Stem Hiphil

Summary

The Hiphil stem generally expresses causative action in active voice, but it can also express other kinds of verbal action depending on the context and the specific verb.

Article

The Hiphil form is a verbal stem formation in Biblical Hebrew, usually indicated by a הִ prefix before the 1st radical and a hireq-yod (or sometimes tsere) vowel under the 2nd radical of the verb. (This ה changes in the participle and Imperfect forms.) The Hiphil stem is generally used to express causative action in active voice. In many cases the noun derived from the same root is the object or result of the hiphil verb associated with that root. For example, the Hiphil verb הִמְטִיר means “to cause to rain down”; the noun מָטָר means “rain”.

Note

It is recommended to always check a dictionary or lexicon for the meaning of a specific verb, because this stem may express many different kinds of action in different contexts.

Form

Paradigm

Hiphil Perfect Paradigm

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular third person	הִקְטִיל	hiqtil	he caused to kill
feminine singular third person	הִקְטִילָה	hiqtilah	she caused to kill
masculine singular second person	הִקְטַלְתָּ	hiqtalta	you caused to kill
feminine singular second person	הִקְטַלְתְּ	hiqtalt	you caused to kill
common singular first person	הִקְטַלְתִּי	hiqtalti	I caused to kill
common plural third person	הִקְטִילוּ	hiqtilu	they caused to kill
masculine plural second person	הִקְטַלְתֶּם	hiqtaltem	you caused to kill
feminine plural second person	הִקְטַלְתֶּן	hiqtalten	you caused to kill
common plural first person	הִקְטַלְנוּ	hiqtalnu	we caused to kill

Hiphil Imperfect Paradigm

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular third person	יַקְטִיל	yaqtil	he will cause to kill
feminine singular third person	תַּקְטִיל	taqtil	she will cause to kill
masculine singular second person	תַּקְטִיל	taqtil	you will cause to kill
feminine singular second person	תַּקְטִילִי	taqtili	you will cause to kill
common singular first person	אַקְטִיל	‘aqtil	I will cause to kill
masculine plural third person	יַקְטִילוּ	yaqtilu	they will cause to kill
feminine plural third person	תַּקְטֵלְנָה	taqtelenah	they will cause to kill
masculine plural second person	תַּקְטִילוּ	taqtilu	you will cause to kill
feminine plural second person	תַּקְטֵלְנָה	taqtelenah	you will cause to kill
common plural first person	נַקְטִיל	naqtil	we will cause to kill

Hiphil Sequential Perfect Paradigm

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular third person	וְהִקְטִיל	wehiqtil	(and) he will cause to kill
feminine singular third person	וְהִקְטִילָה	wehiqtilah	(and) she will cause to kill
masculine singular second person	וְהִקְטַלְתָּ	wehiqtalta	(and) you will cause to kill
feminine singular second person	וְהִקְטַלְתְּ	wehiqtalt	(and) you will cause to kill
common singular first person	וְהִקְטַלְתִּי	wehiqtalti	(and) I will cause to kill
common plural third person	וְהִקְטִילוּ	wehiqtilu	(and) they will cause to kill
masculine plural second person	וְהִקְטַלְתֶּם	wehiqtaltem	(and) you will cause to kill
feminine plural second person	וְהִקְטַלְתֶּן	wehiqtalten	(and) you will cause to kill
common plural first person	וְהִקְטַלְנוּ	wehiqtalnu	(and) we will cause to kill

Hiphil Sequential Imperfect Paradigm

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular third person	וַיַּקְטֵל	wayyaqtil	(and) he caused to kill
feminine singular third person	וַתַּקְטֵל	wattaqtil	(and) she caused to kill
masculine singular second person	וַתַּקְטֵל	wattaqtil	(and) you caused to kill
feminine singular second person	וַתַּקְטִילִי	wattaqtili	(and) you caused to kill
common singular first person	וָאַקְטֵל	wa’aqtil	(and) I caused to kill
masculine plural third person	וַיַּקְטִילוּ	wayyaqtilu	(and) they caused to kill
feminine plural third person	וַתַּקְטֵלְנָה	wattaqtelenah	(and) they caused to kill
masculine plural second person	וַתַּקְטִילוּ	wattaqtilu	(and) you caused to kill
feminine plural second person	וַתַּקְטֵלְנָה	wattaqtelenah	(and) you caused to kill
common plural first person	וַנַּקְטֵל	wannaqtil	(and) we caused to kill

Hiphil Infinitive Paradigm

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
Infinitive Construct	הַקְטִיל	haqtil	cause to kill
Infinitive Absolute	הַקְטֵל	haqtel	cause to kill

Hiphil Imperative Paradigm

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular	הַקְטֵל	haqtel	you must cause to kill
feminine singular	הַקְטִילִי	haqtili	you must cause to kill
masculine plural	הַקְטִילוּ	haqtilu	you must cause to kill
feminine plural	הַקְטֵלְנָה	haqtelenah	you must cause to kill

Hiphil Jussive Paradigm

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular third person	יַקְטֵל	yaqtel	may he cause to kill
feminine singular third person	תַּקְטֵל	taqtel	may she cause to kill
masculine singular second person	תַּקְטֵל	taqtel	may you cause to kill
feminine singular second person	תַּקְטִילִי	taqteli	may you cause to kill
masculine plural third person	יַקְטִילוּ	yaqtelu	may they cause to kill
feminine plural third person	תַּקְטֵלְנָה	taqtelenah	may they cause to kill
masculine plural second person	תַּקְטִילוּ	taqtelu	may you cause to kill
feminine plural second person	תַּקְטֵלְנָה	taqtelenah	may you cause to kill

Hiphil Cohortative Paradigm

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
common singular first person	אַקְטִילָה	‘aqtilah	let me cause to kill
common plural first person	נַקְטִילָה	naqtilah	let us cause to kill

Hiphil Participle (active voice) Paradigm

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

Function

The Hiphil stem can express any of the following kinds of verbal action:

Expresses causative action

Causative action means that the subject of the verb is causing the object of the verb either to perform the verbal action (for dynamic verb) or to be in the state described by the verb (for stative verbs). The Hiphil stem usually serves this causative function with dynamic verbs (and sometimes with stative verbs also). A good example is the verb בּוֹא. In the Qal stem, the verb בּוֹא expresses the simple action “to come” or “to go”. But in the Hiphil stem, the verb בּוֹא expresses the causative action “to bring” (meaning, to cause something to come/go). In English, causative action is expressed using the main verb “to cause” paired with the infinitive of the verbal action in view. In Biblical Hebrew, the causative nature of the verbal action is expressed by the Hiphil form of the verb itself with no additional verbal element.

Example: GEN 4:3

וַיָּבֵ֨א קַ֜יִן מִפְּרִ֧י הָֽאֲדָמָ֛ה מִנְחָ֖ה לַֽיהוָֽה

wayyave qayin mipperi ha’adamah minhah layhwah

And-he-brought Cain from-fruit-of the-ground offering to-Yahweh

Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground as an offering to Yahweh.

Example: 1KI 1:43

אֲבָ֕ל אֲדֹנֵ֥ינוּ הַמֶּֽלֶךְ־דָּוִ֖ד הִמְלִ֥יךְ אֶת־שְׁלֹמֹֽה

‘aval ‘adonenu hammelekh-dawid himlikh ‘eth-shelomoh

But our-lord the-king_David he-made-king [dir.obj]_Solomon

But king David our lord crowned Solomon king

Expresses various kinds of simple or causative action

In Biblical Hebrew, some verbs are found only in the Hiphil stem (and/or its derivative stem formations). In these cases, the Hiphil usually expresses a simple action which is causative by its very nature. A good example is the Hebrew verb סוּת, which occurs only in the Hiphil stem and means “to incite” or “to entice”. A dictionary or lexicon will indicate all the stem formations in which a particular verb is found as well as the appropriate meaning(s).

Example: JER 43:3

כִּ֗י בָּרוּךְ֙ בֶּן־נֵ֣רִיָּ֔ה מַסִּ֥ית אֹתְךָ֖ בָּ֑נוּ

ki barukh ben-neriyyah massith ‘othekha banu

for Baruch son-of_Neriah is-inciting [dir.obj]-you in-us

For Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us

Some verbs express different meanings in different stem formations. A good example is the verb גָּלָה. In the Qal stem, the verb גָּלָה expresses the simple action “to uncover” or “to reveal”. But in the Hiphil stem, the verb גָּלָה expresses the simple action “to exile”. Again, this will be indicated by a dictionary or lexicon.

Example: AMO 5:27

וְהִגְלֵיתִ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵהָ֣לְאָה לְדַמָּ֑שֶׂק

wehiglethi ‘ethkhem mehal’ah ledammaseq

And-I-will-exile [dir.obj]-you from-beyond to-Damascus

Therefore I will exile you beyond Damascus

Some verbs express the same meaning in multiple stem formations. A good example is the verb יָדַע, which expresses the causative action “to make known” (meaning, to cause to know) in both the Piel stem and the Hiphil stem. This also will be indicated by a dictionary or lexicon.

Example: PSA 98:2

הוֹדִ֣יעַ יְ֭הוָה יְשׁוּעָת֑וֹ

hodia’ yehwah yeshu’atho

He-made-known Yahweh his-salvation

Yahweh has made known his salvation

The Hiphil stem can also be used to express miscellaneous kinds of simple or causative action that might not follow any of the other descriptions listed above. As always, the specific meaning of the verb will be indicated by a dictionary or lexicon.

Hiphil stem expressing idiomatic action:

Example: GEN 6:12

וַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וְהִנֵּ֣ה נִשְׁחָ֑תָה כִּֽי־הִשְׁחִ֧ית כָּל־בָּשָׂ֛ר אֶת־דַּרְכּ֖וֹ עַל־הָאָרֶץ

wayyar ‘elohim ‘eth-ha’arets wehinneh nishhathah ki-hishhith kol-basar ‘eth-darko ‘al-ha’arets

And-he-saw God [dir.obj]_the-land and-behold it-was-corrupt because_made-corrupt all_flesh [dir.obj]_his-way on_the-land.

And God saw the land and behold it was corrupt because all flesh had corrupted its ways upon the land.

Hiphil stem declaring a state rather than expressing an action:

Example: 1KI 8:32

לְהַרְשִׁ֣יעַ רָשָׁ֔ע לָתֵ֥ת דַּרְכּ֖וֹ בְּרֹאשׁ֑וֹ וּלְהַצְדִּ֣יק צַדִּ֔יק לָ֥תֶת ל֖וֹ כְּצִדְקָתֽוֹ׃

leharshia’ rasha’ latheth darko berosho ulehatsdiq tsaddiq latheth lo ketsidqatho

to-condemn evil-person to-give his-way on-his-head and-to-declare-righteous righteous-person to-give to-him according-to-his-righteousness

To condemn the evildoer, to punish him according to his actions, and to vindicate the righteous man, to reward him according to his righteousness.