1. LAN 405 Beginning Hebrew II
*Photo from
Class VI: Niphal – Strong Verbs (ch. 24)
Dr. Esa Autero

2. Niphal Stem – Strong Verbs
1.1 Introduction to Niphal stem
All Qal verbs = 69% of all verb forms
Next step is derived stems
Niphal stem – the meaning
Simple action in passive or reflexive voice
Often what verb means in Qal becomes passive or reflexive in Niphal
שָׁמַע “he heard” in Qal while נִשְׁמַע “he was heard” or “he heard himself” in Niphal
Sometimes Niphal also expresses reciprocal action נִשְׁמְאוּ “they heard one another”
The name “Niphal” (נִפְעַל) as a memory aid with a נ prefix
Photo:

3. Niphal Stem – Strong Verbs
The conjugations of the Niphal Stem
נ prefix in every form
Perfect, participle, and inf. abs.(-a)
 נ prefix explicitly present
Imperfect, imperative, and inf. cnst., and inf. abs. (-b)
 נprefix assimilates and only shows as a Daghesh Forte
Niphal paradigms need not be memorized
 Memorize diagnostic points of the spelling
Niph perfect
נִקְטַל
Niph imperfect
יִקָּטֵל

4. Niphal Stem – Strong Verbs
Qal
Niphal
Translation
3ms
קָטַל
נִקְטַל
he was killed
3fs
קָֽטְלָה
נִקְטְלָה
She was killed
2ms
קָטַלְתָּ
נִקְטַלְתָּ
You were killed
2fs
קָטַלְתְּ
נִקְטַלְתְּ
1cs
קָטַלְתִּי
נִקְטַלְתִי
I was killed
3cp
קָֽטְלוּ
נִקְטְלוּ
They were killed
2mp
קְטַלְתֶּם
נִקְטַלְתֶּם
2fp
קְטַלְתֶּן
נִקְטַלְתֶּן
1cp
קָטַלְנוּ
נִקְטַלְנוּ
We were killed
Niphal perfect
Nun prefix
Pathach stem
vowel (except 3fs, 3cp)
Perfect does not
present difficulties
in identifying
Niphap

5. Niphal Stem – Strong Verbs
Qal
Niphal
Translation
3ms
יִקְטֹל
יִקָּטֵל
He will be killed
3fs
תִּקְטֹל
תִּקָּטֵל
She will be killed
2ms
תִּקְטֹל
You will be killed
2fs
תִּקְטְלִי
תִּקָּֽטְלִי
1cs
אֶקְטֹל
אֶקָּטֵל
I will be killed
3mp
יִקְטְלוּ
יִקָּטְלוּ
They will be killed
3fp
תִּקְטֹלנָה
תִּקָּטַלְנָה
2mp
תִּקְטְלוּ
תִּקָּטְלוּ
2fp
1cp
נִקְטֹל
נִקָּטֵל
We will be killed
Niphal imperfect
Hireq preformative
on all excep 1cs
Daghesh Forte on
1st root consonant
Qamets on 1st root
consonant in every
form!!

6. Niphal Stem – Strong Verbs
הִקָּטֵל
Niphal Imperative & Infinitive construct
Formed w/ הִ prefix, assimilated נ, and imperative sufformatives
Niphal inf. cstr.
Imp.ms & inf. cstr. identical
 הִקָּטֵל
הִ prefix on every form
Daghesh forte (assimilation)
Qamets on 1st root consonant
Qal
Niphal
Translation
2ms
קְטֹל
הִקָּטֵל
be killed
2fs
קִטְלִי
הִקָּֽטְלִי
2mp
קִטְלוּ
הִקָּֽטְלוּ
2fp
קְטֹלְנָה
הִקָּטַלְנָה

7. Niphal Stem – Strong Verbs
Niphal Infinitive Absolute
Two forms of Niphal infinitive absolute
First preserves the נ prefix
Second has the נ prefix +assimilation
Niphal inf. abs. only 37x in HB.
Two forms equally attested
Holem may be written defectively
Qal
Niphal
קָטוֹל
נִקְטוֹל ־
הִקָּטוֹל
נִקְטוֹל
הִקָּטוֹל

8. Niphal Stem – Strong Verbs
Niphal Participle
נ prefix in all forms
Qamets stem vowel in all
forms except one feminine
Qal
Niphal
Translation ms
קֹטֵל
נִקְטָל
being killed fs
קֹטֶלֶת
נִקְטֶלֶת mp
קֹטְלִים
נִקְטָלִים fp
קֹטְלוֹת
נִקְטָלוֹת
נִקְטָל

9. Niphal Stem – Strong Verbs
Niphal Stem – Strong Verb Summary
Perfect
Imperfect
Imperative
Infinitive construct
Infinitive absolute
Participle
נִקְטַל
יִקָּטֵל
הִקָּטֵל
נִקְטוֹל
הִקָּטוֹל
נִקְטָל

10. Niphal Stem – Strong Verbs
Practice
Workbook p. 191, no: 2-6
p. 193, no: 1-6
Homework
Workbook: “Bible Translation”, p. 181, no: 1-3 & p. 194, no: 1-4
Quizz IV on vocabularies, chs. 22, 24
*Photo: