Stem Hophal

Summary

The Hophal stem is the passive form of the Hiphil, and it generally expresses the passive voice of the meaning of a verb in the Hiphil stem.

Article

The Hophal stem is the passive form of the Hiphil stem formation in Biblical Hebrew. The Hophal stem is usually indicated by either a הָ or הֻ prefix to the Verb. (The ה changes in the participle and Imperfect forms.) The Hophal stem usually expresses the passive voice of the meaning of a verb in the Hiphil stem. Scholars sometimes disagree whether certain verb forms should be classified as belonging to the Hophal, the Pual or even the Qal Passive stem. In English, passive voice is expressed using the helping verb “to be.” In Biblical Hebrew, the passive nature of the verbal action is expressed by the Hophal form of the verb itself without any helping verbs.

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

Note

every form in the Hophal can have either a qamets hatuf or a qibbuts under the first letter (so הָ or הֻ). Here the qamets hatuf is used throughout.

Hophal Perfect Paradigm
Parsing Hebrew Transliteration Gloss
masculine singular third person הָקְטַל hoqtal he was caused to kill
feminine singular third person הָקְטְלָה hoqtelah she was caused to kill
masculine singular second person הָקְטַלְתָּ hoqtalta you were caused to kill
feminine singular second person הָקְטַלְתְּ hoqtalt you were caused to kill
common singular first person הָקְטַלְתִּי hoqtalti I was caused to kill
common plural third person הָקְטְלוּ hoqtelu they were caused to kill
masculine plural second person הָקְטַלְתֶּם hoqtaltem you were caused to kill
feminine plural second person הָקְטַלְתֶּן hoqtalten you were caused to kill
common plural first person הָקְטַלְנוּ hoqtalnu we were caused to kill
Hophal Imperfect Paradigm
Parsing Hebrew Transliteration Gloss
masculine singular third person יָקְטַל yoqtal he will be caused to kill
feminine singular third person תָּקְטַל toqtal she will be caused to kill
masculine singular second person תָּקְטַל toqtal you will be caused to kill
feminine singular second person תָּקְטְלִי toqteli you will be caused to kill
common singular first person אָקְטַל ‘oqtal I will be caused to kill
masculine plural third person יָקְטְלוּ yoqtelu they will be caused to kill
feminine plural third person תָּקְטַלְנָה toqtalnah they will be caused to kill
masculine plural second person תָּקְטְלוּ toqtelu you will be caused to kill
feminine plural second person תָּקְטַלְנָה toqtalnah you will be caused to kill
common plural first person נָקְטַל noqtal we will be caused to kill
Hophal Sequential Perfect Paradigm
Parsing Hebrew Transliteration Gloss
masculine singular third person וְהָקְטַל wehoqtal (and) he will be caused to kill
feminine singular third person וְהָקְטְלָה wehoqtelah (and) she will be caused to kill
masculine singular second person וְהָקְטַלְתָּ wehoqtalta (and) you will be caused to kill
feminine singular second person וְהָקְטַלְתְּ wehoqtalt (and) you will be caused to kill
common singular first person וְהָקְטַלְתִּי wehoqtalti (and) I will be caused to kill
common plural third person וְהָקְטְלוּ wehoqtelu (and) they will be caused to kill
masculine plural second person וְהָקְטַלְתֶּם wehoqtaltem (and) you will be caused to kill
feminine plural second person וְהָקְטַלְתֶּן wehoqtalten (and) you will be caused to kill
common plural first person וְהָקְטַלְנוּ wehoqtalnu (and) we will be caused to kill
Hophal Sequential Imperfect Paradigm
Parsing Hebrew Transliteration Gloss
masculine singular third person וַיָּקְטַל wayyoqtal (and) he was caused to kill
feminine singular third person וַתָּקְטַל wattoqtal (and) whe was caused to kill
masculine singular second person וַתָּקְטַל wattoqtal (and) you were caused to kill
feminine singular second person וַתָּקְטְלִי wattoqteli (and) you were caused to kill
common singular first person וָאָקְטַל wa’oqtal (and) I was caused to kill
masculine plural third person וַיָּקְטְלוּ wayyoqtelu (and) they were caused to kill
feminine plural third person וַתָּקְטַלְנָה wattoqtalnah (and) they were caused to kill
masculine plural second person וַתָּקְטְלוּ wattoqtelu (and) you were caused to kill
feminine plural second person וַתָּקְטַלְנָה wattoqtalnah (and) you were caused to kill
common plural first person וַנָּקְטַל wannoqtal (and) we were caused to kill
Hophal Infinitive Paradigm
Parsing Hebrew Transliteration Gloss
Infinitive Absolute הָקְטֵל hoqtel causing to be killed

The infinitive construct, imperative, jussive, and cohortative are not found in the Hophal stem in Biblical Hebrew.

Hophal Participle (passive voice) Paradigm
Parsing Hebrew Transliteration Gloss
masculine singular מָקְטָל moqtal being caused to kill
feminine singular מָקְטֶלֶת moqteleth being caused to kill
masculine plural טָמָקְלִים tomaqlim being caused to kill
feminine plural מָקְטָלוֹת moqtaloth being caused to kill

Function

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

Expresses the passive voice of the Hiphil stem

For most verbs that appear in Hiphil stem in Biblical Hebrew, the Hophal stem expresses the same kind of simple or causative action as the Hiphil stem, but in passive voice. A good example is the verb בּוֹא. In the Qal stem, the verb בּוֹא means “to come” or “to go” (:ref:simple<stem-action-simple>` action, active voice). But in the Hiphil stem, the verb בּוֹא means “to bring” (causative action, active voice). Thus, in the Hophal stem, the verb בּוֹא means “to be brought” (causative action, passive voice).

The Hophal stem of בּוֹא, meaning “to be brought”; in the Hiphil stem, means “to bring”, for example:

Example: GEN 33:11
קַח־נָ֤א אֶת־בִּרְכָתִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֻבָ֣את לָ֔ךְ
qah-na ‘eth-birkhathiy ‘asher huvath lakh
Take_please [dir.obj]_my-blessing that it-was-brought to-you
Please accept my gift that was brought to you

The Hophal stem of נָגַד, meaning “to be declared”; in the Hiphil stem, means “to declare”, for example:

Example: GEN 22:20
וַיֻּגַּ֥ד לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם
wayyuggad le’avraham
and-it-was-reported to Abraham
Abraham was told

Expresses simple action in passive voice

Some verbs use the Hophal stem to express simple passive action. (This can be true even if the verb also appears in the Hiphil stem in Biblical Hebrew; in such cases, the Hophal form does NOT function strictly as a passive of the Hiphil stem.) A good example is the verb יָצַק. In the Qal stem, the verb יָצַק expresses the simple action “to pour” or “to pour out”. In the Hiphil stem, the verb יָצַק expresses the same simple action “to pour”. In the Hophal stem, the verb יָצַק expresses the simple passive “to be poured” (that is, the passive of both the Qal stem and the Hiphil stem). For some verbs, the Hophal and/or Pual forms can both function as a passive of the Qal stem. In all these cases, a dictionary or lexicon will indicate the correct meaning.

Example: GEN 4:26 –– the Hophal stem of יָצַק (“to pour”) means “to be poured”
ה֣וּצַק חֵ֭ן בְּשְׂפְתוֹתֶ֑יךָ
hutsaq hen besfethotheykha
it-is-poured-out grace by-your-lips
grace is poured onto your lips

Expresses various kinds of passive or stative action

Sometimes the Hophal form is used with specific verbs or in specific contexts to express a specialized meaning for the verbal action. A dictionary or lexicon will indicate the correct meaning.

For example, the Hophal stem of the verb יָלַד (“to give birth”) refers to someone’s birthday:

Example: GEN 40:20
וַיְהִ֣י׀ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֗י י֚וֹם הֻלֶּ֣דֶת אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֔ה
wayhi bayyom hashelishi yom hulledeth ‘eth-par’oh
and-it-happened in-the-day the-third day-of having-been-born
[dir.obj]_Pharaoh
It came about on the third day that it was Pharaoh’s birthday.

The Hophal stem of the verb יָסַד (“to found, establish”) refers to the foundation of a building:

Example: 2CH 3:3
וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ הוּסַ֣ד שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה לִבְנ֖וֹת אֶת־בֵּ֣ית הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים
we’elleh husad shelomoh livnoth ‘eth-beth ha’elohim
and-these being-founded-of Solomon to-build [dir.obj]_house-of
the-God
Now these are the dimensions of the foundation that Solomon laid
for the house of God.