7. Remember that certain patterns
can create predictable variations.
This slideshow focuses on core
patterns. It does not illustrate every
possible variation.
7
9. Using הִת&פַּעֵלVerbs
The הִת&פַּעֵלis a relatively
uncommon .בִּנ1י/ןThe 5תַּנ7״
contains some 835 instances
of verbs in .הִת&פַּעֵל
9
10. Verbs in הִת&פַּעֵלare often
intransitive. The הִת&פַּעֵלis
sometimes described as a
reflexive ,בִּנ1י/ןbut that’s an
overgeneralization.
10
11. It’s best just to memorize the
sense of each הִת&פַּעֵלverb you
learn, rather than trying to
figure it out from the sense
of the verb in another .בִּנ1י/ן
11
12. For example, הלךcan appear in
both 9לand ,הִת&פַּעֵלmeaning
“to walk” in both .בִּנ1י/נ;יםYou
can’t figure out the sense of
the הִת&פַּעֵלfrom the 9לin this
(and many other) cases.
12
13. The Basic Patterns
Memorize the following basic
patterns first, and then we’ll
go through the specifics.
13
14. הִת&פַּלֵּל He prayed (3ms perfect)
י;ת&פַּלֵּל He will pray (3ms imperfect)
הִת&פַּלֵּל Pray! (ms imperative)
הִת&פַּלֵּל To pray (infinitive)
מִת&פַּלֵּל Praying (ms participle)
14
15. Recognizing הִת&פַּעֵלVerbs
You can tell from the name
“ ”הִת&פַּלֵּלthat the most
noticeable sign of this בִּנ1י/ן
is a prefixed –&.הִת
15
16. That –& הִתwill be clearly visible
in all forms except the imperfect
and participle, where the first
consonant will differ. The ith
sound will remain, however.
16
18. Alert! When a verb with טor תas
R1 is used in the ,הִת&פַּלֵּלthe תof
the –& הִתundergoes aphaeresis (it
“melds” with the טor תin R1). As
a trace of the prefix’s ,תa דָּגֵשׁ
appears in R1.
18
19. Recognizing the הִת&פַּעֵלPerfect
If you see a –& הִתprefix on a
verb, that’s a clear sign of
the .הִת&פַּלֵּלIf it has a perfect
suffix, it’s a הִת&פַּלֵּלperfect.
19
20. Just make sure the prefix
is really –& ,הִתand not –ִה
prefixed to a verb that has
תas R1.
20
22. Recognizing the הִת&פַּעֵלImperfect
In the הִת&פַּלֵּלimperfect, the הof
the – & הִתprefix is replaced by the
usual consonant of the standard
imperfect prefixes ( יfor 3ms and
3mp, אfor 1cs, נfor 1cp, and תfor
the other variations). 22
23. י;ת&פַּ ֵל
ּל
The affixes תִּת&עַמֵר
ּ The prefixed
indicate an –& –תindicates
ִ
imperfect. תִּת&חַטְאוּa .הִת&פַּעֵל
ּ
אֶת&פָּאָר
23
24. Recognizing the הִת&פַּעֵלImperative
The הִת&פַּלֵּלimperative looks just
like the corresponding הִת&פַּלֵּל
imperfect, except that a הreplaces
the customary consonant of the
imperfect’s prefix.
24
25. Also, this means that the
ms הִת&פַּלֵּלimperative looks
exactly like the 3ms הִת&פַּלֵּל
perfect. You’ll have to tell
the difference contextually.
25
26. Recognizing the הִת&פַּעֵלInfinitives
Both the הִת&פַּלֵּלinfinitive* and
adverbial infinitive** look just
like the 3ms perfect and the ms
imperative. You’ll have to tell
the difference contextually.
* Or “infinitive construct.” ** Or “infinitive absolute.”
26
27. Recognizing the הִת&פַּעֵלParticiple
The ms הִת&פַּלֵּלparticiple looks like the
3ms imperfect, but with a – מinstead
of the imperfect prefix’s consonant.
הִת&פַּלּל
ֵ 3ms imperfect
מִת&פַּלּל
ֵ ms participle 27
28. The mp and fp participles take
the familiar plural endings ים
ִ–
and . –וֹת
28
29. The fs participle is a little bit
different from the others. Its R2
has a סְגוֹלinstead of ק מָלֵאN,חִי
and it takes the suffix . ת
ֶ–
הִת&פַּ ֵל
ּל ms participle
מִת&פּ ת
ֶַלל
ֶּ fs participle
29
31. Special Topic: The הִשְׁתַּפְעֵל
There is an unusual verb that appears
170 times in the 5—תַּנ7״frequently
enough that you need to recognize it.
The 3ms perfect form of חוהappears
as “ ,הִשְׁתַּחֲו/הto bow down, worship.”
31
32. Other forms follow predictable
variations, with the usual suffixes in
the perfect and imperfect, and the
same prefix consonant pattern that
the הִת&פַּעֵלexhibits in the imperfect,
infinitive, and participle.
32
33. Grammarians used to derive הִשְׁתַּחֲו/ה
and its variants from the root ,שׁחה
parsing them as הִת&פַּעֵלforms that
had undergone metathesis (the
prefix’s תhad switched places with
the שׁin R1).
33
34. However, most grammarians now
derive הִשְׁתַּחֲו/הand its variants
from a root ,חוהand consider them
examples of a special בִּנ1י/ןcalled the
,הִשְׁתַּפְעֵלused only by this root.
34
35. Since the הִשְׁתַּפְעֵל בִּנ1י/ןis used with
only one root, you don’t need to
learn any special patterns for it or
give it a lot of thought.
35
36. Just remember the word ,הִשְׁתַּחֲו/ה
and remember that although it may
look unusual, its suffixes are just like
those for any other verb with הin
R3, and its initial consonant changes
just like those in הִת&פַּעֵלverbs.
36
37. Credits
Dead Sea photo by Wikimedia Commons contributor
Xta11. Used under a CC-SA license.
All other content by Dr. Chris Heard, Associate
Professor of Religion, Pepperdine University.
Released under a CC-BY license.
Grammatical terminology used in this presentation
follows J. Cook and R. Holmstedt, Beginning Biblical
Hebrew (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2013).