Stem Hithpael

Summary

The Hithpael stem is related to the Piel stem formation, and it generally expresses the reflexive voice of the meaning of a verb in the Piel stem.

Article

The Hithpael stem is formed from the Piel stem by adding the reflexive prefix (הִתְ) and changing the vowel under the 1st radical. Like the Piel and Pual stems, it usually has a daghesh in the 2nd radical of the verb. Generally speaking, the Hithpael stem expresses the reflexive voice of the meaning of a verb in the Piel stem. However, the Hithpael stem is quite flexible in its use and can express other kinds of verbal action, depending on the context and the specific verb.

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

Hithpael Perfect Paradigm

Parsing

Hebrew

Transliteration

Gloss

masculine singular third person

הִתְקַטֵּל

hithqattal

he killed himself

feminine singular third person

הִתְקַטְּלָה

hithqattelah

she killed herself

masculine singular second person

הִתְקַטַּלְתָּ

hithqattalta

you killed yourself

feminine singular second person

הִתְקַטַּלְתְּ

hithqattalt

you killed yourself

common singular first person

הִתְקַטַּלְתִּי

hithqattalti

I killed myself

common plural third person

הִתְקַטְּלוּ

hithqattelu

they killed themselves

masculine plural second person

הִתְקַטַּלְתֶּם

hithqattaltem

you killed yourselves

feminine plural second person

הִתְקַטַּלְתֶּן

hithqattalten

you killed yourselves

common plural first person

הִתְקַטַּלְנוּ

hithqattalnu

we killed ourselves

Hithpael Imperfect Paradigm

Parsing

Hebrew

Transliteration

Gloss

masculine singular third person

יִתְקַטֵּל

yithqattel

he will kill himself

feminine singular third person

תִּתְקַטֵּל

tithqattel

she will kill herself

masculine singular second person

תִּתְקַטֵּל

tithqattel

you will kill yourself

feminine singular second person

תִּתְקַטְּלִי

tithqatteli

you will kill yourself

common singular first person

אֶתְקַטֵּל

‘ethqattel

I will kill myself

masculine plural third person

יִתְקַטְּלוּ

yithqattelu

they will kill themselves

feminine plural third person

תִּתְקַטֵּלְנָה

tithqattelnah

they will kill themselves

masculine plural second person

תִּתְקַטְּלוּ

tithqattelu

you will kill yourselves

feminine plural second person

תִּתְקַטֵּלְנָה

tithqattelnah

you will kill yourselves

common plural first person

נִתְקַטֵּל

nithqattel

we will kill ourselves

Hithpael Sequential Perfect Paradigm

Parsing

Hebrew

Transliteration

Gloss

masculine singular third person

וְהִתְקַטֵּל

wehithqattel

(and) he will kill himself

feminine singular third person

וְהִתְקַטְּלָה

wehithqattelah

(and) she will kill herself

masculine singular second person

וְהִתְקַטַּלְתָּ

wehithqattalta

(and) you will kill yourself

feminine singular second person

וְהִתְקַטַּלְתְּ

wehithqattalt

(and) you will kill yourself

common singular first person

וְהִתְקַטַּלְתִּי

wehithqattalti

(and) I will kill myself

common plural third person

וְהִתְקַטְּלוּ

wehithqattelu

(and) they will kill themselves

masculine plural second person

וְהִתְקַטַּלְתֶּם

wehithqattaltem

(and) you will kill yourselves

feminine plural second person

וְהִתְקַטַּלְתֶּן

wehithqattalten

(and) you will kill yourselves

common plural first person

וְהִתְקַטַּלְנוּ

wehithqattalnu

(and) we will kill ourselves

Hithpael Sequential Imperfect Paradigm

Parsing

Hebrew

Transliteration

Gloss

masculine singular third person

וַיְּתְקַטֵּל

wayyithqattel

(and) he killed himself

feminine singular third person

וַתִּתְקַטֵּל

wattithqattel

(and) she killed herself

masculine singular second person

וַתִּתְקַטֵּל

wattithqattel

(and) you killed yourself

feminine singular second person

וַתִּתְקַטְּלִי

wattithqatteli

(and) you killed yourself

common singular first person

וָאֶתְקַטֵּל

wa’ethqattel

(and) I killed myself

masculine plural third person

וַיְּתְקַטְּלוּ

wayyithqattelu

(and) they killed themselves

feminine plural third person

וַתִּתְקַטֵּלְנָה

wattithqattelnah

(and) they killed themselves

masculine plural second person

וַתִּתְקַטְּלוּ

wattithqattelu

(and) you killed yourselves

feminine plural second person

וַתִּתְקַטֵּלְנָה

wattithqattelnah

(and) you killed yourselves

common plural first person

וַנְּתְקַטֵּל

wannithqattel

(and) we killed ourselves

Hithpael Infinitive Paradigm

Parsing

Hebrew

Transliteration

Gloss

Infinitive Construct

הִתְקַטֵּל

hitqattel

kill oneself

Infinitive Absolute

הִתְקַטֵּל

hitqattel

kill oneself

Hithpael Imperative Paradigm

Parsing

Hebrew

Transliteration

Gloss

masculine singular

הִתְקַטֵּל

hitqattel

he must kill himself

feminine singular

הִתְקַטְּלִי

hitqatteli

she must kill herself

masculine plural

הִתְקַטְּלוּ

hitqattelu

they must kill themselves

feminine plural

הִתְקַטֵּלְנָה

hitqattelnah

they must kill themselves

Note

The Jussive form in the Hithpael stem is recognizable only for select verbs. Here the sample verb is גָּלָה (meaning “to uncover one’s own nakedness” in the Hithpael stem), where the 3rd radical (ה) has dropped out.

Hithpael Jussive Paradigm

Parsing

Hebrew

Transliteration

Gloss

masculine singular third person

יִתְגַּל

may he uncover his own nakedness

feminine singular third person

תִּתְגַּל

may she uncover her own nakedness

masculine singular second person

תִּתְגַּל

may you uncover your own nakedness

feminine singular second person

תִּתְגַּלִי

may you uncover your own nakedness

masculine plural third person

יִתְגַּלוּ

may they uncover their own nakedness

feminine plural third person

תִּתְגַּלְנָה

may they uncover their own nakedness

masculine plural second person

תִּתְגַּלוּ

may you uncover your own nakedness

feminine plural second person

תִּתְגַּלְנָה

may you uncover your own nakedness

Hithpael Cohortative Paradigm

Parsing

Hebrew

Transliteration

Gloss

common singular

אֶתְקַטֵּלָה

‘ethqattelah

let me kill myself

common plural

נִתְקַטֵּלָה

nithqattelah

let us kill ourselves

Hithpael Participle Paradigm

Parsing

Hebrew

Transliteration

Gloss

masculine singular

מִתְקַטֵּל

mithqattel

killing oneself

feminine singular

מִתְקַטֶּלֶת

mithqatteleth

killing oneself

masculine plural

מִתְקַטְּלִים

mithqattelim

killing oneself

feminine plural

מִתְקַטְּלוֹת

mithqatteloth

killing oneself

Function

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

Expresses the reflexive voice of the Piel stem

For most verbs that appear in both the Piel and Hithpael stems in Biblical Hebrew, the Hithpael stem expresses the same kind of action as the Piel stem (simple, intensive, resultative, causative, etc.) but in reflexive voice. A good example is the verb יָדַע. In the Qal stem, the verb יָדַע means “to know” (simple action, active voice). But in the Piel stem, the verb יָדַע means “to make known” (causative action, active voice). Thus, in the Hithpael stem, the verb יָדַע means “to make oneself known” (causative action, reflexive voice).

Example: GEN 45:1

בְּהִתְוַדַּ֥ע יוֹסֵ֖ף אֶל־אֶחָֽיו

behithwadda’ yosef ‘el-‘ehayw

when-making-himself-known Joseph to_his-brothers

when Joseph made himself known to his brothers

Example: ISA 8:9 –– direct reflexive action, meaning that the verbal subject is also the direct object of the verb

הִתְאַזְּר֣וּ וָחֹ֔תּוּ

hith’azzeru wahottu

gird-yourselves and-be-dismayed

arm yourselves and be broken in pieces

Example: 1SA 18:4 –– indirect reflexive action, meaning that the verbal subject is also the indirect object of the verb

וַיִּתְפַּשֵּׁט יְהוֹנָתָן אֶת־הַמְּעִיל

wayyithpashet yehonathan ‘eth-hamme’il

And-he-stripped-off Jonathan [dir.obj]_the-robe

Jonathan took off the robe

Expresses simple reflexive action

The Hithpael stem can be used to express simple reflexive action in two ways. First, the Hithpael stem can express a simple action in reflexive voice. In these cases, usually the Hithpael stem functions as the reflexive voice of the Qal (or perhaps Niphal) stem rather than the Piel stem. This is the case with the verb אָבַל (“to mourn”), as shown in the example below. Secondly, the Hithpael stem can also express simple action of a verb that is reflexive by its very nature. In these rare cases, usually the verb appears only in the Hithpael stem in Biblical Hebrew. This is the case with the verb אָפַק (“to constrain oneself”), as shown in the example below.

Example: GEN 37:34 –– expressing simple action “to mourn” (in reflexive voice, meaning to mourn physically via bodily actions)

וַיִּתְאַבֵּ֥ל עַל־בְּנ֖וֹ יָמִ֥ים רַבִּֽים

wayyith’abbel ‘al-beno yamim rabbim

And-he-mourned over_his-son days many

He mourned for his son many days.

Example: GEN 45:1 –– expressing simple action “to constrain oneself”

וְלֹֽא־יָכֹ֨ל יוֹסֵ֜ף לְהִתְאַפֵּ֗ק

welo-yakhol yosef lehith’appeq

And-not_he-was-able Joseph to-restrain-himself

Then Joseph could not control himself

Expresses various other kinds of verbal action

Sometimes the Hithpael form functions in ways that do not follow the strictly the reflexive conventions of the Hithpael stem as listed above. Some verbs use the Hithpael stem to describe reciprocal voice, middle voice, passive voice, as well as stative or other kinds of verbal action. A dictionary or lexicon will indicate the correct meaning in these instances of the Hithpael stem.

Example: GEN 42:1 –– expressing reciprocal action

לָ֫מָּה תִּתְרָאוּ׃

lammah tithra’u

Why you-look-at-each-other

Why do you look at one another?

Example: PRO 31:30 –– expressing passive (or possibly stative) action

הִיא הִתְהַלָּל׃

hi hithhallal

she is-praised.

she will be praised.

Example: Gen 3:8 –– the Hithpael form of the verb הָלַךְ expresses reciprocating action (meaning, going back and forth)

וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֞וּ אֶת־ק֨וֹל יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהִ֛ים מִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בַּגָּ֖ן

wayyishme’u ‘eth-qol yehwah ‘elohim mithhallekh baggan

And-they-heard [dir.obj]_sound-of Yahweh God

going-back-and-forth in-the-garden

They heard the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden

Example: DEU 1:37 –– the Hithpael form of the verb אָנַף (“to be angry”) is always used in reference to Yahweh

גַּם־בִּי֙ הִתְאַנַּ֣ף יְהוָ֔ה בִּגְלַלְכֶ֖ם

gam-biy hith’annaf yehwah biglalkhem

Also_with-me he-was-angry Yahweh on-your-account

Also Yahweh was angry with me because of you