Hebrew and Aramaic Verbs

A verb is a word that expresses action or a state of being. In Hebrew, verbs can be distinguished according to their stem and aspect. Depending on its aspect, a Hebrew verb can also possess person, gender, number, and state, as well as being jussive (or apocopated) or cohortative.

These verb details can be selected for searches in the Set Tag Details dialog boxes.

Stem (Hebrew)Stem (Hebrew)

A verb's stem indicates the type of action described, with specific reference to such things as voice, causation, transitivity, and reflexivity. In Hebrew, there are seven major stems, and many rare stems.

Hebrew Stem

Function

Qal Generally indicates a simple action or state, with no element of causation. Although there is a rare passive form of the qal stem, the qal stem typically expresses action in the activeClosed The application, window, tab, or other screen element which is currently being used; sometimes called the "front" or "frontmost" screen element voice: that is, action in which the subject is the performer rather than the recipient of the action.
Nifal Like qal, nifal generally indicates a simple action or state, with no element of causation. However, where the qal typically expresses action in the active voice, the nifal stem typically expresses action in the passive voice: that is, action in which the subject is the recipient of the action being performed. In addition, the nifal can sometimes express a middle or reflexive sense, in which the subject is somehow both performing and receiving the action being described.
Piel Generally expresses an action which brings about a particular state. In other words, the object being acted upon is made to reflect a certain condition rather than being made to perform some action (as in the hifil stem). The piel stem typically expresses action in the active voice: that is, action in which the subject is the one performing the action.
Pual Passive form of the piel. That is, it expresses an action which brings about a particular state, but rather than being the one performing the action, the subject of the verb is the one receiving the action or being acted upon.
Hitpael Generally used as the reflexive or reciprocal counterpart to the piel stem. Like the piel, it expresses an action which brings about a particular state, but where the piel expresses action in the active voice, the hitpael expresses reflexive or reciprocal action, in which the subject is acting upon itself in some way.
Hifil Generally expresses causation. It differs from the piel in that the piel generally depicts the subject as acting to bring about a certain state or condition, while the hifil depicts the subject as causing a particular action to be performed, often by someone or something other than the subject himself. The hifil stem typically expresses action in the active voice: that is, action in which the subject is the one performing the action.
Hofal

Passive form of the hifil. That is, it expresses causation, but rather than depicting the subject as causing a particular action to be performed by someone else, the hofal depicts the subject as the one being made to perform the action.

In several weak verbs with hollow roots, polel, polal, and hitpolel forms occur instead of the piel, pu'al, and hitpael forms. While different in form, they correspond generally in meaning with their counterparts.

Passive Qal Represented by the tag passiveQal; this is a rare form of the qal stem which expresses action in the passive voice: that is, action in which the subject is the recipient of the action being performed.
Palel Presumably consists of a reduplication of the final consonant from a triliteral rootClosed A root is a unit of a language that cannot be further divided, from which words are derived by modification. The root does not necessarily survive as a word in itself. The Accordance roots may combine homographs and therefore a single root may include roots with different etymologies and meanings. In Hebrew, by convention, the lexical form (lemma) of a verb is the same as the root.. The "i" vowel in the first syllable of a piel is changed to an "a" vowel. Its meaning is similar to the piel.
Pealal (tag Hpealal) Formed from a triconsonantal root where the last two consonants are doubled, its meaning is similar to the piel.
Pilel Similar in meaning to the piel.
Pilpel Presumably consists of a doubling of a biconsonantal root (hollow verb) with a meaning similar to the piel.
Polel Formed by a reduplication of the final consonant, along with an "o" vowel in the first stem syllable, it is similar in meaning to the piel.
Poel Similar to the polel, except it occurs in triliteral (3 letter) root stems usually with the geminate verbs (which have two repeated letters in the stem). This form takes an "o" vowel in the first syllable instead of the expected "e" vowel, with a meaning similar to the piel.
Tifil Adds a "tav" prefix to the verbal root.
Polal Formed by a reduplication of the final consonant, along with an "o" vowel in the first stem syllable, it is the passive of polel with a meaning similar to the pual.
Polpal Passive of the pilpel with a meaning similar to the pual.
Pulal Passive of palal with a meaning similar to the pual.
Poal Formed by a reduplication of the final consonant of the root, it is the passive of the poel with a meaning similar to the pual.
Hotpaal Adds a "heh" with a kibbutz vowel to the root. It is a passive form of the hitpael.
Hitpolel Formed by a reduplication of the final consonant, along with an "o" vowel in the first stem syllable with a "hit" prefix, it is the reflexive of polel with a meaning similar to the hitpael.
Hitpalpel Reflexive of pilpel with a meaning similar to the hitpael.
Hishtafel Occurs often, but with only one word chwh meaning "to bow, worship." It is similar in meaning to hitpael.
Nitpael A mix of the nifal and hitpael stems used regularly in Mishnaic Hebrew to express reflexive action.
Nitpalpel Occurs in Middle Hebrew as a variation of the hitpalpel, it is the reflexive/passive of the pilpel for geminate verbs instead of the, hitpael.
Nitpoel and Hitpoel Reflexive/passive of the poel, used instead of the hitpael in the strong and geminate verbs. In the BHS-W4 the hitpoel is parsed as hitpolel.

Stem (Aramaic)Stem (Aramaic)

There are also a number of Aramaic stems (listed in italics at the bottom of the Stem pop-up menu). Most of the Aramaic stems found in the Hebrew Bible are similar to their Hebrew counterparts.

Aramaic Stem

Function

Aphel, Haphel, Saphel, Shaphel All are causative in force and active in voice, much like the Hebrew hifil.
Ithpeel, Hithpeel, Ishtaphel, Hithaphel, Hishtaphel All are reflexive or passive, like the Hebrew hitpael.
Ithpaal, Hithpaal Have an intensive force and are passive or reflexive in voice.
Pael An intensive force and an active voice, similar to the Hebrew piel.
Peal, Peil Simple active stem similar to the Hebrew qal, and the peil is a passive form of the peal.
Hophal A causative passive or reflexive, like the Hebrew hofal.
Polel, Ithpoel, Hithpolel All are similar to the Hebrew polel and hitpolel, being found in hollow root verbs.
Hithpalpel Formed from a doubling of a biconsonantal root in hollow verbs and is similar to its Hebrew counterpart.
Hephal Occurs in some verbs which have gutturals in the first and last syllables of the root.
Tiphel Similar to the rare Hebrew tifil.
Poel (tag Apoel)
Palpel
Variants of pael for some roots.
Ithpalpel, Ithpolel, Ittaphal Passive forms of palpel, polel, and haphel/aphel.
Apolel  
Quadriradical  

Specialized Stem Tags in the Samaritan PentateuchSpecialized Stem Tags in the Samaritan Pentateuch

Bqal: qal B

Bpiel: piel B or pa'el (second radical never geminated)

Bnifal: nifal B (geminated second radical)

Bhitpael: hitpael B (second radical never geminated)

passivePiel: passive piel

passiveHifal: passive hifal

AspectAspect

A verb's aspect generally designates how the action of the verb relates to the passage of time, especially with regard to completion, duration, or repetition. Hebrew verbs can be either perfect or imperfect in aspect. In addition, there are a number of other forms which, although not aspects in the proper sense, are grouped under the heading of aspect for the sake of simplicity. These include waw consecutives, imperatives, infinitive constructs, infinitive absolutes, participles, and passive participles.

Verb Aspect

Function

Perfect (Traditional)

Qatal (QTL)
Generally designates a completed action or a situation that is viewed as a single event. Perfects are generally translated as simple pasts "He ran" or as past perfects "He has run", but they may also be translated as presents or futures. The meaning of the perfect therefore has more to do with how an action took place than with when it took place. The perfect is most often treated as a past because it is easier to think of a past event as complete than it is to think of a present or future one as complete.
Imperfect (Traditional)

Yiqtol (QTL)
Generally designates an action which is continuous, incomplete, or open-ended. Rather than depicting an action as a single event, the imperfect depicts it as a continuing process. It is therefore typically translated as a present "He is running" or a future "He will be running, although it can sometimes be translated as a continuous past "He was running." The meaning of the imperfect therefore has more to do with how an action took place than with when it took place. The imperfect is most often treated as a present or future because it is easier to think of present or future events as incomplete and open-ended than it is to think of past actions that way.
Waw Consecutive (Traditional)

Wayyiqtol (QTL)
A prefixed form of the verb preceded by the conjunction waw which typically introduces a subordinate clause. In other words, it represents an action as successive and subordinate to some preceding action or situation (hence the term "consecutive"). Waw consecutives are typically perfect in aspect.
Imperative Used to issue a command in the second person—that is, the command is directed at the person being spoken to. Hebrew imperatives agree in gender and number with those at whom they are directed.
Infinitive Construct A verbal noun which is used in Hebrew in much the same way that English uses its infinitive "to go" and its gerund "going." It is often prefixed with the preposition le ("to").
Infinitive Absolute A verbal noun which can serve a variety of functions in Biblical Hebrew. It may intensify a finite verb, serve to issue a command like an imperative, or function like a finite verb. In addition, it can sometimes serve an adverbial function.
Participle A verbal adjective which can modify nouns or be used as a substantive in its own right. Because it functions as an adjective, the participle possesses gender, number, and state.
Passive Participle A verbal adjective which is passive in voice. Because it functions as an adjective, the passive participle possesses gender, number, and state.

PersonPerson

The person a Hebrew verb takes expresses whether the subject of the action is the person or persons speaking (first person), the person or persons spoken to (second person), or the person, persons, or things being spoken about (third person).

OtherOther

The "other" tags include the jussive and cohortative which do not fit into the above categories. These tags can only be accessed when perfect, imperfect or wawConsecutive are selected.

Other Tags

Function

Apocopated Describes a form in which a final consonant or unaccented vowel is dropped from a word.
Consecutive Applies to a perfect verb which is translated as imperfect because it follows an imperfect verb.
Jussive Both Used when a jussive form also carries a jussive meaning.
Jussive Form A shortened form of the imperfect.
Jussive Meaning Used to issue a command in the third person—that is, the command is given to one person but is concerned with another. For example, the command "Let him go" is directed at the person being spoken to but is concerned with a third party.
Cohortative Both Used when a cohortative form also carries a cohortative meaning.
Cohortative Form Typically the imperfect form with an added heh.
Cohortative Meaning Used to express a command in the first person—that is, the speaker is expressing a strong desire for himself or for his companions. In the singular, the cohortative has the effect of expressing personal resolve; for example: "I will go." In the plural, the cohortative expresses an exhortation by the speaker to his companions; for example: "Let us go."
Cohortative Heh Used in older databases for the cohortative form with or without the meaning.
Copulative, Quotation New tags for future databases