun
FORM ill? 'what; what?' (can be used at beginning of a clause as an interroga-
The infinitive absolute has another usage that we will discuss here: it can be used to tive); also written i1Q plus doubling of the next consonant and some-
substitute for any other form of a verb, as long as the context is clear. It is a sort of times i19
empty vessel with only a verbal meaning; the rest of the contents (gender, number, adverbs
verb form, etc.) are added as needed. The most common examples of this usage are ~n?:;J. negative used with inf. cs.; usually seen with preposition 7: ~n7:;17
of the infinitive absolute substituting for an imperative. For example, Exod 20:8
p 'thus, so' (usually refers to something that has already been mentioned)
reads iWli?7 n~il}iJ o;~-n~ ii:J! 'Remember the day of the Sabbath, to keep it holy:
Although two of the words of this verse are new, the basic idea that the infinitive j?"} 'only'
absolute can substitute for an imperative is clear. conjunction
iWN::l
·.· -
-:
'as; when; since, because'
verbs 17·13. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 17
iON - T
'to bind, tie up'; pref. conj. irregular but usually ib~~' ~it?~~ A. Translate from Hebrew to English:
iW11T T :
VJ-qatal (3ms) form of the verb 'to be: usually used simply to indicate
that what comes after it is future, habitual, or ongoing N~i1 i191~i)Q ~:;l tJl~i) il; ~N"")it .1
cons. pret. (3ms) form of the verb 'to be: usually used simply to indi- O?.'DiJ:rn~l O?.'~~-n~ ~.,9~~ -,;o~l O?.'Df.-n~ mp~1 0?.'1>rn~ OT?7? i1:i:tl .2
cate that what comes after it is past tense
mnp.~ i19?1)~ t),PWiJ U'7.lf 'il;'?:t) .3
,~7 'to capture'; pref. conj. 1j7~
OW iWN 0'ii:lli1 'l;..'li:l l;!JJ1 N:J~i1 i1Jn~-nN N~~' iWN:J i1'in .4
nj?7 'to take; receive'; pref. conj. will be learned later T '." -: ' ' - " : - : - T : T T - " -: - '.' T : ' '." -: - T T :
~1l 'to pursue, chase; follow'; pref. conj. ~1T; dir. obj. usually expressed -:p~-p-t;f-n~ i11i1; >n; ':;l nNm i1i?'1¥iJ o,-n~ 1!lo/T:l-t;~ .s
with ~1D,~: '(And) he pursued me' ~1D,~ ~1T1 i11i1; n1in-n~ mp~ ':;l ii)i) WNi-13} O'l?o/li:t O'~t)jiJ ').t)~ O'Wi~i:t ~!l1T1 .6
1!lW 'to pour out; to shed (blood)'; pref. conj. 1tlo/~
- T
N~i1iJ oiprpiJ-l;~
nouns
i:l"")ITn~ :JlP, '1;17:;17 iJ~-l;~ l;~No/ Nli?~l .7
01N T T
'humankind; a male human being; Adam'
i1D1N 'ground, land, soil'; cs. nl~l~; pl. very rare fl~~~ o:Qo/~ O';jl;~ ';[in~ 'Q .s
T T -:
'truth' (fern.); with sf. ~nQ~; no pl.; note the hateph-seghol in the first '::l nN·ii1 i'V:l iWN 0'WJi1-l;N Nr'i~N i1rl1' ibNl; i1it.v-l;N i11i1' i~N;1
' - ' T '.' -: ' T - '.' T ' : ' T - '' T T '.' T : '." -
.9
syllable: this word is not a segholate.
ill'?~ Pl i11i1; t;;p-n~ T;ll!Q'P
'blood'; cs. 01; with sf. ~Ql; pl. o~Ql is often used of blood shed in
violence; cs. pl. ~Ql ibN? 1'1)~-t;~ iQN;l t;;,~iJ i;:t~iJ t;¥~ iW~ fl!i:t not~ in~-n~ ii~i?~ '0;1 .1o
'life( time)'; always pl., although translated into English as sg.; cs. ~~IJ i1'lli:JN-ov mbN i1:J::>W oi~i1 T '." -: ' '' ' T : IT -
'judge' (usually judicial, but also used in the book of Judges to mean
nondynastic charismatic leader); pl. 0~'?-?W
108 17. QAL INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT AND INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE
n~ 3ibo/7 ,,;);~ ;-qil~ ;;pf V~o/ ~6 P"1 Q7o/~i':;l1?~iJ 17rt nlj~ il~o/ .11
,,nhm
T : •
1N~ :1"1 iN~1 ii?~ ~~ il.p~ nN·tiJ i17i1~iJ l'1~~ t;l:tW;1 o;;:~ '~lJ n;>7~ 1;1~ .12
1~~lj 'Q~-;f 1~6;~ 1.t:JN i!:>T~ OJ1
'Dl;'i; N; il.p~ .t;Wi; il~ .13
18
THE QAL PARTICIPLES, THE WORDS W~ AND
1. Capture Jerusalem! (said to a mixed group)
p~, AND THE AccENTS SoPH PAsuQ AND
2. He came down from the mountain to watch the cattle.
3. He will surely judge us.
ATNAKH
18.1. THE ACTIVE AND PASSIVE PARTICIPLES GENERALLY

BH has both an active and a passive participle. The active participle (ptcp.) is by far
the more common. They are both verbal adjectives, which, like all adjectives, can
be "substantivized" and used as a noun. The participle is not a present-tense verb
form in BH, as it is in Modern Hebrew, but rather is really a tenseless verb that
takes its tense from context. In a past context, the participle is past tense, but in a
future context, the same word will be translated into English as a future.
18.2. THE MEANINGS OF THE ACTIVE PARTICIPLE

The BH participle 1 has two major English translations: (1) as the -ing form ofthe
verb that is used as an adjective (which is also called a participle in English): a
walking man, a ruling queen; or (2) as an agent noun, one who does the action of
the verb: a walking person = a walker; a ruling person = a ruler.
18.3. THE FORMS OF THE ACTIVE PARTICIPLE

The participle in BH has gender and number but not person. 2 Like all nouns and
adjectives, it appears as ms, fs, mp, or fp, and with the same endings that we have
1. Since the passive participle is relatively rare, we use the word participle (and abbreviation
ptcp.) to refer to the active participle. When the passive participle is meant, the word "passive" will
3. Translate 'by observing: Explaining how something is done is another use of the infinitive always be included.
construct. 2. For that reason, the participle in BH is not a "finite" verb.
-109-
110 18. QAL PARTICIPLES; w: AND J'l;:t; ACCENTS SOPH PASUQ AND ATNAKH 18 . 6 . THE MEANING AND FORMS OF THE PASSIVE PARTICIPLE 111
already learned, with the exception of the most common form of the feminine sin- 1 g,6. THE MEANING AND FORMS OF THE PASSIVE PARTICIPLE
gular. The paradigm for the qal active participle (using the root in tV in its meaning 1here is also a passive participle in BH; unlike the active participle, which is often
'to guard') is:
used as a noun, the passive participle is almost always used as an adjective. Its
forms are:
THE QAL ACTIVE PARTICIPLE
THE QAL PASSIVE PARTICIPLE

guarding (mp) or tl~!'?W 3
i~\V guarding (ms) or
guards (mp) guard (ms) guarded (mp) or tl'!~n!.p guarded (ms) or
guarding (fp) or nii'?W 4
niD\V
.. .. guarding (fs) or guarded (fp) niimw: guarded (fs)
guards (fp) guards (fs)

'The written word' is :1m:m i:l1il
T - T T -
18.4. WORD ORDER WITH THE ACTIVE PARTICIPLE

'The word was/is/will be written' is :1m:> i:l1il T T T -
The subject tends to come before a participle, the opposite word order from the
'The captured cities' is ni1~:J7D tl'!~i)
typical verbal sentence (one that begins with a finite verb). As was mentioned
above, a participle is a verbal adjective or verbal noun. Compare the following: 'The cities were/are/will be captured' is ni1~:J7 tl'!~i)
:liU w~~ a good man ':J'?h w~~ a walking man The forms of the participle now given, the entire paradigm of the Hebrew word
:li~D w~~~ the good man 1'?hiJ w~~~ the walking man iOo/ has been provided. The full paradigm may be found at the very beginning of
appendix Has a model for the paradigms of the yet-to-be-given weak verbs.
w~~~ :liU The man is good. 1'?h w~~~ The man is walking.
Except for the word order, the final set of two are identical in use. 18.7. FORMS OF POSSESSION USING 7, tV\ AND p~
The following sentences illustrate the determination of tense from context: BH has no verb 'to have' in the sense of possession. Instead, the preposition 7can
serve to mark possession ('belonging to'). The word i11.pn7 on the rim of a pot, for
i~Q :l.lJj w~~~ ~~ 'iJ'~7~D irtN~1 The messenger said that the man was instance, would indicate that the pot was owned by someone named Moses.
writing a book. 7
If tense is not indicated, can be used in combination with W~ ('there is') or p~
i~Q n~~j il~~~ ~~ iONJ We will say that the woman is writing/ ('there is not'), to mean 'to have' or 'not to have'. Thus, 'The woman has a horse' is
will be writing a book. 0~0 il~~? W~ (which can also mean 'had' or 'will have'). 'I do not have a house' is
11~~ '7 p~. These two sentences are not to be translated 'There is to the woman a
18.5. THE PARTICIPLE DOES NOT USE THE RELATIVE PRONOUN horse' or 'There is not to me a house'. That is the literal, word-for-word Hebrew, but
In BH, 1'~?hiJ w~~~ is both 'the walking man' and 'the man who is walking'. i1.p~ is it is awkward English, and these phrases are perfectly normal in Hebrew. Conse-
ordinarily not used with the participle in BH 5; what the student should learn for quently, they should be translated as above: 'The woman has a horse'; 'I do not have
'the man who is walking' is ':J'?hiJ W'~~. as above, not 'iJ'?h i1.p~ ll.h~~· a house:
3. In the stative verb, the verbal adjective 1~~ functions like a participle.
4. Occasionally, the form is ill~?iV.
5. There are rare exceptions.
112 18. QAL PARTICIPLES; 1/.i~ AND J'~; ACCENTS SOPH PASUQ AND ATNAKH 18.10. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 18 113
If tense is indicated in such a sentence, it can be denoted by some form of the nouns
verb 'to be'; for instance: l.V~ 'fire' (fern.); with sf. 'lp~
0~0 ilWN? ~il'1
T ' T ' :-
The woman had a horse. :li)! 'gold'; cs. :liJT ; with sf. ':;li!T
n~:l ~; 6 il~il ~6 I did not have a house. t'J9~ 'silver, money'; with sf. ~$9~
' - ' T T
n:Jm
-.. .
:
'altar'; cs. mqQ; with sf. 't:lfTQ; pl. ninfTQ
18.8. THE USE OF 1'~ WITH PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES il?)) 'whole burnt offering, holocaust'
T
The word 1'~ can be used with pronominal suffixes to mean 'I am not' (or 'was not' 'breath, spirit, wind' (fern.); pl. nin~i
or 'will not be'), 'he is not: and so on. 7 The paradigm for 1'~ is:
'captain, chief, prince'; pl. t:l~!ip; cs. pl. irreg. ~1o/
The Word 1~~ with Pronominal Suffixes adverb
u~~~
il!:> 'thus' (usually referring to what follows)
t:l;>~~~
particles
1t~
1'~ 'there is not'
1?~ l.V~ 'there is'
t:l.l~N
T ••
UJ~N
.....
18.9. ACCENTS: THE SOPH PASUQ AND THE ATNAKH :ll>~9 il~o/li/ i'lli)-n~ ~'"lo/7 ii)~iJ-n~ ~i=tlJD il);i; 8 i~~ i1j .1
Every verse in the Hebrew Bible ends with a mark called j?~O.!JI t"JiO 'end of the verse:
:u'j~7 1?hiJ u\?~w ~10~ ~1l~1 ~9¥iJ iW '1=t·=rn~ uV.'?o/? '0;1 .2
which looks like this: : . The most important pause within a verse is marked by
the accent mark called m.t;J~, which is printed under the accented syllable of the ::li)! ,, 1'~1 - ~92 ,, ll)~ .3
last word in the first part of the verse: • . In other words, the pause comes after the :ii)i) ll>Ni-?~ rq:jl-n~ i1~o/~ N? ':;l i1yt~i)-n~ lDjiJ ib~~1 .4
word that has the atnakh. From now on, the sentences in the exercises will ordinar-
ily use both these marks. :O~'ni:JN-nN
',' •• -: '."
~i:ltr-1
: : •
ii~lT .5
18.10. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 18 :illi1; 1~7~ o~¥1?~111#F~iJ-?~ ol)?v-n~ o'w~~i/ mi?~ 'i'P~~ ';:~;1 .6
verbs
:iH~t:J7~~ u~'li::l~ ~?~~ ':;l mtt: 0~1 i1~l;l 1~ U']~ P!t)l)1 .7
Nip~ 'to lift, carry, bear'; pref. conj. will be learned later :OiJ'?P, 'i?'?T:l i'P~ i1:f7~:jl OiJ? ih=t7 o:P-P,;l OiJ';::i?N? ?~lip; 'J:jl ~Nli?~1 .8
t'J1o/ 'to burn' (transitive); pref. conj. t'J'llp~ (often used along with lZ>~~ :o;iJ t'~~ t:l7o/~i; p:;;t i'P~ ni1~~7iJ 0'!~~ ni:Jit?iJ O'W~iJ 1iV ~:Jo/: N? .9
'with fire'; see noun list below)
:ij?~iJ-13} 'fiN 1jP,1 '~~7 1bP, .1 o
6. il;v is the suffix conjugation 3ms of the verb 'to be: 8. Suffix conjugation il;l~ can be present tense in the context of a messenger delivering a mes-
7. IV~ is also used with suffixes, but much less commonly. sage.
114 18. QAL PARTICIPLES; 11>; AND n~; ACCENTS SOPH PASUQ AND ATNAKH
: i!lil~~ il~ll"l~i 1'7~ 9 i1J;l~v '~ i~9¥ 03:' cry? ~~No/ ~~~ N~ .11
:Oi)'1'f\V O~:J.!P, '~ itJiT1~ 0'1l~iJ O'!~~iJ il?~ .12
1. The woman has a husband {W'~).
2. The woman doesn't have a husband.

THE DERIVED STEM NIPHAL (PART 1)
AND THE ACCENT SILLUQ
19.1. THE DERIVED STEMS GENERALLY

Until this point, we have consistently referred to verbs as qal verbs, the 'simple'
stem. Now we will turn to four additional important stems, called "deriv:ed" stems
because they can often be traced back to the qal. 1 For instance, if the qal verb means
'to rule: like 17't, the same root in the passive stem would mean 'to be ruled'; in the
causative, 'to make someone rule' (that is, to put someone on the throne); and in
the reflexive, 'to rule over oneself' (e.g., one's emotions). This system of under-
standing the relationships among the various stems is not foolproof, but it is a
good shorthand for beginning students.
19.2. THE NAMING OF THE DERIVED STEMS

The derived stems are traditionally named by the 3ms suffix conjugation of the verb
?V!l 'to do, make: as it would appear in the stem in question. The qal is sometimes
called the pa'al (from ?p~, the 3ms suff. conj. of ?V!l in that stem). The subject of
this lesson, the niphal, is so called because the 3ms suffix conjugation of?V!l in that
stem would be ?p~~· (In the romanization of the name of the stem, the V is often
ignored.) After the niphal, we will learn the hiphil (~'V.~i}), the piel (?V.;J), and the
hitpael (?V.;JJ;l;:l).
19.3. THE MEANING AND FORMS OF THE NIPHAL STEM

The first derived stem we will take up is the niphal. The niphal has several func-
tions in BH, but the most common is to form passive verbs for the qal stem (and
9. 'She was~ 1. "Stems" are also frequently referred to by the Hebrew term binyanim (C'~~.p).
-115-
ll6 19. THE DERIVED STEM NIPHAL (PART 1) AND THE ACCENT SILLUQ 19.3. THE MEANING AND FORMS OF THE NIPHAL STEM ll7
for the hiphil stem, to be taken up in the lesson 21). The forms of the niphal are as lation of the J of the nip hal. That is, iQo/~ would have earlier been iQo/~~. but the J
follows (using the root iDW again, which in the nip hal means 'to be guarded, kept; plus silent shwa meant that the J would have been pronounced immediately before
to be careful, to watch out'). 2 thew. In BH, such a situation results in the a similation of the J to the next letter.
This assimilation can be seen throughout the paradigm, in the imperative, cohorta-
THE FORMS OF THE NIPHAL STEM tive, consecutive preterite, and infinitive construct.
inf. cs. suff. conj. cons. pret. volitives 19·3·3· The prefix conjugation of the niphal can be identified both by the dou-
pref. conj.
bling of the first root letter and by the vowel pattern hireq-qamets-tsere ("i-ah-ay").
iDWil
•• T '
~n,nwJ
• : - : 0
iliDWN cohort. iDWN In the Bible, we find both~ and ~ for the lcs preformative.
T ! IT '.' •• T '."
ninl.VJ iDWm 19·3·4· The methegs sc~ttered throughout the paradigm indicate that the qamets
T : - : • •• T • -
impv. iDWn " T •
plus shwa combinations in this paradigm are to be pronounced ah plus vocal shwa.
inf. abs. r;rw~~ ~'"!~WD1 ~'"!~yj;:J impv. ~1nwn 19·3·5· Note that in the prefix conjugation the 2fp and 3fp have patakh instead
' : IT '
iiDWJ iQo/~ iQo/~llir.?,o/~1 iQo/: juss. of tsere.

'.
19.3.6. The i1 at the beginning of the imperative is unexpected; it must simply
iDWil
" T •
iliDWJT '
iQo/D juss. iDWn •• T be learned.
iliDWJ cohort. 19·3·7. In the strong verb, the jussive form is the same as the prefix conjugation.
T ! IT '
iDWJ •• T •
19·3.8. Some consecutive preterites have the accent moved toward the begin-
ptcp. t:JrliDWJ
... : - : . ~i~yj;:J impv. ~iDWn ning of the word. The two forms mean exactly the same thing. .
: IT '
i9o/~ r1:;rwo/~ i1Jl0o/i1 impv. 19·3·9· In the suffix conjugation, the J of the niphal is clear. Once the basic pat-
tern nish + mar is absorbed, the suffix conjugation paradigm is easily learned.
iliDWJ/ ninl.VJ ~iDWJ n~w: juss.
T T : ' •: ',' : ' : :. 19.3.10. The niphal infinitive construct looks exactly the same as the ms imper-
i1Jl0o/D juss. m1nwn ative. It is possible to have the niphal infinitive construct with pronominal suffixes,
T ! - T '
just as it is with the qal infinitive construct, and the suffixes are the same (basically,
niiDWJ T ! •
the~~. '<P endings) and are easily recognized.
19.3.'11. Note that the infinitive construct is patterned after the prefix conjuga-
tion, while the infinitive absolute is patterned after the suffix conjugation, although
Notes to the paradigm (moving from right to left): we also find the infinitive construct form acting as an infinitive absolute (before a
19.3.1. Glosses for the niphal verbal forms are: pref. conj. = 'I/he/etc. will be finite verb, to provide emphasis, for example).
guarded'; cohort.= 'may I!we be guarded'; impv. ='be guarded!'; juss. ='may he/ 19·3.12. The masculine singular niphal participle looks almost exactly the same
she be guarded'; cons. pret. ='and he, etc., was guarded'; suff. conj. = 'I/he/etc. was as the 3ms suffix conjugation form, except that the participle has qamets where the
guarded'; inf. cs. ='to be guarded'; and ptcp. ='one who is/was guarded: 3ms suff. conj. has patakh, and the qamets remains throughout the forms of the
19.3.2. The niphal, as its name suggests, includes ann-sound in all its forms. In participle. 3
the prefix conjugation, the J of the niphal assimilates to the first root letter after the
preformative, so the doubled Win the prefix conjugation is the result of the assimi- 19.4. PASSIVES IN BIBLICAL HEBREW DO NOT EXPRESS AGENT
Passives in BH almost never express the "agent" of the action. For example, in the
2. Most of the sections of the niphal, hiphil, piel, and hitpael strong-verb paradigms in the next
few lessons will be glossed, as an aid to understanding. There is no simple and short way to gloss
sentence illil; ~1:;rrn~ w::m :lil~~l 'The priest wrote the words of Yahweh', F:ljiJ is
the infinitive absolute, however, since it serves with finite verbs for emphasis or substitutes for other
verbs, as we have seen. Consequently, no gloss will be provided for the infinitive absolute in any of 3. Where a nip hal participle and qal passive participle both exist for a given root, they will have
the paradigms for these verbs. the same meaning.
118 19. THE DERIVED STEM NIPHAL (PART 1) AND THE ACCENT SILLUQ 19.5. STRONG VERBS LEARNED TO THIS POINT WITH NIPHAL STEMS 119
the subject of the sentence and the "agent" of the action, the actor. Its passive form 1!JW to pour out to be poured
in BH would be illil; ~~91 i:lt;J#~l 'The words of Yahweh were written'. The agent is out
no longer expressed; the phrase 'by the priest' would not be part of the sentence.
The words were simply written, without any clue as to who wrote them.
19 .6. ACCENT: THE SILLUQ
19·5· STRONG VERBS LEARNED TO THIS POINT WITH NIPHAL STEMS The final word in a verse is followed by pm~ ~io (:),as we have seen. The accented
What follows is a list of the niphal forms of some of the strong verbs we have syllable in that word will be marked by its own accent mark, called p~?t? (silluq).
learned so far; only four of them occur often enough in the Hebrew Bible for us to silluq looks exactly like a metheg, but when the context is the last word in a verse,
include them in the vocabulary list below. 4 the accent mark is called silluq.
root qal nip hal nip hal nip hal nip hal 19·7· VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 19
meaning meaning pref. conj. cons. pret. suff. conj.
As with the verbs above, we will identify nipha/ verbs according to the 3ms nipha/ suffix
he will be ... and he was ... he was .. .
conjugation of the root. Thus, rn~~' for instance, will be listed separately from rnf in the
1n:1 to choose to be chosen, 1n:JJ glossary, although niphal verbs will also be identified in the vocabulary lists as the niphal of
- : .
choice a given root. It is most useful for the student to keep together, however, all the vocabulary
verbs that come from a given root. A vocabulary card might have the root nl:l, for instance,
1:Jl to remember to be remem- 1~r 1;JTJ and then have separate entries for nl:l qa/ and nl:l niphal; alternatively, the card might have
bered the root m:l, then list the possibilities as Tllf and n·pr The details are up to the student, but
it will be easier to learn the vocabulary and to remember the meanings of the various stems
n1:J to cut (off) to be cut (off) n~q~ n-pJ if verbs from the same root occur in the same place for the purposes of vocabulary drill.
:Jn:J to write to be written :Jt9~ :llJ~~l
verbs
1:J~ to capture to be captured ,~7~ ,~7~1 1:::J~J
- I • n-p~ 'to be cut (off)' (niphal of ni:J); pref. conj. n~9~
1:Jj? to bury to be buried 1:;,lj'{: 1:;,lj?~1 on?.l 'to fight, do battle with, wage war against' (niphal of on?); 'with/
- .~
~1iv
against' can be f> -ol:), -n~, -?l}, -?~; pref. conj. oo7~; cons. pret. 3ms
to burn to be burned ~1o/~ ~1o/~1
on~~,
',' T ' -
1DW to guard, to be careful 1Qo/~ .:.

1/JWJ
keep 1~7~ 'to be captured' (niphal of 1:J?); pref. conj. 1;.17~
i:;;lm 'to be buried' (niphal ofi:Jj?); pref. conj. i~iT
tJ!lW to judge to be judged; tJ.Po/~ tJ!lWJ
- : .
to plead w/ iNWl
-: ~
'to remain, to be left, to be left over' (niphal ofiNW); pref. conj. i~o/~
each other inWl 'to be careful; be guarded' (niphal ofinW); pref. conj. iQo/~
.. :.
noun
'enemy'; pl. o~~;N; cs. pl. ~~;N
4. The blank cells in the table represent forms that do not appear in the Hebrew Bible, that is, the
'prophet'; cs. N~~~; pl. o~~~~~
root 1n::J. does not occur at all in the prefix conjugation or consecutive preterite of the niphal. On the
other hand, the fact that a cell is filled in does not mean that that exact word occurs in the Bible but
rather simply that the conjugation appears. The word IIJ~~ may not occur, but the suffix conjugation
ofln::J. does occur in the niphal stem.
120 19. THE DERIVED STEM NIPHAL (PART 1) AND THE ACCENT SILLUQ 19.8. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 19 121
conjunction and preposition :' 2':;>~~ 'D~ 1~Wt) 'Dl:'t N~ 1~N~1 'Tf'tJ~ "~~;) 10 '~ 9 1:i?-~~ il!il; 1~N~1 .10
1~07 as conj., 'so that, in order that' (followed by the pref. conj., although
it is often to be translated into English as 'in order to' + English (Gen 4:9)
infinitive); :i1?7.~l!~ 1o/~ W't~9 1D~D 1l!Q71lJiJ 1inf 1WiJ n~ 1bP,o .11
as prep., 'on account of, for the sake of, for the purpose of';
prep. + inf. cs. = 'in order to' :moo
',' IT '
N'.JJil
' T--
mi ;,;;,.l
T!
.12
1. The king's horse will be captured.
2. And the king's horse was captured.
:19,o/i:l OJ~~-~~ il!il; 1~N~1 .1 3. And the king's horse will be captured.
:it?l!~ ino/ n-p~1 0'~~DiJ fl~~ U~l:;>~ .2 5
:~i1$iJ o;iJ-,l! 0-91l~ ~~l'P: '~;Nf 1i:J~iJ on?: 1o/~~ ;,;;;1 .3
(Deut 34:10) :O't,~-~~ O'~~ il!il; iVT 1o/~ ilWn:;> ~~n'P:f 1iV N':;l~ 6 0i?-N~1 .4
:O;JiJ¥iJ-1l} 1P,JiJ-~f o:J¥Q 'W~~f O'!~o/~iJ illm; 'W~~ mo?~1 .5

't>!:llz>n '~ i11i1' n':l nin:~.m-~lJ o.:n OlJil :J.~-~lJ i11i1' ni~n-nN NJ-:J.h~
'' : : ' ' 1\T : '' : : ' - - : T T '' - T : : ' '•' T :
.6
: iUil O'ii'N
T I'' ' '.':
(from 1 Kgs 11:43) :11.1 1Wf 1~i?~1 1'f.li:J.~-ol? ilb~o/ .:J.~o/~1 .7
~~'iJiJ ~¥~ 1o/~ O'D~iJ-n~ w~9 ~!llo/~1 ;,?;~iJ 1Wftf N';:JiJ il~o/~ 7'i:1;1 .s
:0:1 O':J.lV~il 0't>!l\Vi1 O'ii~N 'J'lJ:l O'lJlV1 '~
IT • : - • : - • •:: •• •• : ' T : '
;,j 1bN~
ft ''
;:,n~~n-~N
TT:- '.'
O':abn n~W~1 i11~~;'1i1 1'.1Ji1-~N 1'J'lJ-nN ~~NlV 8 NW~1
•y:- -: •- TT:•- 'T '." T'' '." T T'-
.9
:oi;iJ 11'3?-n~ ':;lTl? ~~N~ 1?¢0 ,~~
5. We have learned that this word means 'life', which it does, but it is also the plural of the adjec-
tive 'IJ 'alive, living:
6. Oj? = 'he arose/has arisen: For the maqqeph, see note 1 in lesson 9. 9. A personal name, Cain.
7. This is the 3ms consecutive preterite of the verb 'to be', often used at the beginning of sen- 10. 'Where is:
tences simply to determine the tense in which the rest of the sentence occurs. It is best not to trans- 11. A personal name, Abel.
late the word in such situations. 12. The accent here is on the j syllable, instead of the final syllable, as expected, because the
8. 'He [Saul] lifted up: Word is "in pause;' a concept that will be explained in one of the exercises in lesson 23.
20.3. VARIATIONS OF THE FORM OF NIPHAL VERBS 123
root qal niphal nip hal niphal niphal

t-
he will be ... andhewas ... he was ...
r--
Z,::>N to eat to be eaten Z,::>N'
•• T ••
Z,::>N~1
•• T ••-
Z,::>NJ
- ·:: •.'
10N to say to be said, 10N' •• T ••

10N~1
- T ••- 10~~
told
THE DERIVED STEM NIPHAL (PART 2);
npZ, to take to be taken ni??~ ni??~l ni?7~
THE NUMBERS 1-2, THE PARTITIVE 1Q, N~O to find to be found, N~D'
•• T •
N~n~,
•• T '-
N~OJ
T : •
AND THE AccENT ZAQEPH to be

:ltV to abandon to be aban- :ltV' •• T ••
:ltl'J
- ·.·: •.·
do ned
N1j? to call to be called N1j?~ N1j?~l Nli?~
20.1. THE NIPHAL AS REFLEXIVE OR RECIPROCAL
Besides its passive function, the niphal can also be used as a reflexive or reciprocal
vow to hear to be heard, VOW'
- T •
vow~,
- T •- VOlp~
obeyed
verb (although these meanings are usually expressed by the hitpael, to be learned
in a later lesson). For instance, 1Qlp~ can mean 'to be kept, guarded' but more often Note that, since J assimilates to and doubles the first consonant after the pre-
means 'to guard oneself' = 'to watch out'; tl;Jlp~ can be 'to be judged' but more formative in the prefix conjugation (and consecutive preterite, imperative, jussive,
often means 'to enter into litigation/ controversy with one another'. cohortative, and infinitive construct), a problem arises when that consonant cannot
be doubled, that is, when it is N, il, n, V, or 1. The resolution is compensatory
20.2. THE NIPHAL WITH ACTIVE MEANING
lengthening, as can be seen above with Z,:JN, 10N, and :ltV. In the suffix conjugation
There are some peculiar uses of the niphal that are not predictable and must simply (and participle and infinitive absolute), seghol plus hateph-seghol are substituted for
be learned. Some niphals have no (or almost no) corresponding qal verb that is hireq and silent shwa.
extant in BH. We have already seen two: OD7~ 'to fight' (used a few times in the qal
with the same meaning); 1~lp~ 'to remain, be left behind' (used once in the qal with 20.4. CLUES FOR RECOGNIZING NIPHAL VERBS
the same meaning). 20.4.1. The suffix conjugation, participle, and infinitive absolute begin with J;
be careful not to confuse niphal forms with lcp prefix conjugation verbs, the "we"
20.3. VARIATIONS OF THE FORM OF NIPHAL VERBS LEARNED TO THIS POINT
forms, which also begin with J.
What follows is a list of the niphal forms of more of the verbs we have learned so 20.4.2. The first consonant after the preformative in the prefix conjugation,
far that appear in the niphal in the Hebrew Bible; four of them occur often enough imperative, jussive, cohortative, consecutive preterite, and infinitive construct
to warrant inclusion in the vocabulary list below. Note that there are occasional dif- contains a dagesh (doubling dagesh); when doubling is impossible, compensatory
ferences in vowel pointing from the paradigm in lesson 19. lenghthening takes place.
20.4.3· The imperative and infinitive construct begin with il; they also contain
the doubling noted above.
-122 -
124 20. NIPHAL (PART 2), NUMBERS 1-2, PARTITIVE !Q, ACCENT ZAQEPH 20.7. THE PARTITIVE Jl:l. 125
20.4.4· The vowel "melody" in the prefix conjugation, imperative, jussive, 20·7· THE PARTITIVE iQ
cohortative, and consecutive preterite is "i-ah-ay" (or "ay-ah-ay" in I-G verbs). We have just seen the preposition lQ used with the numbers 1 and 2 to mean 'one
of' or 'two of'. There is another use of lQ, called "partitive lQ;' in which lQ plus
20.5. RECOGNIZING NUMBERS GENERALLY
a plural or collective noun is translated 'some of (the noun)'. O'W~~;;~, then, can
Numbers in BH are difficult to produce but easy to recognize. We will focus on rec- be translated 'some of the men'. The choice to translate lQ partitively is up to the
ognizing the numbers in this book, and that entails simply knowing one basic form reader, according to context.
of the numbers from 1 to 10, plus the forms for 20, 30, and so on, and for 100, 200,
1,000, and so on. Armed with those few forms, you can figure out any number. 20.8. ACCENT: THE ZAQEPH
The largest pause between the beginning of a verse and the atnakh and between the
20.6. THE NUMBERS 1 AND 2
atnakh and the end of the verse is signaled by the accent mark known as zaqeph.
As we have seen, the number 1 is 1m~ in the masculine and nnN in the feminine.
T '.' - - Zaqeph looks like a colon and falls directly over the accented syllable, as in '1?¢.
These words are usually used like any other adjective, following the words they
modify: 1t:J~ W'~ 'one man'; no~ i'V. 'one city'. 20.9. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 20
The number 2 (like 3-10) occurs in BH in the absolute form and in the con-
struct form. The absolute form can occur before or after the noun it modifies; the verbs
construct form always comes before the noun being counted. 1 '~~~ 'to be eaten' (niphal ofi;:>N); pref. conj. I;;>~~
N~7JJ 'to be found'; with the extended meaning simply 'to be' (niphal of
masculine absolute masculine construct 'J'P T : •
N~7J); pref. conj. N~rp~

feminine absolute feminine construct 'rlW
.. : 'to be called, named' (niphal of Nij:l); pref. conj. N"1it
Nli?~
For example, 'two men' can be written in any of the following three ways: v~t.p~ 'to be heard, obeyed' (niphal of VOW); pref. conj. V~~~
O'JW O'WJN
'- : ' T -:
O'WJN O'JW
' T -: '- :
O'WJN 'JW
' T -: '' :
numbers
o~jt.p 'two' (masc.); cs. 'J'P
Similarly, 'two women':
o~l]t.p 'two' (fern.); cs. 'Do/
O'nW O'WJ
• - : • T

Even when the thing counted is defined, the number (without definite article) can
come before or after the noun, although it is far more common for the number
to come before. There are also several ways to express 'of' after a number, as in From this point onward, it will be helpful if, before translating each sentence, you draw a
vertical line after each word with a disjunctive accent. So, in sentence 6, you would draw a
'one of the men': the number (absolute or construct) can precede the noun, or the
line after c~~l?v and another after e;;;:~. This will have the effect of dividing the sentence into
absolute form can follow the noun (O'W~~;; 1t:J~, 1t:J~ O'W~~;;); or the number smaller syntactic units and will make translating much easier.
precedes the noun with the word lQ ('of' here) inserted between the number and
the noun (O'W~~;;-lQ 1t:J~).
1. The shwa under the IV is silent in all four forms of the number 2 in BH (hence the beged-
kephet dagesh in the 1'1, because there is no vowel sound before the 1'1). These are the only words in :O:>~n-nN O'WJNilD ~iON'
IT:-'." 'T-:T" :--
.1
BH that begin with a consonant cluster. They are pronounced shna-yim, shnay ( -ay as in English
say); shta-yim, shtay.
126 20. NIPHAL (PART 2), NUMBERS 1-2, PARTITIVE JQ, ACCENT ZAQEPH
:o~ry;~ n~:;lf !Ji~o/~ ilp~ 2 0~J~t?iJ ~Jo/ i1?~ .3

:i1Jif'iJQ ilp~ o;QiJ-iQ iD~Q ilp~ t:~iJ :tiu .4
:o~1v-1~ i1,Yi~ ~1=i111VT?'?f: .s
:t~t;:~-n~ mi?~1 o~~iJ 1~:;11 o~'l~v r~~ 11p~ o~11;'v n~ ;~1~: ~w~~ 11:p7; .6
:OW ;:J~i1::1 N~OJi1
N:J ~ 21
y••-
IT T:•-
Ut:JJ~ ilp~ ;i~iJ i19 iftN7. i11Nli?l:l1ii}~.IJi;ip-n~ O~W?iJ !JN~~ N1i1iJ Oi~~ .7 THE DERIVED STEM HIPHIL (PART 1)
:i::l10::l nivow
IT : ' - : AND THE ACCENT REVIA
l'l~~ ~11::1~f ory~~1 o:1¥Q 1;:~rn~ 01;)~ iJP,~1 i1}..t)Q~ 111 ~~ VQ~Df ~0~1 .s
:N~i1i1 i1;i1li1
I' - T : -
:ory?;:~-;f ;~~~ i'! i1JiJ Oij?rpiJ i~~-n~ !JN¥7?~1 i1~\?jpiJ i~l:)~-n~ 11:p7~1 .9
21.1. THE MOST COMMON MEANING OF THE HIPHIL STEM
:o~ii1i1 ~,vo nnN::l ovi1-nN ;Nmw ut~w~ .10
I' T '." '' T '' - - : /IT T "." '' : : '
The next verb stem we will learn is the hiphil. The hiphil is first and foremost a
:o~n=il~ ,~~f i:;li?l:l ~:;l nN!iJ fl~f ~,~rn~ 1ifi?n-;~ .u causative for qal verbs. From 1?~ 'he ruled', the hiphil is 1'71?0 'he caused someone
:1nN w~N:> i16n;oi1-;N ;Ni'iv~ ~ii::lr;:> 1:J;i1 i1·ti1 o1~::1 .12 to rule' or 'he made someone king/ queen'. i1Fl~-n~ i:;l! 'he remembered Yahweh'
IT'." •: TT:•- '." h"T:'"' T :IT •:- -
becomes in the hiphil i1!i1~-n~ i~~TiJ 'he caused (someone) to remember Yahweh'
B. Translate from English to Hebrew: or 'he mentioned Yahweh'.
1. one woman 21.2. THE FORMS OF THE HIPHIL STEM
2. one man The forms of the hiphil verb are shown on the following page (using the root 1?0,
which, in the qal means 'to rule' and in the hiphil means 'to make someone king/
3. two cities (write it three ways) queen; to enthrone, to cause to rule').
4. the two kings (write it two ways)
2. Since 0 is a Skin-'em-Levi letter and is followed by shwa, it is not doubled after the definite
article.
-127 -
128 21. THE DERIVED STEM HIPHIL (PART 1) AND THE ACCENT REVIA 21.2. THE FORMS OF THE HIPHIL STEM 129
THE FORMS OF THE HIPHIL STEM 21.2.6. The suffix conjugation forms begin with 0 and have the telltale hireq
gadol in the third-person forms but patakh in first- and second-person forms.
inf. cs. suff. conj. cons. pret. volitives pref. conj.
Except for the second-person plural of the suffix conjugation, which is always
"P7~to ~n~?nil
.:- : . 1~71?~1 il~~?nN
T ' : -
cohort. "P71?~ accented on the last syllable, the forms of the suffix conjugation are accented on the
syllable beginning with the middle root letter (? in this paradigm), for instance,
n~?nil 17~tm 171?0 impv. "P71?D
·•p7f? 01, Bi2 7? 0 ·
T : - ;
inf. abs. n~?nil ~~~?nm

. . : -- ~:;J~71?0 impv. ~~~?nn
. . : -
: : - : . 21.2.7. The hiphil infinitive construct and participle are both modeled after the
1~71?0 171?~ juss. 1~71?~ prefix conjugation; the infinitive absolute looks exactly like the imperative.
il~~?nil
T • ; •
171?D juss. 1~71?D 21.3· STRONG VERBS LEARNED TO THIS POINT WITH HIPHIL STEMS
ptcp. u~?1?0 il~~?nJ

T • : -
cohort. 1~71?J What follows is a list of the hiphil forms of some of the strong verbs we have
learned so far that appear in the hiphil in the Hebrew Bible. Most of them occur
1~71?Q on~?
... : - nil. ~~~71?0 impv. ~~~71?D
;
frequently enough to warrant including them in the vocabulary list below.
il~~?nn
T • ; - m~?1t0 ilP?~to impv. ilJ~?nn
T ; " : -
Note that III -G verbs have furtive patakh before the guttural.
o~:;J~71?Q ~~~?nil
.: . ~:l~71?~ juss. ~~~71?~
root qal hiphil hiphil hiphil hiphil
ni~~71?Q ilP?I?D juss. ilJ~?nn
T ; •• ; - meaning meaning pref. conj. cons. pret. suff. conj .
Notes to the paradigm (moving from right to left): he will and he did ... he did ...
21.2.1. Glosses for the hiphil verbal forms are: pref. conj. = 'I!he/etc. will cause ...
enthrone'; cohort.= 'may I!we enthrone'; impv. ='enthrone!'; juss. ='may he/she/you 1:lT to remember to cause to be ,~:;lr~ ,~:;l!0
enthrone'; cons. pret. ='and he, etc., enthroned'; suff. conj. = 'I!he/etc. enthroned'; remembered;
inf. cs. ='to enthrone'; and ptcp. ='one who enthrones'. to mention
21.2.2. The prefix conjugation of the hiphil can be identified by the patakh in
the preformative and the accented hireq gadol in all but two forms: the 2fp and 3fp n1~ to cut (off) to cut off, n~,~~
.: - n1~~,
•• % - -
n~··p0
destroy
have tsere before the il~- ending.
21.2.3. Like the niphal imperative, the imperative of the hiphil begins with il. 1?n to rule to make (s.o.) 1~71?~ 171?~1 1~71?0
Except for the ms form, the hiphil imperative is made by removing the n preforma- ruler
tive from the second-person prefix conjugation forms and adding 0 instead. The ms
imperative is irregular and must simply be learned. N:!m to find to cause to find N~~n~
. : - N¥1?~1 N~~nil
.
: .
21.2.4. Most forms of the hiphil are accented on the syllable beginning with the 1Nl.V (niphal) to be to leave, spare 1~Nu>~ 1N1V~1 ,~~t.;;0
middle root letter(? in this paradigm), for instance, 1~71?~, ~:;J~71?D· The exceptions
0 : - ·• I --
left
are suffix conjugation 2mp and 2fp and participle fs, mp, and fp.
21.2.5. Even in strong verbs, the hiphil jussive is different from the prefix conju- Jmw to hear to proclaim v~nu>~
- . : - VQt.p~1 v~nu>il
- .: .
gation in the 3ms, 3fs, and 2ms, with tsere instead of hireq gadol. Consequently, the
consecutive preterite also has tsere and not hireq gadol in these three forms. Note
that the 2fs jussive, on the other hand, is exactly like the 2fs prefix conjugation.
130 21. THE DERIVED STEM HIPHIL (PART 1) AND THE ACCENT REVIA 21.7. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 21 131
21.4. THE HIPHIL WITH DOUBLE ACCUSATIVE n~1:Jil

·:. 'to cut off, destroy' (hiphil of n1:>); pref. conj. n~!?~; cons. pret. n·p~1
Because of its causative nature, the hiphil can take a double accusative (that is, two 1~71?0 'to cause to rule, put someone on the throne, make someone king/
direct objects). For instance, in ni~U~iTn~ m:m-n~ 1?¢0 ,~~t~ 'The king will cause queen' (hiphil of1~0); pref. conj. T71?~; cons. pret. 171?~1
the priest to remember the commandments: ,~~r~ is the hiphil prefix conjugation 1~N1Vil 'to leave, keep over, spare (someone)' (hiphil of1N1V); pref. conj. ,~~w~
.. : .
3ms of the root 1:JT; 1?~0 is the subject; FJ!:l0 is the direct object of the 'caused'
part of the hiphil verb; ~~d ni¥~0 is the direct object of the 'remember' part of the 'to get up early, do something early in the morning' (hiphil of t:J:J1V);
verb. Both objects take -n~. pref. conj. o~~o/~; cons. pret. t:J.;;>o/~1
It is also common t~ encounter sentences with only one of the possible 'to throw (down), cast' (hiphil of 1~1V); pref. conj. 1~7o/~; cons. pret.
direct objects, such as ni¥~0-n~
. . 1?~0
. . ,~~!~
. 'The king will cause (someone) to 17o/~1
remember the commandments' or 'The king will cause the commandments to be 'to destroy' (hiphil of101V); pref. conj. 1~Qo/~; cons. pret. 1~o/~1
remembered'. 1
'to be destroyed' (niphal of101V)
21.5. VERBS WITH NIPHAL AND HIPHIL STEMS l2~Qt.p;:1 'to cause (someone) to hear (something); to proclaim' (hiphil of>m1V);
Besides qal-hiphil pairs, where the hiphil verb is the causative of the verb from the pref. conj.l2~Qo/~
same root in the qal stem, there are many verbs that occur in a niphal-hiphil pair. nouns
In those cases, the niphal is not the passive of any qal verb but is rather the pas- N~~ 'throne, chair'; with sf. 3 ~~9~; pl. niNt?~ (masc., like the sg.)
sive of the hiphil verb. 1~Qo/;:1 'to destroy' is a case in point. The root 101V does not
1V.?,~ 'the essence of a human being, self, person' (fern.); often translated
occur in the qal in BH, but there is a niphal verb 1Qo/~ that means 'to be destroyed'.
So the basic form of the verb, as we have it in BH at least, is the hiphil rather than 'soul: but it should not be thought of in the Greek sense of something
the qal, and the nip hal is the passive of that hiphil verb. separate from the body; with pronominal suffixes, it is the reflexive
pronoun: ~w~J 'myself: i1V~J 'himself: and so on; pl. niu>~~; cs. pl.
21.6. ACCENT: THE HEVIA ni1V~J
The next disjunctive accent we will learn is called revia (pronounced ra-vee-ah). 1~1ip 'survivor'; with sf. ~1~1\p; pl. 0~1~1\p; cs. pl. ~1~1\p
It looks like a small diamond or simply a dot and is placed above the accented syl- proper noun
lable of the word in question, for instance, 1?9· l2V,?iil~ 'Joshua'
21.7. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 21 conjunction
t:J~ 'if'
verbs
2,~~ri:1 'to cause to remember/be remembered, mention, commemorate,
record' (hiphil of1:JT); pref. conj. ,~~r~
1. This use of the passive in the English translation should not be taken to mean that there is
anything inherently passive in the use of the hiphil here. The issue is translation into English. In a
case like this one, where only one of two possible objects is expressed, the second translation above,
which uses an English passive, is simply more elegant than the first one (with "someone" in paren-
theses), and the two sentences mean the same thing.
2. As with niphal verbs, we will identify hiphil verbs according to the 3ms hiphil suffix conjuga-
tion of the root. See the box under 19.7. 3. Another example of the Skin-'em-Levi rule, as is the plural (see above, lesson 15, note 2).
132 21. THE DERIVED STEM HIPHIL (PART 1) AND THE ACCENT REVIA 21.8. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 21 133
21.8. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 21 VQ~~ N? ii~~TD N? 16 0~!1J~ o~;:i?~ oW1 il~'fiT:l o~~7.~ ~n·v~~ io/~ ?j::;ti .s
A. Translate from Hebrew to English: (Exod 23:13) :1~-?.-;~
8
Nm~ 7 1~~ No/l;'~-?~ 6
if,1 io/~ i1li1~ i~1~ 5 N\l?l;'~ n~~-?f n~ 4~'1~! 1~o/~1 .1 :;·:p~-?~ iQ~ io/~ 1?~t1 ~1::;t1-n~ l'l~;;-?~~ w~Qo/iJ .9
(1 Kgs 16:12) :N~~~iJ :19~~ ,~~01 o~9~;; ~;J?~-n~ 1:LP, ~n7:;t7 i1li1~ n1in-n~ ibo/~ N? o~ ;,;;;1 .1o
:i1~i~ ~J-?7 co/ 1Qlf io/~ oiprpiJ-?~ 1;;;1 ii?,~~ o;;1::;t~ o~~o/~ .2 tso~;li?Ni1 w~N n~v-nN il)OW N? ~::1 17:Lin ~::h o~:hi o~itU i?!JJ N~fli1 i1JW::l .11
• •:: T ' - -: '•' : IT ' '.'fa'." ' : ' - ' ' : IT ' - T T -
(adapted from Gen 19:27) :nnN:Li i1D:ln::l i6N iWN 1'." •:: '." T : T : - T '." -:
:q~'¥ii~ ~w~~ ii1i:J~7~0 ~~ 1~?.~

111 N~~-?~ i1b?o/ :LW; NifliJ oi~~ .3 -?f ~JT~~ l2~Qo/01 iQi/ WNi-?~ 1;i/1 1'1'l~iJ-n~ 1~Qo/~iJ i:LP,~ i1!iJ :11*~ .12
th!~:;nf.. 10 V~W WNi-n~ in"'J?~l i1~1?:;>t:9 Olfi/-?f-?~ i1~~i/ 9 Ni:Lf;11 .4 :il?~fyiJ-1~1 ii?,~iJ~ o¢,-n~ 1~W Nm ~~ ow io/~ Olfi/
13
(taken from 2 Sam 20:22) : ... :1~;~-?~ 12
i:l~?o/~1
(adapted from Judg 9:17) :o~? iW-?~-n~ 17.o/:~1 14
0,?.~7.!? ~:;t~ oo?~l .s 1. They will make Solomon king.
N? Or.J~:;;l7Q-?f n~1 o~'llfiT1~1 o~!i/iTiQ l'l~i/-?f-n~ 121P,ii1~ 1~o/~l .6
2. (And) they made Solomon king.
(adapted from Josh 10:40) :1~!o/ i~~o/0
C. Practice reading Gen 22: 1-7.
~ti~N
- '.':
m;,~
T :
15 1i~,
-T :
~:LN
h' T
n~::m
'' '
~nw-nN
' : '."
1~nwn
' : -
ON1 ~~mN ~Jnn ~J:rnN n~i:~n oN .7
' : - -: - - : T '' : '." ' : - '
(adapted from 1 Sam 24:21) :O~iV717?~~ 1~W 1~Qo/iJ7
4. A personal name, Zimri.

5. A personal name, Ba'asha.
6. 'He spoke'.
7. Literally, 'by the hand of', but the expression is metaphorical; translate 'through' or 'by
means of:
8. A personal name, Jehu.
9. '(And) she came:
10. A personal name, Sheva.
11. Sheva's patronymic, Bikhri.
12. In BH, if the antecedent of a pronominal direct object has already been mentioned in a sen-
tence, it can be left out. So, you must insert "it" here in your English translation.
13. A personal name, Joab.
14. ?p here means 'on behalf of'. The second half of this sentence is meant metaphorically:
translate it literally, then look at the answer.
15. Notice that this clause begins with 1' sometimes called the "vav of apodosis" because it
comes at the beginning of the "then'' -clause of an "if-then'' sentence, and "apodosis" is a technical 16. 'Other:
term for the then-clause. In fact, in any compound sentence with both a subordinate and an inde- 17. 'At the point of a sword' = 'by/with the sword:
pendent clause, the independent clause often begins with 1· One effect of beginning this clause with 18. O'ii?N often occurs in the Bible with the definite article, with no obvious effect on the mean-
1is that the future-tense verb must be expressed in the va-qatal form. ing of the ~~;d; the two forms are used interchangeably.
22.3. MORE STRONG VERBS LEARNED TO THIS POINT WITH HIPHIL STEMS 135
,-
root qal hiphil hiphil hiphil hiphil
t-
22 t-
~:IN to eat to cause to eat,
he will be ... and he did ...
~~:IN~
. -:- ~;.1~~1
he did ...
~~::!Ni1
* ·:·: \'
feed
THE DERIVED STEM HIPHIL (PART 2), to be strong to make strong;
ptn P~rn~ i'!.t)~l P~mv
THE DERIVED STEM HOPHAL, THE to grasp
1::13) to serve to cause to ,~:;tv,~ 1~P,~1 1~:11m
NUMBERS 3-10, AND THE ACCENT MUNAKH . ·:: ·.·
serve
1::13) to cross over to cause to ,~:;tv,~ 1::111~1
-:--
-~
,~:Jl1i1
. ·:: ..
cross over 1
103) to stand to cause to ,~QP,~ 1P.P,~l ... . ..
,~nvi1
22.1. THE SECONDARY HIPHIL MEANING: DENOMINATIVE
stand2
Besides hiphils with causative meaning, there are many hiphil verbs that are
denominative verbs; that is, the meaning of the verb is taken from a noun. In Eng- Note that I-G verbs have hateph-patakh in the prefix conjugation and seghol and
lish, we use the word "chair" as both a noun and a verb: "The president chaired the hateph-seghol in the suffix conjugation.
meeting:' It is logical, however, that the verbal usage is secondary and comes about
because the person in charge of a meeting was seated in a special chair. In BH, for 22.4. CLUES FOR RECOGNIZING HIPHIL VERBS
example, the verb P!~v 'to hear, listen' is clearly secondary to and derived from the 22.4.1. The suffix conjugation, imperative, and infinitives begin with i1; be care-
noun lrN 'ear.'
,(
ful not to confuse the hiphil imperative and infinitives with the suffix conjugation.
Th~re are also hiphil verbs that never occur in the qal. 1~7tp;:~ 'to cast, throw 22.4.2. The preformatives of the strong verb all have patakh, with the exception
down' is one common such verb, and O~:;ltp;:J 'to get up early' is another. of the suffix conjugation, which has hireq (or seghol, if the verb is I-G).
22.4.3. Many of the forms in the paradigm have the telltale hireq gadol.
22.2. THE TERTIARY HIPHIL MEANING: STATIVE
Finally, the oddest group of hiphil verbs is a small group of verbs that can be both 22.5. THE HOPHAL STEM
causative and stative in the hiphil. For instance, 1~"1~v can mean both 'to lengthen' Although some hiphil verbs have niphal passives, there is an entire stem, the
and 'to be long'. hop hal, that serves as the passive of hiphil verbs. Quite often it is the hophal parti-
22.3. MORE STRONG VERBS LEARNED TO THIS POINT WITH HIPHIL STEMS 1. Hiphils of verbs of motion are common, and there is usually a nicer translation to be found
What follows is a list of more hiphil forms of strong verbs we have learned so than 'to cause to .. .'. 'To cause to cross over' can mean 'to carry over; 'to lead over', and so on. The
far that appear in the hiphil in the Hebrew Bible. Most of them occur frequently same will be true for other verbs of motion that we will learn fully in a later lesson, such as 'to go', 'to
come; 'to go up; and 'to go down'.
enough to warrant including them in the vocabulary list below. Note that there are
2. As with the previous verb, 'to cause to stand' has more elegant translations, such as 'to
occasional differences in vowel pointing from the paradigm in lesson 21. appoint', 'to set up', and 'to erect'.
-134-
136 22. DERIVED STEM HIPHIL (PART 2); HOPHAL; NUMBERS 3-10; ACCENT MUNAKH 22.6. THE NUMBERS 3-10 137
ciple that we see, and it is used as an attributive adjective. For instance, 11?o/1? n~~ 'The three mares' is niomtt W'?lp. For 'the seven men' and 'seven of the men: see the
would be a 'destroyed house'. The vowel at the beginning of hophal verbs is variable, explanations in 20.6.
but in the strong verb it is usually a qamets with the value short o (hence the o of The numbers are generally easy to deal with. You should memorize the absolute
the name hop hal). The hophal is rare enough that it need not be learned well at this forms of the numbers that modify a feminine noun. These are the dictionary forms
point, but the major forms are: of these words. Knowing that one form well should make it possible for you to rec-
ognize the other three forms of each number.
prefix conjugation he/it will be destroyed
suffix conjugation 10Wi1 he/it was destroyed 22·7· ACCENT: THE MUNAKH
- : T
So far, the accent marks we have learned have all been "disjunctive"; that is, since
participle 10WO destroyed
T : T
they signal a pause after the word in question, they also signal a separation (a dis-
Note that in the participle, the second qamets is long a. junction) between the word with the accent and the next word. There are also,
however, "conjunctive" accents that signal that two or more words are tied together
22.6. THE NUMBERS 3-10 in some way, such as the words in a construct chain. A two-word construct chain
The numbers 3-10 have the odd quality that the ones that appear to be masculine is marked with a conjunctive accent on the first word and a disjunctive accent on
are used to modify feminine nouns, and the ones that appear to be feminine are the second word (to signal that the words in the construct chain are more closely
used to modify masculine nouns. related to each other than they are to the other words in the sentence). The first
conjunctive accent we will learn is munakh, which is a corner or right angle placed
THE NUMBERS 3-10 under the accented syllable of the word in question, for instance: 1?9·
modifies feminine noun modifies masculine noun 22.8. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 22
construct absolute construct absolute
verbs
three W'?lp nw?w
... : PT~v 'to hear, listen, give ear' (hiphil ofTtN); pref. conj. PT~~
four V~l~ V~l~ nlJiliN ill'::liN 1'1~v 'to make long, prolong, lengthen; to be long' (hiphil .o f 1"1N); pref.
- - :- T T : -
conj.1'!~~
five won
.. -~
won •• T
nwon
.. . -: i1WOnT • -:
'to make strong; to grasp, seize, take hold of' (hiphil of ptn); usually
six ww ww nww ..... i1WW T • takes obj. with f instead of n~; pref. conj. P'TD,~; cons. pret. P!D,~1
seven v~V? v~V? i1l'.'JW
T :
'to ban, exterminate; to devote (to the deity)= to exterminate' (hiphil
of tJin); pref. conj. tJ'!D,~; cons. pret. tJ1D,~1
eight mbW
·: : i1~blp mbo/ mbw T :
i':ll'i1
. ·:: ... 'to cause to cross, cause to pass over/through/by; to carry/bring over/
nine vwn VWD nl}lpf:l i1l'Wn
T : through' (hiphil ofi:lV); pref. conj. i'~P,~; cons. pret. i~P,~1
ten iiZJl]
... ·: iip~ nilbl'
...... -: i1iWlJ T T -: 1'0l'i1
. ·:: ... 'to cause to stand, to erect, set up; to appoint' (hiphil of 10V); pref.
conj. 1'QP,~; cons. pret. 1gP,~1
Construct forms come before the noun being counted. Absolute forms can numbers (refer to the chart above for the various forms of these words)
come before or after the noun being counted; in both cases, the absolute form is in w'?~ 'three'
apposition with the noun. 'Three mares' is nio~o W'?lp, nio~o w'?~, or w'?~ nio~o.
V::liN
- :- 'four'
138 22. DERIVED STEM HIPHIL (PART 2); HOPHAL; NUMBERS 3-10; ACCENT MUNAKH 22.9 EXERCISES FOR LESSON 22 139
wnn•• T
'five' i1p~ ;,¢l~i)-~lJ c'o; ~:J''l~D tl!~7 w~f cwli) c'~o:>;:~ 't~:;rntt ~!llW .6
ww '0
SIX'
:oi'iJ~~ i1li1~ o~? 16 llJ~
<.
V~'P. 'seven'
(Josh 10:29) :i1p7-cl:' cry?~l 18 i1J:t7 i1li?.QQ i~l:' ~~lo/~-~~112'P.ii1~ i~P,~l
17
.7
iUbW
... : 'eight'
0< r~:J iWN W!l~i1-~::>-nN1 i1'ilJ-~::>-nN1 r~::>~n-nN1 :lin '!l~ 20 i1~::>~, 19 mi::>~~, .8
VWD 'nine' T '." -: '." J',' - T '." : T '." T T '." : T : - '." : '." '.' J' : T J -- T : ; •-
......
jiZJl)
<
'ten' W~}..iJ-~f-ntt1 i1~N 23 t:l)Q~1 22li?.w7 21 i1o/~ ilp~ ~jf 1'~o/ i'~o/iT~6
(Josh 10:37) :i1J iWN IT '." -:
22.9 EXERCISES FOR LESSON 22
A. Translate from Hebrew to English: ci~iJ-~f OQ';::i~~-~l} t:lij'J'l} ilp~l i1~; 0~~7 ilp~ t:l'i?.'1~ i1P,f"')~ J/N¥90 .9
(taken from 2 Kgs 4:27) : ... 1'?.1"'P i'!Q.Dl i~i)-~tt O';:i~~i) W'~-~tt 3 N:lJ;11 .1
: i1~'',;,-~:n
T : 1- - T :
i1li1~ i1Jf-N~ 'w~-~tt ~~mo/ i~N~l ~~mo/ ~~-!?7 ,,~f nl}:t\P 4 'W~ i~P,~l .2 1inf ilp~ l'~i)Q ~~~N' N~ 1l!Q7 i1J'f7iJ 'J!?7 t:l''"!'?W n1p9.Q i1li1~ 1QP,~1 .1o
(1 Sam 16:10) :i1',NJ :ii?-rf-N~1 t:ll~-N~ i1'to/iJ
"•' I'' T
ibN? i~ J;I"')~1 ilp~ n~ ':;1~ 111 9''=9l!7 ibo/ ~~lo/~ 'ri~~ i1}i~ i1J;Il!1
7 6 5
.3 iWNi i1!1 VY}li) il}~iJ-ntt 1'71?0 ilp~ N'~?iJ WNTntt 1:17o/~i~ ~~.t):> 1n"')~~1 .11
-ntt 9''~f ~i'?o/~-gc~ i'1 ~~lo/~ NP.:;>-~l} :lW" 8'J-970 W'~ 9'7 n1f~-N~ :i'l;?i)-iQ 241?.o/~iJ
(1 Kgs 8:25) :'~-97 J;~~7i) ilp~~ 'J-97 wn~?? OfT! :in1jl)-nN 1::11'
I T -: '." - T
N", 0'DWi1 nnn :J:JWi1 ii:Jli1 'D .12
: ',.,- T - - - " - ' - '
(Isa 1:10) : 14 i1'}bP, t:ll} U'6~~ n1ir-l 13 U'T~iJ 12 C1t? ll~~-'¥i? i1li1~ i~1 ~Vr?W .4 B. Translate from English to Hebrew:
i1li1~ 'J!?7 1bP,7 c~~7i)1l'l~i) 'Ql!-~f-ntt c~'?1Dv tsiW~ ':10~ i1~i)1 .5 1. 'ten men' (three different ways)
:i1JW:l t:l'OlH:l W~W c:J'ii~N
IT T - ' T : T '." •• '.":
2. 'nine women' (two different ways)
3. 'eight houses' (three different ways)
3. '(And) she came:
4. A personal name, Jesse. 4. 'six fathers' (three different ways)
5. Translate the ~ here as 'for the sake of:
6. ilp~ 11~ together mean that the next clause is the direct object of the verb, to be translated C. Practice reading Gen 22:1-8.
something like 'that which'.
7. 'You promised:
8. A combination ofF~ and'~-??. plus the first-person singular suffix. 16. 'Has given'.
9. 0~ P1 together= 'if only'. 17. A place name, Maqqedah.
10. 'To walk: 18. '(To) Libnah', a place name.
11. 'Rulers of: 19. The pronominal suffix refers to a city mentioned in the verse immediately before this one.
12. A place name, Sodom. 20. '(And) they struck it/her down'.
13. This verb is used almost exclusively in poetry in the Hebrew Bible, and in poetry we should 21. 'He did:
not expect to find mundane words like 11~. It will sometimes occur, but its absence is not a problem. 22. 'To Eglon', a place name.
14. A place name, Gomorrah. 23. '(And) he completely destroyed' or '(and) he put (it) to the ban.
15. ilp~ '11:)~ together= 'after' as a conjunction, beginning a clause. 24. In this particular verb, the hophal participle has qibbuts in the first syllable.
23.2. THE FORMS OF THE PIEL STEM FOR THE STRONG VERB 141
THE FORMS OF THE PIEL STEM

1~1 ~nl~1 1:11N1
" - -: T
il1:11N
T:
cohort. 1:11N
.. --:
23 inf. abs.
n1:i1
T :-
rl1:11
: :- .
....
1:11
'
1~1t;ll
~1:11m
.: - : -
1~1
~1~1
1~T
impv.
impv.
juss.
1~1t;l
~1:11n
1~T
.: - :
THE DERIVED STEMS PIEL AND PUAL,

il1:11
T : •
1~1t;l juss. 1::1.1n
.. - :
THE ORDINAL NUMBERS, AND THE ptcp. il1:11J cohort. 1:11J
T : .. -:
ACCENTS TIPHKHAH AND MERKHAH 1:11D
.. - : Or11:11
... :- . ~1~1 impv. ~1~1t;l
11)"')~1 iln~1 impv. ilJ1:i1n

T : •• - ;
o~1:11n
.: - : ~1~1 ~1~T juss. ~1~T
23.1. THE PIEL STEM GENERALLY ni1:11n
: - : iln~1t;1 juss. ilJ1:l1n
T : •• - :
The piel stem is in some ways an easy stem to learn and in some ways difficult. It
is easy to identify because its forms are recognizable, but it is the hardest to define Notes to the paradigm (moving from right to left):
with relation to the qal. Piel verbs often simply have to be learned as words on their 23.2.1. Glosses for the piel verbal forms are: pref. conj. = 'I!he/etc. will
own, not as verbs that have some relationship to a qal verb. speak'; cohort.= 'may 1/we speak'; impv. ='speak!'; juss. ='may he/she speak'; cons.
pret. = 'and he, etc., spoke'; suff. conj. = '1/he/etc. spoke'; inf. cs. = 'to speak'; and
23.2. THE FORMS OF THE PIEL STEM FOR THE STRONG VERB ptcp. = 'speaking; speaker:
One of the most common verbs in the Bible appears in the piel: 1~1 'to speak'. We 23.2.2. The prefix conjugation of the piel can be identified by the doubled middle
will use 1~1 as the paradigm verb to illustrate the forms of the piel,' even though the root consonant (although in 1~1 the middle root consonant is a beged-kephet letter,
seghol in the second syllable is unusual for the piel (see note 23.2.6 below). the dagesh is the doubling dagesh ); by the shwa of the preformative syllable (hateph-
patakh in the lcs); and by the vowel pattern shwa-patakh-tsere.
2J.2.J. The piel imperative can be recognized by the patakh in the first syllable,
since it is the second-person prefix conjugation form without the preformative.
23.2.4. The tsere of the prefix conjugation reduces to shwa when the cohortative
ending is added.
2J.2·5· In strong verbs, the jussive of the piellooks the same as the prefix con-
jugation.
23.2.6. In the consecutive preterite third-person forms, the ~ is not doubled,
as we would expect, because ~ is one of those letters that tends to lose its doubling
when its vowel is shwa (see note 2 oflesson 15). (The first-person plural preforma-
tive J, however, which is also a Skin-'em-Levi letter, does not lose its doubling in the
piel consecutive preterite.)
-140-
142 23. DERIVED STEMS PIEL AND PUAL; ORDINALS; TIPHKHAH AND MERKHAH 23.5. THE MEANINGS OF THE PIEL STEM: TRANSITIVE 143
23.2.7. The 3ms suffix conjugation in this paradigm is if-1, but the seghol is both piel and hiphil forms of the transitive meaning of the verb. Another example
unusual for a piel verb. Usually, the 3ms has either tsere or patakh, for instance, i.!JD of such a qal-piel pairing is ~1~ qal 'to be great' and ~1~ or ~1~ piel 'to magnify,
'to narrate', p·m 'to strengthen: i~W 'to shatter', 1~~ 'to kill'. ·· · glorify, praise someone or something: that is, to make it great or declare it great.
23.2.8. Most other forms of the suffix conjugation have patakh in the second
syllable, except 3fs and 3mp, in which the vowel reduces to shwa. ilF1; ~1~ Yahweh is great.
23.2.9. The piel infinitive construct looks exactly like the ms imperative. The priest glorified/praised Yahweh.
23.2.10. The infinitive absolute is usually not a separate form in the piel; rather,
the infinitive construct is used as the infinitive absolute also. Occasionally, a form A similar qal-piel pairing consists of verbs that are intransitive in the qal and transi-
such as ii:l1 shows up in the text. tive in the piel: qal 1:;!.~ means 'to die: and piel 1~~ means 'to kill'.
23.2.11. As in the hiphil, the piel participle begins with D, but in the piel, the
23.6. THE MEANINGS OF THE PIEL STEM: DENOMINATIVE
vowel under the D is always shwa.
Piel verbs can also be denominative (see lesson 20.5). Our paradigm word i~1 'to
23·3· THE FORMS OF THE PIEL STEM WITH SECOND GUTTURAL OR RESH speak' is denominative from i~l 'word'. The piel verb i$.lt;> 'to narrate, tell a ~tory,
As with other stems, the forms of piel verbs can be influenced in predictable ways recount' seems to be related to the noun i~¢. rather than the qal verb i;l9, which
by the presence of a guttural root consonant (presence of furtive patakh, tendency means 'to count'. There is a rare qal verb T1~ 'to kneel' and a noun il~lf 'blessing:
to substitute patakh for tsere). With the piel, however, the need to double the The piel verb 11~ 'to bless' seems to be related to the noun rather than the qal verb,
middle root consonant makes for special problems if that consonant is a guttural and so it would be an example of a denominative verb. 1
or i. The two solutions to such a situation that we have seen so far are also evident
23·7· THE MEANINGS OF THE PIEL STEM: UNCLASSIFIED
~n the pie! paradigm. Sometimes compensatory lengthening takes place, as in f~Q
to refuse and T1~ or T1~ 'to bless'; sometimes the middle consonant is virtually Finally, some piel verbs are impossible to classify with our present state of knowl-
doubled, as in now 'to corrupt; to destroy' and iiJQ 'to hurry, to do something edge. iiJQ 'to hurry' is one, as are WjP.:;J. 'to seek' and W).J 'to banish, drive awaY:
quickly'.
23.8. CLUES FOR RECOGNIZING PIEL VERBS
23·4· THE MEANINGS OF THE PIEL STEM: INTENSIVE 23.8.1. The middle root letter is doubled in piel verbs.
The piel is often called the "intensive" stem because in those roots in which both 23.8.2. The preformatives have shwa or a hateph-vowel.
23.8.3. As in the hiphil, the participle begins with D, but the vowel here is shwa.
qal and piel are known, the piel can represent an action that seems to be intensified
23.8.4. The first vowel of the suffix conjugation is usually hireq, sometimes tsere
in some way over the qal meaning. For instance, qal n?o/ means 'to send: while piel
n'p,p means 'to send away, let go: as in 'Let my people go' in Exodus: 'Ql!-n~ n':Pw. when the second root letter cannot be doubled.
23.8.5. The difference between the suffix conjugation 3ms, on the one hand, and
The intensifying sometimes comes in the form of multiplying the obj~cts of a
verb or the results of verbal action. For instance, qal Vi?~ means 'to divide: whereas the imperative and infinitives, on the other, is usually simply the hireq in the first
piel V~:;J. can mean 'to chop up (wood), tear into pieces: syllable of the suffix conjugation and the patakh in the first syllable of the others.
23.9. THE PUAL STEM

23·5· THE MEANINGS OF THE PIEL STEM: TRANSITIVE
One of the more common qal-piel pairings is a root that is stative in the qal but There is a paradigm that expresses the passive of piel verbs, called the pual. An
transitive in the piel. We have learned that pm in the qal means 'to be strong' example is n':PW, 'he was let go, sent away'. Like the hophal, the pual occurs fre-
and that the hiphil of this root means 'to make strong, to strengthen' or 'to grasp'. quently as a participle used as an adjective: n?W,~ 'one who is sent away'; 11j~ 'one
There is also a piel verb from this root, p·J:t:1, and its meaning is the same as one
1. There is, however, a common qal passive participle of this root, 11if. 'blessed', but no active
of the hiphil meanings: 'to strengthen'. It is not uncommon in such roots to have equivalent in the qal.
144 23. DERIVED STEMS PIEL AND PUAL; ORDINALS; TIPHKHAH AND MERKHAH 23.11. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 23 145
who is blessed' (note the compensatory lengthening of qibbuts to holem before the 'to magnify, praise; to bring up (children)' (also ;'J);piel of;il); pref.
nondoubling i). The pual is rare enough that it need not be learned at this point, conj. ;1J7
but the major forms are: i~1 'to speak' (piel ofi:li); pref. conj. i;.J.T
prefix conjugation i:li'
- ... ;
It will be spoken PT.n 'to strengthen; harden (the heart)' (piel of pin); pref. conj. j?·!IJ~
suffix conjugation i:l1

- ... It was spoken ,n; - T
'to learn'; pref. conj. 3 iQ'77
,~7 'to teach' (piel ofint;); pref. conj. 1~?;
participle 1:11n
T •,, ;
spoken
r~Q 'to refuse' (piel ofrNn); pref. conj. fW?~
23.10. ACCENTS: THE TIPHKHAH AND THE MERKHAH 'to hurry, do something quickly' (piel ofiiln); pref. conj. iiJQ~
iiJQ
Tiphkhah and merkhah are a disjunctive and conjunctive accent, respectively. They 'to narrate, tell a story, recount' (piel ofi!lO); pref. conj. i$.lQ~
i$.lt?
often occur together, marking a two-word unit like a construct chain. Both accent
marks are diagonal lines placed under the accented syllable of a word, but they go i:;t~ 'to break'; pref. conj. ij,W7
in opposite directions. Merkhah under the word i~llooks like this: i~l; tiphkhah i~W 'to break (into pieces), shatter' (piel ofi:J.W); pref. conj. i;.J.W7
under the same word looks like this: i:l1. Both accent marks within a construct
chain look like this: :r?go i~l· 2 "T
now 'to corrupt; destroy' (piel of nnw)
n;w 'to send away, let go' (piel of nt;u>); pref. conj. ntyt,p~
23.11. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 23 noun
il:Ji:l 'blessing'; cs. n~"p; pl. ni:Jlf; cs. pl. niYp
verbs T T:
adjectives/numbers
Since few of the verbs we have seen so far occur in the pie/ stem, we will dispense with the
kind of chart that was used for the nipha/ and hiphil verbs. Pie/ verbs will simply be given as The ordinal numbers in BH generally have a specific form, with hireq gadol between the
vocabulary items. second and third root consonants and again at the end of the word. Ordinal numbers func-
tion like any other adjective.
i:lN
- T
'to die'; pref. conj. i~N'
,~~ 'to kill, destroy' (piel ofi:lN); pref. conj. i;.J.~~ '3rd'
u>p,~ 'to seek' (piel ofWj?:l); pref. conj. u>p,:;t~ '4th' '~'~l mas c. and n'~'~l fern. (without the N that appears at the begin-
ning of V~"'!~)
11;.J. 'to bless' (piel of1i:l); sometimes 1"1;.J.; pref. conj.1"1~7; cons. pret. 3ms
11~~1 . '5th' 'W'nn
. . -: masc. and n'W'nn
. . -: fern.
'blessed' (qal passive ptcp. of1i:l) '6th' 'WW masc. and n'l.Pl.P fern. (note no hireq gadol between the shins)
'to be great, large; to grow up'; pref. conj. ;-:p7 '7th' 'l'':lW
.. : masc. and n'l'':J.W
. . : fern.
'8th' 'J'nW
. . : masc. and n'J'nW
.. : fern .
'9th' 'l''Wn masc. and n'l''Wrl fern .
• 0 : • 0 :
2. It should be pointed out that in this book accent marks in nonbiblical exercise sentences do
not follow all the complications of the placement of accents in the Hebrew Bible. What is important
'lOth' 'i'i.vl' masc. and n'i'i.vl' fern.
• • -: 0 0 -:
at this point is to recognize accent marks, to distinguish between disjunctive accents and conjunc-
tive accents, and to allow those distinctions to guide the syntax of the translation. 3. Like :J:liV, 1r:h has a prefix conjugation with patakh for no obvious reason.
146 23. DERIVED STEMS PIEL AND PUAL; ORDINALS; TIPHKHAH AND MERKHAH 23.12. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 23 147
'2nd' slightly different: ~~w masc. and n~~w fern. B. Translating English to Hebrew
'1st' does not follow this pattern; is usually ilJiWN!/fiWN! 1. the sixth woman
23.12. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 23 2. the eighth day

A. Translate from Hebrew to English: 3. the fourth tree
:on~).T~f il?~ij o~')~liT~f-n~ 1~1~1 PJ~P,-~~7 N"'H?~1 1p:l!.~ il~~l.P O?.o/~1 .1 4. the second Torah
:o;:i)-n~ n?w N~1 il~l;1 :::17.-n~ ~~lo/: "D~~ i'!TJ;1 .2 5. the fifth daughter
:~:;nTn~ o~~-F~71 4 0~f:9'1~~ ~f.l~·p-n~ 'TJ'~J..~ ~l~o/: o~ il!i)1 .3 6. the first son
~J~ ~~ O~Jl=il~-n~ 1~!~1 N~tJD illJo/li) fl~i) ~·w-n~ o~f;~~ n!JWf ~t~~1 .4 7. the third holocaust offering
:N~;;JD fl~f t:lvl=il~ 8. the tenth altar
: 'Tf'J~o/:1 il)/1~ 'TJ'=?l~~

5
.5 9. the seventh house
:o~::l~Nil
I' ! T
il.lnCJ N~CJ 1WN nN 1!10~ 1ilC iliil~ 1CN ;,j
.J'' -: - : \T : • )"." -: •• •• - : •• - T : .J- T J
.6 10. the ninth captain
6
:N~:t~D-n~ 1#~7 Wj?.:;1~1 ilJ.D 1?.10-n~ V'ii) ~P.tPD V9o/~1 .7 C. Practice reading Gen 22:1-8 from BHS, taking care to follow the syntax dictated
by the accent marks that you have learned so far. It can be useful to photocopy Gen
~?ii'f l?bo/7 O;?,~lJi::l~ ~t~~ 1P-N~1 O~ij-~~ il~1~ 1#1;1 .8 22 from BHS and then to draw vertical lines on the photocopied sheets after each
:onJNn onN-ol, .... : - •• .J'." - - :
of the disjunctive accents that we have learned. While there are disjunctives that
we have not learned that will influence the Masoretic syntax as well, for the most
ilt_D oi~D ~? 1n?'P 1w~ ~~1o/: ~n~~ il)P~ 1~1f i~l.P~? 1~.1 17tN;l
= .9 part the pieces between each set of vertical lines can be translated together, and the
:o~iv-1~1 il.t;J~~ 11:J~ il~1~ otp 7~0~ nN!D il~lfD-n~ OP.i)-~f 19?: .Io disjunctive accents themselves often signal a break in the syntax, something like a
comma or semicolon in English.
(last section taken from Ps 113:2)
:N:J~ o;,~
IT T '." T
1NWJ N~ ~:> ~~Nw ~JJ nw?w-ol n:JN~, ~u~w nin ~1nN ~;;~,
l- : ' ) ' II T J'' : .J'." : - : - T .J ' ' -: - ' : -
.11
4. Note again that, like temporal sentences, conditional sentences ("if-then'' sentences) begin
their second clauses with a va-qatal or consecutive preterite verb, depending on context.
5. The seghol here and the retracted accent are something we have not yet seen, but in fact,
words that have heavy pauses, like silluq or atnakh, are said to be "in pause" and sometimes undergo
changes of accent and vowels. Such "pausal" forms will be pointed out when we come to them.
6. A sentence like this one might be translated as an "unmarked" temporal sentence. Take, as an
example, the sentence "God spoke and I acted:' This sentence could also mean, "When God spoke,
I acted;' and could be so translated, if that meaning fits the context.
7. We have seen this word briefly before; it is the 3ms jussive of the verb 'to be:
24.2. THE FORMS OF THE HITPAEL STEM 149
THE FORMS OF THE HITPAEL STEM
1701;10 'n:>~ilnil
0 : - - : • 1~01;1~1 il:>~ilnN
T ..
: -
cohort. ii70J;J~
1:J
24 inf. abs.
n:>~ilnil
T :
n:>~ilnil
: : - - : .
1701;10
- - ! • 17 0 1;1 r:t1
':;l70I;lr:tl
1701;1~1
1~iJJ;l0
'=>~ilnil
.: - : .
1~iJJ;l~
impv.
impv.
juss.
1~0J;lr:t
'=>~ilnn
.: - : .
1~iJJ;l~
THE DERIVED STEM HITPAEL AND 1701;10
il:l;ilnil 1~iJJ;lr:t juss. 1~0I;lr:t
THE PARSING OF VERBS T : : -
u:>~ilnil
: - - : .
il:l,ilnJ
T : -
cohort. 'if~OJ;IJ
ptcp. on:>t;,ilnil
... : - - : ~:>~ilnil
: - : .
impv. ~:>;ilnn
: - : .
1~01;1Q ll):;>70I;10 ilJJ~ilnil

T ! : " -
impv. il.l:l~ilnn
T : •• - ; •
24.1. THE MEANINGS OF THE HITPAEL STEM
The last of the major verb stems in BH is the hitpael. The hitpael has the following n:>~iln~
... ·.· - : . ~:>~ilnil
: - : .
~:>~iln'
: - : .
juss.
common meanings. ilJJ~;mn
T : : " -
juss.
24.1.1. Reflexive, as in j?·!.tll~li) 'to strengthen oneself'; also indirect reflexive, to
do something for one's own benefit, as in ~7;11;10 'to pray, to intercede for someone:
including for oneself.
24.1.2. Reciprocal, as in il~ll;10 'to look at each other" (from il~l 'to see'). 1
24.1.3. Iterative, to do something over and over, as in 17iJI:lD 'to walk back and
Notes to the paradigm and clues for identifying hitpaels:
forth, to wander around, to pace'. · 24.2.1. Glosses for the hitpael verbal forms are: pref. conj. = '1/he/ etc. will pace';
24.1.4. Denominative, as in N~JI;10 'to prophesy' (from N'~~).

cohort. ='may 1/we pace'; impv. ='pace!'; juss. ='may he/she pace'~ cons. pret. =
24.1. 5. To pretend to do something, as in Amnon's pretending to be ill so as to
'and he, etc., paced'; suff. conj. = '1/he/etc. paced'; inf. cs. = 'to pace'; and ptcp. =
. pacer.,
'pacmg;
fool Tamar into tending to him, il?OJ;10, from the root il~n 'to be ill'. 1
24.2.2. The hitpael can be recognized in most circumstances by the extra sylla-
24.2. THE FORMS OF THE HITPAEL STEM ble n.- (pronounced it). In some cases, however, the form changes for phonological
The paradigm of the hitpael will be illustrated using the root 1~il. reasons. For instance, when the first root consonant is 1, t (lx), ~.sometimes .l, and
n (4x), the telltale n of the Hitpael assimilates to that consonant, for instance, Nlp~0
(< NlpJJ;10) 'to lift oneself up'. Such assimilation is sporadic: NWJD0 also occurs.
The most striking of these changes is "metathesis" (ma-ta-tha-sis), the switch-
ing around of two consonants. When the first root consonant is one of the sibilants
0, ~. iv, or W, then of the hitpael and the sibilant of the root switch places. There are,
however, only about thirty instances of hitpael verbs beginning with one of these
sibilants in the Bible, so at this point a few examples will suffice to demonstrate
the point. From the root 1~W, we expect 1QWJ;l0 in the hitpael, but in fact what we
1. This is a weak verb that we have not yet studied, but it is the best example of this meaning. see is 1QBo/0, still recognizable if this change is kept in mind, and the word still
-148-
150 24. THE DERIVED STEM HITPAEL AND THE PARSING OF VERBS 24.3. THE ART OF PARSING 151
has an extra n. When :!l is the first root consonant, not only does it switch places
with the n, but the "emphatic" nature of :!l affects the n, so that the n also becomes
- ,~p~.Pt~7 hiphil inf. cs. 1nt.z> prep. 7 to destroy
"emphatic"; that is, it becomes~ (see lesson 5.2 for :!las an emphatic consonant and
lesson 3.6 for~), as in P1t;l¥0 from the root j?i:!l. - rro?l.P~ qal pref. conj. lcs n;w 2ms I will send
24.2.3. Another mark of the hitpael is the doubled middle root consonant. This obj. sf. you (m).
doubling tips us off that the hitpael was originally the reflexive/reciprocal stem of hiphil 1nt.z>
o~1~Po/Q ptcp. mp destroyers
the piel, but by the time we get to BH it has become the all-purpose reflexive/recip- (m)
rocal stem. 2 A root that is II-G or has i in the second position will exhibit either
compensatory lengthening of the preceding vowel, as in 11~~0 'to bless oneself, :Ji1::J qal impv. ms :Jn:J Write!
' qal inf. cs. to write 3
receive blessing (for oneself): or virtual doubling, as in ODJ~0 'to comfort oneself, ~n:J
be comforted'.
24.2.4. Sometimes the final vowel is patakh instead of tsere, as with the piel: 24.3.1. The 1of the consecutive preterite (and the 1of the va-qatal form) are not
p·!.IJJ;10 is also written p·m~0. considered extra prefixes because they are included in the definition of consecutive
24.2.5. It should be noted that Skin-'em-Levi consonants (see note 2 oflesson preterite and va-qatal.
15), like; in this paradigm, retain the doubling dagesh, even when followed by 24.3.2. Similarly, the ~n of ~nNi.p~ is not an extra suffix because it is part of the
vocal shwa. definition of the suffix conjugation lcs.
24·3·3· Since infinitives have no person, number, or gender, those boxes are left
24·3· THE ART OF PARSING
blank. Similarly, participles have gender and number but do not have person, so
Parsing is the process of explaining the form of a verb completely, and it is tradi- that element is omitted when parsing a participle.
tionally done in a fixed list of categories: stem, verb form, person, number, gender, 24·3·4· Finally, all imperatives are second person, so filling in the person box is
root, plus any extra prefixes or suffixes that occur. Although it is not necessary to redundant for imperatives.
the process, it is also helpful to remember the basic meaning of the root and to
figure out the meaning of the verb in question after the parsing has been com- 24·4· VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 24
pleted. A few examples follow.
verbs
word stem form person, root prefix/ word 1?0~0 'to walk around, walk back and forth' (hitpael ofl;il); pref. conj.1?0~~
gender, suffix meaning 'to strengthen oneself, gather power to oneself' (hitpael of ptn); pref.
number conj. p·m~~
~nNib.l qal suff. conj. lcs I carried. 'to prophesy' (hitpael of N~.l; see N~~ below; the two forms seem to be
' T T
interchangeable); pref. conj. N;,t.~~~
piel cons. pret. 3ms (And) he 'to pray, to intercede' (for oneself or for others) (hitpael of ;;!l; see
i~i
spoke. il7.;JT;l below); pref. conj. ;?;1~~
'to sanctify/consecrate oneself (ritually)' (hitpael oft.Z>ip; see W1i? and
'.Viii? below); pref. conj., only 3mp attested: ~Wli?~~
2. Except for a few rare "t-forms" that seem to relate to qal and one frozen verb form to be taken 3. .:J.i'l:;J could be either an imperative or an infinitive construct; the correct choice would depend
up in a later lesson. on the cm~text.
152 24. THE DERIVED STEM HITPAEL AND THE PARSING OF VERBS 24.5. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 24 153
~9~ 'to prophesy' (niphal of N:lJ; see N;J.~Di:l above; the two forms seem to Ur:J~7o/ io/~ ilV?i1jp0 i';'i)-?~ u:;>?i; 1'~~ ~"Jl?N~l N~¥0 i\ll7 ~i-?t;?;l .5
be interchangeable); pref. conj. N;t~~
::1;;no-n~1 ~9~o-n~ uN¥9 N?1 ;;'7~
l.V1i? 'to sanctify, make holy, consecrate, celebrate as holy' {pie[ of l.V1p; see
l.V1j?~;:J above and l.Vi1i? below); pref. conj. W1i?~ illo/~1 OJ~i) 8 N:;;l1JJ;l~l 7 0i~O 11~17 6 1#~ 1~0l;lQ O'ij?~ il);i; ?;i?-n~ ~Vl?o/~1 .6
nouns (Gen 3:8) :1~0 10'f'P.1il;f O'iJ?~ illil; 9'}.-?Q

11J 'grace, favor'; with sf. 'm; note .the idiom: X '~'.P.~ 11J N¥9 (literally, 'to i1ii1;-n~ 11 Wi1?~1? 11J~ W'~ w~ ,,~~ i7?,N~1 il1m; 1?9-;~ ?~1~~ 1?9 1:;;11;1 .7
find favor in the eyes of X'; idiomatically, 'ifi have found favor in your
eyes' means 'if I am acceptable to you' or even 'if you have come to (adapted from 1 Kgs 22:8) : 13 3''} 12 9~ 'f. :Ji" '~.V N#Jl;l~ N?1
like me/approve of me/trust me/care about me' :'~;NQ ~l;l~~T;l '~J.l?o/D1 1 wlP,~ 14 Nt?~.;!l;lT:l 1:~.Wf lD 'DN~9 0~ .8
19lJ 'loyalty, faithfulness'; with sf. '1t;>IJ; often used of both Yahweh and
human beings in a covenant context; implies obligation on both sides Note that 'n1?o/D1 in number 8 is not consecutive preterite but rather simply 1'and'
of a covenant, treaty, agreement plus the prefix conjugation (plus suffix). In standard BH, a verb that needs to express
n:Jl.V 'Sabbath' (fern.); from a root that means 'to cease' both 'and' and future tense would be written as a va-qatal form, so 1plus prefix con-
T -
jugation must be something other than that. In fact, simple 1 plus prefix conjugation
il?,;lT;J 'prayer'; cs. n7,;JT;J; with sf. 'D?,;JT;J (see ?~,;1~;:1 above) often means something like 'so that; and that is the translation you should use here.
adjective
Wi1i? 'holy' (qamets reduces in fs, mp, and fp) :19Df 1lJN ,~P.J11*-l~Q 16 U'o/.l~T;l-?~ 1~7 1P.JJ 1'?.~ u~~':;;J. n''Jf w~ .9
adverbs (Exod 20:8) :io/1i?7 n#WO o;;-n~ 17ii:J! .10

il~~ 'where?'
ilb'~ 'where?'
conjunctions
P? <therefore'
p-?l} 'therefore'
6. 'In the garden'; g ='garden'.
7. In tJ1"iJ 1Jij7, 7 ='at: and the whole phrase describes a time of day.
24·5· EXERCISES FOR LESSON 24
8. 'And they hid themselves' (note the reflexive hitpael).
A. Translate from Hebrew to English: 9. 'From
10. f.\l is being used as a collective here: 'trees, forest:
:i~l:' 1';:i?~ illil'l 'Pl~;;-?JJ 11T1~ ilf??o/ p·J:DJ;l~l .1 11. I.e., by means of divination.
12. tl~ ':;J = 'but rather'.
:o~:rti?~ iliil; nj¥Q-n~ ibo/7 ot:;;-n~ 19.77 O't.r)!:lO ~Wl'i?l;l~1 .2 13. The long vowel appears because the word is "in pause:'
14. As sometimes happens, the prefix conjugation here is being used as the equivalent of the
:il~V 5 '~P, Oo/ OiJl:t~ 4 Vjp~;1 0''Ji)iT1l} iJ:t~ onl:t~ ~i:tl}~1 .3 imperative. Note the Nr at the end. This verb could also be translated as an indirect imperative, 'May
you ...: but this is somewhat awkward in English.
:il'}lp illfi?~ ilb'~ .4
15. 'For me, on my behalf'.
16. The verb means 'to banish, send awaY:
4. 'And he chopped up: 17. We learned in lesson 17 that an infinitive absolute can substitute for any other verb form;
5. The plural tl'¥.\l generally means 'pieces of wood, sticks: here it is substituting for an imperative.
154 24. THE DERIVED STEM HITPAEL AND THE PARSING OF VERBS
oi~;T~f 2lo"1l? 20~~~1 ~~m~ '}..~7 Niil-o~ N~~~~l 19,~i~=1l-n~ ~i~o/ Is"W~~l .11
:o~~~=;l~~ ~i~o/ O~t] i'l~N~ if.t~l} 22 i17;?;T~~1 Nii;JiJ
(adapted from 1 Sam 19:24)
B. Parse all the verbs in exercises A2, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 10, above.

C. Practice reading Gen 22:7-9 from BHS, taking care to follow the syntax dictated
25
by the accent marks that you have learned so far. THIRD-WEAK VERBS
25.1. THIRD-WEAK VERBS GENERALLY

Up to this point, all the verbs we have examined through all the stems have been
"strong" verbs, that is, verbs with three obvious root consonants. Our next assign-
ment is to learn the "weak'' verbs. Weak verbs are verbs that have lost one of their
three root consonants, almost always because historically that consonant was a 1
or a ', which tend to be lost in certain positions in the verb paradigms. Some of the
most common verbs in BH are weak verbs. Our task for the last few lessons will be
to parse these verbs, that is, to figure out the root, stem, and form that is before us.
We will begin with verbs whose third root consonant was originally 1 or ', because
among the weak verbs they are the easiest to identify. These verbs are called third-
weak verbs (III-weak). 1
25.2. fORM OF THE THIRD-WEAK VERB IN THE QAL, NIPHAL, HIPHIL, AND PIEL
We will see that the III-weak verbs differ from the strong verb in predictable ways
that span all the stems. Therefore, we will examine the qal, niphal, hiphil, and piel
of the III-weak verbs all at the same time, pointing out the differences that are par-
ticular to III-weak verbs. 2 The paradigm root we will use is il?~· We will begin with
the qal paradigm of il?~ 'to uncover; to remove' (with the specialized meaning 'to
go into exile').
18. 'He stripped off: 1. Also called third-il verbs (III-he, III-il) or lamed-il (lamed-he, il"\ where" is the symbol in
19. 'His clothes: Hebrew that indicates the unit is an abbreviation; for the use of~ to indicate the third root letter, see
20. ~nd he fell down'. the explanation in lesson 19.2, above), because the 3ms in the suffix conjugation and prefix conjuga-
21. 'Naked: tion ends in il.
22. The usual spelling of this word is il?;?, with patakh in the first syllable; it is spelled with 2. The hitpael is excluded here because it is easily reconstructed from the piel, with the addition
qamets here because the word is written over the atnakh and is "in pause" (see note 5 in lesson 23). of the various prefixes: -Tl;:J, -Tl\ -TlQ, and so on.
-155-
156 25. THIRD-WEAK VERBS 25.2. FORM OF THIRD-WEAK VERB IN QAL, NIPHAL, HIPHIL, AND PIEL 157
THE QAL FORMS OF THE THIRD-WEAK VERBS tsere-yod). The usual suffix conjugation endings come immediately after this long
vowel.
25.2.8. The 3ms of the suffix conjugation starts out the same way as that of
n;;~ ~n~?"'
'T ;,;.:~~·nh.u~,
'.' : '." T '.' " T
;,;.u~
·:: ...
cohort. il;.:IN
•:: ·.·
the strong verb, but after the second root letter, there is only a vowel plus i1 mater
where the third root consonant would have been. The patakh of the strong verb is
n~?l
T 'T
;,:~n,
.... - il?.~ impv. ;,;,:~n
·:: 0
compensatorily lengthened to qamets.
inf. abs. n~;"'
'T ~?1m ~?~ impv. ~;...'In
:.
25.2.9. The 3fs of the suffix conjugation in all stems and roots originally ended
inn-, and that feminine n reappears in the suffix conjugation 3fs of the III-weak
;;;"'T il'l
TT ,~~1 ;,:~~
.... juss. ;,;,:~~
•::· verbs. What is unusual is that the ordinary ilT- ending of the suffix conjugation 3fs
;,n;l
T ! IT
;.:~n
... . juss. ;,;,:~n
·:: .
is also present in this form, so that the 3fs suffix conjugation of III-weak verbs is
doubly feminine: we see the usual feminine ending after the older feminine ending.
ptcp. u~?l
'T ;,;.:~J cohort. il'.:IJ
·::. ·::.
Note that a root that ends in n as an actual root letter would look exactly the same
il?.l OJ:)'?~ ~'~ impv. ~'1n in the suffix conjugation 3fs: i1J:17~ can be from a root il?$ or from a root n7$. (Since
III-weak roots are much more common than III-n roots, III-weak should be the
;,;j
T l~P?~ ilJ~?l impv. m~?.:~n
T '," : T '.' : •
first choice.)
o~?-' ~'$ ~;.:~~
:·
juss. ~,1~ 25.2.10. The infinitive construct of III-weak verbs is generally easy to spot,
since it ends in ni-. The only possible confusion is with the feminine plural ending
ni;.\ m~?.:~n juss. m~?.:~n
T '." : ' T '.' : •
on nouns and adjectives, but context will usually make clear whether the word is a
passive ~~;$ noun or adjective, on the one hand, or a verb, on the other.
2 5 .2.11. The infinitive absolute is rare, but when it occurs, it is exactly the same
as that of the strong verb, except that the final root letter is missing, and the word
Notes to the paradigm:
ends in a i1 mater lectionis.
25.2.1. Five of the forms in the prefix conjugation column end in il . . -. The i1
25.2.12. The participles of III-weak verbs begin the same way as their strong
here is a mater lectionis and not a root letter. The seghol is the result of the loss of
verb counterparts. Except for the ms, the endings are also familiar; there is simply a
the third root consonant, yod or vav.
third root consonant missing. The ms participle ofiii-weak verbs ends in il . . - con-
25.2.2. The 2fs, 2mp, and 3mp in the prefix conjugation are exactly the same as
sistently throughout the stems.
those forms in the strong verb, except that the third root consonant is simply missing.
25.2.13. The qal passive participle of III-weak verbs has been included because
25.2.3. The 2fp and 3fp prefix conjugation begin and end exactly the same way
it is not easy to predict.
as the strong verb. The "weakness" occurs precisely between the second root con-
sonant and the ending, that is, where the third root consonant would have been. 25.3. SIMILARITY OF THE MOST COMMON FORMS OF THE THIRD-WEAK VERBS
25.2.4. With the exception of the ms, the imperative forms follow the usual pat-
The paradigms for the qal, nip hal, hip hi!, and pie! of;,;,:~ are gathered together in the
tern: simply remove the preformative of the second-person forms. Note that the ms
next two pages, so that they can be compared. It will become clear how similar the
imperative is unusual, in that it ends in a tsere rather than a seghol.
III-weak verbs are from stem to stem. The endings (plus the middle consonant;)
25.2.5. There is no special form for the cohortative in III-weak verbs.
are presented in color in appendix H, so that the similarities will be obvious as one
25.2.6. The jussive and consecutive preterite require more extensive comment
compares, for instance, the prefix conjugation in each of the four stems (qal, niphal,
and will be taken up below.
hiphil, and piel). Furthermore, when the derived stem paradigms are studied closely
25.2.7. In the first and second persons, the suffix conjugation has a telltale hireq
in conjunction with the qal paradigm, it will also be clear that almost all of the notes
gadol as the vowel of the second syllable (and in some stems this alternates with
included after the qal paradigm are equally applicable to these other paradigms.
25. THIRD-WEAK VERBS 25·3 · SIMILARITY OF THE MOST COMMON FORMS OF THIRD-WEAK VERBS 159
THE QAL FORMS OF THE THIRD-WEAK VERBS THE HIPH/L FORMS OF THE THIRD-WEAK VERBS
inf. cs. suff. conj. cons. pret. volitives pref. conj. inf. cs. suff. conj. cons. pret. volitives pref. conj.
~n~7l i1'?lNV'?.U~1 i1'7lN cohort. i1t7lN ni'710 ~n~7li1/~n~7li1

• ·:• • ••; •
i1'?lNV'?lN1
•:: -T
i1'7lN
... : - cohort. i1?1~
·:: ...
--y
• T '.' : '." T '." '' T ·:: ·.·
'?.ln,
.... - ;,7,~ impv. n~7li1
T • : •
'?lfl1
•: ·: -
i1?10 impv. i1'?ln
.. : -
inf. abs. ~71.t:ll ~7~ impv. inf. abs. ~710 impv. ~71D
i1'?li1 '?1~ juss. i1'7l~

ii'?lT '71~1 '?1~ juss. i17.10 T : •
... : -
;,n'?l '?1fl juss. ;,n'?li1

T : : •
'?1~ juss.
T : IT
ptcp. i1?.p cohort. ptcp. i1'7lJ

.. : - cohort. i1?1J
on~'?l ;,'?ln ~'?10 impv. ~'?ln
i1'7l
... ·: . : ~'?~ impv. ·: : -
: -
i1?l l.t,l'7~ i1~~?~ impv. TJ:T7Fl i1t?10 impv.
o~7-' ~'?li1 ~'?1~ juss.

~"~ ~'?1~ juss. :.
ni'?..\ i1~~?1.t:l juss. ni'?ln

: -
i1t?1D juss.
THE PIEL FORMS OF THE THIRD-WEAK VERBS

THE NIPHAL FORMS OF THE THIRD-WEAK VERBS
inf. cs. suff. conj. volitives inf. cs. suff. conj. cons. pret. volitives pref. conj.
cons. pret. pref. conj.
ni~J ~n~?M~n~7.~ i1~lN1/?lN1 i1~lN cohort. i1~lN
nhm T •
~n~7lJ
. ·· :. '?lN1
T '." T
i1'?lN
·: T '.'
cohort. i1'?lN
'.' T '.'
'.' - -: T - -; T ... - -: ·.· - -:
n~7lJ n~'l '?l111 i1~J impv. i1~l11

.. - :
T·· :. '?~m i1'?li1
•• T •
impv. i1'7ln
•: T •
T • • - : -
n~~~ ~~~1;11 '~J impv. ,~~1;1

inf. ahs. n~'?lJ
·· :. ~'?lm• T • -
~'7li1
• T •
impv. ~'?ln• T •
inf. abs.
i1~l '7~;1 '?~; i1~l~
ii'71~ i1'?lJ T : •
'?l~,
T •-
'?l' T •
juss. i1'7l'•,• T •
ii~J/i1~J T •
juss. ·: -:
;,n'?lJ ;,n~l '7~1;1 juss. i1~l11

T : : •
'?lnT •
juss. i1'7ln
•: T •
T : •
.. - :
ptcp. 1J'7~ i1?~~ cohort. i1~lJ

ptcp. U'71J i1'?lJ
'.' T •
cohort. i1'?lJ•: T •
·.· -:
i1'7lJ on''?lJ ~'?li1 impv. ~'?ln i1~ln on'~l

·: . .
~~J impv. ~~~1;1
•: :. •.. "! . T • T •
... - :
i1'7lJ i1J~7li1 i1J'Jl11 i1~ln 11:)'~~ i1J''l impv. i1J',l11

T : •
ll)'7..p T '.' T '
impv. T '.' T '
T- I
T '."- T '."- :
tJ'~lO ~~~ ~~J; juss. ~~~;

0'71~ ~'71~ ~"l' T •
juss. ~"l' T •
.- :
i1J',l11 juss. m~,ln
ni'71~ i1J'Jl11
T '." T '
juss. i1J~7ln
T '.' T '
ni~ln
-: T •: - ;
T '/ - ;
160 25. THIRD-WEAK VERBS 25.4. JUSSIVE AND CONSECUTIVE PRETERITE OF THIRD-WEAK VERBS 161
25·4· JUSSIVE AND CONSECUTIVE PRETERITE FORMS OF THE THIRD-WEAK VERBS i17.~?; the consecutive preterite i ;~~1. The hiphil consecutive preterite for the five
The jussive, and therefore the consecutive preterite forms, deserve comment. We forms with the il . . - ending looks very much like the qal consecutive preterite of
noted before (lesson 15.1) that in verbs where the jussive and prefix conjugation such forms, with one important difference: the accented preformative has a seghol
forms are different, the consecutive preterite reflects the jussive form rather than instead of hireq or tsere: ;1~1 '(and) he took (someone) into exile'. (Again, refer to the
the prefix conjugation form. We have seen this in the hiphil: prefix conjugation charts.) The accented seghol in the preformative is a clear giveaway that the form is
1'Qlp~, jussive 1Qtp~, consecutive preterite 1Qtp~1. The III-weak verbs are another hiphil. The piel consecutive preterite in the five forms that end in il . . - i , again, the
example: qal prefi~ conjugation i1?1\ jussive ;1~, consecutive preterite ;1~1. The jus- prefix conjugation without the ending (il~J~ > 'J~), but since words in BH cannot
sive and consecutive preterite make the loss of the third root consonant obvious, end in a doubled consonant, we lose the doubling as well, giving us l:?J> This means
since there is not even a vowel plus mater to mark it. These jussive/consecutive pret- that one of the sure marks of a piel, the doubled middle root letter, disappears. Note,
erite forms are the norm for the five forms of the paradigm that end in il . . -: in lcs, however, that the shwa under the preformative is still there. The extant forms of the
2ms, 3ms, 3fs, and lcp. For the other five forms, the jussive and therefore consecu- weak verb consecutive preterite will be noted in the vocabulary lists.
tive preterite reflect the prefix conjugation form. The question for the beginning
25·5· FORMS OF THE THIRD-WEAK VERB WITH FIRST OR SECOND GUTTURALS
student is how to recognize that this consecutive preterite reflects a III-weak verb,
as opposed to any other weak verb. The key is to observe the preformative. When one of the root consonants of a III-weak verb is a guttural, the resulting
forms look like a combination of strong verbs with guttural root letters and the
endings for III-weak verbs. For instance, il?V. means 'to go up: and ilT;!T? means 'to
The Use of Appendix D for Finding the Root of Consecutive Preterites wipe out'. What follow are the qal, nip hal, and hiphil paradigms of i1?3? and the qal
The chart of"Ciues for Finding the Root of Consecutive Preterites" (appendix D) gives paradigm of ilr:'T?·
all the common possibilities for weak-verb consecutive preterites, sorted accord-
ing to their preformatives. (The 3ms is used throughout, but the chart is helpful for
any of the five prefix conjugation forms mentioned above.) We see in the first line
of the chart that a weak consecutive preterite (i.e., one with a root letter missing)
that begins with an accented~ (like ?~~1) virtually always means that the verb is a qat
consecutive preterite from a root that is Ill-weak. The second line of the chart shows
another form of the Ill-weak consecutive preterite: sometimes the jussive is only one
syllable, with a rare consonant cluster at the end, such as DIP~ 'may he drink' from
ilJ;lo/ 'to drink; with consecutive preterite 3 T:l'.P~l '(and) he dn-in.k'. The third row of the
chart shows a fairly rare form of the Ill-weak qal consecutive preterite, a consecutive
preterite with accented~ for the preformative, plus a second syllable, like l~~l'and he
turned' from il~~ 'to turn: ·
The niphal jussive (and therefore consecutive preterite) from the III-weak verbs
is the prefix conjugation form without the il . . - ending for the five forms that end
in il . . -, and simply the prefix conjugation form for the other five forms (2fs, 2mp,
2fp, 3mp, 3fp). (Refer to the charts above or to the color charts on pages 280-81
in appendix H.) For example, the niphal prefix conjugation 3ms of the root ill:?.l is
3. Note that the ~ syllable here is accented, though it is not marked, since it is the final syllable
in the word.
25. THIRD-WEAK VERBS 25·5· FORMS OF THIRD-WEAK VERB WITH FIRST OR SECOND GUTTURALS 163
THE QAL FORMS OF THE THIRD-WEAK VERBS WITH FIRST-GUTTURAL THE HIPHIL FORMS OF THE THIRD-WEAK VERBS WITH FIRST-GUTTURAL
nit,lJ-: 'n'l?lJ
• • T
t,lJNVi1t,lJNi
- - T ',' '.': '.' T
i1t,lJN
... -: - cohort. i1t,lJN
... -: - nit,P,D 'n'l?lJi1
.. •:: ... i1t,lJNihlJNi
·: -:-y - - y
i17P.~ cohort. i17P.~
t,l!1Jl i1?P, impv. i1t,l'n t,l!Dl i1?P,D impv. i1t,lJ.n
... -: -
... - : -
inf. abs. 't,lJm
. -: - - '7P. impv. '7P,D inf. abs . 't,l].ni
0 -: - -
'7P.D impv.
;it,l] t,l}~ juss. i1t,lJ' i1t,lJi1
.. - t,l}~l t,31~ juss.
T ... -:- -;
t,l}JJ juss. i1nt,lJi1

T : '.' •:
t,l}l) juss. i17P.D
ptcp. i1t,lJJ cohort. ptcp. i1t,lJJ
... -:- cohort. i1t,l]J
.. -;-
·.· - : -
i17V on't,lJ ~t,P, impv. ~t,P,D i1t,lJ~ ~t,P,D impv. ~t,P,D

... . -: ·: - : -
i1~'7P. tt:?7~v i1r7P.D i1J'l?lJn

i17V 1~'7~ impv. i1.l'l?lJn
T •,• - ; -
impv. T '." - : -
o'7V ~t,~ ~t,P,~ juss. ~t,l]i1 ~t,P,~ juss. ~t,P,~

·:: ·.·
n;t,v i1~'7P.D juss. nit,P,~ i1r7P.D juss. i1J'l?lJn

T '.' -: -
passive '~t,~ hophal i17P,h
THE N/PHAL FORMS OF THE THIRD-WEAK VERBS WITH FIRST-GUTTURAL THE QAL FORMS OF THE THIRD-WEAK VERBS WITH SECOND-GUTTURAL
nit,lJi1 'n'l?lJJ i1t,lJN cohort. i1t,l]N nin'? 'n'riD i1n~NVn~Ni i1n~N cohort. i1n~N
·:: ..
T •• . .. -:- '.' T •• ·: T ••
• T '." : '." T '.' '' T '•' : '.'
n'l?lJJ
T •• - : -
t,lJni i1?~iJ impv. i1t,lJn n~Dl i1D1? imp~ i11:)1?T:l
T •• - •: T "
'D'?T:ll 'D'? 'n~n

.: .
inf. abs. n'?P,J '7~iJ impv. 't,lJn
• T ••
inf. abs. impv.
;;t,P,J i1t,l]J t,~~ juss. i1n~
T T
n~~ juss. i1n~'
·.·: .
T -:-
i1nt,lJJ t,~D juss. i1nn~

T -: T
n~f:l juss. i1n~n
... : .
T : '.' •:
ptcp. i1t,lJJ cohort. i1t,l],J ptcp. i1n~J cohort. i11:)1?~

U'7.P,J •,• T •• •,• T "
·::.
i1t,l]J
·: - : - on'71JJ
... -:- ·~
~t,~iJ impv. ~71Jn
T ..
i1nb
... on'n~
•,• .: m'? impv. m'?T:l
i1rD1? m'ri~n
m~?~J i1r?~iJ impv. i1nb
T ltl'D'? impv. T '." : '
0'7P,J ~t,P,J ~t,~~ juss. O'Db m~

T
m'?: juss.
i1r!J1?T:l m'ri~n
nit,P,J i1r7~D juss. ninb juss. T ',' l '
passive 'm~ T
25. THIRD-WEAK VERBS 25-7- VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 25
Notes to the paradigms: ili?o/0 'to give someone something to drink, to water (animals)' (hiphil of
25.5.1. The qal and hiphil of first-guttural verbs are exactly the same in a number i1j?W); pref. conj. i1P,ip~; cons. pret. i?o/~1; see i1Q~ below
of forms, including the prefix conjugation and consecutive preterite. i1'n 'to live'; pref. conj. il~l)~; cons. pret. '1)~1; impv. il~D••
25.5.2. Jussives and consecutive preterites like m~~ and nQ~1 have patakhs in the
T T • , •
hiphil il;pry 'to preserve alive, let live; to revive, restore'

final syllable because of the guttural.
25·5·3· In the suffix conjugation, the first-guttural and third-weak verbs show pie[ il~J), 'to preserve alive, let live; to revive, restore'; pref. conj. i1~D~
(
two different paradigms. We have used the one for i1?V because it is such a common i1~1; to encamp;, pre f . conj. i1Jt)~; cons. pret. lD~1(
verb, but other verbs of the same type show seghol then hateph-seghol at the begin- i1Q9 'to wipe out, blot out, obliterate, exterminate'; pref. conj. i11:)7?~; cons.
ning, such as 'D7t.H from i1?n 'to be sick'.
pret. nQ~1
2 5. 5 ·4· The hop hal form (found in the lower left corner of the hiphil paradigm
above) is unusual because it has a holem rather than the short-a qamets that we i1?lJ 'to go up'; pref. conj. i1?,P,~; cons. pret. ?,!J~l
would expect in the first syllable. niphal il?P.J, 'to be brought up, taken up, away'; pref. conj. i1?,lJ~
hiphil il?P,ry, 'to bring up, send up, take away; to offer (a sacrifice)';
25.6. UNUSUAL DEVIATIONS FROM THE FORM OF THIRD-WEAK VERBS
pref. conj. il?,P,~; cons. pret. ?.JJ~1
There are a few very common III-weak qal consecutive preterites that are different
i1~lJ 'to answer, reply, respond, be responsive'; pref. conj. i1JP,~; cons. pret.
from the paradigms above, specifically:
1.!J~1
Nl~1 '(and) he saw', from i1~l 'to see' (only the 3ms follows this form; other il\VlJ 'to do, make; prepare'; pref. conj. ilWP,~; cons. pret. iV.JJ~1
extant forms are Nl.f.ll and Nlim
niphal i1\VP,J, 'to be done, be made'; pref. conj. i1WlJ~
'0~1 '(and) he/it was', from i1;Q 'to be'; jussive '0~, '0f;l 4
i1W 'to command, order, appoint, commission' (pie[ of i11~); pref. conj.
'1)~1 '(and) he lived: from i1;1; 'to live'; jussive '))~;easily confused with i1;Q above i1~.~~; cons. pret. 1~~1
'to see, look at, perceive, consider'; pref. conj. il~T; cons. pret. Nl~1;
25·7· VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 25
Nif.n· NiN1
•,• " _) '.'" T
verbs niphal il~l~' 'to appear; to be seen, to be visible'; pref. conj. il~l\
'to build, rebuild'; pref. conj. i1p~; cons. pret. P~1 cons. pret. NTl
niphal i1p~, i1J-?-~ 'to be built, rebuilt' hiphil i1~li), 'to show, to cause to see; to allow to see'; pref. conj. il~l~;
'to uncover; remove, depart; go into exile'; pref. conj. i1?.~~; cons. pret. cons. pret. Nl~1
?..'1~1;
.... . - 'to uncover the ears of someone' = to reveal to soro'eone 'to multiply, be(come) many, be(come) great'; pref. conj. ilfT; cons .
niphal i1?1~ 'to be uncovered'; pref. conj. i1?,~~ pret. :llh; :ll.D1
hiphil i1?10 'to carry into exile'; pref. conj. i1?1~; cons. pret. ?J~l hiphil i1-?-l0, 'to do something a lot, greatly; to make great'; pref. conj.
ilfl~; cons. pret. :11:~1; inf. abs. i1~liJ is very common as an adverb or
piel il?~ 'to uncover, expose, disclose'; pref. conj. i1?J~; cons. pret. ?J~1
adjective: 'greatly, much; many'
i1'i1 'to be, become'; pref. conj. il~i;J~; cons. pret. '0~1; impv. i1~D ; note il;Q +
T T
'to drink'; pref. conj. i1l)ip~; cons. pret. f;lo/~1
? = 'to become'
' hiphil is from another root, i1j?W: see ili?o/0 above
niphal il;i;J~ 'to occur, come to pass, become; be done, finished'
4. Note that the medial 1 in this verb is actually a consonant.
166 25. THIRD-WEAK VERBS 25.8. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 25
proper noun :i1~1~Q "}..~-~~ 9l~ 10 ~")~ i1li1; ,.,?~ i'?N;l il,Yi"'? T'l#TQ o'P p.;1 .14
~Qi~ personal name, 'Joseph'
(part of Gen 13:1) :i?-,w~-~~1 if:lo/~1 N'i1 O~J¥QQ O'J:;t~ ~~;~1 .15
t
2
"r:10r1J ":l
• : - ' '
••• i101Ni1 "J!l ~lJO 11 "l1N'1:1 iWN 01Ni1-l1N ilnON i1ii1" iON~1
liT T -: T J'' : - •• ' T T "." -: lT T T '." J"." ; '." T : '•' J-
.16
A. Translate from Hebrew to English: (part of Gen 6:7) :O"Q"WP, .,~
:ory7 i? w~~! o~~~~ w~~-ntt t?P.WiJ Nl~1 .1 :U"ii~N mi ;,n~;m i11i1" l1":ll1iJ:li1:> ;,;;,
l'' '."1 - ) T : : ' : 1\T : J" J T ' : T T :
.17
=~~~ ilJ.o/:;1 ~.n~~t~ 5 iQNr-nt~;J1 r;9~Q il.~.~ v"7~ i'?N~1 il~J,; 1~7~ v"7~ NT! .2 (Jer 30:22) :o"ry~N? o~? il,~.;;ttt .,~j~1 o~7 ;7 Or.J"~;;t1 .18
:O~')¥QQ 1iV O~Q il?P,J N~1 oV.v-ntt N~¥iJ ~~~~1 .3
B. Parse all the verbs in exercises A7 and 17, above.
:il~i"'? n1~v ~7!?~1 ~~no/~ "}..:;t "}..Q:>-ntt i1'fO n~o/~1 .4
c. Go through Gen 22: 1-19 and identify every verb that you think is III-weak.
=~'¥~ 1~1 ~~lo/~ "~:rntt mpb ,~;1 .5
:1~7? il#liJ O~Q lN¥iJ T;lo/.~.l lN~.m-ntt i~JiJ i?o/;~l .6
:"o/,~J-ntt il,~.t)iJ 1:~."+-'f HJ "DN¥.9 0~ .7

(part ofGen 42:18) :~;r;q ~o/P, l"l~i "W"7o/iJ Oi~~ ~Qi" 0[!"?~ i'?N;l .8
(taken from Judg 20:12) :O#f ill];;;t~ i\P~ l"IN!iJ i1~1Q i1~ .9
:"JiN-nN l"l"~;t N~1 l1Nti1 i1lJii1 .,~ i1WlJn ":l nlJ1"i1
1-: T '.' T l" T J : - JT T T l" J'." T •• " T : -T -;
.10
(part ofNum 22:31) :il~i; 1~7~-ntt 0~7:;1 Nl~1 6 0}17~ ~~.w-ntt i1J,.i; ~~;1 .11
:~;tJ; 1PN1"DN s~1lQ1l1N! it;lo/~ ~i7?~1 70"'1¥QiJ 1lJN ~~l~ .,~ i1~Q1 .12
(Gen 12:12)
:J~n~ i\P~ l'1~Q-~tt ~¥l~~ 917-1? OJ~~-~tt i1J,.i; i'?N;l .13

(part ofGen 12:1)
5. It is often the case that there is a distinction in the biblical text between ii;!Nn} and iQN~l, on
the one hand, and iQNf.ll and iQN~l, on the other, so that ii;!Nl'll or il;lN~l indicates that what follows
is a direct quote. Th~t distincti~n in meaning, however, is not made consistently.
6. A personal name, Balaam.
7. 'The Egyptians: 10. 'Be fruitful' (imperative).
8. 'They will kill: 11. 'I created'.
9. 'Go' (imperative). 12. 'I regret, I am sorrY:
26.3. TYPE 1 FIRST-NUN VERBS
the prefix conjugation. The most frequently-occurring type 1 I-J verb is ?;1~ 'to fall:
and it will be the paradigm verb for type 1.
THE QAL FORMS OF THE TYPE 1 FIRST-NUN VERBS
26 inf. cs. suff. conj.

'n?!u • : - T
cons. pret.
?bN1'.' T
i1?!!N
T ;
volitives
·.•
cohort.
pref. conj.
?!:!~
?sm ?!:J~
FIRST-NUN VERBS AND nj??; THE VERB illt)D'PiJ inf. abs.
n?!u
T
n?.!JJ
: - T
'7-?~
impv.
impv.
?b.t:l
'?!In
; : - T
'?!ln1
.: .- . : .
?;J~ ?s~ juss. ?!:!~

i1?.!JJ IT
?b.t:l juss. ?bf:l
26.1. FIRST-NUN VERBS GENERALLY T :
First-J verbs (I-J, also referred to as f".!J "pe-nun" verbs) are not weak verbs in the ptcp. i1?!!J
T : •
cohort. ?s~
usual sense, that is, those that lost an original 1 or ' root letter, but in several places ?,;Jj on?::u 1?-?~ impv. 1?!!n
: .
... : - :
in the paradigms I-J verbs do lose the J, either because it assimilates or because it
simply drops out. I-J verbs are identified by the doubling of the first consonant n?flj
...... m?;1~ i1~7!S~ impv.
after a preformative. Many niphal forms are identified in the same way, and in 0'7-?j 1?.!JJ 1?-?~ juss.
: IT
both cases it is because a J has assimilated. We will focus below on distinguishing

between niphal verbs and I- J verbs. ni?.!Jj
:
i1~7ilT:l juss.
26.2. Two TYPES OF FIRST-NUN VERBS

In the piel, I-J verbs are normal (there is no place in the piel paradigm where J as 26.3.1. In Type 1 I-J verbs, the forms that are affected by the assimilation of the
the first root letter occurs directly before another consonant without an interven- J are the prefix conjugation, cohortative, jussive, and consecutive preterite. Note
ing vowel). In the qal, niphal, hiphil, and hophal, however, there are specific forms that there is no visible J in any of these forms and that instead the second root letter
that predictably lose the J. In the qal, furthermore, there are two categories of I -J appears with a doubling dagesh.
verbs: type 1-those that lose the J only in those places where it assimilates to the 26.3.2. These I-J verbs can be distinguished from niphal verbs in two ways: (1)
next consonant; and type 2-those that have special forms of the qal infinitive con- by their vowel patterns-there is no typical niphal hireq-qamets-tsere ("i-ah-ay") in
struct and imperative, in addition to the regular cases of assimilation mentioned the prefix conjugation and the other forms dependent on it; and (2) unlike niphal
under type 1. We begin with type 1. verbs, the suffix conjugation, infinitive absolute, and participle of I-J verbs do not
26.3. TYPE 1 FIRST-NUN VERBS
begin with ~·
We have seen before that there is a split within the qal verb between those that have 26.4. TYPE 2 FIRST-NUN VERBS
holem in the prefix conjugation and those that have patakh or even qamets (in the Type 2 I -J verbs are typically those with patakh in the prefix conjugation. 1 We will
case of the III-N verbs). So we have 1blp~ 'he will guard: with holem, versus VQo/~ use VJ~ 'to touch' to illustrate type 2. (Note that VJ~ is also III-G.)
'he will hear' and N¥'?~ 'he will find: with patakh and qamets, respectively. I-J verbs
exhibit this same split, and generally type 1 I-J verbs are those that have holem in
1. The most common type 2, J.l:l~, which will be discussed below, has tsere instead of patakh.
-168-
26. FIRST-NUN VERBS AND ni??; THE VERB i11D,Do/i'J 26-4. TYPE 2 FIRST-NUN VERBS
THE QAL FORMS OF THE TYPE 2 FIRST-NUN VERBS I-J verbs. Context will, of course, help to identify the word as a verb. Forms neces-
sary for the classification of I -J verbs will be given in the vocabulary lists.
~nv ..u
<
VlN1 illJlN cohort. VlN 26.5. THE QAL FORMS OF THE TYPE 2 FIRST-NUN VERB NWJ
T T
' : - T - •: T T : •,•
< The common verb No/~ 'to lift, carry' is a type 2 I-J verb. Its forms are very much
nv..u v~m v~ impv. V~D
T : - T
like the paradigm just above, with the following exceptions: (1) at the end of a
inf. abs. nv.b
: - - T
~~~m ~vl
.: impv. ~vln
.: . word, the N quiesces, and the patakh lengthens to qamets; and (2) the infinitive
construct is nN'ip or n~tp.
v..u -T 3)~~1 v~~ juss. v~~
illJ.U juss. 26.6. THE QAL FORMS OF THE TYPE 2 FIRST-NUN VERB il\?~
T : IT V~D V~D
< The common verb ilW 'to stretch out, extend' is both I- and III-weak. Most of the
ptcp. UlJlJ illJlJ cohort. v~~
: - T T : •
paradigm is still straightforward, but such verbs nearly disappear in the consecu-
l.2~j tltJl;'J~ ~v~ impv. ~V~D tive preterite. For il'f~, the 3ms consecutive preterite is t)~1, and it should be learned
n)Jjj < as a word in itself so that it need not be analyzed every time it is encountered.
rtll;'J~ ilJlJl
T : -
impv. mvin
T ; - •
o~~1j juss. 26.7. THE QAL FORMS OF THE TYPE 2 FIRST-NUN VERB 1.1J~
~V1~ ~v~~ ~v~~
niv~j mvin juss. mv.1n

< The most common I-J verb is rm
"to give:' It has a slightly different paradigm
T : - • T : - •
because it has tsere rather than holem or patakh in the prefix conjugation. It is also
different from other verbs because the second J in the root also assimilates when-
Notes to the paradigm: ever possible. Its paradigm is given below.
26.4.1. The first difference one notices between this paradigm and the ?;l~ para-
THE QAL FORMS OF THE VERB iD~
digm above is, of course, the patakh in the place of holem.
26.4.2. The imperative, however, is something new. The imperative of the type 2 inf. cs. suff. conj. cons. pret. volitives pref. conj.
I -J verbs loses the J altogether. The only way to recognize this form as coming from
nt~ ~m1J rD~1 ilJnN cohort. m~
a I-J verb is to know that this is a possibility for two-consonant imperatives. • - T T : '.'
26.4.3. The only other unusual form in this paradigm is the infinitive construct. ~1;11;1 .nm
T
<
- T mm rD impv. rDD
The infinitive construct of type 2 I -J verbs loses the initial consonant of the root but inf. abs. nm ~mn1 ~~T;l impv. ~~T;lD
: - T 0 : • -
adds a n at the end, as if to compensate.

tinJ it!J rD~1 m~ juss. m~
The resulting form looks like a segho- The Preposition ?Appended to Words T
late noun and behaves like a segholate Accented on the First Syllable ilJnJT : IT rDD juss. rDD
noun when pronominal suffixes are <
added to it. In the case of VlJ, the V of When the preposition ? is added to any ptcp. tU:JJ ilJnJT : •
cohort. m~
-T
infinitive construct that has the shape of
the root attracts patakhs to itself, but in mj onm
- UT;l impv. UT;ll;l
a segholate noun and is accented on the •,• ;
other roots we see seghols, such as mp~ first syllable (like nw4above), the vowel of nJ~j itlD~ ilJn impv. ilJnn
7becomes qamets: n1P,J?. In fact, 7often T " T •• •
from the root WlJ. Again, the only way
to recognize that this kind of infinitive becomes ? when it is attached to a word tl~~l;lj ~Jm
: IT
UT;l~ juss. UT;l~
construct can come from a I-J verb is that is accented on the first syllable. <
niJJ;lj mnn
T •• •
juss. ilJnn
T •• •
to know that such a form is typical of

172 26 . FIRST-NUN VERBS AND nj??; THE VERB i1p:)l:11p;:1 26 .9 . THE VERB nj?? 173
Notes to the paradigm: THE OAL FORMS OF THE VERB np~

26.7.1. The doubling dagesh in then identifies the forms of the prefix conjuga-
inf. cs. cons. pret. volitives pref. conj.
tion as from a I-J verb. The tsere between then and the ris new.
26.7.2. Like other type 2 I-J verbs, rmloses the initial J in the imperative and 'D~i?, nDi?
<
njp~
infinitive construct. The infinitive construct looks very little like rtJ~, but it is actu-
Mjpf:ll nj? impv. Mjp(:l
ally much the same as nl}j. nl}j started out as something like T;ll;)J, and picked up
the extra patakh to help in pronunciation. nl), on the other hand, started out as 'Di? impv. 'Di?D
something like m.tJ, with the initial J lost and a final n added. Then the J (which
t1jp~1 njp~
was the second J of rtJ~) assimilated to the added n, giving us r:l.IJ. But a doubled
consonant at the end of a Hebrew word is very unusual, so the second n lost the Mjpf:ll Mjp(:l
dagesh. (The dagesh remains when n is "protected" by a pronominal suffix, as in
njp~
'DD 'my giving'.)
26.7.3. We have just seen that the second J of rm
assimilates to the follow- mi? impv. mi?D
ing consonant whenever there is no vowel between the two consonants. That fact
makes the suffix conjugation of rtl~ more difficult to recognize. In all of the first-
and second-person suffix conjugation forms, the original second J is evident only
in the doubling of the n or J to which it has assimilated.
26.8. THE MIXING OF TYPE 1 AND TYPE 2 FORMS

It should be pointed out that the two types of I-J verbs outlined above are rarely
as separate as they may seem. There is a lot of mixing of types, so that besides npj, 26.10. THE NIPHAL FORMS OF THE FIRST-NUN VERBS
VJ~ also has an infinitive construct l?l1, a perfectly normal form. V\,?~ 'to plant' has The niphal of I-J verbs will be illustrated using the root :J~J, which in the niphal
V'?~ for the prefix conjugation, but the only imperative attested is ~>''?~, perfectly means 'to stand, be stationed, station oneself'.
normal. It has an infinitive construct pb~ that occurs four times in the Bible and
an infinitive construct np\? that occurs o~ce. The two types above, then, should be
seen to point to possibilities rather than totally separate ways of dealing with I-J
verbs.
26.9. THE VERB Mj?7

The qal verb nj?7 'to take' is normal only in the suffix conjugation, infinitive abso-
lute, and participle. It behaves like a type 2 I-J verb in the qal prefix conjugation,
consecutive preterite, imperative, and infinitive construct. A partial paradigm of
the extant forms follows:
174 26. FIRST-NUN VERBS AND nji{; THE VERB i1lt)tlo/iJ 26.11. THE HIPHIL FORMS OF THE FIRST-NUN VERBS 175
THE NIPHAL FORMS OF THE FIRST-NUN VERBS 26.11. THE HIPHIL FORMS OF THE FIRST-NUN VERBS
inf. cs. suff. conj. cons. pret. volitives pref. conj. The hiphil paradigm ofi-J verbs will be illustrated with 1~~;:1 'to tell', a common
hiphil verb.
:l~Jil
•• T '
~n:llh
• : - I
:l~JN1
'' T ' T
il:l~JN
T : IT '
cohort. :l~JN
•• T •
< THE HIPHIL AND HOPHAL FORMS OF THE FIRST-NUN VERBS

n:l~J
T : - •
:l~Jn1
"T ' -
:l~Jil
•• T •
impv. :l~Jn
•• T •
inf. abs. impv. ~:l~Jn

f;J:;l~~ ~:l~Jn1
' : IT ' -
~:l~Jil
' : IT ' ' : IT '
<
,~~o ~n1iil
. :- . 1~lN1 il1~lN cohort. ,~~~
:li~~ :::1~~ :l~J~,
"T •-
:l~J~
"T'
juss. :l~J~
•• T •
• - T T • -
<
il:l~J :l~Jn juss. :l~Jn

rl1lil
T :- '
1Jl]l 1JO impv. ,~~.o
T : • •• T • •• T •
<
< inf. abs. rl1lil ~,~~m ~,~~o impv. ~,~~.o
ptcp. U:l~J: - 0
il:l~JJ
T : IT'
cohort. :l~JJ
•• T •
! :- •
:l~J on:l~J ~:l~Jil impv. ~:l~Jn

1JO ,~~;:~ 1J~l 1J~ juss. ,~~~
T ' ... : - . : IT ' ; IT '
<
il:l~J/n:llh ilJ:l~Jil
<
impv. ilJ:l~Jn
< il1~lil 1JD juss. ,~~.o
.......
T T '
ll):t~~ T : - T ' T : - T '
T • •
< <
o~:l~J ~:l~J ~:l~J~ juss. ~:l~J~

ptcp. U"'f~;:l il1~lJ
T '-
cohort. ,~~J
• T • :. : IT' : IT'
< <
ni:l~J ilJ:l~Jn
<
juss. ilJ:l~Jn
<
1W~ Ol)"'f~;:l ~,~~o impv. ~,~~.o
T ' T : - T ' T : - T '
il1~ln
T • - m:m <
ilJ1lil
T
<
: •• -
<
impv. ilJ1ln
T
<
: ••
<
-
Notes to the paradigm: o~,w~ n~m n~~~ juss. ~,~~~
26.10.1. The prefix conjugation and the forms built on it are not a problem. < <
ni1W~ ilJ1ln juss. ilJ1ln
The preformative is the clue that the form is prefix conjugation or prefix conjuga- T :" - T :" -
tion-like, and the three root letters are clear after the preformative, as is the typical hophal 1~~, 1~.~
hireq-qamets-tsere pattern.
26.10.2. The suffix conjugation, however, is ambiguous: a piel suffix conjuga-
This verb is so common that it is generally easy to spot: any verb with a gimel
tion from the root :l~J would look exactly the same, with the exception of 3ms :::1~~ with dagesh plus dalet will usually be ,~~;:~.
instead of :lln and as we have seen, even that form could be a piel also. In such
cases, context and a dictionary are needed in order to make a decision. The context 26.12. THE HIPHIL FORMS OF THE FIRST-NUN, THIRD-WEAK VERB il~J
will perhaps demand a niphal verb, or a dictionary may provide the information Another very common verb, which is I-J and III-weak, occurs almost exclusively in
that the root exists only in the niphal or in the piel. the hiphil: ilf;:l 'to strike down; to kill' from the root il~J. (This is the 'smite' verb in
26.10.3. The infinitive absolute ofthe niphalvaries so much (and is so rare) that
King James English.) The hiphil3ms consecutive preterite of this verb is 1~1. It should
there is no true model. be learned as a word in itself; it is extremely common in certain parts of the Bible.
26.10.4. The participle here cannot be confused with any other I-J participle.
The telltale qamets that distinguishes the niphal participle from the niphal suffix 26.13. THE RARE STEM HISHTAPHEL
conjugation is evident; besides, the piel participle begins with '?· There is a very rare verb type in BH known as the hishtaphel. It occurs with just
one root, the III-weak il1n, to make illQDo/i:l 'to bow down, prostrate oneself'. 2 This
2. People have also suggested that this verb is an odd kind of hitpael and that the 1V is part of the
26. FIRST-NUN VERBS AND nj??; THE VERB il)t)tlo/i:l 26.14. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 26 177
verb is fairly common in the Bible and should be recognized. The attested forms z6.14· VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 26
are as follows:
verbs
THE HISHTAPHEL FORMS OF THE VERB i1p) 1'm 'to tell' (hiphil of 1l.l); pref. conj. 1'~~; cons. pret. 1~~1; the person who
is told something is usually preceded by the preposition 7
inf. cs. suff. conj. cons. pret. impv. pref. conj.
hophal 1~~ 'to be told'; /pref. conj. 1~: (note the short u-vowel of the
I1in.nl.Z>i1
-: - : . 'D'it)lJo/0 mn.nl.Z>N1
'.' -: - : •; IT
m·.· n- : .nw
- : N
... preformative, which is typical ofi-.l verbs)
I1'innl.Z>i1 ilm.nw.n il::lil 'to strike down; attack; kill' (hiphil of il:J.l); pref. conj. il~~; cons. pret.
T • -: - : • ... - : - : . T •
'iJ'~l; sometimes ambiguous whether the striking down has indeed

killed the person in question
i1, n .n l.Z> i1
T -: - :
m n.nw i1
T -; - : •
'to bow down, prostrate oneself' (hishtaphel of i11n); pref. conj.
il~.t)tlo/~; cons. pret. 3ms ml3o/~1
'to take'; pref. conj. njp~; impv. nj?; like type 2 I-.l
ptcp. il1 n .nl.Z>J
'to touch; reach'; pref. conj. V~~. type 2; usually takes its direct object
., • .., - ! •
mn.nl.Z>T)
... - : -
: . OI1'1nrlWi1
... . - : - : . ~m.nl.Z>il
I •
~m.nw.n
-:- I • with f rather than 11~
l.Z)~~ 'to approach, come near'; an unu~ual verb (root Wl.l) whosesuff. conj.
appears as a niphal, l.Z)~~. but whose type 2 pref. conj. appears as a qal,
0'1nrlW7)
. -: - : . ~m.nl.Z>il
-: - : .
Wl'
- ·' inf. cs. I1Wl
... .. ' '.nl.Z>l
.:.
il.l'i n .n l.Z>.n,
T •,• -: - ; • - hiphill.Z>'~0 'to bring near'; pref. conj. W'~~; cons. pret. l.Z>~~l
il".lT T
'to stretch out, extend' (usually transitive); 'to turn, bend' (usually
Notes to the paradigm: intransitive); 'to pitch (a tent)'; pref. conj. mp~; cons. pret. "~1; type 1
26.13.1. Most of the forms of i11QlJo/0 are a combination of the hishtaphel hiphil il\?0 'to turn, turn aside' (transitive); pref. conj. ii\;)~; cons. pret.
properties and III-weak properties of the root. Note that 1 as the middle root letter
"~1
is pronounced as a consonant throughout the paradigm, except for the third-per-
VQ~ 'to set out, depart; to travel, march; to strike (take down) a tent'; pref.
son singular consecutive preterites. (Another verb with a consonantal , is ilW 'to
command:) conj. VQ\ type 2
26.13.2. The only real difficulty in this paradigm comes with the 3ms and ~_;,~ 'to fall'; pref. conj. ~!I\ type 1
3fs consecutive preterites. In these cases, the accent of the consecutive preterite hiphil ~',;l0 'to cause to fall; to drop; cast; overthrow'; pref. conj. ~',;l~;
retracts, and the middle root letter, becomes a vowel~ shureq. The~ also marks the cons. pret. ~~~1
plural, of course, but plural forms in ~ throughout this paradigm have the root letter ~~~ 'to stand, take one's stand'; also 'to stand' = 'be stationed, in charge'
consonantal 1 preceding the vowel ~. so two 1s in a row. (niphal of ~~.l); pref. conj. ~~W
hiphil ~'¥0 'to station, set; erect, set up'; pref. conj. ~'¥~; cons. pret.
~~~1
root, but we know that ;nn is the correct root and hishtaphel the correct stem because the same word
occurs in Ugaritic, where it is written out in such a way as to leave no ambiguity.
26. FIRST-NUN VERBS AND nj?7; THE VERB il)t)f:lo/iJ 26.15. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 26 179
Ntv.lT T
'to lift, carry, bear'; pref. conj. N'¥~; inf. cs. nN'ip/n~ip; type 2 (1 Sam 27:4) 14 :i'?>i?~7 1iV 13 ~Q; N;1 12 n~ 111 nn1~ ':;l ;1No/7 1J~1 .7
niphal N'¥~ 'to be lifted up, carried, taken away; be exalted'; pref. conj. (Gen 33:20) :;~no/~ 'ri'~ 17;~ i? NJi?~1l1f.TQ 15 0o/-J¥~1
16
.8
Ntv~~
'}.i?rQ zoow~W1 N1i1':;t~1 J]~ 19 1lD~1 i1tl~ ;,i;,;-;tt i1?.~ 18 iQ~ i1tpn-;tt1
" T'
21
.9
'to give; put, set; permit, allow'; in the 'permit' sense, usually followed
23
by an inf. cs. of another verb; pref. conj. T.IJ~; impv. T.IJ; inf. cs. nl),~I;II;I;
An imperative plus a ve-qatal
ii~7 i1tpC WM1 22 i'~lQ O,P'1Q.Do/01 ,~,o/~
type 2
form is very often the equiva- :i~lJ 1;lJ' N; cum 25 1W~' N; 240tn i1b'-;N
I ' l -:- J T T : fiT' " : T : '."
noun lent of two imperatives: in sen-

tence 9, il?~ followed later by (Exod 24:1-2)
'holiness'; with sf. ~Wli?; pl. 3 0~Wli?,.; often used in construct chains
Ol)'1t)lJo/D1, therefore, means
that substitute for noun + adjective: il.Vli? ijJ 'the mountain of his 'go up ... and bow down: o;;p 27'nns 1Niv~i11 o:j''.VNi 26 0'ilJW 1Niv .1o
liT J'' : • : IT ' : '." '' T l' T : J :
holiness' = 'his holy mountain'

:o~9o/iT;tt
o2;p-ntt 41~o/~ ':;J iTP~71?~iJ 1}.~1 .1 11. The verb means 'to flee:
12. 'To Gath' (a place name).
:i1~t:J7Q7 ~l~9l:;J.-ntt u2 Nrm ,,2~ 1~1;1 ;,i;,;-;tt N':;t~iJ ;;;Jl;l~1 .2 13. The verb means 'to continue' here.
:1'ij'~ i1~;1'7 mpo/~1 ;~lo/~ '~;N n~ t>~WiJ 1~1 .3 14. Note the lack of an expected dagesh in the p, a result of the Skin-'em-Levi process.
15. Because :::1~~1 here is connected to Oo/ by a maqqeph, it loses the accent that would normally
:'~n ;;~~ ':;l ~wli? ,n~ vJn-;~ .4 fall on the :::1~ syllable; words connected by maqqeph go together to make just one word for the
purposes of accentuation. The loss of the accent makes :::1~ an unaccented, closed syllable; it cannot,
:i:ll'' OlJil 6 1lJ0~1
I -: - lT T J : ' -
O~i1
faT-
'C-nN i11i1' t>~1 o~;,-;lJ 5i1' i1Wb 0~1
.J'' '." lT : J-- T - - T l'.' J••-
.5 therefore, have a long vowel. The solution is to change the vowel to seghol, a short vowel.
8 16. Although it may seem a strange translation, i'7 N)j? here= iOo/ N)j?.
0'~~~ O'~':;t~iJ 7 ni?-n7-ntt Nl~1 1lTntt nDi?-7 0'~~7Q ;u~o/ n~o/~1 .6 17. This word simply means 'god'; it is the singular of the more common o•;:i'7~. It is used both
10
:;,~;,-o~ 1N:JJn~,
T I" - : - : '-
O'i1'N mi ;1NW ':lN;n-;u 9'i1n1 Oi1''lJ :utJ 1nv ;Nm'.V1
' ".": - .J l T J'' -: : - - ' : - 1\'." '' -: lT ' J'' '' :
as a common noun and as a proper name of a deity El, known throughout the ancient Near East. In
the Hebrew Bible, Yahweh is often referred to as El.
(1 Sam 19:20) 18. The 'he' who is speaking here is Yahweh, even though he refers to himself in the third person.
19. This word and the next two are personal names: Aaron, Nadav, and Avihu.
20. 'Seventy'.
3. Often written simply 0'W1i?' with the first qamets = short o. The plurals of segholates with 21. Remember that the adjective li?.! can also be read as the noun 'elder:
holem in the first syllable often have hateph-qamets in the first syllable instead of simple shwa. 22. From afar:
4. (a) Since iV is a Skin-'em-Levi letter, the doubling that is the result of the assimilation of the J 23. 'Alone, by himself:
in this root has been dropped. (b) There is no other way to express modal 'should, could, would' in 24. 'They' are the four named men; later in the sentence 'the people' refers to the rest of Israel,
BH except to use the pref. conj. , or its equivalent, the va-qatal form. waiting at the foot of Mount Sinai.
5. See note 6 in lesson 12. 25. We expect nv~;, with shwa under the-' and the accent on the final syllable. This word is "in
6. Since 0 is a Skin-'em-Levi letter, the doubling that is the result of the assimilation ofthe J in pause;' however, and as often happens in pause, the accent has shifted, and the shwa has become a
this root has been dropped. full vowel.
7. 'The group/company'. 26. This word is vocative here, '0 gates'; i.e., it is the gates that are being addressed.
8. We would expect a qamets instead of the shwa under the ::!. 27. 'Doors of:
9. This word can mean 'came; especially in the context of prophecy. 28. 'So that he may enter/come in'.
10. mp6 is a long form ofOiJ. 29. 'Glory'.
180 26. FIRST-NUN VERBS AND nj??; THE VERB illt)Do/0
33
~9;1 ~~N~1 i~ 32 v>~~1 'W-?~ ":r?l~T;l1~97 '~~ 31 1'~Q 30 i17?Nl '?. v>~;:~ i9N~1 .11
(adapted from Gen 27:25) :T;lo/~.11~~ i?
:O'i?.'1~7 it:~N 1D~1 ~?-~P N? io/.~ :Jilp0 01)~0 n~ 10~0 niP-~1 .12
35
~~rpQ-~~~ '!)7~7 'Tf'l;J'~~ io/.~ l'l.!iT1QQ i1tJ~ 34 0l'+-' 'f. ~7 1'~i} '9 i9N~1
(adapted from Gen 3:11) :T;J7?.~
.13
i:J ...... 27 )loo-j:J
B. Parse all the verbs in exercises A 7, 9, and 11, above. (Leave out ~q.;1 in 11.) FIRST-WEAK VERBS, INCLUDING THE VERB
C. Go through Gen 22:1-19 and find every verb that you think is 1-J, np~, or
i1lt).tllpi}. (Note: i1lt).tllpi} is actually a III-weak verb.)
17Q; THE VERB ':J"
27.1. THE FIRST-WEAK VERBS GENERALLY

We learned in lesson 25 that weak verbs are verbs that once had 1 or ' as a root
letter and the 1 or ' has fallen out. In this lesson, we will study verbs that once began
with 1 or ' but that have lost that initial root letter and have adapted the strong
verbal patterns to compensate for the loss.
Finding out which verbs originally began with 1 and which originally began
with ' can be a problem, however. BH has virtually no words left that begin with 1
(the word 'and' is an obvious exception); instead, at some point, initial 1 changed
to' in almost every case. That means that all I-weak verbs in Biblical Hebrew look
like I-' verbs. Luckily for us, however, some of the languages that Hebrew is closely
related to (such as Arabic) never lost the initial 1, so when BH roots have cognates
in these other languages, we can find out from the cognate language whether what
looks like a I-' root in BH was originally I-' or originally I -1.
For instance, we learned the verbs 11' and :lt.V' in lesson 16. When we look at
-T - T
the same roots in Arabic, we discover that both of these roots begin with 1 rather
than'· That means that they would have been 111 and :J.Wl, respectively, in the pre-
cursors of Hebrew as well. It is important to know what the original first root letter
30. 1plus the cohortative = 'so that: See the boxed explanation in the exercises oflesson 24. was, because there are two paradigms of !-weak verbs, which we will call type 1
31. 1~~ ='game: i.e., meat from the hunt. and type 2, and it turns out in almost every case that the type 2 paradigm applies
32. Remember that if the antecedent of a pronominal direct object has already been mentioned
to verbs that were originally I -1. The type 1 paradigm applies to verbs that were
in a sentence, it can be left out. So, you must insert 'it' here in your English translation.
33. 'And he brought: originally I-', but these verbs are incredibly rare in BH. Type 1 is in reality a mixed
34. 'Naked'. group with original I-1 verbs along with original 1-' verbs. We will begin with the
35. -~~~ here is the same as ~:,~ without the maqqeph. See -.::11;;1 in sentence 8, above. type 2 original I- 1 verbs, since they are by far the more common.
-181 -
27. FIRST-WEAK VERBS 27.2. THE QAL FORMS OF THE TYPE 2 FIRST-WEAK VERBS
27.2.2. The pattern oftwo tseres, or a tsere plus a seghol, is ordinarily going to
The Suffix Conjugation of the First-Weak Verbs
indicate a I-weak verb in the qal. While there are some III-weak verbs that also have
The qat suffix conjugation of 1-weak verbs is perfectly normal, as are the tsere plus seghol pattern in the consecutive preterite (as is indicated on the Clues
the infinitive absolute and the participle. All other qat verbal forms
for Consecutive Preterites chart), the majority of verbs with this pattern are I-weak.
of the 1-weak verbs, however, have patterns that reflect the loss of
the initial root letter, and we will concentrate on those forms.
(An example of a III-weak verb with this pattern is l.?,tll 'and she turned: from the
root ilJ!l. Although one's first thought is that this must be a I-weak verb, there is no
root l!J~ in BH. As the chart indicates, the next choice would be III-weak.)
27.2. THE QAL FORMS OF THE TYPE 2 FIRST-WEAK VERBS 27.2.3. The retraction of the accent to the preformative syllable in the consecu-
The qal paradigm of the type 2 I-weak verbs will be illustrated using the verb ::J. W~ tive preterite leaves an unaccented closed syllable ::J.tp-. Such a syllable should have
'to sit, dwell: a short vowel rather than a long vowel, so the tsere becomes seghol:
THE QAL FORMS OF THE TYPE 2 FIRST-WEAK VERB ::J.tp~ prefix conjugation > (::J.tp~l) > ::J.W~l consecutive preterite
inf. cs. 27.2.4. Like the I-J type 2 verbs, type 2 I-weak verbs lose the first root con-
suff. conj. cons. pret. volitives pref. conj.
sonant entirely in the imperative. Another way to look at it is that the imperative
n::J.w
...... ~n::J.w~ ::J.WN,
•• •• T
il::J.WN cohort. ::J.W~ is simply the prefix conjugation without the preformative. While I-J type 2 verbs
- T T : ••
n::J.w~ generally have patakh or qamets in the imperative, type 2 I-weak imperatives have
~n:tw T : - T
::J.win
..... - ::J.tp impv. ::J.WD
tsere, unless a guttural root consonant is involved. (Compare VQ and No/. from VOJ
inf. abs. ~::J.wn,
. : .. - ~:;up impv. ~::J.wn
. : .. and NWJ, respectively, to ::J.tp and 11 from ::J.W~ and 11\ although V1 from V1~ shows
::J.iw~ ::J.W~
the influence of the guttural root letter on a I-weak imperative.)
T
juss. ::J.W~
27.2.5. Like the I-J type 2 verbs, type 2 I-weak verbs lose the first root conso-
::J.WD juss. ::J.WD nant in the infinitive construct and compensate for that by adding a n at the end,
ptcp. il::J.WJ cohort. ::J.WJ with the result being a kind of segholate noun, with its accent on the first syllable:
::J.tp~
T : ••
7,
here, n:;pp; with n~w7 (as was pointed out at the end oflesson 26.~).
~::J.'?' impv. ~::J.'?'D
27.3. THE QAL FORMS OF THE TYPE 2 FIRST-WEAK, THIRD-GUTTURAL VERB
n::J.w~
...... m:tw~ ilPW impv. ilJ::J.wn
T : - "
Because it is also III-G, the common type 2 verb V1~ 'to know' has tsere plus patakh
~::J.w~ ~::J.o/~ juss. ~::J.'?'~
: IT in the prefix conjugation: V1~, V1D, V1\ and so on. The imperative is V1, ~lrr, and
ilp~)D juss. ilJ::J.wn so on, and the infinitive construct is npi, with suffix ~nv,1.
T : - ••
27·4· THE NIPHAL AND HIPHIL FORMS OF THE TYPE 2 FIRST-WEAK VERB
Notes to the paradigm: Whereas in the qal, I-weak verbs all look as if they are I-~, in the niphal and hiphil
27.2.1. When there is a tsere in the preformative syllable of a prefix conjuga- almost all look as if they are I-t The , is consonantal in the prefix conjugation and
tion, it usually means that something is being compensated for: for instance, we its dependents, and they are perfectly regular, and the , reappears in the form of
saw in the nip hal prefix conjugation that, when the first root consonant is a gut- the vowel holem-vav in the suffix conjugation and its dependents.
tural or 1 and therefore cannot be doubled, the preformative vowel hireq is usually
lengthened to tsere, to compensate for the loss of doubling. In the case of the qal
prefix conjugation ofl-weak verbs above, the lengthening to tsere is compensating
for the loss of the first root consonant altogether.
184 27. FIRST-WEAK VERBS 27-4· THE NIPHAL AND HIPHIL FORMS OF THE TYPE 2 FIRST-WEAK VERB 185
THE NIPHAL FORMS OF THE TYPE 2 FIRST-WEAK VERB Notes to the niphal paradigm:
2 7 .4.1. As was noted above, the prefix conjugation, imperative, cohortative, jus-
sive, consecutive preterite, and infinitive construct are exactly like the strong verb.
<••
:nvm ~n:tWU :nv~~n il~W~N cohort. ~W~N
" T •
27·4.2. The suffix conjugation and participle substitute holem-vav for the initial
•• T • '' T ' T T : T '
'·· root consonant.

n~wu ~t.V~rn ~t.Vm impv. ~t.Vm
T : - •• T • - •• T • " T •
27·4·3· There is no extant infinitive absolute.
T;l:tWil ~~t.Vm1 ~~wm impv. ~~wm
' : IT' - ' : IT' ' : IT'
Notes to the hiphil paradigm:
~Wil ~w~~, ~w~~ juss. ~w~~ 27·4·4· In every form, the hiphil ofl-weak verbs has simply substituted holem-
•• T'- " T' " T'
vav for the first root consonant.

il~t.Vil ~wm juss. ~wm
T : " T • " T • 27·4·5· The singular consecutive preterite forms (except 1cs and 2fs) plus 1cp
ptcp. U:tWU
<••
il~t.Vu
T : T'
cohort. ~t.V~l
•• T'
retract the accent and shorten the tsere to seghol, as in ~1.pi~l.
The paradigms for qal, niphal, and hiphil of~t.V~ are gathered together in appendix
~o/il on~t.Vil ~~t.Vm impv. ~~t.Vm
... : - : IT' : IT' H (pp. 282-83). It will become clear how similar the type 2 1-weak verbs are from
<•• <. <.
n~wu
...... t.P:tWil ill~VJ~il impv. ill~wm stem to stem. The similarities are presented in color in appendix H, so that they will
T : - T ' T : - T '
be obvious. Furthermore, when the derived stem paradigms are studied closely in
o~~wil ~~~il ~~w~~ juss. ~~w~~
• T : T' :IT' conjunction with the qal paradigm, it will also be clear that almost all of the notes
<.
ni~o/il ill~wm
T : - T '
juss. ill~~m
T : - T '
included after the qal paradigm are equally applicable to these other paradigms.
27·5· THE PIEL FORMS OF THE TYPE 2 FIRST-WEAK VERBS

THE HIPHIL FORMS OF THE TYPE 2 FIRST-WEAK VERB In the piel, 1-weak verbs (both type 1 and type 2) are exactly like the strong verbs.
inf. cs. suff. conj. cons. pret. volitives pref. conj. 27.6. THE QAL FORMS OF THE TYPE 1 FIRST-WEAK VERBS
<•• <••
~'Wiil 'n~VJ1il
.: - 1?iN~/N'~iN1 il~'W1N
T
cohort. ~'WiN We now turn to the type 1 1-weak verbs, a much smaller group of verbs, many of
'·· •• < which were originally I-~. Many verbs have features of both type 1 and type 2 para-
n~VJ1il ~VJ1n1
... - ~Wiil impv. ~'Win
T : -
digms, but still there are some characteristics that can be seen that are specific to
<•• <•• <••
inf. abs. T;l:tWiil '~'W1nl '~'l,p1il impv. ~~'W1n the qal of type 1. The type 1 prefix conjugation typically retains the initial \ except
•• < now as part of a hireq gadol, and ends in patakh, instead of the tsere that is typical
~Wiil ~'Wiil ~w,~l ~\Pi' juss. ~'Wi~
of type 2. ~Q'\ for instance, the prefix conjugation of the root ~"' 'to be good; to go
'··
il~'W1il ~win juss. ~'Win wen: is typical.
T
<•• <•• There is no type 1 verb that occurs with typical type 1 forms in all four verb
ptcp. ~l:tW1il il~'l,p1J cohort. ~'Wil
T
forms we are concerned with: suffix conjugation; prefix conjugation; imperative;
oJ:;~:t\Piil
<••
'··
~'Wio ~~'l,p1il impv. ~~'W1n and infinitive construct. A paradigm is difficult to produce with forms from a single
<•• <•• <•• root, but the verb Wi' 'to inherit' occurs in most forms of the qal prefix conjugation,
n:twm ll):tWiil ill~VJ1il impv. ill~wm
<••
T : "
<••
T : "
<••
reproduced below:
o~~'Wio ~~'W1il ~~~l,p1' juss. ~~'W1'
ni~'Wio ill~Wm
'·· juss. ill~wm
<••
T : " T : "
186 27. FIRST-WEAK VERBS 27.7. THE VERB 1?~
THE QAL PREFIX CONJUGATION FORMS OF A TYPE 1 FIRST-WEAK VERB THE QAL FORMS OF THE VERB 1?i1
W'1'~ inf. cs. cons. pret. volitives pref. conj.

W'1'r:t 'if?~
'Wl'r:t 'if? impv. ':J'?D
W'1'~ '~7 impv. ':>Z,n
. : ..
W'1'r:t 'if7~1 'if?~
W'"J'~ ':J'?D
':J'?tll
~Wi'n
: .
':J'?J
~=>7 impv. ~:>Z,n
: ..
i1p? impv. m:>5n

T : - ••
~:lr,'
:"
The imperative and infinitive construct of Wi' are, unfortunately, of the type 2
variety (~Wl, W1; and n1.p'j). The only other type 1 imperative that is at all common
is NT 'fear! be afraid!: but the qamets in NT is simply there because of the following The suffix conjugation hiphil of 1r,i1 is ':f'7ii1; the prefix conjugation is ':f'7iN,
N. For :1~', therefore, we would expect :1\;'~ as the masculine singular imperative. ':f'7in, ':f'7i', and so on; and the consecutive preterite 3ms is ':J'?i~l-
We would also expect :tb~ for the infinitive construct; there is one example, with a We have seen the hitpael of this root (lesson 24); the piel of this root is normal:
different verb, u>!l> The suffix conjugation of these verbs is normal, as is the parti- 3ms prefix conjugation 'if 1.m~, for instance.
ciple. This partial information is all that can be reconstructed or used about these
type 1 verbs in the qal. 27.8. THE VERB Z,:>'
In the niphal, these type 1 verbs have the same form as the type 2 verbs. This is The root Z,:>' 'to be able' is a I -weak verb, but its forms do not fit into either type 1
true as well in the hiphil, with a few exceptions. :1~' in the hiphil retains its type 1 or type 2 1-weak verbs. A partial paradigm that includes the extant forms of Z,:>'
quality. The suffix conjugation is :1'\?'iJ, and the prefix conjugation is :1'\?'\ :1'\;)'.IJ, follows:
and so on. The imperative and infinitive construct are :1'\?'iJ, and the infinitive
absolute is :1'\?'iJ. The meaning of the hiphil is 'to do well, or to do something well;
to make good, right'.
27·7· THE VERB ':J'7~

The qal verb ':f7~ 'to go, walk' looks like a first- i1 verb only in the suffix conjuga-
tion, infinitive absolute, and participle. All other forms of this verb in the qal, and
all the forms of the hiphil, behave like a type 2 !-weak verb. A partial qal paradigm
follows:
188 27. FIRST-WEAK VERBS 27·9· VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 27
THE QAL FORMS OF THE VERB I;:>' 1?; 'to bear a child' (rarely, of males, 'to beget'); type 2, pref. conj. 1?\
cons. pret.1?,~1, inf. cs. n7], 't:ll7
inf. cs. suff. conj. pref. conj.
niphal 1?il 'to be born'; pref. conj. 1~?i~
'r1~5'
• : T
~:;m~
hiphil 1'7iil 'to beget, father'; pref. conj. 1'7i'; cons. pret. 1?,i~l
~~m piel 'to deliver: usually in the form n1?~t? 'midwife'
'7-?m 'to increase' (trans. and intrans.); type 2, impv. mp UJl;>
~~,, hiphil t')'t?iil 'to add'; pref. conj.
While ~'Qiil does mean 'to add;
t')'t?i'; cons. pret. t')9i~1 it is more commonly used with
~~m
'to go out, leave' (usually followed a second verb, with the mean-
~~u by F~); type 2, pref. conj. N~\ cons. ing 'to do again; i.e., to do again
the action of the second verb:
1~:lm
pret. N~~l, impv. N~, inf. cs. nN~
: 1:;;11;1 ~91~1 or 1:;;117 ~9i~1 both
hiphil N'¥iil 'to bring out, lead out'; mean '(and) he spoke again:
pref. conj. N'¥i'; cons. pret. N~i~l
1~:l' : IT Ni'... 'to be afraid of, fear, revere'; type 1, pref. conj.NT~' inf. cs. il~T 1
niphal Nlil 'to inspire fear, awe, respect; to be dreadful'
1i' 'to go down'; type 2, pref. conj. 1)_\ cons. pret. 11~1, impv. 11, inf. cs.
-· n1'1... ·:' 'rl1i
. : .
27·9· VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 27 hiphil 1'!iil 'to bring down, lead down'; pref. conj. 1'!i'; cons. pret.
1ii~,
verbs ·.· -
12'Wiil 'to save, deliver' (hiphil of VW'); pref. conj. 12'\Pi'; cons. pret. VWi~l w1; 'to take possession of, dispossess, inherit'; type 1, pref. conj. W1'\
impv. W1, inf. cs. nw'l, 'Do/!
17i) 'to go, walk'; type 2, pref. conj. 1?~, cons. pret. 1?~1, impv. 1?, Inf. cs.
·.··.· ' 'rl:l~
n:J7 · hiphil W'!iil 'to cause to possess, inherit'; pref. conj. W'!i'; cons. pret.
. : ·.·
li>l.i~1
hiphil1'7iil 'to lead, bring'; pref. conj. 1'7i'; cons. pret. 17.i~1
:JW; 'to sit; to dwell, inhabit'; type 2, pref. conj. :Jt,P.~, cons. pret. :Jt.p,~1, impv.
piel1~D 'to go' (largely in poetry); pref. conj. 1~0;
:JW,
.. inf. cs. n:JI.V,
... ... 'rl:JW
. : .
hitpael1~iJl~D 'to walk around' (lesson 24); pref. conj. 1~iJD~
niphal :JWil 'to be inhabited, inhabitable'
'to be good, go well'; type 1, pref. conj. ::1\?'~
hiphil :J'Wiil 'to settle something somewhere; to set, place'; cons. pret.
hiphil :J'~'D 'to do well, do something well; to make good, right'; pref. :JWi~l
conj. :J'~'~
proper noun
'to be able'; 'can' plus inf. cs. of another verb; 'to prevail over'; pref.
i'Q¥~ personal name, 'Isaac'
conj. ~~,,
1. il~T is a noun meaning 'fear; but it is also used as the qal infinitive construct of N1;.
190 27. FIRST-WEAK VERBS 27.10. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 27 191
adverbs 11~~WiJ 01f.!1 13 i1l-?W niJ~~ otp, iW~ 12 11~!~1:'~ un17~rt? o:"1¥Q 17R i9N~1 .9
il'?? 'why?'
(Exod 1:15) : 14 i1l.R~
ilb 'here' IT
In verse 16, Pharaoh tells them to kill the male babies. Then, verse 17:
preposition
~l.P~ 'in the midst of'; with sf. ':;lli?~ o:J¥Q 179r;j~?~ i#1 iW~~ ~ib~ N?1 o~~;~~-n~ n17~rtiJ 15JN'J'Dl
16
: o~7?;;:~-n~ .r~:~.tu;ll
A. Translate from Hebrew to English: 11W'J.? i1~o/ 17 0';?f1~ j*"F~~ O#J;l~ ,;.iNl o:J¥Q l'l~Q O#J;l~ ~n~;.~o ~?.j~ .10
(Amos 2:10) : 18 ~lb~~ l'l~-11~
:;~~DiTiQ
n·r1? ~.n7S: ~6 .1
:O~l~Q-;~ ~::l7D1 2 i~p~Q nN~? Ol)-?Qii1 i1ti? .2
(Gen 41:37) :1~1:llJ-;::l ~J~lJ:l~
IT T -: T J" '' :
i1bi!J ~J~lJ:l i:l1i1 :lt>'~1
1'1 : - J'' " : lT T - )- •-
.11
: 19 ~l)o/7~m-;~nw}.? V¢~1 ,~?.~ iN~rn~ 1~.1 :lTP,~l .12

s;,?.D~7 oi~iJ ~Wrt ~?.j~ iW~ 4 ~~iVP,? nN·TiJ i1)),tr~;:~-;f-n~ iCo/D 3 ~:;l .3
(Gen 21:3) =i'IJ¥: ill~ ;7 i1J7: iW~ ;? ,~;~;:~ ;rrow-11~ o;;n~~ N'Ji?~l .13
6
;P- o~'l~ w?o/ 11v "IT7 ~-?Q:1 o~~;;:~-;f ,~~T9 n~??1 ;p~;~ i1}i;-n~
(Deut 19:9) :i1~Ni1 w;w;,
1'!ii11 Oi]~;j;~ 11i¥Q-11~ ibW; N~fli1 ii1i1-;lJ :1Wi~i1 OlJi1 :l~t>~~ ON i1.;i11 .14
) ' fao '• J • • J : ' - JT T - JT - lT T J' '' ' T T :
'." I'' T J T -
:;,~: l'l~-;~ ol)N 1'7.ii11 o~Q o~~-n~· i1~i;

:o~n~-11~ N'Ji~D 'Tf~D;~ 'Tfo/'!i~ .4
:i.pl n':;t~ irp~-n~1 1~:;1~-11~ 1i1 179D :lWi;l .5

:249' ~.~Q; 23~~p,~w;n 1 22'TJ'J: n?o/.n ~?-;N 21t'J~ ;F- ~~~IJJ;12a;,'J¥ :lli?..~ 1 ;.~- 0 ~ .15
(Ps 138:7)
(Exod 20:2) :o~TtP. 11~#Q o:":J¥Q l'l~Q 'TJ'~~N~ii1 iW~ 'Tf~D;~ i1}i; ~:;lj~ .6
:i1!l ~:1w ow ~::J;n-;N
I ' : I'IT ' : '' -
.7
:ni~:t~ o~~f 17i;1 10 i1t.o/ 9 11i~Q i1~.bo/ snw-n~ i'}'7ii1 ~Jn~ 7 0i~ ~Q; ~;~~1 .8
11. Note the feminine plural without the vav mater under the final holem.
(Gen 5:4) 12. 'Hebrew:
13. A personal name, Shiphrah.
14. A personal name, Puah.
15. This is the same as the paradigm form, except for the lack of a final mater: 1- and i1J- are the
same thing. ' '
16. '(Male) children'; singular 1?~.
2. N¥; + 1Q = 'to leave: 17. 'FortY: ..
3. Translate 'if' here. 18. 'The Amorite(sf
4. This word must be translated along with the main verb ibo/D, and it adds emphasis to the 19. 'The Philistine:
main verb. Taken together, they mean something like 'to be careful to do something: 20. 'Trouble:
5. i1:tt)~ serves as the infinitive construct of the verb :Ji1N 'to love'. 21. 'Anger:
6. Here this preposition means 'in addition to'; cf. English 'over and above: 22. This is the pausal form of~1;.
7. In this passage, this is the personal name Adam. . 23. 1+ prefix conjugation in prose would probably carry the nuance of purpose: 'so that: This
8. A personal name, Seth. IS poetry, however, and 1+ prefix conjugation is not unusual in poetry. It is to be translated simply
9. The plural of'hundred'; singular i1~1,;l. 'and .. .'.
10. After the word for 'hundred', the thing counted is commonly in the singular. 24. 'Your right hand'.
192 27. FIRST-WEAK VERBS
B. Parse all the verbs in exercises exercises A3, 8, and 9, above.

C. Go through Gen 22:1-19 and find all the verbs that you think are I-weak verbs
(including 1;i1).
28
MIDDLE-WEAK VERBS AND LOCATIVE i1
28.1. MIDDLE-WEAK ("HOLLOW") VERBS GENERALLY

The next group of weak verbs we will study are the middle-weak verbs, also called
hollow verbs or II-weak verbs. The hollow verbs are verbs that originally had a 1 or
a~ as the middle root consonant. Predictably, there are two types of middle-weak
verbs, the ones that were originally II- 1 and the ones that were originally. II-~.
As we have seen, the qal suffix conjugation forms of the III-weak verbs some-
times end in i1,- and sometimes have a hireq gadol before the suffix conjugation
endings. The prefix conjugation forms either end in i1 . . - or lose all trace of the third
root consonant.
The I-J and I-weak verbs are normal in the qal suffix conjugation. In the qal
prefix conjugation, I-J verbs double the root consonant that comes .right after the
preformative (i.e., ;s~); I-weak verbs lose the first root consonant altogether and
compensate by lengthening the hireq of the preformative to tsere or hireq gadol (i.e.,
:J.tp~ or NT~).
The middle-weak verbs have ways of dealing with the loss of the middle conso-
nant that are different from those of any of the weak verbs that have come before,
and that is good, since it allows us to identify the II-weak verbs easily.
28.2. THE QAL FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK VAV VERBS

We will begin with the II- 1verbs, and we will use the verb 01j? 'to arise, stand up' as
our paradigm verb.
-193 -
194 28. MIDDLE-WEA K VERBS AND LOCATIVE i1 28.2. THE QAL FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK VAV VERBS 195
THE QAL FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK VAV VERB always make the difference obvious. Furthermore, in standard BH, participles that
take a subject, whether that subject is a noun or a pronoun ("she is watching"; "the
inf. cs. suff. conj. cons. pret. volitives pref. conj. king was writing"), almost always have that subject expressed, and the subject more
tl~p 't:l'?~
<
tl~P~l il9~i?~ cohort. tl~p~ often than not precedes the participle, whereas the subjects of suffix conjugation
< verbs, when expressed, tend to follow the verb.
~'?~ tli?~l tl~p impv. tl~p~ 28.2.6. The fs participle and suffix conjugation 3fs are distinguished by their
accent: il9i? versus ill?~·
< <
inf. abs. t;l'?i? 'Q~P~l 'Q~P impv. 'Q~P~
28.2.7. The suffix conjugation 3cp is distinguished from the same form in the
tlip tli? tli?~l op~ juss. tl~p~
III-weak verbs, again, by accent. For example, the verb f~i means 'to run: and the
ilnj? opn T
juss. tl~p~ verb il¥l means 'to be pleased with, to accept'. ~~1 is 'they ran', and ~~l is 'they
T T
< accepted:
ptcp. ~J'?~ il9~P~ cohort. tl~p~
28 .2.8. Notice, in fact, that with a few exceptions the accent throughout this
tli? tll)'?i? m~p

<
impv. m~p~
<
paradigm tends to fall on the syllable that begins with the first root letter, here P.
.< < The exceptions are several forms in the consecutive preterite and most of the parti-
il9i? ll)'?i? il~'?P impv. ilt9~Pt;l ciple, the fp forms of the prefix conjugation, and the 2mp and 2fp forms of the suffix
< < <
tl'Qi? mi? m~p~ juss. m~p~ conjugation. The same is true for almost all the middle-weak paradigms; knowing
about the accentuation of middle-weak verbs can be very useful in determining the
nini? ilt¢~Pt;Jiil~'?P~ juss. ilt¢~Pt;Jiil~'?P~ root of a new verb.
28.3. THE QAL FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK YOD VERBS

28.2.1. Most of the qal prefix conjugation forms of middle-weak verbs indicate The qal of the II-' verbs is very similar, except that where there is an indication of
in some way the original middle consonant that has been lost. In the II-1verbs, the the lost middle consonant, we find hireq gadol instead of shureq. We will illustrate
shureq substitutes for the lost middle consonant, conveniently leaving a visible vav, with the verb tl'iV 'to put, set: 1
even if only a mater. The exceptions are the two feminine plurals, and even they
have a holem vowel that, if it is reminiscent of any consonant, is reminiscent of a
vav. Note also the consistent qamets in the preformative.
28.2.2. The qal imperative is predictable from the prefix conjugation and is also
easy to recognize as from a root tl1j?.
28.2.3. The qal jussive is very much like the prefix conjugation, but the second
vowel is holem instead of shureq.
28.2.4. The qal consecutive preterite is the jussive with the accent retracted.
Once the accent moves off the last syllable tlp, that syllable becomes impossible
because it is closed and unaccented, with a long vowel. It needs a short vowel, and
the short vowel that corresponds to holem is qamets as short o. So the consecutive
preterite is pronounced vay-ya-qom (the last syllable is pronounced the same as
English "comb"). 1. Because there are a few forms ofC'iV that look as though they are from a II-1 root, the Brown-
28.2.5. Note that the infinitive construct is the same as the imperative, and Driver-Briggs dictionary lists this most common II-' verb alphabetically as miV. The forms of this
the ms participle is the same as the suffix conjugation 3ms. Context will almost verb in BH are overwhelmingly IP, however, and we will consider it such.
28. MIDDLE-WEAK VERBS AND LOCATIVE i1 28.3. THE QAL FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK YOD VERBS 197
THE QAL FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK YOD VERB 28.3.6. Note that the infinitive construct is the same as the imperative, but con-
text will almost always make the difference obvious. It is more difficult to distin-
guish between the ms participle and the suffix conjugation 3ms (but see the com-
.< .<
~nnw
. - :
;m~wN
o T
cohort. o~wN
o T
ments above in 28.2.5). The fs participle and suffix conjugation 3fs are distinguished
T
o( < only by their accent.

o~w nnw-
T :
owm
·: T -
o~w impv. o~wn
o T
o(
inf. abs.
o<
~n~ibn 28.4. THE QAL FORMS OF THE VERB Ni::l
t;Jt?W ~l;)~wn,
T -
~l;)~t,p impv. • o T
< There is one other kind of middle-weak verb that is II-,, but has i between the
oiw Oo/ ow~, ow~ juss. o~w~
'.' T- .. T o T
first and third root consonants instead oft Ni::l 'to enter, come' is by far the most
.<
;mw own .. T
juss. o~wn
o T
common verb of this type.
T T
o< o<
ptcp. U1?W ;,n~w.l
o
cohort. o~w.l
T T o T THE QAL FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK VERB Ni:l
.<
Oo/ onnw
... : - m~w impv. m~ibn • T
inf. cs. suff. conj. cons. pret . volitives pref. conj.
;,nw 1l)1?W i1.lnw
.<
impv. i1.lnibn
~nN:J
T T
o(
T : •• T : '' T
o T Ni:J~l i1Ni:lN
T T
cohort. Ni:JN T
o< .(
mt.p m~w~ juss. m~w~

• T o T
nN:J
T T
N:ln,T -
Ni::l impv.
.<
;,mwn juss. i1.lnibn
T : '' T T : .. T
inf. abs. ~N:lm
o T -
~~;:J impv. ~Ni:ln
o T
N:J; juss. Ni:J~

T
28.3.1. Most of the qal prefix conjugation forms of middle-weak verbs indicate i1N:J T T
N:Jt;t juss. Ni:Jn T
in some way the original middle consonant that has been lost. In the II-~ verbs, the ptcp. i1Ni:l.l cohort. Ni:J.l
T T T
hireq gadol substitutes for the lost middle consonant, conveniently leaving a visible
yod, even if only a mater. The exceptions are the two feminine plurals, and even N::l T
onN::J.
'.' T
~Ni:l impv. ~Ni:ln T
they have a tsere vowel that, if it is reminiscent of any consonant, is reminiscent of i1N::l ll)Nf. i1JNi:l impv. i1JNi:Jt;t
T T
a yod. Note also the consistent qamets in the preformative.
28.3.2. The qal imperative is predictable from the prefix conjugation and is also ~N:J T
~Ni:l; juss. ~Ni:J;
easy to recognize as from a root o~w. niNf. i1JNi:lt;t juss. i1.lNi:ln
T T
28.3.3. The qal jussive is very much like the prefix conjugation, but the second
vowel is tsere instead of hireq gadol.
28.3.4. The qal consecutive preterite is based on the jussive, with the accent Notes to the paradigm:
retracted in the 2ms, 3ms, and 3fs forms. Once the accent moves off the last syllable 28.4.1. Throughout the paradigm, these forms can be spelled with simple holem
Oip, that syllable becomes impossible because it is closed and unaccented, with a instead of holem-vav, which makes it harder to identify the verb as II-t
long vowel. It needs a short vowel, and the short vowel that corresponds to tsere is 28.4.2. Unlike the II-, verbs with shureq between the first and third root con-
seghol. So the consecutive preterite is pronounced vay-ya-sem. sonants, the consecutive preterite of this verb does not retract the accent to the
28.3.5· Note that the suffix conjugation ofiP roots looks the same as the suffix preformative, so the holem remains. (Compare Ni:J~l to Oj?~l.)
conjugation of II-, roots. 28.4.3. Because Ni::l in particular is III-N, the various forms reflect the quies-
cence of N whenever it is at the end of a syllable, as was true with N"''!j?, for instance.
28. MIDDLE-WEAK VERBS AND LOCATIVE i1 28.6. THE NIPHAL FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK VERBS 199
28.5. THE NIPHAL AND HIPHIL FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK VERBS GENERALLY 28.6.3. The suffix conjugation third-person forms are not hard to identify, but
In the niphal and hiphil of the middle-weak verbs, there is no distinction between the preformative vowel qamets should be noticed. The first- and second-person
those verbs that were originally II- 1 and those that were originally II-~. Both behave forms, however, have a new feature.
the same way. At the end of the following discussion of the niphal and hiphil
individually, the paradigms for qal, niphal, and hiphil of II- 1 and II-~ verbs are pre- Alternative Endings to the Suffix Conjugation
sented together; comparison will make clear how similar the middle-weak verbs
Besides the suffix conjugation endings we have learned (~T:l-. J;~-, and so on),
are from stem to stem. there is another slightly different set of endings with an extra + syllable that
is sometimes used especially for weak verbs (perhaps to fill them out). ~T:l
28.6. THE NIPHAL FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK VERBS becomes ~Di '-; J;~- becomes Qi '-,etc. The vowels of the first two syllables in
We will illustrate the niphal with the verb p::>, which in the niphal means 'to be the words change somewhat, but that does not make the form less identifi-
established; to prepare, be ready' (neither O~j? nor o~w occurs in the niphal in BH). able; it is simply necessary to know that the ending that can be removed as a
part of analyzing a verb can include+ on the front of the ending (often simply
holem, without the vav mater).
THE NIPHAL FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK VERB

28.7. THE HIPHIL FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK VERBS
~nik:>~ ti::l~l iUi~N
T '
cohort. ti::J~
The hiphil of middle-weak verbs will be illustrated using the verb O~j?, which in the
nik:>J
T :
ti::JT:ll ti::Ji} impv. ti::JT;l hiphil means 'to raise, set up, erect; set, station~
inf. abs. niJ~::>J: ~~i~T:ll ~~i~i} impv. ~~i~T:l
THE HIPHIL FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK VERB
ti::>J ti::J~l ti::J~ juss. ti::J~
;ui:JJ
T T
ti::JT;l juss. ti::JT;l <
o~i?~l
,(
~no~pq ilT;J~i?~ cohort. o~p~

ptcp. UiJ~:lJ iUi~J cohort. ti::J~
' op~1
T ' ,(
t;o~pq Oj?.i) impv. o~pt;~

ti::>JT
oniJi::>J
... : Ui~i} impv. Ui~T:l < < <
inf. abs. nb~pq ~Q~i?t;ll ~Q~i?i) impv. ~Q~i?t;l
iUi::>J
T I
tl)iJi::>~ impv. <
o~piJ Oi?.~l Oi?.~/op~ juss. o~p~
o~~i::>~ ui:JJ Ui~~ juss. <
Oj?.J;I/Op~
T
ilT;l~i?iJ juss. o~pt;~

niJi::>J: juss. ,( <
ptcp. uo~pq ilT;J~i?J cohort. o~m
< <
o~p~ Ol)b~pq ~O~j?i) impv. m~pt;~
28.6.1. Instead of n:p\ which is what we would expect if p::> were a strong verb,
< <
ilT;J~i?T? mo~pq ilJT?i?.i) impv. ilJ T?~i? t;l
the middle - J.:P- has become simply i::>. <
m~p~
<
28.6.2. As was mentioned above (28.4.1), in almost every form these verbs can
o~Q~i?T? m~piJ m~p~ juss.
be spelled with simple holem without the vav mater, and the middle-weak classifi- nio~i?T? i1J~¢~Pf;lli1JT?i?.t;~ juss. i1J'¢~i?f;lli1JT?i?.t;~
cation is harder to see when that happens.
200 28 . MIDDLE-WEAK VERBS AND LOCATIVE i1 28.7. THE HIPHIL FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK VERBS 201
There is an alternative, less common paradigm for the suffix conjugation. The what we would expect, with the patakh before the third root consonant, and the iJ,
more typical paradigm is presented on the left below, the alternate paradigm on the as above, the product of the open -syllable preformative.
right. 2 28.7.4. The ms participle is a bit surprising, with the tsere under the r.l instead
of an a-vowel.
'Dn'i?O 'D'?~iJ
Since the pie/ is the stem that doubles the middle root letter, there is no place
~n'i?O ~'?~iJ for a pie/ in the middle-weak verbs: there is nothing to double. 3 The same is
true for the hitpae/. Instead, the middle-weak verbs have a special form that
nb'i?O I;l'?i?iJ functions as a pie/ and one that functions as a hitpae/, which will be taken up
in the next lesson.
O'j?iJ O'j?iJ
i19'PiJ i1/?'PD
28.8. A SUMMARY OF THE FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK VERBS
un'j?Q Ur?~iJ
The paradigms for qal of O~j? and O'lp, the niphal of p:>, and hiphil of O~j? are
Ol)b'i?O gathered together on pages 284-85 of appendix H, so that they can be compared.
(There is no one root in BH that occurs at all frequently in all three stems.) The
tl)b'i?O
first consonants plus vowels are presented in color, again so that the similarities
m'i?iJ will be obvious. The qal of O~j? and the niphal of T~:l are presented together on one
page, since both feature ~ and i vowels prominently; the qal of O'lp and the hiphil of
Notes to the paradigm: O~j? are together on another page, because the qal of II-' verbs shares some forms
28.7.1. The hiphil prefix conjugation of any middle-weak verb looks exactly with the hiphil of any middle-weak verb. It should be noted that all these forms are
like the qal of a II-' verb. The same is true for the jussive and consecutive preterite similar in that the middle "weakness" of the verb shows up as a vowel of some sort,
forms. (The feminine plural prefix conjugation forms in the hiphil are a problem, written between the first and last root consonants.
however. They should both be of the form i1~7?P~; they are rare, however, and the
forms we find in the Bible are a mixture of the expected and unexpected.) 28.9. THE LOCATIVE i1
28.7.2. The imperative ms can be recognized as the hiphil imperative of a mid- An unaccented i1,- ending on a noun of place
dle-weak verb by a process of elimination: the i1 suggests hiphil (possibly niphal), (common or proper) implies motion to or Note also that i1?~7 'night' contains
and there is nothing odd about the beginning or the end of the rest of the word. toward that place. i1¥l~· for instance, means an unaccented i1,- ending. While
Middle-weak verb hiphil is a good guess. 'to the ground' or 'to the land of'; i1lQQ i1?~7 has nothing to do with place,
28.7.3· Both forms of the suffix conjugation are common and should be rec- means 'to the mountain'; 4 i1r.J?W~1' means 'to it is a noun of time, and time and
T: - T :
ognized. The third-person forms are the same for both, with the hireq gadol as a place are both adverbial functions; it
Jerusalem'. This ending is referred to as "loc-
is possible, then, that the i1,- ending
clue to the stem, and the tsere under the i1 because the loss of a root letter has left ative i1" or "directive i1:' on i1?~7 is related to locative i1.
this unaccented syllable open. The differences come in the first- and second-person Note the difference between this ending
forms, where in the first paradigm, we see another instance of the 'Di ' -, ~i ' -longer and the feminine singular i1,- ending: the fs
suffix conjugation endings (as in the niphal, above). The second paradigm is more
3. In later BH, we find artificial forms such as O~i? as the pie! of mp, but these are rare.
2. It is difficult to know what the 2mp and 2fp would look like in a verb such as 01j?: the forms 4. This form, like the usual form of t;l]o/~1~, is pointed by the Masoretes as if there were a'
we have are OlJN:;JiJ from N1:J., which is unusual because of the N, and lftJJ]QiJ from rno, which is between the ? and the TJ. It has an extra shwa written to the right of the TJ, because the Masoretes
unusual becau~e its. root letter n assimilates with the n of the suffix conjugatio~ verbal ending. were pronouncing i11?~7o/~1~.
202 28. MIDDLE-WEAK VERBS AND LOCATIVE i1 28.10. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 28 203
ending is accented. Locative il is one of the few things that can come between two i~D 'turn aside; depart'; pref. conj. i~o:; cons. pret. iQ~l (the final vowel of
parts of a construct chain. So, 'to the land of Canaan' is l~J:P il¥l~· this form is patakh because of the following i)
hiphil i~QiJ 'to remove, take away'; pref. conj.i~Q:; cons. pret. in the
hiphil is also iQ~l, because of the final i
'to arise, stand up'; pref. conj. O~j?~; cons. pret. Oi?~l
The "Naming" of the Middle-Weak Verbs
hiphil o~piJ 'to raise, set up, erect'; pref. conj.O~j?~; cons. pret. Oi(.~l
Note that middle-weak verbs are "named" by their infinitive con-
struct forms, rather than the 3ms suffix conjugation form that is the 'to put, place, set'; pref. conj. o~tp~; cons. pret. oip~l
norm for the rest of the verb. So when we speak of the verb with the :t~W 'to return (intrans.), turn back, come
root :mv, we say :mv. Like 1-J't?iil in lesson 27, :n'IZ> is
back'; pref. conj. :l~W~; cons. pret.
commonly used with a second
:tW~1
T T- verb with the meaning 'to
verbs hiphil :t~WiJ 'to bring back, put back, do again; i.e., to do again the
Ni::l 'to enter, come (in, to)'; pref. conj. Ni:t~; cons. pret. Ni:t~1 give back'; pref. conj. :t~W~; cons. action of the second verb;
thus, Ni:1:1 :Jo/~1 can mean 'he
hiphil N~~iJ 'to bring, lead in/to'; pref. conj. N~~~; cons. pret. N~~1 pret. :t!.p~1 entered again:
'to perceive, understand'; pref. conj. P~:; cons. pret. r.?,-~1 nouns
niphal, esp. ptcp. li:l~ 'intelligent' p.~ 'stone' (fern.); with sf. ~p~; pl. o~~:t~; cs. pl. ~p~
hiphil r~~iJ 'to understand; to cause understanding, teach'; pref. conj. ~'7::>
.: 'article; utensil, vessel (temple); armor (military)'; cs. is the same; pl.
P~:; cons. pret. P.~1 o~7+.>; cs. pl. ~?:p
The pref. conj. and cons. pret. of qal and hiphil are identical; when the iln!lWO
T T : '
'clan; family'; cs. n)J~o/Q; with sf. ~Dt:J;1o/Q; pl. nin-9o/Q; cs. pl. nin-?o/Q
meaning is 'to understand: a verb could be considered either qal or proper noun
hiphil. l~J:P place name, 'Canaan'
il~9 'to weep, cry'; pref. conj. ilf.~~; cons. pret. ·p~1
adverbial ending
P:;JiJ 'to establish, set up; make ready, prepare' (hiphil ofp:J; see li:J~ below); il - locative il, added to common and proper nouns of place, to imply
pref. conj. r~~:; cons. pret. p~1
T
motion to or toward that place

nm 'to die'; pref. conj. n~o~; cons. pret. nrt~1; suff. conj. 3ms nQ; nQ also=
ptcp./verbal adjective 'dead'; note that then of the root assimilates to 28.11. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 28
the n of the suff. conj. paradigm endings (~no, il.!jQ, and so on) A. Translate from Hebrew to English:
hiphil n~QiJ 'to kill'; pref. conj. n~Q~; cons. pret. n9~1; then also assimi-
:i1~1; n~# ~7.f-n~ it?!l HJjD Oi?;:l .I
lates in the hiphil suff. conj. (~DQiJ, il.!jQiJ, and so on)
hophal nQ~il 'to be killed, put to death'; pref. conj. nQ~~; often used in =1?~7 r~a:rn~ PDl nt't;l~~Q-;~ i1f.7~D :J.o/Dl .2
law codes with qal inf. abs.: nQ~~ nio 'he will surely be put to death' :so~}'r-)i? ~:J"l.tF!1 ~?1 ~1 ~i?Tl)~ l~Q7 O!JN ~i?~D1 i~f;:~-n~ ~;~?.~D .3
li:J~ 'to be ready, prepared; to be established, set up' (niphal of p:l); pref.
conj. li::l~; see l':;liJ above
5. 'Their horns'.
204 28. MIDDLE-WEAK VERBS AND LOCATIVE i1 28.11. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 28 205
:iv~iJ 1i~9 ni?i1~iJ n''J~iJ ~~.:t~-n~ l?tpi;,; oi?:1 .4 i1J~ n~ i? :JW~:1 onl:t~7 22 1D~1 21 nn~~~ D''J:tP.1 ,~:t~ 1N¥ 20 1?9':;1~ ni?-~1 .12
:ni:p:t7 6 n~ on~n'~ i'P~ 1~ 9:t~1 o?ip-n~ if:!~ iW~ DP,i)1 1).1 NVt~1 .s (Gen 20:14) :iT;l~~
(1 Sam 30:4) i.V~~1 26;~~7 ni:J~TQ Dj?~1 1'?.~ 25 ~i1~~i?TT:l 1#~ i'f.?~ 24 nin*;:~-n~ p;1 23 :Jo/~1 .13
:1?giJ ',~.!?7 s:l"'!IJiJ ~N'?.-;1 7:::110 '7 U)i? 1?giJ iQN;1
(1 Kgs 3:24) .6 1~P,~1 29 o~~o/iJ N~¥-;~7 mlj~~1 ;~l'P~ 1?9 28 :::1~':1~ ;,~n; iW~:;l 27 i1'JW~
111 ~rp~ n';;~ ;~llp~-;~ D';:i'~ uniN:t¥ i1}i; 10iON7, o?iV-1~ 9'1?lP 9 ;1~~1 .7 :DQN
(2 Kgs 21:3)
(2 Sam 7:26) :9''~.~7 1i~J iT,~~ :nm' nin 1'nN-nN W'N n'D' ON
1- J ft" T •.• \" J• T •
.14
:N'}i.m i~1;:~-n~ ni~17 i~o~ i1Wb iQN;1 .8 1~j:p i1¥1~ n";J?? ~N¥~1 ... 1'D~-p 30 t>i?-n~1 if:!~~ 'J~-n~ D'J:t~ ni?-~1 .15
:~~ipl?-n~ VJ; N~fq ~~111'?.-iJ 0'~·;~ .9 (part of Gen 12:5) =1~P i1¥1~ ~N~;1
(Job 28:23; Job is talking about i17?~~ in this short poetic line.) B. Parse all the verbs in exercises exercises A3, 10, and 13, above.
1/N'Ji? 'f. 13 '~~0 iQN~1 12 '7~r;~ 17}1 Di?~1 T1'~'7o/~ ;~m~ N]i? i1~i; t'J9i;1 .10 C. List all the verbs in Gen 22:1-19 that you think are middle-weak verbs.
(1 Sam 3:8) :i~~7 NJP i1~1; 'f. '7~ 1~~1 '?
1?~0 Di?J~1 17 ~il,;~tr~-;~ 16 i~-,~17 ;,b;W 1?~;:~-;~ lsv~w-n~ 14 N~J;J1 .11
19
: i~'Q'7 :J'Pt:n 1?9;:~ o~7 N~P oi.P,;:1 iNt;>:;>-;~ :JW;:.l ~7 ~np~~1 18 ~tJNli?7
(1 Kgs 2:19)
6. 'Strength:
7. This word is in pause; hence the qamets.
8. We expect n~ here, but it is not in this passage. 20. A personal name, Abimelech.
9. Note that this verb is not the consecutive preterite. Rather, the 1, at the beginning suggests 21. Note that this feminine plural is written without the vav mater for the holem. The word
connection with an earlier imperative and should be translated 'so that: means 'female servants:
10. The 1bN? is a little awkward here but makes good sense if you treat it as a colon. 22. The direct object 'them' is understood in Hebrew but must be added in English.
11. This two-word phrase is usually translated 'Yahweh of hosts: 23. The 'he' in this passage is King Manasseh of Judah. Remember the special usage of J.,W
12. A personal name, Eli. explained in the vocabulary list.
13. 'Here I am: 24. A i19f. is some sort of open-air sanctuary, usually translated 'high place:
14. Note that this word is written "defectively;' i.e., without the expected mater for the holem. 25. A personal name, Hezekiah.
15. A personal name, Bathsheba. 26. 'The Baal', the god Baal; Baal's name is usually accompanied by a definite article in the
16. There is often a maqqeph between words in the Hebrew Bible for no obvious semantic Hebrew Bible (or is defined in some other way). The word ?p~ means 'lord:
reason. The effect is to make two (or more) words into one accentual unit. See note 1 in lesson 9. 27. 'An Asherah', i.e., some cultic representation of the goddess Asherah (most probably a tree).
17. ,il;t'r~ is a personal name, Adonijah; -?p here means 'about: 28. A personal name, Ahab.
18. 'To meet her: 29. 'The host of heaven', i.e., gods, understood to make up a heavenly army.
19. 'On his right/at his right hand: 30. A personal name, Lot.
29.2. THE FORMS OF THE POLBL 207
THE POLEL FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK VERB
'T:l'?Qii cniiN,
•• -; T
ilnrJiiN
T ; -;
cohort. cniiN
.. -;
rmnii
T : -
cniim
.. : - CP.ii impv. cniin
.. :
T;l'?P.ii 'Q'?ii.t;ll 'Q'?ii impv. 'Q'?ii.t;l
OP.ii onii', CP.ii; juss. OP.ii;
THE DERIVED STEMS PoLEL, PoLAL, ... : -
;mnii OP.ii.t;l juss. OP.iiT;J

AND HITPOLEL, THE WORD il~il, T :
ptcp. Ur?Qii ;mniiJ

T ; :
cohort. OP.ii~
AND THE FORMS OF OATHS
oniin
.. ; Ol)'?P.ii mr?ii impv. mr?iiT;J
nnniin
·: ·•· : ll)'?Oii i1~'?~ii impv. ;unniin
T : " :
mr?ii mr?ii; juss. mnii'

: :
29.1. THE DERIVED STEMS POLEL, POLAL, AND HITPOLEL GENERALLY
ninniin i1~'?~ii.t;l juss. i1mniin
T ; " :
We learned in the previous lesson that middle-weak verbs ordinarily do not appear : :
in the piel, pual, or hitpael for the reason that there is no middle root consonant
to double in that set of verbs. Instead, the middle-weak verbs have separate stems Notes to the paradigm:
that function in the same way as the pie[, pual, and hitpael; they are called the polel, 29.2.1. The preformative vowel of the polel is shwa (or hateph-patakh), as it is
polal, and hitpolel. in the piel.
29.2.2. The full holem-vav is written more than half the time, but there are
29.2. THE FORMS OF THE POLEL many cases where the vowel is simply holem, as in OP."l.
As the name implies, the polel's pattern repeats the third root consonant, as a way 29.2.3. 3ms is the only place in the suffix conjugation where the tsere indicated
to compensate for the lack of a middle root consonant. The vowel pattern is also by the name polel actually appears. The same is true of the piel.
distinctive. Note that the vowel pattern of the 3ms suffix conjugation of the polel 29.2.4. There is no attested infinitive absolute of the polel.
(CP.ii) looks like that of the qal participle of the strong verb (iP.i.V). The polel is
usually written with holem-vav and the qal participle with simple holem, but it is 29·3· THE FORMS OF THE POLAL
still possible to confuse the two. There are rare polels from common middle-weak Just as the piel has a passive counterpart in the pual, so the polel has a passive coun-
roots, such as CP.ii' 'to raise' from C,i' and n.t~in 'to kill' from nm, but only a very terpart in the polal (OP.ii). It is extremely rare, but it is worth noting that the suffix
few occur often enough to justify putting them in the vocabulary list below. We conjugation of the polal is exactly like that of the polel, with the exception of the
will demonstrate the polel with the verb CP.ii 'to raise, lift up; exalt: from the root 3ms.
C,i 'to be high, exalted'.
29·4· THE FORMS OF THE HITPOLEL
The hitpolel (OP.iiJ;lD) is the middle-weak equivalent of the hitpael in other verbs
and carries all the same meanings. Its paradigm is exactly the same as the polel's,
with .1;1~ instead of; in the prefix conjugation, cohortative, jussive, and consecu-
-206 -
208 29. POLEL, POLAL, AND HITPOLEL; il~;:l; AND THE FORMS OF OATHS 29.5. THE WORD ilJ;:J 209
tive preterite; J;lD added to the beginning of the imperative, suffix conjugation, and 29·5·3· In a more general way, ilm "sets up" a situation that is then to be acted
infinitive construct; and J;lr,l instead of'? in the participle. upon. As such, it is often followed by an imperative (look back at the 'Here is your
wife' sentence under 29.5.1 above).
29·5· THE WORD ilm
The BH word ;,m, King James's 'behold', is often the cause of consternation Here is your servant. Do to him
among beginning students. 'Behold' is simply not used any longer in any register whatever seems good in your eyes.
of modern English, so we must find a way of translating the word that has some 'Jnl;w 'J.lil inN,
' '' T : ' : ' - T
And I said, "Here I am. Send me!"
meaning in our own language. il~D seems to function in four related ways in BH.
29.5.1. ilm is used as a "presentation particle": 29·5·4· il~D is sometimes best translated 'while' or 'that'.
Here is the book. ..... - il~il

i!JDil ... And he went up to him, while he was
There is your daughter. 'TJ't;~:;t mD sitting on the top of the mountain. 1
It can be used this way with pronouns to mean 'Here I am: 'Here it is'; the pronouns tJ~QiJ-;~. N~r, il~i)1. ij?.J~
. ilV!.!?-;~
. . 17. Go to Pharaoh in the morning,
while he is going out to the water.
are expressed as pronominal suffixes.
The man lifted up his eyes, and he
THE WORD i1JiJ WITH PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES saw that his brother was coming.
Here we are. uj;,;m;,
... . :. '~jil/'.l.lil
. .. . . :. Here I am. 29.6. FORMS OF OATHS
Here/there you are. tJ:l~il

... : . 'TJ'~D Here/there you are. There is a form that is generally followed for oaths in BH. They may begin with a
verb that has to do with oath-taking, such as the niphal or hiphil of v:nz>, v~w~ 'to
1~0 Here/there you are. take an oath' or l'':;to/D 'to make someone swear: plus a phrase such as il!il; 'D (or
Here/there they are. tJ~D iJ;:l Here/there he/it is. il1il'-'n) 'as Yahweh lives:
T : -
The next element is usually tJ~ or ~6 tJ~, with counterintuitive meanings. tJ~ in
Note the following examples: an oath is a strong negative; that is, someone swears that she or he will absolutely
not do something; while ~6 tJ~ is a strong positive; that is, someone swears that he
tJ;J';::i;~ il~D Here is your God. or she absolutely will do something.
1~?! ng 'Tft;~tV~ ·;,m ··ilf;llJ1 Now, here is your wife; take (her) and go!
29.5.2. il~D stresses the "here-and-nowness" of a situation: to indicate that This odd usage is usually explained by assuming that the middle part of the oath is missing.
something has 'just' happened or is happening right now or is just about to happen; So, for instance, a full oath might be: "I swear, as Yahweh lives, that you can strike me down,
if (o~) I ever betray you:' Now, if we leave out the phrase in italics, we must translate the o~
to imply that something is happening here, in this place. Pronominal suffixes can
clause negatively: "I swear, as Yahweh lives, that I will not (o~) ever betray you:'The same sort
also be used on ;,m in this kind of situation. of logic turns t6 o~ (often N~-o~ , with maqqeph) into a positive.
Now you are seeking to go to your
country.
1. In this sentence and the one following (from 2 Kgs 1:9 and Exod 7:15, respectively), the
They are now eating and drinking in subject pronoun, which would ordinarily be required with a participle, is left out after ilJi:l. (i.e., we
the presence of the king's son. would expect ... ~w~ N1i1 i1Ji:11,.) This omission perhaps occurs because ilJi:l is felt to imply the pro-
I have just heard your father speak- noun; in context, furthermore, the subject has just been mentioned, so the meaning is clear.
2. This combination of the verb ilNi plus ilJi:ll, is common and should almost always be trans-
ing to your brother.
lated as above: 'someone saw that .. .'.
29. POLEL, POLAL, AND HITPOLEL; i1~;:1; AND THE FORMS OF OATHS 29.7. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 29 211
ilii1 i::r:Ti1-nN i1Wl-'N ON i11i1~ ~n As Yahweh lives, I will not do this 'to ask; to consult' (in divination); pref. conj. 7~t.p~
'o"T TT- '." ',"",";"." 'T:-
thing. nouns
nN·tiJ fl~Q Nl;l·c~ ibN? i1t.pb V:;J.o/~1 Moses swore: "Surely this land will t;,i1N
... 'tent' ; with sf. ~7n~ (pronounced o-ho-lee); pl. c~7QN/c~7;:t~; cs. pl.
o7i.~r1l-' o.:Jl;l i1~i1n
T - •: T '." : •
be yours forever:' '?v~; pl. with sf. '~QN
'nose; anger'; with sf.,$~; used with i1l':J (see above) in a variant of
Another kind of oath is begun with some variant of these words:
the 7 i11Q construction: i!l~ i11Q 'he got angry' (literally, 'his no e got
Thus may Yahweh do to me and hot');,~~ ill'! 'I got angry' ('my nose got hoe); in the dual, o~~t::t 'face';
even more so. du. with sf. ~.;>~
'nation, people'; pl. C~il (note only one~); cs. pl. ~~il
This phrase is often followed by a normal C~ 'if' or Nl;l·c~ 'if ... not' clause. Exactly
what punishment the phrase refers to need not be stated; it is understood that the 'appointed time, season; appointed place, meeting' (from the root
oath-taker is willing to have something very bad happen to her or him if she or he 1V~); with sf. ~1P,in; pl. c~1P,in; the 1,Pin l;lryN 'tent of meeting' is the
does or does not do what is sworn to. tabernacle in the wilderness where Yahweh appears to Moses
CNJ
... : 'utterance'; esp. in prophetic literature, in phrases like C~~ i1!i1~ 'utter-
29·7· VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 29 ance of Yahweh' literally, but similar in meaning to i1!i1~ iQ~ jlj 'thus
says Yahweh'
verbs
7~¥0 'to deliver, rescue, save (from battle or trouble, and from sin); to take 'peace, welfare, well-being'; cs. sg. cil;lt.p; cil;lo/7 l;l~o/ means to ask
away' (hiphil ofl;J~J); pref. conj. ~;~~¥~;cons. pret. 1;1~~1 (There is a passive someone (with 7 plus the person) how they are, as in oil;ll¥7 n7 l;l~o/
niphal of this verb, 7¥~, but it is fairly rare.) 'he asked her how she was' or i1t;J~ cil;lo/iJ <How are you?' 'Are you
well?' (can be used with any form of'you')
'to cause someone to swear/take an oath' (hiphil of V:JW; see V~W~
below); pref. conj.l.?~:;J.t.p~; cons. pret. V~o/~1 . conjunction
'to pay close attention to, consider' (hitpolel ofp:J); pref. conj. tJi::U~~ iN ' or'
i1"1'! literally 'to burn, become hot: but generally used in an impersonal particle
construction with 7 to mean 'to get angry'; the verb is unchangeable i1~;:1 See discussion above.
in this construction: ;1;1 i1"V! 'he got angry' (that is, 1 it got hot for him');
~7 i1l':J 'I got angri ('it got hot for me'). The verb is the same, and 29.8 EXERCISES FOR LESSON 29
person is expressed by the suffix on 7; pref. conj. is rare; cons. pret. 10~1 A. Translate from Hebrew to English:
pi::l 'to set up, establish' (polel oft1:>); pref. conj. pi:>~
:io/Ni-n~ n"'}~~1 inN n9~1 trpTn~ niP-~1 3 ~f:lo/7-?iJ 't..!t7 1rr ,~~~1 .I
V~'P~ 'to swear, take an oath' (niphal of V:JW); pref. conj. V:;J.o/~; cons. pret.
both V:;J.o/~1 and V~o/~1; see l.?~:;J.t.p;:J above :OQN if.PP~1 4 niry~~o-n~ 1~J;Q 17.o/~1 i1o/b ~~ iD~1 .2
C~i 'to be high, exalted'; pref. conj. C~i~; cons pret. Dl~1
hiphil C~!iJ 'to raise, lift; set up, erect; exalt; remove; offer'; pref. conj.
C~!~; cons. pret. Dl.~1
polel C~ii 'to lift up; exalt, extol'; pref. conj. C~ii~ (a poetic form) 3. 'The Philistine:
4. 'The tablets:
212 29. POLEL, POLAL, AND HITPOLEL; i1Ji); AND THE FORMS OF OATHS 29.8 EXERCISES FOR LESSON 29 213
i*"F~~ iY.?~ i1JD 6 iifD-~~ iliN ~:J~7.o/D o1-~:J~o/T:l-~~ 5 l~~N"') or.p?~ iQN~1 .3 :11.1 n9~'-o~ i1li1;-'IJ ~~~o/ l·'?-~~1 22 i~~ii1; ~ip:p. ~~~o/ V9o/~1 .9
24
:1~~~-~~ i:t~wo? o1~Q iQN ~'¥.D 8 l~Q7 t~nn?o/r:t-~~ 71~1 (Isa 43:18) :u~:;,.t;lT:l-~~ ni~~b"'fj?1 23 ni~WN! ~lfTT:l-~~ .10
(Gen 37:22; Reuben is speaking of Joseph here) (2 Sam 7:13) :o?iv-1~ 25 iT;J:;>?l?Q N~~-n~ 'l;J~~j1 '9'¥7 n~f--i1P~ N~i} .11
;~ ory? 12 0P-t?~ 11 WQWD-Ni:J '~-~7-wo~ '?. 9 t'J'P.~ i1~1 O'ij~~ '7.-i1W~~ i1~ .4 ~N~:li11
J' '' :
27't:>J O'iN O'nU-~N1 ,,, O'il-~N
ft' ' .J' T l' - ',' : 'T l' '."
NWN i1:1i1 i11i1' 26'J1N iTJN i1::>
JT '.' J'' ' ' : JT -: 1.- T J
.12
:
13 i1mNn-~:J
T I : T
(Isa 49:22) :3li1~NW~r:t 30t'Jnf-~~ 1~D.l:;t~ 29n~n:p. 281~ J~
(part of2 Sam 3:35; David is mourning the death ofhis general Abner) :o:~ OlJN 1'7.o/~D1 O'~l;;-n~ iP,Ni; U'fi~~~ i'~l) '9 .13
:ii?..tD 0~':;1~ oi?o/0 iQN~1 oi?o/7 on? ~~o/~1 .5 o~n~~ N~D iY.?~-1~ i'~i/ ~w~~ ';f'')t)~ ~-?li: ';['~~~ i1}i; N'J'T:l N? o~ .14
(Ps 34:4) : 16 1j':J~ i9o/ 15 i1'?,1?ii~~ 'f.!~ 14 i1)p'? ~?lJ .6 :~rp~~
n')fT:l o~1w~9 -,t;l':;rn~ ~-?lW1
wrn~ i1?Rv iW~ i1li1;-'IJ 1il;' 17 i9.~~-N~1 i1)p;-o~~ O'~f. 0'9:-il~i} l~? .7 OllJ1 34 i1~DD-n~ ~~~~1 O~QD ~fl~1l'1~i/-~~ Oi~ 33 0~;?f.l~ 32~~:p.~D 'i);1 .15
l'1~~ ~~,~~ wrn~ i1?,P,i) itp~ i1li1;-'tJ-lBO~ '?. :0~1¥Q l'1~~ ~~,~~ (Gen 7:17) :f1~i/ 35 ~P-~
(Jer 16:14 plus a clause from 16:15) : ... 19liil¥ '9.;-~f O~l:;t~ otp, i'f.TD7~ iJ:;t7 my~ N¥1?7 ii:t~D i1:;t~-n~ Ovl:;t~ V#o/~1 .16
Opo/~:p. iN 1~in ~i)~-~~ O~i:l:p. i1~i;1 i~N~1 20 0'~r)::>D-~~ N':;t~? i1!J1; if.;1;1 .8 . :1'~n IT-
:mm' 21 N~1 n:imi1-~N

I T ) : - •• ; ' - '.'
5. A personal name, Reuben.

6. "1i:J means 'pit:
7. Read 1 as 'but' here.
8. The q~otation ends with i:l; the n.n~7 phrase explains why Reuben spoke up. '(He said all this) 22. Jonathan, Saul's son.
in order to .. .'. 23. 'First things:
9. This verb is written defectively; it is missing the vav materfor the holem. 24. 'Ancient things:
10. Translate 0~ ':;l here simply as 'if: 25. 'His kingdom:
11. WQ~iJ is 'the sun: and when the sun 'goes in: it sets. 26. 'My lord: This is the term that is usually substituted for Yahweh in the Masoretic Text. When
12. The verb 03)0 means 'to taste: '~1~ and inil' occur together in a text, inil' is vocalized i11il: and pronounced "Elohim:'
13. 'Anything at all: 27. 'My sign'.
14.? here is functioning much the same as l1~. 28. The feminine 'you' here is Jerusalem.
15. In order to translate this word correctly, see the explanation in the box at lesson 24.5, exer- 29. 'Bosom This is poetry, so some explanatory words may need to be added in this passage.
cise A.B. One might translate 'in (their) bosom', for instance.
16. 'Together: 30. 'Shoulder:
17. This is the niphal prefix conjugation of the root "10N. 31. This is the niphal of NiVJ.
18. 0~ ':;l = 'but rather: 32. 'The flood, the deluge:
19. 'The north: 33. "forty" (plus the thing counted in the singular)
20. ',p = 'about' here. 34. 'The ark' (Noah's boat).
21. You should interpret the 1on this word as a comma. 35. Translate simply 'above'.
30.2. DIFFICULTIES ASSOCIATED WITH DISTINGUISHING GEMINATE VERBS 215
(There is no root ,,Win BH.) So when a weak verb cannot be found in dictionaries
under the category that it should be, it is always a good idea to look up the verb as
if it were a geminate, before deciding that the initial parsing was simply wrong.
Even more confusing, the niphal suffix conjugation 3ms of :1~9 is :lt;:>J, which
30 looks exactly like a qal suffix conjugation 3ms of a root :JOJ (which does not exist
in BH). It should come as no surprise, then, that besides the regular qal prefix con-
jugation of :1~9, there is a whole other qal prefix conjugation that looks something
like a I -J paradigm. That prefix conjugation paradigm will also be presented below.
GEMINATE VERBS AND Stative geminate verbs (see 13.2) can also have a slightly different paradigm
from nonstative geminate verbs, and that paradigm will be presented below also.
THE NUMBERS ABOVE TEN
JO.J. THE REGULAR NONSTATIVE QAL FORMS FOR GEMINATE VERBS
The regular nonstative geminate qal paradigm will be illustrated using the verb
:J~t? 'to turn around (intrans.); to surround (trans.)'.
30.1. GEMINATE VERBS GENERALLY
The last category of verbs to be taken up here is the geminate verbs. Geminate THE REGULAR QAL FORMS OF THE GEMINATE VERB
verbs are those that have the same consonant as the second and third root letters,
for instance, :J:JO 'to turn around; to surround' (like Gemini, "the twins"). These
- T
verbs can be difficult to identify, but they are, fortunately, fairly rare. ·'
'.t:n::lt;:> :lbt:$
'::10
. ··. .t:Ji:it;:> :Jb impv. :Jbt;J
A Note on the Paradigms for the Geminate Verbs
.<
inf. abs. ni::lt;:> '~0 impv. ·'
'::lon
The paradigms for geminate verbs are given below, for completeness, but most begin- • T
<
ning students simply memorize the root consonants of the most common geminate juss.
:J~t? :Jt?;l :10' T
:10' T
verbs, and when they come across a verb they do not know but that contains those
root consonants, they know to consider the possibility that the root is geminate when il:J:JO
T : IT
:Jbn T
juss. :Jbn T
they are trying to decide where to look it up in the dictionary. The most common • < 1
geminate verbs in BH are given in the vocabulary for this lesson. ptcp. m::lt;:> cohort. :JbJ T
.< .<
:J~b oni::1o
... - ~::10 impv. ~::1on
T
30.2. THE DIFFICULTIES ASSOCIATED WITH DISTINGUISHING GEMINATE VERBS <

jJ:J:Jb il)i::lt;:> ilJ'::lO
T '.' '•,
impv. m':ion
T '.' '•, :
The geminate verbs are uncommon, and in certain forms they look exactly like T :
·' ·' ·'

those forms in another, more common, category of verbs (for instance, the qal tl'~~b ~:1:10
: IT
~::10;1 ~::lo; juss. ~::10'T
consecutive preterite of :J~t? is :19~1, indistinguishable from the qal consecutive ni:J~b
<
ilJ'::lon juss. ilJ'::lon
<
T '," '•, : T '," '•, ;
preterite of a II-, verb). Consequently, geminate verbs were often reanalyzed by
ancient speakers as some other category of verb, and we find "biforms"; that is,
some forms of a given verb are typical of the geminate category, while other forms
appear to be from another category altogether. For instance, the geminate verb
1. There are only two occurrences of the qal cohortative of geminate verbs, both plural and both
11o/ 'to ruin' has the normal forms of a geminate verb, but there is one example of in forms that are influenced by other verb types and so not appropriate for the paradigm presented
the prefix conjugation 3ms of this verb that is written 1~w;, as if from a II-, verb. here: il?=?-rt 'let us confuse', from ;;:J; and il9"P 'let us perish', from OIJ1.
-214-
216 30. GEMINATE VERBS AND THE NUMBERS ABOVE TEN 30.4. THE REGULAR STATIVE QAL FORMS FOR GEMINATE VERBS 217
Notes to the paradigm: The qal stative geminate verb paradigm is illustrated with the root ;;p 'to be dis-
30.3.1. The qal prefix conjugation forms that also have suffixes (2fs, 2mp, 2fp, respected, not respected; to be thought little of'. The only differences between the
3mp, 3fp) indicate that the verb is geminate because the second root letter is dou- stative and nonstative paradigms occur in the prefix conjugation (and jussive and
bled. The other five qal prefix conjugation forms look exactly like the jussive of consecutive preterite) and suffix conjugation, so only those forms are given.
II-weak verbs. Notes to the paradigm:
30.3.2. The qal imperative forms are identifiable: three have a doubled second 30.4.1. In the five forms that have no suffix, the qal geminate stative prefix con-
root letter, and the ms has a holem, unlike any other weak qal imperative, with the jugation is much like the strong verb stative prefix conjugation (1~~~), except that
exception of Ni::l.. there is one -root letter missing, and the preformative hireq lengthens to tsere in
30·3·3· As noted above, the qal consecutive preterite of geminate verbs can look compensation. In the other five forms, the doubled second root consonant gives
exactly like the qal consecutive preterite of II-weak verbs. away the geminate root.
30·3·4· The qal suffix conjugation of geminate verbs is fairly easy to identify. In 30.4.2. The qal geminate stative suffix conjugation is the same as the nonstative
the first and second persons, they have a doubled second root letter, and they have suffix conjugation in the first and second persons. In 3fs and 3cp, the doubled root
the longer suffix conjugation endings that we have seen before: 'Di ' -, ~; ' -, and so letter identifies the verb as geminate. The 3ms gives no clue to the fact that it comes
on. The third-person forms actually have all three root letters. The qal infinitive from a geminate root; the form should simply be learned.
absolute and participle are also normal.
30.3.5. The qal infinitive construct of geminate verbs looks exactly like the qal 30.5. THE ALTERNATIVE QAL FORMS FOR GEMINATE VERBS
imperative, unless suffixes are added. The infinitive construct has qibbuts before a Finally, here is the alternative qal prefix conjugation paradigm (which can be con-
doubled second root letter, instead of the holem of the imperative. fused with I-J), both stative (;;p) and nonstative forms (::1::10). ·
30.4. THE REGULAR STATIVE QAL FORMS FOR GEMINATE VERBS THE ALTERNATIVE PREFIX CONJUGATION FOR THE REGULAR AND STATIVE GEMINATE VERB
THE REGULAR QAL FORMS OF THE STATIVE GEMINATE VERB pref. conj. pref. conj.
stative nonstative
suff. conj. cons. pret. volitives pref. conj.
'w~ :lbN...
'nit;i? 'i?~l 'i?~
'wn :lbt:J
~i?j? 'm:n 'm:~
'~~n
,(
'=;101:1
ni~i? '~i?m '~RD
'w~ :lb~
'i? 'i?~1 'i?~ juss. 'i?~
'wn :lbD
i17R ;i?D juss. ;i?D
~.Ji?j? 'i?~ 'm
~~~n
:lb~
,(
~::I.OD
oryi~i? ~~RD
i1J?~n
,(
ltli~j? i1J'?i?l;J il.l:lOT-1

T :
~~~~
,(
~~i? ~~i?~ juss. ~~i?~ ~::1.0~

.<
i1J'?i?T;l juss. i1J'?i?T;l i1J?~D i1J:lOD

T :
218 30. GEMINATE VERBS AND THE NUMBERS ABOVE TEN 30.6. THE NIPHAL AND HIPHIL FORMS FOR GEMINATE VERBS 219
Note to the paradigm: 30.6.2. The imperative has the -0 prefix of the niphal imperative.
The five forms without any suffix are indistinguishable from a qal I-J verb. The 30.6.3. The first- and second-person forms of the suffix conjugation of the
feminine plural could also be confused with qal I -J verbs. The remaining three niphal geminate verb are simply the regular suffix conjugation of the qal, with the
forms (2fs, 2mp, and 3mp) have a doubled second root letter and are accented dif- addition of~· The third-person forms are exactly the same as verbs I-J and can be
ferently from I- J verbs. identified as geminate only if it is remembered that this confusion occurs. (OQ~ is
the niphal3ms for verbs that are stative in form but not in meaning.)
30.6. THE NIPHAL AND HIPHIL FORMS FOR GEMINATE VERBS 30.6.4. The infinitives construct and absolute have the -0 prefix of the niphal.
For completeness, the niphal and hiphil paradigms of geminate verbs are presented 30.6.5. The fp, mp, and fp participle are identifiable by the doubled second root
next, but it should be remembered (see the box at the beginning of the lesson) that letter. The ms participle must simply be learned.
the geminates are the rarest weak verb forms, so while the paradigms and notes
that follow should be examined, it is not necessary for the beginning student to be THE HIPHIL FORMS OF THE GEMINATE VERB
as familiar with the geminates as with the other weak verbs. volitives
inf. cs. suff. conj. cons. pret. pref. conj.
THE NIPHAL FORMS OF THE GEMINATE VERB :J.Oil
" T
~ntioil
. . -: :J.ON
" T
inf. cs. suff. conj. cons. pret. volitives pref. conj. ntioil
T ' -:
:J.Oil" T
impv. :1on
.. T
~nN,
,(
2
~n,~oJ
. - : - '." T
cohort. :J.ON
- ... inf. abs. ni:lt?Q impv.
·'
n,~oJ :J.Q0 impv. :J.Qf:l :J.Oil :l.QiJ/:l.QiJ ;ry~l/:J.Q~l :J.Q; juss. ::J.0~/:10~
T - : " T ••- •• T
< <
inf. abs. ni~Q~ ~~Q0 impv. ~~Qf:l il~Oil ~nn,
'.' T -
:J.Q.t;l juss. :J.on
•• T
T " "
:J.i00 OOJ/:J.OJ
" T - T
:J.Q~ juss. :J.Q~ ptcp. ui:loil
. -: il~OJ
T "T
cohort. 3
:J.OJ "T
<
il~OJ
T - T
:J.Qf:l juss. :J.Qf:l :J.QQ oni~oil
... . - : impv. ~~on .. T
,(
ptcp. m~oJ
-: :J.Q~ il~OD
T • :
ll)i~t?Q impv.
<
~~¢.~~~~¢;
<
:J.OJ
T T
oni~oJ
... -: ~~Q0 impv. ~~QD ~~t?.iJ juss.
< <
il~OJ
T - :
ll)i~Q~ ilJ~~Oil
T '.' - •
impv. ilJ~~on
T '.' - •
ilt*t?t;l juss.
< <
o~~Q~ ~~oJ - T
~~Q~ juss. ~~Q~
ni~Q~ m~~on
<
juss. m~~on
< Notes to the paradigm:
T '." - ' T '.' - •
30.6.6. In the prefix conjugation, the two forms to the left of slashes follow the
I-J type paradigm. The five forms without suffixes look exactly like the jussive of
Notes to the paradigm: the hiphil 11-weak verbs. Also, the jussive and consecutive preterite of the hiphil
30.6.1. The prefix conjugation, jussive, and consecutive preterite of the niphal
geminate verb can be confused with the alternative prefix conjugation of the qal
stative geminate paradigm.
3. While the plural cohortative it~¢.~ actually exists, the only singular hiphil cohortative from a
geminate root is one occurrence of il?'?~ 'let me wail/lament', from t he root 77\ which occurs only
2. Only one such form exists in the Hebrew Bible: ill;llJW~~ 'let me not be dismayed' from nnn. in the hiphil in BH.
220 30. GEMINATE VERBS AND THE NUMBERS ABOVE TEN 30.7. THE NUMBERS 11 AND 12 221
geminate verbs look exactly like the jussive and consecutive preterite of the hiphil THE NUMBERS 11 AND 12
ofll-weak verbs.
30.6.7. Note the hateph-patakh under the i1 of the suffix conjugation, first and
modifies feminine noun modifies masculine noun
second persons, as well as the longer 'Di < -, l!i <- endings. i11\Vl'
.. : ... nnN
- - 11
30.6.8. The suffix conjugation 3fs and 3mp forms of these verbs have the dou-
bled second root letter. The 3ms form must simply be learned. i11\Vl'
.. : ... 'r!l.Vl'
.. : - 1\Vl' 'r!l.Vl'
T T '' : -
11
30.6.9. The infinitive construct of these forms is exactly the same as the infini- 12
.. : .....
i11\Vl' 'T-Il.V: 1\Vl' 'Jl.V
T T '' :
tive absolute, and they are both exactly the same as the hiphil infinitive absolute of
i11\Vl'
.. : ... O'r!l.V
.. : 1\Vl' O'Jl.V 12
II-weak verbs. T T '' :
30.6.10. The fs, mp, and fp participles have the doubled second root letter. The
ms participle must simply be learned.
30.8. THE NUMBERS 13-19
The numbers 13-19 use the same words for 10 as 11 and 12 do, and, like the num-
Note that the pie/ and hitpae/ of the bers 3-9, the masculine-looking form of the unit modifies feminine nouns and
geminate verbs are perfectly normal. vice versa.
THE NUMBERS 13-19

The paradigms for qal, niphal, and hiphil geminate verbs are gathered together
on pages 286-88 in appendix H so that they may be compared. The portions in color modifies feminine noun modifies masculine noun
on these three pages show in the prefix conjugation, the imperative, the jussive,
13
the suffix conjugation, and the infinitive construct those instances where a dagesh
represents the geminated second and third consonants of the root. Those doubled i11ip~ V~l~ 1\Vl' ill'::l1N
TT TT:-
14
consonants and the vowel that follows each instance have been highlighted.
i11\Vl'
.. : ... l.Vnn
.. -: 1\Vl' ilWDn
T T T ' -:
15
30.7. THE NUMBERS 11 AND 12 i11\Vl' 16
.. : ... l,Z}l,Z}..
So far, we have studied the numbers from 1 to 10 in BH. The numbers 11 and 12
i11ip~ V:;ttp 17
occur in two forms each: besides the usual numbers for 1 and 10, 11 has one form
that uses the word 'Dtpl? plus 10; 12 has both '~tp and O'~tp before 10. There are i11\Vl'
.. : ... ilJbl.V
... : 1\Vl' ilJbl.V
T T T :
18
slightly different words for 10, as well, il"}ip~ and 1o/V.· (Like 1 and 2, 11 and 12 do
1 i.Vu ill'l.Vn 19
not use a masculine-looking form to modify a feminine noun and vice versa.) T T T : '
30.9. THE DECADE NUMBERS
In BH, 20 is the plural of 10: O,!ip~. The other decades, 30, 40, and so on, are the
plurals of 3, 4, and so on. They are: 0'\PJ~, O,l?fl~· O'WT,'JQ, o,'?:)!p, O,l?=f\P, O'~btp,
O'l'l.VT-1
. : ..
30.9.1. When these multiples of ten are used, the thing counted is usually in the
singular.
30.9.2. The decades plus units (24, 76, etc.) appear as follows
222 30. GEMINATE VERBS AND THE NUMBERS ABOVE TEN 30.12. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 30 223
4 and 20 0'1Wl, V:J1N/ill):J1N

•:•,•: -:- TT:-
or 20 and 4 V:J1N/i1l':J1N1
-:- TT:-:
0'1Wl'
•:•.• Nlft:J 'to sin; to incur guilt'; pref. conj. Nlf!}~
6 and 70 O'l':HV1 WW!i1WW
• : • : " T '
or 70 and 6 hiphil N'~Dv 'to cause to sin'; pref. conj. N'~D~
77.n 'to defile, pollute' (piel of77n); pref. conj. 77.D;
For example, '24 men' is written W'~ i1lJ~l~1 O'!o/~; '76 women', i1o/~ 0'l:J~l.P1 WW.
hiphil 7DD 'to begin; to do something for the first time'; pref. conj.
30.10. THE NUMBERS 100, 1,000, AND 10,000 7D;; cons. pret. 71)~1
In BH, 100 is i1~~ (construct n~7?); 200 is O~DNff; and 300 is niNT;,l w7~. The ~;19 'to turn around; to surround'; pref. conj. ~b; or ~b~; cons. pret. ~9~1 or
number 1,000 is '17~; 2,000 is 0~~7~; and 3,000 is 0'!;17~ nw?~. Finally, 10,000 is . ~b~1
i1~~,.
T T :
ij?~ 'to pay attention to, take care of; to visit; to punish; to muster; to
30.11. THE NUMBERS TO COMMIT TO MEMORY
appoint'; pref. conj. ip~~
In the end, what should be memorized about BH numbers is the following: 77p 'to be small, light, fast; to be disrespected, not respected; to be thought
little of'; suff. conj. 3ms 7j?, 1cs 'Di?j?; pref. conj. 7j?~; cons. pret. 7R~1
The Crucial Numbers to Memorize piel7?i? 'to curse'; pref. conj. 77.R;
the basic form of each number 1-10 the decades as plurals VV1 'to be evil, bad; to be troubling'; suff. conj. 3ms V'1; pref. conj. V'1~;
cons. pret. V'1~1
the ordinals i1~~ (= 100)
hiphil V'1iJ 'to act wickedly; to treat badly, injure, hurt, do hann'; pref.
'.n\Vl)
.. : - (in some forms of 11) '17~ (= 1000)
conj. lt1;/V'1;; cons. pret. V'1~1
0'1iVl'
. : ... (=20) i1~~l (= 10,000)
nouns
i1~i1N
T -: -
'love'; cs. n;tt)~; also used as inf. cs. of the verb ~i1N above; as such,
30.12. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 30 can be translated '(to) love' and 'loving' (as a noun, e.g., 'my loving
him)
numbers: Memorize the set of numerals listed in 30.11 above.
'ark' (of the covenant; not Noah's ark); with clef. art. li1~Q
verbs
1o/~ 'flesh'; cs.1i,Vf; with sf. '!o/f; pl. very rare
~D~ 'to love'; pref. conj. varies, 3ms ~0~~. 1cs ~iJN; i1~t)~ 'love' (see below)
is used as inf. cs.; ptcp. ~DN 'lover' can also mean 'friend' Wltl 'month; new moon'; with sf. '~"'ft:J; pl. 0'~11J; cs. pl. 'W"Tt:J
'1Q~ 'to gather'; to remove; pref. conj. '10~~ nNtpiJ 'sin; sin offering' (fern.); cs. nN\i)IJ; pl. niNtpiJ; cs. pl. is spelled oddly,
niphal '1Q~~ 'to assemble, be gathered; to be removed'; pref. conj. nu~~D
'1Q~~; cons. pret. 3ms '19~~1 i1ipP,~ 'deed, work'; cs. i1ipP,~; with sf. miPP,~; pl. O'WP.~ (root i1iVV)
1'W 'to curse'; pref. conj. 1N;; suff. conj. 1cs 'Di'1~ (the qamets under the n+.? 'time' (fern.); with sf. 'T:ll?; pl. rare
N compensates for inability to double the 1); used esp. in the passive
proper nouns
ptcp. form 1~1~ 'cursed'
11iJ~ personal name, 'Aaron: brother of Moses
77,;:1 'to praise' (piel of77i1); pref. conj. 77.o;; note the impv. i1;-~77o 'Praise
~PP.~ personal name, 'Jacob'
Yahweh!' (with maqqeph or written as one word)
7Dl personal name, 'Rachel'
224 30. GEMINATE VERBS AND THE NUMBERS ABOVE TEN 30.13. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 30 225
adverb/preposition 'il'-;:ln 0'WJi1 i1JN~n1 12'nW;!:li1-nN ni:li1n 111 J~W:L noNiJ:L 'i1'1
J'' T T ' ~· T - T J'." '' - • : • : - '." J - •• l' T J : T : J' t-
.6
:::1~:::10 'round about, all around'
.1l~Nn1 15 niPQW'?iJ O'W~iJ 14 i1~"}..P,m :... 1?g;:~ ;~~~ 13 nN'Ji?7 ... '~no/~
• T

i1·ti1 iJ'li1 1'J'l':L Vi~, 1Nn ;~NW; in~, :1'nJJi:L 1111 1'il'N:L ;~NW i1:li1
'•' - .JT T - lT '' : -)"- I l T : - J•- IT : ' : l' T: T T -: - l T JT '
A. Which numbers are represented?

w
:1s;,~~;rp;:~ 17 1 ~ 1617 1 1O'P.?~;; ~~.t;l~ '7.1 nb':J.l 1n7 ~~.t;l~ i9N~1
i1l':LiN1 O'iWl' .7
T T : - : ' : '."
O'!o/~1 1Q~ .1 (adapted from 1 Sam 18:6-8)
i1iWl'
.. ... VJW
- .8 : : O'l:':tW1 V~W .2 :w~~-;~ ~9~~1 21 V.P~1 za;,w~;:~-;~ ,,?.n ~9~~1 ,,~f-ntt n~~7 JI?P,~ 19
;~~1 .7
i1Jb'IV~ O'l'Wrl
T
.9: • : •
O'~QQ! i1~~ .3 (Gen 49:33)
o'w;w~ niNn vwn .1o

0 : •• - : ~?~ OWfl~ .4 (2 Kgs 25:2) : 23 ~i1:i?l¥ 1?9? i1~~ i1).o/~ '!:}~~ 1P- 22 ii¥9~ i'~i! N:tl;11 .8
O~IJN9~ ~?~ O'W'~~ o~j~ .11 O'~b~~ O~D~ .5 -n~ 'f. ;;r1:ti?1 nN\iJ i1'J~i~;;-ntt Nt~1i?~ i9N~1 T;l~~:l ;~N;1 24 N~;1 .9
O'~QQ! niN~ 'IV~Q! ~?~ O'~W1 i1lJ:tW .12 niN~ v~~ .6 (2 Kgs 9:34) :N'i) 1?9
(Ps 106:1) :ilt;>D o2iV7 'f. 26 Jil:(-':;l i1}1'? 25 ilii1 n!~'7iJ .10
B. Translate from Hebrew to English:
(Gen 2:24) :1TJ~ iif?':J-7 ~;;;1 in~~f 4 i'~11 irp~-n~1 1':?,.~-n~ W'~ JtP,~ r*'-;~ .1
(Josh 3:11) :rJ."')~~ o~').~7 i?,V l'l~i!-;f 5 1i1~ n'.l9iJ til~ i1~i:J .2
(part of Ezra 3:6) : ... il.J/1'? ni?V ni?P.iJ7 ~;DiJ '~':;l'f>iJ 6Wli]? 11J~ oi;Q .3
: 9 i1#~iPiJ :fT;l=;i s;Dlf 0'~~ V~W 7 ~l':J.~~ i9N~1 'r.n·n~ Jj?P,~ JiJ~~1 .4 11. 'They' are Saul and David and the army. They are coming back from battling the Philistines.
12. 'The Philistine:
(Gen 29:18) 13. 'To meet:
14. This is not the root mv that means 'to respond' but rather a different mv (mV IV in BDB),
:nlJN iz:l':J.O~f 10 0'1Q~ 0'9;:P 1'~W:t 1;ry~1 O't.~ V~W ;Dlf Jl?P,~ 1~P,~1 .5 which means 'to sing'.
(Gen 29:20) 15. The verb means 'to celebrate:
16. These two words are a question here: literally, 'still for him' or 'still his'; in context, 'What
more for him?'/'What more can he have?'
17. 'Except:
18. 'The kingdom'.
4. 'And cling to' (including the following f); this is the word that was traditionally translated 19. 'He finished', the piel ofil~:J.
'cleave tO. 20. 'To the bed'.
5. 'The lord of'. 21. Another verb for 'to die', often translated 'to breathe one's last:
?
6. here = 'of, belonging tO. 22. Translate 'under siege:
7. The 'you' here is Rachel's father, Laban. 23. A personal name, Zedekiah.
8. One of the meanings of the preposition ~ is 'in exchange for: 24. The 'he' is King Jehu, and the woman is Queen Jezebel, whom Jehu has just had killed. Jeze-
9. 'Small: when used of siblings or offsprin:g, means 'youngest'; here it is 'younger: since there bel was the daughter of King lttobaal ofTyre (not Sidon).
are only two daughters. 25. 'Give thanks:
10. 'Several, a few: 26. :JiO is not only an adjective; it can also be a 3ms suffix conjugation verb 'to be good'.
226 30. GEMINATE VERBS AND THE NUMBERS ABOVE TEN 30.13. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 30 227
:il~l~~ n~-?o/~ ~~ ~~ 91~~1 i~~ zs;7~i?'?~ 'Tf'~l~'? 27 il?.':9~ .u (Lev 19:12) :il~i; 't.~ 'Tf'ti~~ ow-n~ 42 tJ7tyr:J1 41 ii?,Y/? '7?-o/:;t W~'¥lT~61 .16
(adapted from Gen 12:3) :::1'~9 T'l#T1PD-~~ 45 iili?..l!~1 OlD-n~ 1'7.~ llO~ '}..f 44~N¥.'?~1 il?,p~-n~ 43 '-'IJo/~1 .17
:il~l~~ 'J.-? 32~~Q o;$;:t 3l~~i?.O ni~l7 3o;~~Q 29il~i~;:t-n~ n~w;1 .12 (Lev 9:12)
(Gen 8:8)
=~~no/:-n~ N'\?Dv itp~1 36N¢t:J ,W~ 3so~pl; n1NtpD 34~?1:;1 ~~1'?':-n~ 33m:1 .13
(1 Kgs 14:16)
PVr?o/: N?1 37 l~NT-N~ i'f.?~ P.~1 fP. OJ~ 'J.; ilo/.P,~ O'D~~ o¥,>-ol)!~P,1 .14
(Deut 4:28) :
38lP.'!; N71l~7~N' N71
O''J'?N~ O'WJ~~-~~ 40 '~1i?~~ 39 nil~~ q~~~,;-n~ ll>j?..~~ N'~D npf il~~1 .15
(adapted from Zeph 1:12) :12').; N71 iiNi; ::1''?.'~-N~ 0~~7:;1
27. The cohortative often substitutes for a simply prefix conjugation verb, so if the volitive
meaning makes no sense, it can always be translated as a simple future.
28. This word is singular in the biblical text, even though its companion word is plural.
29. 'The dove:
30. 11~~, including with suffixes as we find it here in in~~, is simply another way of saying
'from: so in~~ is simply 'from him( self):
31. Qhere introduces an indirect question; translate 'whether'.
32. This word is to be translated as a double preposition, exactly as it appears: 'from upon:
33. Note the prefix conjugation with regular 1, connecting this thought to what came before.
Translate 'so that he (Yahweh) will give Israel up .. .'.
34. 'Because of:
35. A personal name, Jeroboam, first king of northern Israel.
36. Note the word mNOIJ, from the root NOn, used as direct object of the verb Nt;>Q in the qal
and in the hiphil. This word is called a "cognate accusative;' and this combination of verbs and
objects from the same root is a common usage in Hebrew prose.
37. The finalT- on this 3mp prefix conjugation and the three that follow it sometimes occurs on
3mp and 2mp prefix conjugation forms. It is left over from an older form of the verb and is known
as "paragogic nun;' which simply describes it as a nun that appears along with something else. 41. 'Falsely:
38. The root n~i means 'to smell' (trans. =to smell something); note that the verb is written 42. The variation between singular and plural within the same sentence is not unusual and is
defectively, without the vav mater for the shureq between the n and the 1, so the Masoretes had to explained by a variety of proposals, none of which need be learned at this introductory level.
use the vowel qibbuts to represent the u-vowel. 43. 'He slaughtered'; the 'he' is Aaron.
39. 'With lamps'. 44. This is the hiphil of N~D 'to find' (written defectively), and here it means 'to present'.
40. With ?p here = 'to punish'. 45. 'And he sprinkled it'.
~ APPENDIX A ,._
THE CoNSONANTS OF BIBLICAL HEBREW
The chart on the following three pages provides a single reference source for the
Hebrew consonants, including their names, how they are pronounced, whether or
not they may appear with a dagesh, and how they should be transliterated. In addi-
tion, the chart provides a handwritten form for each consonant as well as the order
in which the lines making up a consonant should be written, moving from right to
left.
-229-
234 APPENDIX B
DIPHTHONGS
iv (5.5)
ev, ev (5.5)
av, av, av (5.5)
ay, ay (5.5)
oy, oy (5.5)
uy, uy (5.5)
~ APPENDIX c ...
REDUCED VOWELS GENESIS 22:1-19
shwa a (6.6)
hateph-patakh a (6.6)
hateph-seghol e (6.6)
hateph-qamets 0 (6.6) il~Nil
".""T
o~1:J":fil
"T:-
1nN ~il~,
-- •:-
1
Oi11:JN-nN ilt:>J o~ii;Ni11
T T : - •: T • • •:; T :
Oi11:JN ,~;N 10N;1

TT : - T'' 'I -
< • •<
:~J~il 10N~1
... . ·.· -
i'T:l¥~-ntt J;~:;t6~-,W~ 'Tfl~D;-ntt 'Tf~:;t-n~ Ntni? 1QN~1 2
il~!biJ l'1~-;tt 17-171

O~!Qv 11J~ ;~ i17V7 Oo/ ~i17P,iJ1
:'T[~?,~ ,~N ,w~
1i?~~ OQ1:;t~ o~V?~l 3
i1bn-nN
-: ... w:m~,
-- -;
iJ:jl i'T:l¥~ n~1 in~ ,~,1;'~ ~JV?-n~ nj?~l
i17V ~~P, Vi?:;t;l

(
Oj?~l
:o~;:;;~v ;;-,~~-,w~ oiprpt~-;~ 1?~1

~w~;1Vi1
. . : - oi~::l- 4
-235 -
236 APPENDIX C GENESIS 22:1-19 237
,'1lJr~N
TT I "/
Oi11.'JN
T T: ""
10N~, "." ""
5 o~~o/tl-10 il!il; 'if~?~ ,,7~ Nli?~l 11
1iOnii-OlJ il!l
-: - •
O:J~-1.'JW•,• T :
Oii1.'JN Oi11.'JN
TTl"" TT:""
10N~, •.• -
ilmr:llZ>l,
·.•- : - . : :
1~~iJ-~~ ;n; n7~T:l-~~ 1~N~l 12
:O:J'~N ii.'J1Wl,
•: •• ""I T T;
ii01NO i~ ivvn-~N,
T t "" "" "" I
il?v;; '~~rn~ o;;l:;t~ niP~l 6 ilr:lN O'ii~N N1'-'::l 'I=llJi' ilr:llJ '::l
T ... • •.• : u; • • : ""T T ... •
ilf i'J:I¥~-~~ OiP,~l :'~~0 ~TD;-n~ ~~:;t-n~ t;~:;>WJ:! N~1

n?~~~t1-n~1 u>~;;-n~ i1~f njp~l ,'l'lJ-nN Oi11.'JN
T"" "."TTl""
NW~,
T"""
13
:r:rn' Oil'lW 1:::>~~,
T : ... '." •• z : ••- ,,~li?f 'if~9~ m~~ ,D~ ~~~-il~iJ1 Nl~l
,,:;t~ Oi;l:;t~-~~ i'J:I¥~ 1~N~l 7 Oi;l:;t~ 'iJ'?~l
'.'JN 10N~,
• T •,• -
~~~;;-n~ njp~l
:il::J. nnn
: ... ...
il;p~ m?v~, T : •• - : - ...
O'~lJil,
" •• T :
WNil illil 10N~,
"" T "' ' "•' ""
il~l~ Iil!il; N1iliJ Oij?1piJ-OW Oi;l:;t~ Nli?~l 14
:ii~V~ T :
il~m ii~N, •: ... •• ... :
oi~il 10N' 1WN ... •• T •• •: ""I
Oi11.'JN
T T : ""
10N~, "." ""
8 :i1N1' mil' 1ii::J. '." T,. T : "" Z
'~f ii?V? il\piJ i;-il~l~ O';:i~~

< <
:r:rn' Oil'lW 1:::>~~, mii'-ON.l 'I=llJ::J.lVl '::1 10N~, 16
0 •
T :"" '.' '' I I ••- T I "•, f ' ; ... : ' ' "." ""
Oij?f?iJ-~~ 1NJ;l 9 il!iJ ,:t1t1-n~ .t;~'W~ ,W~ tP~ ':;>

O'ii~Nil i~-10N 1WN
• "."1 T ... T "." "";
:~i'D;-n~ ~~:;t-n~ t;~:;>WJ:! N~1
l"l~Tl~tl-n~ o;;l:;t~ o~ t:?,h 'iJ'1:t-':;> 17 ~:;>1:t~
O'¥P.;;-n~ 'iJ''1P,~l o;iJ n;11p-~~ 1t.P,~ ~in~1 o~~o/iJ '~:;>i:::>:p ~P.l!-n~ il~l~ il~lt11
ilf i'l!¥~-n~ 1j?P,~l :,':t;N 1~W n~ ~P,l! W"1:1
:O'~lJ~
··•r
~lJrbO
-- ·
n::J.toil-~lJ
-··:·-...
inN Oiv~,
•:y- l'1~i; '~i~ ~!;) ~P.l!:t 1:J':l~J;liJ1 18
i1'-nN Oi11.'JN
T '/ TT: ""
n~u;~, 10""I"""
:'7Pf t;~l:'~~ ,W~ .'Ji?,~
:ilf-n~ tJh~7 n?~~~tl-n~ njp~l ,'1lJr~N Oii1.'JN .'JlZ>~, 19
TTl "." TT:"" TT""
238 APPENDIX C
mi?,;!
v~w ·u~:!l-t,N 11n~ ~:Jt,~~
- T •• : "•" T : - : ••-
-4 APPENDIX D . ,. _
CLUES FOR FINDING THE RooT OF
WEAK CONSECUTIVE PRETERITES
This appendix consists of two different aids that are designed to assist the stu-
dent in finding the root (and occasionally the stem) of the 3ms consecutive preter-
ite forms of weak verbs. The first aid is a chart, and the second aid is a set of ques-
tions and directions. Each aid depends on the fact that the presence or absence of
the accent on the preformative plus the vowel used with it are often the only clues
necessary to determine, especially in the qal, the root of the verb.
When using the first aid, the information about the preformative that the stu-
dent should look for is found in the column at the far left of the chart. The possibili-
ties for the root (and occasionally the stem) are marked with an "X" in the row to
the right of the correct preformative pattern. Thus if one finds the performative to
be accented ~ + .,. plus the following syllable with .,. , the root will be the hiphil of a
III-weak verb.
The second aid uses a tree structure to ascertain the possible root or stem of a
weak verb in the 3ms consecutive preterite. When using the second aid, the student
should begin with question 1 about the preformative pattern of the 3ms verb and
answer each of the questions to which she or he is pointed in turn. Each answer
either leads to another question or describes the possibilities for the root (or stem)
represented by the consecutive preterite. It is quite possible that the answer is ulti-
mately a "problem:' In this case the beginning student must either look up the word
in a dictionary under every possible root or, more likely, consult the instructor.
-239 -
240 APPENDIX D CLUES FOR FINDING THE ROOT OF WEAK C ONSECUTIVE PRETERITES 241
This set of instructions provides help in finding the root of weak verbs of con-
~ secutive preterites (including some roots with gutturals) in the 3ms, the 2ms, and
...t:
.~ ><:
:;::: possibly the 1cs and 1cp forms.
8. followed by syllable with seghol?
-
:.E
.~
J2.
ro iii
v
~I
v
~
'§
~
~ I
...
.......I
0
....!.
~~
~
~
I
><:
1. accented preformative syllable?
no: go to #12 no: problem
...t: ....... .......
....... ~ .......
........
....... vbiJ ........ ....... yes: proceed to #2 yes: either qal IP or hiphil II-weak
or geminate
-8~
~ v
biJ
v
..0
~
s
v
ts
2. preformative vowel hireq? ~1
no: go to #3
9. preformative vowel seghol? ~1
yes: III -weak no: go to #10
... I
yes: hiphil III-weak
.......
.......
><: 3. preformative vowel tsere? ~1
~
~ 10. preformative vowel holem-vav? ;;1
no: go to #6
.- I
.......
(J)
,.......,
v yes: proceed to #4 no: go to #11
....... 1-< u
....... ~ ·s yes: hiphil I-~
~
-......;
..J::: 4. followed by consonant cluster (i.e.,
~ ><: u
two consonants, both with silent 11 . preformative vowel patakh? ~1
,.......,
... .......
v shewa: I;Jo/~1)
.......I
(J)
1-< u
...... no: problem
~ 5 0
no: go to #5 yes: either qal or hiphil I-G and
..J:::
~
><: u
yes: III-weak III-weak
....
.......I 5. followed by followed by a syllable 12. unaccented preformative syllable?
~
><:
~ with seghol or patakh? :ltp~1
no: go to #1
I
no: problem yes: proceed to # 13
~
(!)
-~
:::::: ro I
yes: most probably !-weak; possibly
><: ><: ........
13. dagesh in first root consonant?
~~ ~
1-<
ro
1-< ~ III-weak
no: go to #14
' ,......., ,......., ,......., 6. preformative vowel qamets? ~1
........
,.......,
0
1-< c 0 0 yes: could be niphal; could be I -J;
(il ·~
-......;
,. 0 .:..;'
,. ,. .......I
,.......,
-......; J:;
r:
,. -R ~
~.I'
Cl
..J:::
'
~
no: go to #9 could be geminate, paradigm 2
1-<
v ....... -5 ..J::: .......
..... 0
..J:::
..... vi .......
..J:::
..... ....... il ~
yes: proceed to #7
....
r1
r:
.......
(J) 0 ·~ ·~ 0 ·~ ~ 0
0
·~ ·~ ·~ .Q 14. preformative vowel patakh? ~1
::s v vr,.- ...,
-
0 1-< 0 1-< v
........ 1-< v v u v ........ v !.:l
....... u .-. ........ ........ ....... ,.-•. ........
7. followed by syllable with qamets (=
_..-j
0 o- j (J)
v
- o .m
-
~
..0 ..0
::s
........
0
1-<
vi ·~:.
~
j ro r1
........ ro o.r- ;:._,.......,
..0
ro
(J)
0 no: problem
~ a)?
........
">-.~
!-<-......;
u .-•
v r, • 0 (;··
-......; ">-.,......., ~ ·#) ....... ..... ,......., :>-..,......., V) ...
0..
-......;
,, yes: either qal I -guttural or hiphil
n:· u V) ...
+.I' .- + i1
V) ... (J) ~
v r1
0 V)
+ ....
r1
+g.
V)
. ,,+v
J:;
-......;
. ; ::E +J
+
v r,,.. ~ ~
1-<
u r1 f: ': ~ ..... + "0
v no: go to #8
v r, • v r, : +.J v r, t-
u .....
v r; :•
0
v r, I
"0 '"0 ro "0 0 "0 0 "0 0 ~

...... ro '"0 ....... '"0 '"0 ~
v 0 ~ 0 v 0 v 0
v
~ . v:=
. . . >-
~
.....v 1-<
~
0 ....... 1-<
Q v~~ ~ ..,;;-~
8 ...t: ....:
u 0
1-<
....... 0
~ 1-<
....... 1-<
~ ..,~·
v
.......
~
v
u
yes: II -weak, specifically II- 1; could
v v
(J)
~ v~:
~ ·~-
"'
~~ .-• v vr,.-•:• v v u
be geminate
u
u
u
u
v
~
u J ':·
u .- u ~ ·~··
u J:; ~ ....... .o·
U
u J1:· u "(),.
u ~
u
u
ro
~
ro ro 0 ro ........- ro ~ ro ........- '1j ~ r1 ro0 ro -......; ro ::s
-..... APPENDIX E ~ _.. . APPENDIX F ~
ACCENTS AND OTHER SPECIAL MARKINGS WoRDLIST, ENGLISH To HEBREW
There are more than thirty-one accents, some with slight variations, and a dozen Note: "v" alone = a qal verb. Verbs are identified by 3ms suffix conjugation, except
or so other special markings found in the Masoretic Text. The uses of the various for qal II-weak verbs (listed by inf. cs.) and some geminate verbs (listed by root).
accents differ somewhat between the majority of the books and the three books, The right-hand column lists the lesson where the Hebrew vocabulary is located.
Job, Psalms, and Proverbs. The following accents and special markings are dis-
cussed in this book.
Aaron proper n i'1t)~ 30
atnakh This accent, used in all books, marks a major division within a
abandon v ::nl' 15
verse. See 18.9. - T
above, over, on prep -~l} 9

merkhah This conjunctive accent, used in all books, marks the first word
Abraham proper n Oili:JN 11
linked to another that is marked with a disjunctive accent (fre- T T : -
quently in the twenty-one books, with the disjunctive accent Abram proper n Oi:JN T : -
11
tiphkhah). See 23.10. act wickedly; do harm v hiphil (VVi) V"1iJ. 30
munakh This accent, used in all books, marks the first word linked to add; do something again v hiphil ('10~) 'l~t?iil 27
another. See 22.7. Adonai, Yahweh, the LoRD proper n iliil; 12
revia This accent, used in all books, marks units within the zaqeph subor- advice, counsel n il~l'
T "
11
dinated unit. See 21.6. affair, word, thing, matter n i:J1 T T
8
silluq This accent, used in all books, marks the last accented syllable in a after prep ,o~r1n,~ 9
verse. See 19.6. again, still adv 1iV 14
soph pasuq This special marking announces the end of a verse. See 18.9. all, each, every, entire particle ~j 14
tiphkhah This disjunctive accent, not used in the three books, marks a fol- also adv OJ 16
lowing word linked to another that is usually marked with the altar n T'l~F~ 18
conjunctive accent merkhah. See 23.10. and, but conj 1 8
zaqeph This accent, not used in the three books, marks the units subordi- angel, messenger n 1~?Q 13
nate to the atnakh. See 20.9. anger; nose n '1~ 29
-242- -243-
244 APPENDIX F WORDLIST, ENGLISH TO HEBREW 245
answer, respond v il.ll' T T

25 be destroyed v niphal (1DW) 1Qo/~ 21
appear v niphal (ilNi) ilNi.l T : •
25 be disrespected, small v ??p 30
appoint; set up; cause to stand v hiphil (1DV) 1~QP,Q 22 be done, made v niphal (ilivV) ilWl'.l
T -:-
25
appoint; visit; punish; muster v 1j?~ 30 be eaten v niphal (?:JN) ?:JN.l
- ·:: ... 20
appointed time, place; season n 1~io 29 be evil v VVi 30
approach v niphal (W..i.l) WJ~ 26 be found, be v niphal (N~D) N~O.l
T ; •
20
arise, stand up v mp 28/14 be gathered, assemble v niphal (~ON) ~Q~q 30
ark (box, not boat) n iii~ 30 be good, go well v Jt)~
- T
27
army n NJ~
T T
13 be great, large v ?1l -T
23
article, utensil, vessel n ~;:p 28 be heard v niphal (VOW) VQo/~ 20
as, like prep f 9 be high v mi 29
as; for, to prep 7 9 be inhabited, inhabitable v niphal (JW~) JWi.l 27
as, when conj itp~~ 17 be large, great v ?1.1 -T
23
ask v ?NW - T
29 be left over, survive, remain v niphal (iNW) i~o/~ 19
assemble, be gathered v niphal (~ON) ~Q~~ 30 be lifted v niphal (Ni.v.l) NW.l T •
26
at, in; with (instrumental) prep f 9 be long; prolong, lengthen v hiphil (1iN) 1~!~Q 22
bad, evil, troublesome adj V! 5/8 be made, done v niphal (ilivV) ilWl'.l
T -;-
25
battle, war n ilon?o
T T : '
14 be prepared v nip hal (11:J) li:J~ 28
be v il~il
T T
25/14/17 be put to death v hophal (l11D) 11Q~il 28
be, be found v niphal (N~D) N~D.l
T : •
20 be small, disrespected v ??p 30
be able v ?j~ 27 be strong v P!t:l 13
T
be afraid v Ni~
""T
27 be told v hop hal (1..i.l) 1lil
- ... 26
be angry, used impersonally v ilin T T
29 be uncovered v niphal (il?..i) il?..i.l
T : '
25
be born v niphal (1?~) 1?i.l 27 bear, lift, carry v Ni.v.l T T
18/26
be brought up v niphal (il?V) il?l'.l
T -;-
25 bear a child v 1?~ -T
27
be built v niphal (il.lJ) il.lJ.l
T : •
25 beautiful, handsome adj il!l~
'." T
8
be buried v niphal (iJj?) i~i?~ 19 because, since conj ~~ 13
be called v niphal (Nij?) N""Ji?~ 20 become many, multiply v ilJi T T
25
be captured v niphal (1:J?) 1~7~ 19 before, in front of prep ~J!?7 10
be careful v niphal (iOW) iQo/~ 19 beget, father v hiphil (1?~) 1~7iil 27
be cut (off) v niphal (11i:J) 111~~ 19 begin v hiphil (??n) ?)JiJ 30
be delivered v niphal (?~.l) ?~~ 29 between prep r~~ 16
246 APPENDIX F WORDLIST, ENGLISH TO HEBREW
247
big, great, large adj ;;,l T

7 cast, throw, throw down v hiphil (1;W) 1~7o/0 21
bind, tie up v iON - T
17 cattle n ij?::l T T 12
bless v piel (1i:J) 11:;;1/11:;;1 23 cause someone to swear v hiphil (V:JW) lJ~::lWi1
- . : . 29
blessed v qal pass ptcp 1~if. 23 cause to cross over; carry over v hiphil (i:JV) i~:JlJi1
. ·:: ... 22
blessing n i1:li::l 23 cause to fall v hiphil (;!lJ) ;~_;,;:1 26
T T :
blood n 01 T
17 cause to hear, proclaim v hiphil (VOW) l?~Qo/0 21
<
book n i!lO
·: .. 12 cause to possess v hiphil (Wi~) w~,;;, 27
bow down v hishtaphel (i11n) mnnw;,
T -: - : •
26 cause to remember; mention v hiphil (i:lt) ,~:;>Ti:l 21
<
boy, servant, young man n il}J 12 cause to sin v hiphil (Ntln) N~t?Di) 30
bread, food n ory? 13 cause to stand; appoint; set up v hiphil (10V) ,~QP,i) 22
break v i:JW - T
23 (cause to) understand v hiphil (l~:J) p:;ti} 28
breath, spirit, wind n 11~i 18 chair, throne n NtP.:;> 21
bring, lead v hiphil (1,i1) 1~7ii1 27 chief, prince, captain n iip 18
bring back v hiphil (:J1W) :J~t,pi} 28 choose v 1n::1 - T
13
bring down v hiphil (1i~) ,~,;;, 27 cities n o~ilJ 8
• T
bring in v hiphil (N1:J) N~:;ti} 28 city n i~ll 8

bring near v hiphil (W.lJ) w~~i:l 26 clan, family n i1n!:lWO
T T : '
28
bring out v hiphil (N~~) N~~ii1 27 come, enter v Ni::l 28
bring up; sacrifice v hiphil (i1;V) i1;lJi1 T •:: '."
25 come back, return (intrans.) v :J~W 28
brother n nN T
3/10 command v piel (i11~) i1W 25
build v i1J::l T T
25/14 commandment n i11~0
T: •
12
burn v '11o/ 18 consider v hitpael (1~:1) iJi::l~;:l 29
bury v i~i? 15 corrupt; destroy v piel (nnw) not.P 23
but, and conj 1 8 counsel, advice n i1~l'
T "
11
<
call, name v Nij? T T
13 country, land n l'l~ 8
camp n i1Jno
... -: - 13 cousin n nN T
3/10
<
Canaan proper n illP 28 covenant n n~!f 12
captain, chief, prince n iip 18 criminal, evil adj VWi T T
11
capture v 1:1, - T
17 cross (over) v i:JlJ - T
15
carry, bear, lift v NiVJ T T
18/26 cry, weep v i1:l::l T T
28
carry into exile v hiphil (i1,.l) i1;.li1 25 curse v iiN - T
30
;;p
T : •
carry over; cause to cross over v hiphil (i:JV) i~:;tP,i) 22 curse v piel (;;p) 30
cut off, destroy v hiphil (I1i:J) !1~"'90 21 eat v ~:JN - T

13
<
cut, make (a covenant) v I1i~
- T
12 Egypt proper n o~i~m
. : . - 16
•• <
darkness n 1tpn 10 eight adj (number) iUbW
... : 22
daughter
David
n
proper n ,,,
!1:;1
• T
10
9
eighth
eighty
adj (ord. number)
adj (number)
~~~Qo/
o~~bo/
23
30
day n oi~ 4/10 elder; old n; adj li?.! 7
<
death n mn ',' T
10 eleven adj (number) ~Do/~+ ten 30
deed, work n jliZJlJn
... -: - 30 encamp v mn T T
25
defile v piel (~~n) ~~n 30 enemy n :J~N 19
deliver v hiphil (~~.l) ~~¥0 29 enter, come v Ni::l 28
deliver, save v hiphil cvw~) ~~w;jl 27 enthrone, make s.o. king/queen v hiphil (1~n) ,~71?0 21
depart; turn aside v im 28 entire, all, each, every particle ~j 14
destroy; corrupt v piel (I1n'.V) I11JW 23 establish; prepare v hiphil (p:J) p:;>iJ 28
destroy, cut off v hiphil (I1i:J) !1~""90 21 establish, set up v polel (11:J) pi~ 29
destroy v hiphil(1n'.V) ,~Qo/0 21 eternity n o~iV T
14
<
destroy v piel (1:JN) 1:;1~ 23 evening n :llk:' 15
die v 1:JN 23 every, entire, all, each particle ~j 14
- T
die v mn 28 evil, bad, troublesome adj V! 5/8

direct object marker particle I1~t/-I1~ 12 evil, criminal adj VWi T T
11
disclose v piel (jJ~.:I) jl~.;i T •
25 exalt v hiphil (01i) O~!iJ 29
do battle, wage war, fight v niphal (on~) oo?~ 19 exterminate v hiphil (oin) o~injl
··:: ... 22
<
do harm; act wickedly v hiphil (VVi) V!iJ 30 eye; spring n 1W 11
do something a lot v hiphil (jJ:Jj) jl::ljjl
T ; •
25 face n o~.l!l
• T
10
<
do something again; add v hiphil (~o~) ~~t;>ijl 27 faithfulness, loyalty n 1on
·.· ...
24
do something early in the morning v hiphil (O:JW) o~:;>o/0 21 fall v ~!J.l - T
16/26
do something quickly, hurry v piel (ijJn) ii)Q 23 family, clan n jln!l'.Vn
T T : '
28
do well, do something well v hiphil (:JU~) :J~~~iJ 27 father n :JN T
3/10
do, make v jliZJlJ 25 father, beget v hiphil (1~~) ,~7ijl 27
T T
drink v jJI1W T T
25 favor, grace n 1D 24
dwell; sit v :JW~ 16/27 field n j11iZJ '.' T
9
- T
each, every, entire, all particle ~j 14 fifth adj (ord. number) ~w~Qn 23
.<
ear n f!N 11 fifty adj; number o~WQQ 30
- - - - - -- - - -
fight, do battle, wage war v niphal (on~) 19 grave n ,~~ 15

find v N~O
T T
15 great, large, big adj ~i1.\ T
7
fire n w~ 18 ground, land, soil n i101N
T T -:
17
first adj JiWN! 23 guard, watch; keep, observe v 10W
- T
12
first (f); one adj (number) nlJ~ 15 hand n ,~
T
3/11
first (m); one adj (number) 1nNT "."
15 handsome, beautiful adj 8
five adj; number won •• T
22 he, it pron N~il 4/7
flesh n 1iV~
T T
30 head n WN1 8
follow, pursue v ~11 17 hear, listen v hiphil (itN) r~r~o 22
food, bread n on?
...... 13 hear; obey v vow - T
13
foot n ~..r1
... ·.· 11 heart; mind n ~? 15
for, to; as prep 7 9 heart; mind n ~~~ T ••
15
forty adj (number) o~.u~1N
o T I-
30 heaven(s) n o~ow
• - T
11
four adj (number) V~1~ 22 here adv il!:l 27
fourth adj (number) ~3:'~~, 23 here is (presentation particle) particle il~;:l 29
from (+ comparative, partitive) prep iQ 9 holiness n W1P 26
gather v ~Q~ 30 holocaust, whole burnt offering n il~V T
18
give v ilJJ 26 holy adj Wi1j? 24
give drink to v hiphil (ilj?W) ilj?1.p;:J 25 horse n 0~0 5/7
'if?~
(
go, walk 16/27 house n n~~ . 9

go 'if;.i:l 27 houses n o~r-~~
• IT
9
go down v ,,~
16/27 human being; humankind, man n 01N 17
go into exile; uncover v
-·
il~.\ 25 hundred adj (number) ilNO
T T
T ••
30
TT
go out, leave v N~~

T T
27 hurry, do something quickly v piel (1i10) 1jJQ 23
go up v il~.U
T T
25 I pron ~JN
. -; 7
go well, be good v 27 I pron ~:JjN 7
• T
goats/ sheep n iN~ 12 if conj 0~ 21

God proper n o~ii~N
. •:: 12 in, at; with (instrumental) prep ~
:
9
gold n ~ilt
T T
18 in front of, in the presence of prep ~J!l~
.. : . 10
good adj ~i" 7 in order to, in order that conj i>JQ7 19
grace, favor n m 24 in the eyes of prep ~J~.u~
•• .. I
11
grasp; make strong v hiphil (j?tn) v~mo 22 in the middle/midst of prep 16
in the midst of prep :11i?f

<
27 law, instruction; Torah n ;,,;.n T
11
in the opinion of prep ~J~lJ::l
.... : 11 lead, bring v hiphil (1t,i1) '~P7i;, 27
increase v ~Q; 27 learn v 1rh - T
23
inspire fear, awe v niphal (N1;) N,iJ T
27 leave, go out v N~~
TT
27
<
instead of; under prep nTJ.t::~ 9 leave behind, spare v hiphil (,NW) ,~NWi1
• : 0
21
instruction, law; Torah n ;,,;.n T
11 lengthen, prolong; be long v hiphil (1,N) '~P!~iJ 22
intelligent v niphal ptcp (J':l) Ji:l1 28 let go, send away v piel cnt,u>) n~w 23
interrogative particle 0 14 let live, preserve alive v hiphil c;,~n) ;,~n;,
T •.•: •t
25
Isaac proper n let live, preserve alive vpiel ;,~n 25
i't:J¥~ 27 T •
Israel proper n t,N,lV~

•• T : •
10 lie down v ::J.::>u>- T
15
it pron N~;-], N~;:l 4/7 life n o~~TJ 16
Jacob proper n ::J.j?~~ 30 lift v hiphil (0,,) O~!iJ 29
Jerusalem proper n o?u;~,~:
•- T
11 lift up v polel (0,,) o~;, 29
Jordan proper n 111~ 15 lift, carry, bear v NlVJ T T
18/26
Joseph proper n ~Qi~ 25 light n ,iN 10
Joshua proper n lJWii1~ 21 like, as prep :;, 9
- ... : <
I
journey; road, way n 111 9 listen, hear v hiphil (itN) r~r~o 22

Judah proper n ;,1m~
T I
9 live v ;,~n
T T
25
judge n tJ~U> 17 live (=dwell, inhabit) v ::J.u>~
- T
16/27
<
judge v tJ!lu> 12 loins n o~Jno 11
- T ·- : T
judgment, justice n tJ!:lWO

T : •
12 the LoRD, Adonai, Yahweh proper n i1ii1": 12
keep, observe; guard, watch v ,ou; - T
12 love n i1::J.i1N
T T -:
30
kill v piel (1::J.N) ,~~ 23 love v ::J.i1N " T
30
<
kill v hiphil cmo) n"~iJ 28 loyalty, faithfulness n 1on •: ...
24
king n 1?¢ 8 magnify; praise v piel (t,1l) t,1~ 23
kinsman n ::J.N T
3/10 make, do v i1lVlJ T T
25
kinsman n nN 3/10 make (a covenant), cut v n,:;, -T
12
T
know v V1" -T
16 make s.o. king/queen, enthrone v hiphil (1t,O) 1"7'?i:l 21
labor, work, service n i11!:llJ T -1
14 make strong; grasp v hiphil (prn) P~rrm 22
<
land, country n f1~ 8 man (male human being) n W"~ 8
land, soil, ground n i101N-z T T
17 man, humankind; human being n 01N T T
17
large, big, great adj t,;,-' T
7 many, much adj ::1.1 16
matter, affair, word, thing n 1::11

T T
8 ninth adj (ord. number) '.U'Wr-1 23
• • I
men n O'WJN 8 noon n
<
0'1il~ 11
-z
• T • - T: T
mention; cause to remember v hiphil (1::Jt) 1'::ltil 21 nose; anger n 29

0:. ~~
messenger, angel n 1~7~ 13 not adv -?~ 14
midwife v piel fs ptcp n1~'n
...... - : 27 not adv N? 12
mighty man, warrior, soldier n 1i::l~ 13 now adv ilri.U
T -
16
mind; heart n :J.? 15 obey; hear v vow - T
13
mind; heart n JJ?
T"
15 observe, keep; guard, watch v 10t.V 12
- T
<
money, silver n ~9? 18 occur v niphal (il'il) il'ilJ 25
T : •
<
month, new moon n w1n 30 occurrence n Ol);J 11
·.· ,(
morning n 1j?,::l 15 offer v hiphil (0,1) O'!iJ 29

Moses proper n ilWO
... 9 old; elder adj; n li?.! 7
mother n 0~ 8 on, above, over prep -?l} 9
mountain n 1;:1 5/8 one; first (f) adj (number) niJ~ 15
mouth n il!l... 13 one; first (m) adj (number) 1nN 15
T •:
much, many adj ::11 16 only adv i'1 17

multiply, become many v ilJ1
T T
25 or conj iN 29
muster; appoint; visit; puriish v 1j?~ 30 over, on, above prep -?l} 9
name n ow 5/10 palace, temple n ?::J'il 8
T "
name, call v N"'U? 13 peace; welfare n oi?w 29
T ·
narrate, tell a story v piel (1!JO) 1,;lt? 23 people (coli.); (a) people, nation n Ol} 8
nation; (a) nation, people; n Ol} 8 people; (a) people, nation; (a) n 'il 29
people (coll.) nation (usually, but not
nation; (a) nation, people; (a) n 'il 29 always, non-Hebrew)
people (usually but not perceive, understand v 1':;1 28
always, non-Hebrew) person, self, soul, n W!JJ
<
21
......
near, next to prep ?~N••• 00
9 Pharaoh proper n ilV1!11 14
negative for Inf cs adv 'D7:;tC7) 17 n 8
place Oij?1?
new moon, month n w1n 30 v 28
... place, put O'W
night n il''' 11 place, set; settle someone v hiphil (JW') 27
T I -
• <
J'\Piil
nine adj (number) VWlJ 22 pour out, shed (blood) v 1;l'¥ 17
ninety adj (number) . : .
O'.UWr-1 30 v piel c??il) ;;,0 30
praise
praise; magnify v piel (?1l) ,,~ 23 road, way; journey n 1li 9

pray v hitpael (??!l) ?;;l~i} 24 round about adv/prep :J~:Jo
• T
30
prayer n il~!ln
T • :
24 rule, reign v 1?9 12
prepare; establish v hiphil (11=>) i~:;liJ 28 Sabbath n n::1w
T -
24
presentation particle: here is particle mi} 29 sacrifice; bring up v hiphil (jl?V) jl?lJjl
T '.": '."
25
preserve alive, let live v hiphil (il~n) il~njl
T •:: '."
25 Samuel proper n ?Nmw
.. : 16
preserve alive, let live v piel jl~n
T •
25 sanctify v piel (W1j?) W1i? 24
priest n m:> 12 sanctify oneself v hitpael (W1j?) W1i?~i} 24
prince, captain, chief n ii,p 18 Sarah proper n jliiZJ
T T
13
proclaim, cause to hear v hiphil (VOW) l.?~Qo/i} 21 Sarai proper n 13
prolong, lengthen; be long v hiphil (1iN) 1~!~i) 22 Saul proper n 15
prophesy v hitpael (N:JJ) N~J~i} 24 save, deliver v hiphil <vw~) l.?~tpijl 27
prophesy v niphal (N:JJ) NJJ T •
24 say v iON 13
- T
prophet n N~:JJ 19 'saying' (intra direct speech) particle ibN?. 13

• T
punish; muster; appoint; visit v 1j?~ 30 sea n o~

T
16
pursue, follow v t'J11 17 season, appointed time, place n 1~in 29
put, place v o~w 28 second adj (number) ~~w 23
queen n jl::l?n
T : -
8 see v jlNi 25
T T
Rachel proper n ?ni •• T

30 seek v piel (Wj?:J) WIT?~ 23
raise, set up v hiphil (mp) o~piJ 28 seek favor v hitpael (pn) PD~i} 24
raise, set up v hiphil (01i) O~!iJ 29 self, soul, person n W!l5
...... 21
receive, take v ni?? 17/26 send n?w - T
14
refuse v piel {iNC) 1~9 23 send away, let go nfyt,p 23
reign, rule v 1?9 12 servant, slave n 1:1u
·.· ·.·
8
remain, be left over, survive v niphal (iNW) iNWJ
- : . 19 servant, young man, boy n 12
remember v i:::>t - T
12 serve, work v 14
remove v hiphil (i10) i~QiJ 28 service, labor, work n 14
remove v hiphil (01i) o~!iJ 29 set, place; settle someone v hiphil (:JW~) 27
respond, answer v jljlJT T
25 set out v 26
return (intrans.), come back v :J~W 28 set up; cause to stand; appoint v hiphil (1CV) 1~01Jjl
. ·:: ... 22
righteous adj P~1~ 13 set up, station v hiphil (:J~j) :J~l;li} 26
river n ijlj T T
9 set up, raise v hiphil (01j?) o~piJ 28
set up, raise v hiphil (mi) O'!iJ 29 spare, leave behind v hiphil (i~W) i'~o/D 21
set up, establish v polel (i1:J) pi::l 29 speak v piel (i:Ji) i::J.':'J'
·.· . 23
settle someone; set, place v hiphil (:JW') :J'Wii1 27 spirit, wind, breath n T'l~i 18
<. <
seven adj (number) V~o/. 22 spring; eye n i:>J 11
seventh adj (ord. number) 'l:1'~o/ 23 stand v jl)l)
- T
13
seventy adj (number) OW=ilW 30 stand up, arise v O~i' 28/14
shatter v piel (i:JW) i~W 23 station, set up v hiphil (:J~J) :J'¥D 26
she, it pron ~'D 4/7 still, again adv 1iV 14
<
shed (blood), pour out v 1;lo/ 17 stone n p~ 28
sheep/goats n iN~ 12 strengthen v piel (j?in) i'T.D 23
show v hiphil (i1~i) i1~ii1
T : •,•
25 strengthen oneself v hitpael (i'in) p·!.J:I~D 24
<
silver, money n ~9~ 18 stretch out (usu. intrans.) v i1t)J T T
26
sin v ~t>n
T T
30 strike down v hiphil (i1:JJ) i1::li1 T •
26
sin, sin offering n n~'l'n
T -
30 surround, turn around v :J:JO - T
30
since (purpose, not time), because conj ':;l 13 survive, remain, be left over v niphal (i~W) i~o/~ 19
sit; dwell v :JW' 16/27 survivor n i'iW 21
ww
- T • T
six adj (number) 22 swear v niphal (V:JW) V~o/~ 29

<
sixth adj (ord. number) 'WW 23 sword n :::111) 8
sixty adj (number) O'WW 30 take one's stand v niphal (:J~J) :J~~ 26
..
<
sky n O'OW
• - T
11 take possession of v Wi'
- 27
<
slave, servant n ,~~ 8 take, receive v ni?? 17/26
small adj ibi' T
7 teach v piel (iOI;) iQ? 23
small adj i'?i? 7 tell v hiphil (i..iJ) i'~D 26
so, thus (of something already adv 1+.1 15 tell a story, narrate v piel (i!JO) i;JQ 23
mentioned) temple, palace n l;;J'i1 8
T "
<
so, thus (refers to what follows) adv ;,j 18 ten adj (number) iip~ 22
soil, ground, land n i10i~
T T -:
17 ten thousand adj (number) i1:J:Ji 30
T T :
Solomon proper n ;,bl;o/ 11 tent n l;i)N 29

son n 1~ 4/10 tenth adj (ord. number) '!"WP, 23
soldier, mighty man, warrior n ii::J.~ 13 that (f) demonstr adj ~'DiJ 10
<
soul, person, self n W-?~ 21 that (m) demonstr adj ~miJ 10
sound, voice n l;ip 8 that (after verbs of perception) conj ':;> 13
the (definite article) particle jJ + doubling 8 truth n noN

... •:: 17
there adv ow T
9 turn (trans.) v hiphil (ilt>J) i1~i1
T •
26
there is particle w~ 18 turn around, surround v :J:JO - T
30
there is not particle 1'~ 18 turn aside; depart v i~O 28
therefore conj 1~7 24 twenty adj (number) C'iiVlJ • I '•'
30
therefore conj prt,ll 24 two (f) adj (number) C'nW
.- : 20
these demonstr adj ;,;N
·.· .. 10 two (m) adj (number) C'llV 20
<
0- :
they (f) pron i13i1 7 uncover; go into exile v ;,t,~

T T
25
T "
they (m) pron CiJ 7 under; instead of prep nm~ 9

thing, matter, affair, word n i:J':rT T
8 understand, perceive v 1':;1 28
third adj (number) '\P't,w
• I
23 until, up to prep 1l} 13
thirty adj (number) c'wt,w
. ' 30 utensil, vessel, article n 't,:;>
.' 28
this (f) demonstr adj nNt 10 utterance n CNJ ... : 29
this (m) demonstr adj i1t'I 10 very adv 1NO 7
< '
those (f) demonstr adj i13i1i1
T •• T
10 vessel, article, utensil n 't,:;>
.' 28
those (m) demonstr adj Ci1i1
" T
10 visit; punish; muster; appoint v 1i?-¥l 30
thousand adj (number) t,< 30 voice, sound n t,;p 8
~.~~
three adj (number) u,7t,u; T
22 volitive particle particle NJ/Nr T T
14
throne, chair n Ntp~ 21 wage war, fight, do battle v niphal cent,) cnt,J
-:. 19
throw, throw down, cast v hiphil (1t,W) 'if'7V?i:~ 21 walk around v hitpael (1t,i1) 'if; jJ t;l 0. 24
thus, so (of something already) adv 1+.l 15 walk, go v 'if;v 16/27
mentioned) war, battle n ;,ont,o 14
T T : '
thus, so (refers to what follows) adv i1!:l 18 warrior, soldier, mighty man n iiJ~ 13
tie up, bind v iON- T
17 watch, guard; keep, observe v iOW 12
time n n.p 30 < - T
water(s) n c~~ 11
to prep -t,N... 9 <
way, road; journey n 'if11 9
to, for; as prep t, 9 we pron un.iN 7
: - -:
'
today adv ci~;:~ 14 weep, cry v il::l::l 28
T T
Torah; instruction, law n iliit-1

T
11 welfare; peace n c;t,u; T
29
touch v l)lJ -T
26 what, what? pron i10 T
17
tree n l'.P 9 when, as conj iWN::>
... -: - 17
troublesome, bad, evil adj V1 5/8 where, where? adv i1~~ 24
262 APPENDIX F
where, where? adv ilb'~ 24

which, who rel pron/ conj itp~ 9
who, who? pron 'Q 13
whole burnt offering, holocaust n il~V T
18
why?
wilderness
adv
n
ilO?
"1::110
T
T T
: •
27
13
~ APPENDIX G . .,. _
wind, breath, spirit n Tl~i 18
wine n 1~~ 10 WORDLIST, HEBREW TO ENGLISH
wipe out v ilno T T
25
wisdom n ilo:m
T : T
11
with prep n~rn~ 9
Note: "v" alone = a qal verb. Verbs are identified by 3ms suffix conjugation, except
with prep Ol? 9
for qal II-weak verbs (listed by inf. cs.) and some geminate verbs (listed by root).
with (instrumental); at, in prep f 9 The right-hand column lists the lesson where the Hebrew vocabulary is located.
woman n ilWN T •
8
women n O'Wl • T
8 :JNT
n father, kinsman 3/10
word, thing, matter, affair n i:J1 T T
8 1:JN v to die (see also 1~~) 23
- T
work, service, labor n i11Jl'T -:

14 1~~ v piel (1:JN) to kill, destroy 23
<
work, serve v 1:::11' 14 n stone 28
- T
P.tt
work, deed n ilipP,Q 30 Oili:JN
T T : -
proper n Abraham 11
write v :Jn::> - T
12 Oi:JN T : -
proper n Abram 11
Yahweh, the LoRD, Adonai proper n iliil; 12 01N n human being; humankind, man 17
year n mw T T
11 i101N
T T
T T -:
n ground, land, soil 17
you (fp) pron ilJnN
T " -
7 :JilN
•• T
v to love 30
you (fs) pron t;l~ 7 il:JilN
T T -;
n love 30
you (mp) pron Ol)~ 7 ~i)N n tent 29
you (ms) pron (il)nN T -
7 l"'l;:J~ proper n Aaron 30
young man, boy, servant n 12 iN conj or 29
"liN n light 10
T!N n ear 11
ttN verbal root see l'T~i)
nN T
n brother, kinsman, cousin 3/10
1nNT '•'
adj (number) one; first (m) 15
-263-
264 APPENDIX G WORDLIST, HEBREW TO ENGLISH
1nN/"1nN
- - .. -: - prep after 9 ilWN T •
n woman 8
no~ adj (number) one; first (f) 15 11.VN
... -: rel pron/ conj which, who 9
:J~N n enemy 19 tiN
I -
pron you (fs) 7
il~~ adv where, where? 24 (il}l;J~ pron you (ms) 7
1"~ particle there is not 18 nNrnN
.. ... prep with 9
ilb"~ adv where, where? 24 nNrnN
.. ... dir. obj. marker nw-nN
.. ... 12
1.V"~ n man (male human being) 8 Ol)~ pron you (mp) 7
<
;:IN - T
v to eat (see also ;:;1~~) 13 mt~N
T •• -
pron you (fp) 7
-;N... prep to 9 ::1
I
prep in, at; with (instrumental) 9
-;~ adv not 14 v to enter, come (see also N"~iJ) 28
il~N
·.· .. demonstr adj these 10 v to choose 13
,.
O"ii'N
tot . . ~
0 ·.·:
proper n
adj (number)
God
thousand
12
30
v to perceive, understand (see
also l"~i:J, lJi::l%;1;:1, ti:J~)
28
0~ n mother 8 1"~ prep between 16

0~ conj if 21 n~~ n house 9
10N v to say 13 il:l::l
T T
v to weep, cry 28
- T
n truth 17 "r-1'::1
0:. adv negative for inf cs 17
4/10
llT:!J~ pron we 7 1~ n son
"lN
• -1
pron I 7 ill::lT T
v to build (see also il~:;t~) 14/25
":ljN pron I 7 'J'l)::l
.... : prep in the eyes of, in the opinion of 11
• T
0"1.VlN n men 8 1i?f n cattle 12

• T -:
totQ~ v to gather 30 1j?,!i n morning 15

10N - T
v to bind, tie up 17 ::ll~f prep in the midst of 27
11N verbal root see 'iJ'"'l~O u>p:J verbal root see Wjp~
tot~ n nose; anger 29 u>p,~ v piel (1.Vj?:J) to seek 23
;~N
..... prep near, next to 9 n"1::1 "I
n covenant 12
V::11N adj (number) four 22 'iJ'~1f v qal pass ptcp (11:::1) blessed 23
- I -
O"l)::l1N • T :-
adj (number) forty 30 11:::1 verbal root see 'iJ'~1f, 'iJ'1~
'iJ'1~/'iJ'1~ v piel (11:::1) to bless 23
1i1~ n ark (box, not boat) 30
23
l'1~ n land, country 8 i1:11::1
T T :
n blessing
11N v to curse 30 1tv::1T T
n flesh 30
- T
u>~ n fire 18 'ifin:jl prep in the middle/midst of 16

266 APPENDIX G WORDLIST, HEBREW TO ENGLISH 267
n:;;J, n daughter 10 Nm pron he, it 4/7

O'r-1:::1. " IT
n houses 9 1'7ii1 v hiphil (1?') to father, beget 27
ii:::t~ n warrior, soldier, mighty man 13 1'7ii1 v hiphil (1?i1) to lead, bring 27
?i1l T
adj great, large, big 7 nQm v hophal (nm) to be put to death 28
?1l -T
v to be great, large (see also ?1~) 23 t'J't?ii1 v hiphil (t'JO') to add; to do something again 27
?1~ v piel (?1l) to magnify; praise 23 N'¥ii1 v hiphil (N~') to bring out 27
'il n (a) nation, people (usually, but 29 1'!ii1 v hiphil (1i') to bring down 27
not always, non-Hebrew) W'!ii1 v hiphil (Wi') to cause to possess 27
;,?.:~
T T
v to uncover; go into exile (see 25 J'lPii1 v hiphil (JW') to settle someone; to set, place 27
also i1~.:1, i1?li1, il?ll) v hiphil (VW') to save, deliver 27
T ~ T : ' t '
T
ll'lPii1
i1~l v piel (i1?l) to disclose 25 i'::n;, v hiphil (i~i) to cause to remember, to mention 21
T •
. :.
0~ adv also 16 v hiphil (j?tn) to make strong; grasp 22
P'TDv
iJ1 verbal root see if-1 N'~n;, v hiphil (Nt?n) to cause to sin 30
. ·:: ·.·
iJ1 n word, thing, matter, affair 8 v hiphil (i1'n) to preserve alive, let live 25
T T
i1'ni1
T •:: ','
if-1 v piel (iJ1) to speak 23 v hiphil (??n) to begin 30

?DiJ
111 proper n David 9 v hiphil (oin) to exterminate 22
• T
O'ini1
··:: •,•
01 n blood 17 v hiphil (i1t?l) to turn (trans.) 26
T
<
i1t>i1
T •
111 n way, road; journey 9 pron she, it 4/7

N'i}
iJ + doubling particle definite article 'the' 8 v to be (see also ;,;~~) 14/17/25
i1'i1
T T
0 particle interrogative 14 oi~iJ adv today 14

1'T~i) v hiphil (tiN) to hear, listen 22
J't?'iJ v hiphil (Jt?') to do well, do something well 27
1'!~;:) v hiphil (1iN) to lengthen, prolong; to be long 22
'~'i1
T ••
n palace, temple 8
N':;liJ v hiphil (N1J) to bring in 28 v hiphil (i1~l) to strike down 26
i1::li1
T •
t':;tiJ v hiphil (1'J) to (cause to) understand 28 v hiphil (11~) to establish; to prepare 28
f':;liJ
1li1
- ... v hophal (1ll) to be told 26 v hiphil (ni~) to cut off, destroy 21
n'!?i:l
1'~;:1 v hiphil (1ll) to tell 26 16/27
17i! v to walk, go (see also 1'7ii1,
W'~;:J v hiphil (Wll) to bring near 26 1;;:1 ,1;iJJ;l;:l)
i1?li1
T : •
v hiphil (i1?l) to carry into exile 25 1;;:1 v piel (1?i1) to go 27
NmiJ demonstr adj that (m) 10 ??;, verbal root see ?;;:1
N'i}iJ demonstr adj that (f) 10 ?;;:1 v piel (??i1) to praise 30
Oi1i1 •• T
demonstr adj those (m) 10 OiJ pron they (m) 7
<
i1Ji1i1
T '' T
demonstr adj those (f) 10 n'QiJ v hiphil (nm) to kill 28
,~71?i:l v hiphil (1?0) to make s.o. king/ queen, enthrone 21 1 conj and, but 8
mD particle presentation particle: here is 29 nNi demonstr adj this (f) 10
<
iUil
T ••
pron they (f) 7 ili... demonstr adj this (m) 10
1~t;liJ v hiphil (110) to remove 28 :Jili
T T
n gold 18
1~:;1P,t,l v hiphil (1:JV) to cause to cross over; to carry over 22 1:Ji- T
v to remember (see also 1~~Ti:l) 12
i1?l'i1
T •:: '.'
v hiphil (il?V) to bring up, sacrifice 25 ti?.! adj; n old; elder 7
.<
1~0l'i1
. ·:: ... v hiphil (10V) to cause to stand; to appoint; to set up 22 w7n n month, new moon 30
?~,;J ;:1 v hiphil (?!JJ) to cause to fall 26 i11n verbal root see mnnwil
T -: - : •
:::1~~;:1 v hiphil (:J~J) to station, set up 26 Pi!) v to be strong (see also p·m, j?~!t)ry, 13
?~~;:1 v hiphil (?~J) to deliver 29 i'1DJ;l0)
o~piJ v hiphil (01j?) to raise, set up 28 P1D v piel (j?in) to strengthen 23
1jJ n mountain 5/8 Nt>n T T
v to sin (see also N~t?Qt,l) 30
i1N1i1 v hiphil (i1N1) to show 25 nNt>n T -
n sin, sin offering 30
T : •,•
il:l1i1 v hiphil (il:J1) to do something a lot 25 il~n

T T
v to live (see also il;Qry, i'l;D) 25
T : •
o~"")iJ v hiphil (011) to raise, lift; set up; exalt; remove; offer 29 il~n
T •
v piel (i'l~n) to preserve alive, let live 25
V"'liJ v hiphil (VV1) to act wickedly; to do harm 30 o~~D n life 16
1~~o/i:l v hiphil (1NW) to leave behind, to spare 21 ilO:Jn n wisdom 11
T : T
~~:;to/;:1 v hiphil (V:JW) to cause s.o. to swear 29 ??n verbal root see ?tJiJ, ?;n
:J~WiJ v hiphil (:J1W) to bring back 28 ?;n v piel c??n) to defile 30
o~~o/i:l v hiphil (O:JW) to do s.th. early in the morning 21 ~w~Qn adj (ord. number) fifth 23
,~7o/i:l v hiphil (1?t.V) to cast, throw, throw down 21 won ., T
adj/number five 22
1~Qo/i:l v hiphil(10W) to destroy 21 o~won
. . -: adj/number fifty 30
v~owil v hiphil (VOW) to cause to hear, to proclaim 21 1D n favor, grace 24
- . : .
ili?o/i:l v hiphil (ilj?W) to give drink to 25 mn T T

v to encamp 25
i11nnt.Vi1
T -: - : •
v hishtaphel (ilm) to bow down 26 pn verbal root see PDJ;lD
<
pi:lJ;l;:l v hitpael (1~:::1) to consider 29 1t;?Q n faithfulness, loyalty 24
<
1;Dl;li:l v hitpael (1?i1) to walk around 24 :::111) n sword 8
j?·llJJ;l;:l v hitpael (j?in) to strengthen oneself 24 i11n v used impersonally, to be( come) angry 29
T T
PDJ;li:l v hitpael (pn) to seek favor 24 o1n verbal root see o~1ni1
··:: ·.·
.. <
N:JJni'l v hitpael (N:J.l) to prophesy 24 1~m n darkness 10
00 - : •
;:,!:lni'l v hitpael (??!J) to pray 24 :JiO adj good 7

.. - : .
W1i?l;li:l v hitpael (W1j?) to sanctify oneself 24 ,~
n hand 3/11
T
V1~
-T
v to know 16 1,:J verbal root see t~D, 1Ji:D, 1i:J~
i11~il~
T :
proper n Judah 9 1Ji:D v polel (l,:J) to set up, establish 29
iliil~I proper n Yahweh, the LORD, Adonai 12 ~~ conj because, since; that 13
lJWiil~
- "•, I
proper n Joshua 21 ;:;, particle all, each, every, entire 14
o;~ n day 4/10 ~;:D n article, utensil, vessel 28
. :
~Qi~ proper n Joseph 25 1+.1 adv thus, so; refers to something 15

to be good, go well (see also ~~'?~D) already mentioned
~"~ - T
v 27 <
1~~
<
n wine 10 1~~f proper n Canaan 28
;~~ v to be able 27 N~~ n chair, throne 21
T
<
1;~ v to bear a child (see immediately 27 ~9f n silver, money 18
-T
below; also 1'?i;,, 1?il) ni:D -T

v to cut, make (a covenant) (see also 12
1;~ piel v midwife n1,~Q (fs piel ptcp) 27 n~!:;>iJ, n·p~)
o~ n sea 16 ~n:D
- T
v to write 12
~Q;
T
v to increase (see also ~~Qiil) 27 ;

:
prep to, for; as 9
~j?P,~ proper n Jacob 30 ~6 adv not 12
il!l~ adj beautiful, handsome 8 ibN7. particle introduces direct speech 13
•,• T
N~~
T T
v to go out, leave (see also N~~iil) 27 ~7. n heart, mind 15
~~; n heart, mind 15
PQ¥~ proper n Isaac 27 T"
Ni~ v to be afraid (see also NiiJ) 27 ~rt;~;

. :. : adv negative for the inf cs 17
"T T
1i~ v to go down (see also 1~!iil) 16/27 on; verbal root see on;J
- I •
-T
111~ proper n Jordan 15 on?

...... n bread, food 13
o?u>~i': proper n Jerusalem 11 il;~?
T : -
n night 11
•- T
iVi' v to take possession of (see also w~!iil) 27 1:J; v to capture (see also 1~7~) 17
-·
V",h verbal root see l.?'lPiil 1~7
- T
conj therefore 24
7NiW'
•• T : '
proper n Israel 10 il~? T T
adv why? 27
u>~ particle there is 18 1'Ch - T
v to learn (see also 1~?) 23
~w~
- T
v to sit; dwell, live (inhabit) (see 16/27 1~7 v piel (10;) to teach 23
also ~~lPiil, ~WiJ) 1~Q7 conj in order to, in order that 19
f prep like, as 9 ~J!l;
•• z. prep before, in front of, in the presence of 10
,W~~ conj when, as 17 ni?? v to take, receive 17/26
il!:l adv thus, so; refers to what follows 18 1N1? adv very 7
tD!:l n priest 12 ilNO T "
adj (number) hundred 30
tND verbal root see 1~Q ONJ n utterance 29

... :
t~Q v piel (1ND) to refuse 23 ~9~P v niphal (~ON) to assemble, be gathered 30
i:l10
T : •
n wilderness 13 N::J.J verbal root see N:l.l11i1, NJJ
" .. : • T '
i10 T
pron what, what? 17 NJJ v niphal (N::J.J) to prophesy 24
T •
ii10 verbal root see iiJQ ti::J.J v niphal (1'::1.) intelligent (nip hal ptcp) 28
T
ijJQ v piel (ii1D) to hurry, do something quickly 23 N'::J..l n prophet 19

• T
1,PiD n appointed time, place; season 29 i1J::J.J v niphal (i1J::J.) to be built 25

T ; •
<
1110
'.' T
n death 10 1l.l verbal root see 1li1,
- ... 1\'\i1
..
mo v to die (see also 11Q~i1, 11'QiJ) 28 i1'l.l
T : •
v niphal (i1,l) to be uncovered 25
rp.TQ n altar 18 Vl.l v to touch 26
-T
;,no T T
v to wipe out 25 Wl.l verbal root see W'li1.. Wl.l -.
)
i1~t)Q n camp 13 WJ~ v niphal (Wl.l) to approach 26

'Q pron who, who? 13 i1'i1J v niphal (i1'i1) to occur 25
T : •
111~~7? <
v piel fs ptcp (1,') midwife 27 ii1.l
T T
n river 9
O~Q n water(s) 11 17iJ v niphal (1;') to be born 27
1~7Q n messenger, angel 13 Nii.l T
v niphal (Ni') to inspire fear, awe 27
;,on;oT T : '
n battle, war 14 ::1.\Pi.l v niphal (::J.W') to be inhabited, inhabitable 27
17~ n king 8 i1"J T T
v to stretch out (usually intransitive) 26
179 v to rule, reign (see also 1'77?0) 12 (see also i1'-'i1) T •
i1::l;D
T : -
n queen 8 i1:>J verbal root see i1::li1
T •
tQ prep from; comparative 9 ti:>J v niphal (p:>) to be prepared 28

i1WP,Q n deed, work 30 11"1:;>~ v niphal (11i:>) to be cut (off) 19
NYD
T T
v to find (see also NYDJ)
T : •
15 oo7~ v niphal (on;) to fight, do battle, wage war 19
i11YD
T: •
n commandment 12 1~7~ v niphal (1:::>;) to be captured 19
<
O'i~D
. -: . proper n Egypt 16 nj?7~ v niphal (njh) to be taken 19
DiP'? n place 8 ;,noJ T : •
v niphal (i1nD) to be wiped out 25
mpo proper n Moses 9 NYDJ T : •
v niphal (NYD) to be found, to be 20
;,n:;,wo
T T : '
n clan, family 28 VOJ - T
v to set out 26
"!:lWD
T : •
n judgment, justice 12 ;,;.uJT ... ; -
v niphal (i1;V) to be brought up 25
< <
0'.l110
·- : T
n waist (loins) 11 i,lJJ n young man (unmarried), boy, servant 12
NJ/Nr
T T
particle volitive particle 14 i1W.UJ T -:-
v niphal (i1WV) to be done, made 25
'~~~ v niphal (;:>N) to be eaten 20 '!l.l

- T
v to fall (see also ''$0) 16/26
\V!l.i
...... n soul, person, self 21 1~~ n eye; spring 11
::l~J verbal root see ::l'~t;), ::1~~ 1'l} n city 8
::1~~ v niphal (::l~J) to take one's stand 26 ·?l} prep on, above, over 9
?~J verbal root see ?'¥;:1, ?~~ ;,?v
T T
v to go up (see also i17~FJ, i1?P.J) 25
?~~ v niphal (?~J) to be delivered 29 ;,?v
T
n whole burnt offering, holocaust 18
,~m v niphal (1::lj?) to be buried 19 pr?l! conj therefore 24
Nlm v niphal (Nij?) to be called 20 Ol} n (a) people, nation; people (coli.) 8
i1N1J
T : •
v niphal (i1N1) to appear 25 Ol} prep with 9
NiVJ
T T
v to lift, carry, bear (see also N~~) 18/26 1nv
- T
v to stand (see also 1'QP,v) 13
NWJ
T •
v niphal (NiVJ) to be lifted 26 i1J1'
T T
v to answer, respond 25
,~'¥~ v niphal (1NW) to remain, be left over, survive 19 l'l} n tree 9
V~o/~ v niphal (V::lW) to swear 29 i1~1'
T ••
n advice, counsel 11
O'WJ
• T
n women 8 ::11lJ
...... n evening 15
1Qo/~ v niphal (1n\V) to be destroyed 21 n cities 8
VQo/~ v niphal (Vn\V) to be heard 20 v to do, make (see also i1W1'J)
T -:-
25
1Qo/~ v niphal (1n\V) to be careful 19 '!'WP. adj (ord. number) tenth 23
llJJ v to give 26 ,W~ adj (number) ten 22

::1::10
- T
v to turn around, surround 30 . : ...
0'1iVV adj (number) twenty 30
::1'::10
• T
adv/prep round about 30 'Oo/l! adj (number) part of the phrase for the no. eleven 30
0~0 n horse 5/7 11l} n time 30
1m v to turn aside; to depart (see also 1'QiJ) 28 i1rl1'
T -
adv now 16
1!l0 verbal root see 1;JQ i1!l n mouth 13
·.·
1!l0 n book 12 i1b adv here 27
·.· ..
1;JQ v piel (1!l0) to narrate, tell a story 23 ??!l verbal root see ?~!l11i1
.... : .
,~~ n servant, slave 8 O'J!l • T
n face 10
1::11'
- T
v to serve, work 14 Ol}~ n occurrence 11
n work, service, labor 14 1~!f v to visit; punish; muster; appoint 30
v to cross (over) (see also 1':;1P,i}) 15 i1Vl;J proper n Pharaoh 14
1l} prep until, up to 13 TN~ n sheep/goats 12
1iV adv again, still 14 N::l~ n army 13
T T
o?iv T
n eternity 14 i''1~ adj righteous 13
:ltV
- T
v to abandon 15 O'ii1~
' - Tl T
n noon 11
il1~ verbal root see ili~ To

VVi v (qal) (geminate to be evil (see also V1iJ) 30
ili~
To
v piel (i11~) to command 25 stative: sc 3ms V1)
i:;fj?
<
n grave 15 P1 adv only 17

i~i? v to bury (see also i~i?~) 15 VWi T T
adj evil, criminal 11
Wi1i? adj holy 24 i11iv '." T
n field 9
W1P verbal root see W1i?1;10, W1i? O'W v to put, place 28
(O~iv in BDB)
W1i? v piel (W1j?) to sanctify 24
o<
n
iip n captain, chief, prince 18
W1P holiness 26
~ip n voice, sound 8
iliiv T T
proper n Sarah 13
o~p v to arise, stand up (see also O'i?iJ) 14/28 'iiv

- T
proper n Sarai 13
adj small 7
1'iiv n survivor 21
1'-'i? o T
adj small 7 ~1o/ v to burn 18

19i?
~~p v (qal) (geminate ~~NW proper n Saul 15
to be small, disrespected (see also 30 T
stative: sc 3ms ~I?) ~;i?) ~NW - T

v to ask 29
~;i? v piel (~~p) to curse 30 iNW verbal root see i'NWil,
. : . iNW.l
- : .
v to call, name (see also Nli?~) 'l?':;lo/ adj (ord. number) seventh 23
Nli? 13
ilNi v to see (see also il~liJ, il~l~) 25 V:JW verbal root see l?':;lo/0, V~o/~
T T
<o
WNi n head 8 v~w adj (number) seven 22

1iWN! adj first 23 O'l?:tW adj (number) seventy 30
:::11 adj many, much 16 i:JW - T
v to break (see also i~W) 23
il:J:Ji adj (number) ten thousand 30 i~W v piel (i:JW) to shatter 23
T T :
il:Ji
T T
v to multiply, become many (see also nJw T -
n Sabbath 24
ilJiil)
T : •
25 :J~W v to return, come back (see also :J'WiJ) 28
'l?':;ll adj (number) fourth 23 nnw verbal root see now
~x1
•.· ·.·
n foot 11 now v piel (nnw) to corrupt; destroy 23
~11 v to pursue, follow 17 :J~W
- T
v to lie down 15
Tl~i n breath, spirit, wind 18 o~w verbal root see O':;lo/0
O~i v to be high (see also O'!iJ, O~ii) 29 oi~w T
n peace; welfare 29
o~ii v polel (01i) to lift up 29 n~w - T
v to send (see also nfyW) 14
~ni" T
proper n Rachel 30 n;w v piel (n~W) to send away, let go 23
V1 adj bad, evil, troublesome 5/8 'W'7o/ adj (number) third 23
1~W verbal root see "P7o/D
278 APPENDIX G
ilb~W: proper n Solomon 11

w~w T
adj (number) three 22
o~~ht.p adj (number) thirty 30
ow n name 5/10
ow
1nw
T
adv there
see 1~nwi1,
9 _,... APPENDIX H ~
verbal root . : . 10W.l
- : .
~~mt.p proper n Samuel 16
o~6w
VERBAL PARADIGMS
• - T
n heaven(s) 11
adj (ord. number) eighth 23
mbw
·.· :
adj (number) eight 22
o~~bt.p adj (number) eighty 30 The paradigms found in this appendix repeat those found in the lessons of this
vow- T
v to hear, obey (see also l?~Qtpi}, V~o/~) 13 grammar with the added benefit that portions of many of the words in the para-
iOW
- T
v to watch, guard; keep, observe (see 12 digms are found in color the better to emphasize features helpful to remembering
also i~tp~) key aspects of each paradigm, as each of the weak roots (III-weak, I-weak, II-weak,
il.lW n year 11 and geminate) share some similarities across the qal, nip hal, hiphil (and .sometimes
T T
the piel) stems. For further explanation of the use of colors, see page 288.
~~w adj (number) second 23
o;jt_p adj (number) two (m) 20 THE QAL FORMS OF THE STRONG VERB
t>!JW v to judge 12
- T
t>;JW n judge 17
ibt.Z>: ~ni6l.Z> ibWN1 i1iDWN cohort. ibo/~
'l;lo/ v to pour out, shed (blood) 17 • : - T : •,• T T : : ',"
ilj?W verbal root see ilj?o/0 n16w ibt.Z>n1

: . - ibo/ impv. ibt.Z>n
' .
ww
T : - T
adj (number) six 22 inf. abs. n16w ~·ww impv. ~int.Z>n

: : - T .: : .
~~w adj (ord. number) sixth 23
iDW ibo/~ juss. ibo/~
o~~w adj (number) sixty 30
- T
ilnw v to drink (see ilj?tpi}) 25

i1iDW T : IT
ibo/D juss. ibipD
T T
o;lilt.p adj (number) two (f) 20 ptcp. i1iDWJ

T : : •
cohort. ibo/~
iliin n instruction, law; Torah 11
T i~W DniDW
... : - : ~iT?¢ impv. ~i9o/D
nolil prep under; instead of 9
ni6W
...... ll)"")Qo/ i1~"")6o/ impv. i1Ji6t.Z>n
ilr,!Jn
T ' :
n prayer 24
T :
~l?~WT;l adj (ord. number) ninth o~·ww ~iDW ~i'?o/~ juss. ~i9o/~
23 : IT
vwf.l adj (number) nine 22 niiT?W i1J16o/D juss. i1Ji6t.Z>n

T : : •
o~l?o/T:l adj (number) ninety 30

-279-
280 APPENDIX H
VERBAL PARADIGMS 281
THE QAL FORMS OF THE THIRD-WEAK VERBS

THE H/PHIL FORMS OF THE THIRD-WEAK VERBS
inf. cs. suff. conj. cons. pret. volitives pref. conj. inf. cs. suff. conj. cons. pret. volitives p ref. conj.
II ni?~ 'n'?-' i1?.u~v?.u~, i1?.lN
·:: ...
cohort. i1?.lN ni?.li1 'n'?.li1/'n'?.li1 i1?.lNV?.lN, i1?.lN
• T '." : '.' T '." " T ·:: ·.· : - • • : 0 • ": .
'.' : - T - - T ... - : cohort. il?.:tN
... : ...
n'?.:~ .... -
?.lf.n il?.:l impv. il?.:tr-1
·.·:. n'?.lil
. :. ,~~1 il?.:til impv.
T • T " : T .. : - i1?.lr-1
·.· : -
inf. abs. n'?.:l '?.lm
.: . - '' .:l impv. ''.lr-1
.: . inf. abs. n'?.li1/n'?.li1
• T ' I . :. ": . '71Dl '' .lil
• I -
impv. .: -
''lr-1
i"i?l T
i1?l T T '"';.,-
...
'"."'..
juss. il?.l'
·::· i1?.:ti1...
••; i1?.li1 T : •
,~~1
'~~ juss. il]~~
il?.lr-1
i1n?.:l.'f : 11'
'"'.n
... 0
juss. ·::. i1n?.li1 T : ; •
'"'.n... •.· juss. i1?.:tr.~
•.• : ...
ptcp. tl'?ii i1?.lJ

·: : ·
cohort. il?.lJ
·::. ptcp. U'?.lil
. . il?.lJ cohort. il?.lJ
• T ~
.. : - ·: :·
i1?~
·:
on'?.:l ' I
~?.:l: impv. ~?1n i1?.l7J
... : - on'?.lil
·.· . : . ~?.li1 impv. ~?.lfl
I -
'-
i1?~ JQ'?~ i1J'?.:l impv. ilJ'?.lr-1 i1?.l7J fl)'71i:l i1J'?.:ti1 impv.
T T ',' : T '.' ; '
T ; -
T V : - i1J'?.lr-1
T ' ." t ...
0'7~
~'" T
~'"'' :·
juss. ~'1~ O'?.lTJ
.: - ~?.l'.il ~,1~ juss. ~?~~
ni?~ ilJ'?.lr-1 juss. i1J'?.lr-1 ni?m
T ',": • T •,• : •
: - ilJ'?.lr-1
T '. ' : -
juss. ·i1J'?.:tr.~
T 'o" 1 '"'
THE NIPHAL FORMS OF THE THIRD-WEAK VERBS

THE P/EL FORMS OF THE THIRD-WEAK VERBS
ni?..m T •
'n'?.lJ
. ·· :• ?lN,
T 'o" T
il?lN•: T '."
cohort. il?lN•: T •,• ni',~ 'D'7M'n'7.~ i1',.lNV?.lN, il',.lN cohort. il',.lN
'.' - -: T ... -; T ... - - : ... - - :
n'?.lJ
f .. : •
?lr-1,
T • -
i1?li1"T '
impv. il?lr-1
'.' T • n'7~ ?.lm i1;~ impv. il,.lr-1
T - : - .. - :
inf. abs. n'?.u n t•
'?lm '7~;:~ impv. ''.:lr-1 inf. abs. n'~~ ''.lm
.- : - ,~~ impv. ''.lr-1
' T • ... • T •
.- :
ii?.lJ il?.lJ '"'~,
··- juss. il?l' ii',Mi1;~
'"' ,
:·
iln?.lJ T
T I '
1 : '
'"'
?.:lr-1
T
T •
•
juss.
'.' T •
il?.:lr-1
'.' T •
i1'l
i1n;l
T • -:-
'-"'
?.lr-1
-: juss.
juss.
i1'.l'
... - :
il,.lr-1
T : •
: ·:- :
ptcp. ~J'?.ll il?ll cohort. il?.:lJ ptcp. U'7~ cohort.

" t . •,• T • '.' T •
il'.lJ ... - ! il'.lJ
·.·-:
i1]1~ on'?.:tJ
•.· .. ,.
~?li1 impv. ~?lr-1
T • T • il'·.· .lTJ
-: on''"'
•,• . .
~'~ impv. ~,.lr-1
- '
il?.ll
T ; ' 11)'71~ i1J'?.:li1
T ',' T •
impv. i1J'?.:lr-1
T '.' T ' i1'.l7J
T- ; fl)'~~ i1J'~l T '." -
impv. ilJ'~.lr-1
T 'o" - :
0'71~ ~?.:tl
,.
~'"'' T •
juss.
~'"'' T • 0'~~7? ~'~ ~'"'' - :
juss. ~'~~
ni?.lJ
: . ilJ'?.:lr-1
T 'o" T •
juss. ill'?.:lr-1
T •: T • ni',.lD
- : ilJ'~.lr-1 juss. ilJ'~.lr-1
T •: - : T '.' - l
282 APPENDIX H VERBAL PARADIGMS
THE QAL FORMS OF THE TYPE 2 FIRST-WEAK VERB THE HIPHIL FORMS OF THE TYPE 2 FIRST-WEAK VERB
n~w ~n:l\i.h
• : - T
:1wSn
•• •• T
i1:1WN
T : ••
cohort. :np ~ ~n:ll.Vi;,
~ : ... :l~~iN
~n:1w
.: . :11Vf11
..... - :ltp impv. :npn :ltpii1 impv. :l~~;n
inf. abs. ~:1wn1

. : .. - ~:;1~ impv. ~:;J.~D inf. abs. t;~:t\Pii1 ~:;J.~l.Pinl ~:;1~~;;, impv. ~:;J.~~;n
:liW~ :ltp~ juss. :np~ :l~t,p;;, :1Wi;1

... - :ltpi~ juss. :::1~~;~
:lWD juss. :lWD il:l~l.V; i1

T •
:ltpin juss. :1~~in
ptcp. i1:1WJT : ••
cohort. :lWJ ptcp. U:tWii1 il:l~WiJ
T •
cohort. :l~~iJ
:ltp~ ~:::1~ impv. ~:l~D :l~~iD t:l11:1Wii1

... : - ~:::1~~;;, impv. ~:l~~;n
n:11.V~ ll):tW~ i1PW impv. i1J:ll.Vn 11:1WiD

·.· ... 1l):t~ii1 i1PWii1 impv. i1J:ll.Vin
·.· •: T : - ••
T : "
t:l~:;J.~~ ~:lw~
! IT
~:::1~~ juss. ~:::1~~ t:l~:;J.~~iD ~:l~l.Pii1 ~:::1~~;~ juss. ~:::1~~;~
nbw~
I
i1J:tWD juss. i1J:ll.Vn
T : - ••
11i:l~~iD i1J:tWin juss. i1J:ll.Vin
T : "
THE N/PHAL FORMS OF THE TYPE 2 FIRST-WEAK VERB

:1W~i1
•• T •
~n:1l.ViJ
.: - :1W~N1
'' T ' T
i1:1W~N
T : T '
cohort. :lW~N
•• T •
n:11.biJ
T : -
:1wm1
•• T • -
:1W1i:l impv. :1wm •• T •
t;J:t\PiJ ~:::1~~} impv. ~:1wm

• : T •
:::1\PiJ :1wr juss. :11V1~

•• T'
i1:1WiJ T I
:1W1J:J juss. :11Vm " T •
ptcp. U:tWiJ i1:1WU

T ! T'
cohort. :1W1J " T'
:lWiJ
T
on:11ViJ
... : - ~:::1~~} impv. ~:1wm
: T •
n~wiJ ll):t\PiJ i1J:tW1i:l impv. i1J:ll.Vm

T ! - T '
t:l~:lWiJ
• T
~:l~iJ ~:1~r juss.
ni:l'ViJ i1PWlt:l juss. i1J:ll.Vm
T ! - T '
THE QAL FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK VAV VERB

THE QAL FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK YOD VERB
'Dit ~ ili?,P~ cohort. O ,j?~
'DttW ilO'WN cohort.
T • T O'i.VN• T
~It~ O,j? impv. O ,j?~ nni.b

T : -
oi.Vf.l1
'," T -
O'ip impv.
inf. abs. T;llti? 'l;l,P impv. 'P,P~ inf. abs. nnw
; - : 'l;l'\P impv. 'O'Wn
• • T
Oij? Oi? o p~ juss. O ,j?~ oii.V Co/ O i.V~1

... y- O ip~ juss.
ill? ~ o p~ juss. O ,j?~ ilni.b
T T oi.p~ juss.
ptcp. ,Jtt ~ ili?,P~ cohort. 0·1j?J ptcp. UttW ilO'WJ cohort.
T • T
Oi? 0.1)/ti? m,p impv. ,mpn T

oi.V
T Ol)ttW m'iP impv.
ill?i? 1.1)/ti? ilJ/tP impv. i1J'¢,i'T;1 1.1)/t'P ilJ/tW impv. mni.bn
T : " T
O'l;li? m~ m,p~ juss. , mp~ m'o/ m'iP~ juss.

l"liOi? ilJ'¢,i'f;1/ilJ/t P~ juss. i1J'¢,Pf;lli1Jit i?~ ilJ/tW~ juss. .ilmi.bn
T : '' T
THE NIPHAL FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK VERB THE HIPHIL FORMS OF THE MIDDLE-WEAK VERB
'DiJ ,:>~ li::lttl miilN
T •
cohort. ti::>tt 'DO'i?O Oi?.~l ili?'P~ cohort. O'j? ~
l"liJ,:>J li::lf:ll li::li} impv. ti::>D J;IO'i?O O j?,~l Oj?.Q impv.
T :
O'i?~
inf. abs. l"liJ,:>J: '~tilm '~ iil i} impv. '~iiln inf. abs. l"lb'i?t) 'P'Pm 'l;l' PQ impv. 'P'i?~
ti:>J
T
li::l~l t i::>~ juss. ti::>~ O'j?iJ Oj?,:l O j?.~/O i?.~ juss.
ilJi:JJ ti::>D juss. ti::>D ili?'PiJ O j?.~/O i?.~ juss. O'j?~
ptcp. ,JiJ ,:>~ ilJiilJ cohort. ti::>~ ptcp. UO'i?t) cohort.
T •
ili?' PJ O'i?J
ti:>J O.l)iJ i:>~ uiili} impv. ,Jiiln O'i?9 O.l)b'i?t) m' i?Q impv. m'i?J;1
ilJi:>J l.l)iJ i:>~ impv. i.l)b'i?t)
T : ill?'i?lt ilJtti?.Q impv. ilJtt'i?~
O'~i:>~ ,Ji:JJ uiil~ juss. 0'1;l'i?lt ,O'P~
m'i?iJ juss. m'i?~
l"liJ i:>~ juss. l"liD'i?/t ilJ'¢'i?f;1/i1Jit P~ juss. ilJ'¢~i?f;11i1Jtt ;?.1;1
THE REGULAR QAL FORMS OF THE GEMINATE VERB THE ALTERNATIVE PREFIX CONJUGATION FOR THE REGULAR AND STATIVE GEMINATE VERB
inf. cs. suff. conj. cons. pret. volitives pref. conj. pref. conj. pref. conj.
stative nonstative
~ni:it? ~bN
T
;i?~ ~bN
.,
~::10
.... ntio
T -
~b impv. ~bn
T
;i?D ~bD
inf. abs. ni:lQ ~:;J- 6 impv.
.<
~7~n ~:;J.O D
~i::lOT ~~9 ~b: juss.
;i?~ ~b~
;,~~o
T : IT
~b.lj juss. ~bn
T
;i?D ~bD
ptcp. ~Ji:iQ
.< ;i?~ ~b~
~~b oni:lo
... - ~:1 0 impv.
.<
< ~~~D ~ :lOD
il~~b ll)i:lQ ilJ ~:l o
T '.' ... impv.
T ' .<
tl~:;l:;tb ~~~0 ~:10~

.<
juss. ~:10~
i1J7~n m~on
T '
; IT
~~~~ ~:16~
ni:l:;tb m~:ion
T.. .. ; juss. ilJ~:ion
T '." '•, ;
.<
i1J7~n m~on
T '
THE REGULAR QAL FORMS OF THE STATIVE GEMINATE VERB

THE NIPHAL FORMS OF THE GEMINATE VERB
suff. conj. cons. pret. volitives pref. conj. inf. cs. suff. conj. cons. pret. volitives pref. conj.
~m~R ;i?~! ;i?~ ~ni:it?~ ;nN1 ~ON
- '.' T - ·.·
J;i~j? ;i?Dl ;j?l] n i:ioJ ~QD impv.
T - ; ~QD
ni~i? ,'?Rm ~'?Rl] inf. abs. <
ni:lQ~ ~:;J. Q;:J impv. ~:;J.QD
;i? ;i?~l ;i?~ juss. ;i?~
~iO;:J OOJ/~OJ
'' T - T
~Q~ juss. ~tp~
il?i? ;j?l] juss. ;j?l]
il:lOJ ~QD juss. ~QD
T - T
~Ji~j? ;i?J
ptcp. ~Ji:iQ~ ~Q~
tll)i~j? ~~Rl] <
~OJ oni:lOJ
·.· -: ~:l Q;:J impv. ~:lQD
i1~'7m~
T T
ll)i~j?
il:lOJ ll) i:l Q~ ilJ':iOil impv. m~:ion
~~i? ~~R~ ~~R~
T - ; T '." - ' T •: - •
juss.
tl':lOJ
. -: ~:lQJ ~:lQ~ juss. ~:lQ~
ilr ?.Rt;J juss. ilr7.Rf;l <
i1JT ~:1 on
'.' - •
juss. m~:ion
T '.' - •
288 APPENDIX H
THE H/PHIL FORMS OF THE GEMINATE VERB

~Oil
•• T
~niil
. oil. -: ~ON
•• T
niiloil ~QQ impv. ~on
~ FURTHER READING ......

T • - : •• T
inf. abs. n iiloil

. -;
~~QQ impv.
~Oil
•• T
~QiJ/~QiJ ?tt~l/~Q~l ~Q~ juss. ~o~t~o~
••- •• T
il.JOil
T " ••
?nf.n
•,• T -
~QT;l juss. ~on
•• T
ptcp. il.JOl cohort. The following works are considered helpful for any student of Biblical Hebrew and
u iilt;>q ~Ol
T '' T •• T
essential for those seeking to move beyond the first semester of her or his studies.
~Q~ oni.Joil
·: . -: ~.JQQ impv. All students of the Hebrew Bible should have an authoritative and reliable edi-
ill~ilon ~ion of th~ Hebrew (and Aramaic) text. The Hebrew Bible most frequently used
il.JOr.l
T • :
ll)i.JQQ ilt~t?T;l impv. T •,• ' :
m academic work is commonly referred to as the BHS. This is the Biblia Hebraica
o ~.J or.l
.. : ~.JQiJ ~.JQ~/~.JQ~ juss. St~ttgartensia ~5th .corrected edition; Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1997).
This Hebrew Bible Is gradually being updated and replaced by fascicles of the BHQ,
ilt~t?T;l juss.
often referred to as "Quinta:' The Biblia Hebraica Quinta (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibel-
gesellschaft, 2004-), when completed, will no doubt serve as the standard critical
On page 279 the paradigm for the qal for the "strong verb" is given; no color is edition of the Hebrew Bible. The BHS, which is used in this textbook, includes not
used. The paradigms for the derived stems are given in their respective chapters: ~nly the text of the Hebrew Bible but also modern scholarly text-critical informa-
nip hal on page 116, hiphil on 128, piel on 141, hitpael on 149, and polel on 207. tion as well as other pertinent information in an apparatus found at the bottom of
For the III-weak roots (pp. 280- 81), the similarities of endings among the four each page. In addition to this more recent scholarly information, the BHS includes
paradigms for qal, niphal, hiphil, and hitpael stems have been highlighted in blue selected notes from the ancient Masoretes that are found in the margin of each
for the prefix conjugation, the imperative, the suffix conjugation, the infinitive con- page and that provide the reader with additional information such as how often a
struct, and the participles. given word or set of words occurs in the Hebrew Bible. The BHS also includes an
For the type 2 I-weak roots (pp. 282-83), the manner in which the I-weak con- apparatus between the Hebrew text itself and the modern scholarly apparatus at the
sonant reappears among the paradigms for qal, niphal, and hiphil stems has been bottom of the page that points the reader to the locations in an ancient work called
highlighted in blue. For the qal stem this is done only for the prefix conjugation, the Masorah magna where the notes in the margins can be found.
the cohortative and the jussive, and the consecutive preterite; it is done for all the . The unusual and rarer markings found in the scholarly editions of the Hebrew
paradigms in the niphal and hiphil stems. Btble can be found in William R. Scott's A Simplified Guide to BHS: Critical Appa-
For the II -weak roots (pp. 284-85), the similarities across the paradigms among ratus, Masora, Accents, Unusual Letters and Other Markings (Berkeley, Calif: Bibal
the first consonants and the vowels that follow (and the substitute for the missing Press, 1987), which explains a number of the detailed markings found in the BHS
second root consonant) have been highlighted in blue throughout the paradigms. quite clearly.
For the geminate roots (pp. 286-88), only those forms in which a consonant A reliable dictionary or lexicon is needed by all students of Biblical Hebrew. The
with dagesh represents the geminated second and third consonants have been high- dictionary most often used in English-speaking countries is commonly referred to
lighted in blue. In those forms, the doubled consonant, plus the vowel that follows by the initials of its authors and translator, BDB: The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew
the doubled consonant, has been highlighted. and English Lexicon: With an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic. The work
-289-

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A Basic Introduction to

Third Printing-May 2014 CONSONANTS N THROUGH i1 AND

4· 5. Irreducibly long vowels 13 7 ·4· Predicate adjectives 29

4.6. The nun 14

4·7· The samekh 14

4.8. The ayin 14

5·9· Vocabulary for lesson 5 19

6.3. The accent 20 9·5· The preposition 1~ · 43

6.8. The hateph-vowels 23 9.10. Vocabulary for lesson 9 45

21.7. Vocabulary for lesson 21 130 2 5. THIRD-WEAK VERBS ............................... ............................................................. 15 5

28. MIDDLE- WEAK VERBS AND LOCATIVE i1 ........................................................... 193 APPENDICES

fs feminine singular (in paradigms) Lev Leviticus

1.2. LINGUISTIC SETTING

attempt to represent time

1.3. HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

only one among several extant around

2.1. SCOPE OF THE LESSON

2.3 THEALEPH 2.5. THE GIMEL

Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following:

2.9. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 2

vahv, zayin, khet, tet, yod (with a long 0 as in "code")

3.1. SCOPE OF THE LESSON

Mini-exercise: Pronounce the following: 11, ..'1~.• ~1-

3·3· THE ZAYIN

3·4· THE KHET

3·5· LONG VOWELS 3·9· EXERCISES FOR LESSON 3

3·7· THE YOD

4·5· IRREDUCIBLY LONG VOWELS

0 like the s in "sit:'

4.11. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 4

N, il, n, and V are referred to rather loosely as "guttural" conso-

CONSONANTS ~THROUGH n dation instead.

,~ The next-to-last column in the Consonants Chart

bled in BH. Unlike English spelling, BH never

information will come in handy in future lessons, however, so it is presented here

6.6. THE REDUCED VOWELS AND SHWA

6.8. THE HATEPH-VOWELS

6.12. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 6

third (and last) syllable second syllable first syllable

fp ni?i1~ i1?i1l fs pronouns

o.p~ 'you' (mp)

N~il 'he, it'

7·7· EXERCISES FOR LESSON 7

1N'? o~~~i? o~t?~O .7

8.3, SEGHOLATE NOUNS

n ..... 1?.¢ king pl. tJ':;l79

NOUNS, THE DEFINITE ARTICLE, 8.4 . GENDER OF NOUNS

:Jit) a good king :Jitltl the good king

il:JitJ ilWN a good woman il:Jitlil- ilWNil the good woman

'The king is good: 3

8.10. VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 8

conjunction ,~~~ Ti?.! .7

8.11. EXERCISES FOR LESSON 8

A. Translate the following into English:

n:ti~ 1'1~ .1 B. Translate the following into Hebrew:

n:tio;:~ 1'1~~ .2 1. the big city and the beautiful land

V1- 1::11 .3 2. the handsome king and the beautiful queen

9.2. INSEPARABLE PREPOSITIONS AND THE DEFINITE ARTICLE

9 'for a king' is 1?.97

PREPOSITIONS, THE RELATIVE PRONOUN, 'for the woman' is iliz>N:, T ' T

l'l.$ with first-person suffix:~~; construct plural: ni~