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¶
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
Infinitive Construct |
הִתְקַטֵּל |
hitqattel |
kill oneself |
Infinitive Absolute |
הִתְקַטֵּל |
hitqattel |
kill oneself |
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.
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 |
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
common singular |
אֶתְקַטֵּלָה |
‘ethqattelah |
let me kill myself |
common plural |
נִתְקַטֵּלָה |
nithqattelah |
let us kill ourselves |
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).
בְּהִתְוַדַּ֥ע יוֹסֵ֖ף אֶל־אֶחָֽיו |
behithwadda’ yosef ‘el-‘ehayw |
when-making-himself-known Joseph to_his-brothers |
when Joseph made himself known to his brothers |
הִתְאַזְּר֣וּ וָחֹ֔תּוּ |
hith’azzeru wahottu |
gird-yourselves and-be-dismayed |
arm yourselves and be broken in pieces |
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.
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. |
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.
לָ֫מָּה תִּתְרָאוּ׃ |
lammah tithra’u |
Why you-look-at-each-other |
Why do you look at one another? |
הִיא הִתְהַלָּל׃ |
hi hithhallal |
she is-praised. |
she will be praised. |
וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֞וּ אֶת־ק֨וֹל יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהִ֛ים מִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בַּגָּ֖ן |
wayyishme’u ‘eth-qol yehwah ‘elohim mithhallekh baggan |
|
They heard the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden |
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 |