Participle Active

Summary

An active participle is a non-finite verbal form with active voice that can function as a verb (either a main verb or a verbal complement), an adjective, or a noun. When used verbally, an active participle most often expresses continuous or imminent action.

Article

Participles are non-finite verbal forms that can change their form based on stem formation (like verbs) as well as person, gender, state, and definiteness (like both adjectives and nouns). Participles are very flexible in their grammatical use and can function as a verbal complement, a finite main verb, an adjective, or a noun. In most cases, the context will clearly show how the participle is being used in the sentence. The meaning of a participle is usually clear, even in cases where its specific grammatical function cannot be determined precisely.

Active participles express verbal action in active voice, meaning that the person/thing described by the participle performs the action expressed by the participle itself.

Form

Qal Active Participle Paradigm

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular Absolute	קֹטֵל	qotel	killing / killer
feminine singular Absolute	קֹטֶלֶת / קֹטְלָה	qotelet / qotelah	killing / killer
masculine plural Absolute	קֹטְלִים	qotelim	killing / killers
feminine plural Absolute	קֹטְלוֹת	qoteloth	killing / killers

Hiphil Active Participle Paradigm

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular Absolute	מַקְטִיל	maqtil	causing to kill
feminine singular Absolute	מַקְטֶלֶת	maqteleth	causing to kill
masculine plural Absolute	מַקְטִילִים	maqtilim	causing to kill
feminine plural Absolute	מַקְטִילוֹת	maqtiloth	causing to kill

Piel Active Participle Paradigm

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular Absolute	מְקַטֵּל	meqattel	slaughtering
feminine singular Absolute	מְקַטֶּלֶת	meqatteleth	slaughtering
masculine plural Absolute	מְקַטְּלִים	meqattelim	slaughtering
feminine plural Absolute	מְקַטְּלוֹת	meqatteloth	slaughtering

Function

It is helpful to classify participles according to their function in the sentence as a whole: as a verb (or verbal complement); as an adjective; or as a noun. Participles can function independently as their own grammatical entity, but they often introduce entire clauses that function either as adjectives or nouns.

Note

The subject of a verbal participle usually precedes the participle, in contrast to the normal conventions of Hebrew word order.

Example: HAB 2:10 –– expressing stative action

יָעַ֥צְתָּ בֹּ֖שֶׁת לְבֵיתֶ֑ךָ קְצוֹת־עַמִּ֥ים רַבִּ֖ים וְחוֹטֵ֥א נַפְשֶֽׁךָ

ya’atsta bosheth levethekha qetsoth-‘ammim rabbim wehote nafshekha

you-have-devised shame to-your-house cutting-off_peoples many and-making-guilty your-soul

You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many people, and have sinned against yourself

Example: 1SA 28:14 –– expressing simple durative action

עוֹדֶ֖נּוּ מְדַבֵּ֣ר עִמָּ֑ם וְרָחֵ֣ל׀ בָּ֗אָה עִם־הַצֹּאן֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאָבִ֔יהָ

‘odennu medabber ‘immam werahel ba’ah ‘im-hatson ‘asher le’aviha

still-he was-speaking with-them and-Rachel came with_the-sheep that to-her-father

While Jacob was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep,

Example: NEH 1:4 –– two participles paired with finite verb היה

וָֽאֱהִ֥י צָם֙ וּמִתְפַּלֵּ֔ל לִפְנֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵ֥י הַשָּׁמָֽיִם

wa’ehi tsam umithpallel lifne ‘elohe hashamayim

and-I-was fasting and-praying before God-of the-heavens

I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Example: 1SA 3:8 –– expressing frequentive action

וַיָּ֣בֶן עֵלִ֔י כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה קֹרֵ֥א לַנָּֽעַר

wayyaven ‘eli ki yehwah qore lanna’ar

and-he-understood Eli that Yahweh was-calling to-the-boy

Then Eli realized that Yahweh had called the boy.

Example: 1SA 28:14 –– expressing simple durative action

וַתֹּ֗אמֶר אִ֤ישׁ זָקֵן֙ עֹלֶ֔ה

wattomer ‘ish zaqen ‘oleh

and-she-said man old is-going-up

She said, “An old man is coming up

Example: 1SA 3:11 –– expressing imminent action

הִנֵּ֧ה אָנֹכִ֛י עֹשֶׂ֥ה דָבָ֖ר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל

hinneh ‘anokhi ‘oseh davar beyisra’el

Behold I am-doing thing in-Israel

See, I am about to do something in Israel

Functions as an adjective

An adjectival participle immediately follows the noun it describes, and matches that noun in gender, number, and definiteness. An adjectival participle can either function as an adjective by itself or introduce an entire clause that functions as an adjective (either attributive or predicative).

Example: DEU 4:24 –– a participle functioning by itself as an adjective

כִּ֚י יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ אֵ֥שׁ אֹכְלָ֖ה

ki yehwah ‘eloheykha ‘esh ‘okhelah

for Yahweh your-God fire eating

For Yahweh your God is a devouring fire

Example: GEN 1:12 –– a participle introducing a clause functioning as an adjective

וַתּוֹצֵ֨א הָאָ֜רֶץ דֶּ֠שֶׁא עֵ֣שֶׂב מַזְרִ֤יעַ זֶ֙רַע֙ לְמִינֵ֔הוּ

wattotse ha’arets deshe ‘esev mazria’ zera’ leminehu

and-it-sprouted-forth the-earth grass crops yielding seed to-its-kind

The earth produced vegetation, plants producing seed after their kind

Functions as a noun

A nominal participle often takes the definite article (but not always), and can either function as a noun by itself or introduce an entire clause that functions as a noun. A nominal participle will appear in the construct state either when it takes a pronominal suffix or when it is in a construct relationship with another noun in the absolute state.

Example: GEN 1:30 –– a participle functioning by itself as a noun

וּלְכֹ֣ל׀ רוֹמֵ֣שׂ עַל־הָאָ֗רֶץ

ulekhol romes ‘al-ha’arets

and-to-all crawlers on_the-earth

and to everything that creeps upon the earth

Example: GEN 26:11 –– a participle introducing a relative clause functioning as a noun

הַנֹּגֵ֜עַ בָּאִ֥ישׁ הַזֶּ֛ה וּבְאִשְׁתּ֖וֹ מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת

hannogea’ ba’ish hazzeh uve’ishto moth yumath

the-one-touching in-the-man the-this and-in-his-wife dying he-will-be-made-dead

Whoever touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death.