Stem Formation

Summary

The stem formation of a verb indicates both the kind of verbal action (simple, stative, causative, etc.) and the voice (active, passive, reflexive, etc.) of the verb.

Article

In Biblical Hebrew, all verbs have both a stem formation (Qal, Niphal, Piel, etc.) and a conjugation (Perfect, Imperfect, Imperative, etc.). These work together like two "layers", and each layer supplies different information about the verb. In Biblical Hebrew, there are seven major stem formations and several rare ones.

Form

This is a brief overview on how to quickly recognize the simplest forms of each stem:

Qal stem

The simplest form of the verb, usually with "a" vowels (qamets or patah).

Niphal stem

Adds נִ (nun with hireq) to the beginning of the verb. If the form also adds a prefix (like in the prefix conjugation), the נ disappears and causes the 1st radical to double (with a daghesh).

Hiphil stem

Often has הִ (he with hireq) before the verb, or a patah under the letter that the form adds before the root.

Hophal stem

Also adds a ה before the verb, but with a qamets hatuf (or sometimes qibbuts) vowel.

Piel stem

Doubles the 2nd radical of the verb with a daghesh, and usually has a shewa or a hireq under the 1st radical.

Pual stem

Also doubles the 2nd radical but usually has a qibbuts under the 1st radical.

Hithpael stem

Adds הִתְ (he with hireq and taw with shewa) before the verb, and puts a qamets or patah under the 1st radical.

Function

The following table is a brief overview of the most common stems and their most common functions.

Most Common Stem Functions
	Active Voice	Passive Voice	Reflexive Voice
Simple Action	Qal stem	Niphal stem	--
Causative Action	Hiphil stem	Hophal stem	--
Resultative Action	Piel stem	Pual stem	Hithpael stem

The stem formation of a verb performs the following functions:

Expresses the kind of verbal action

Simple action

Simple action refers to a typical dynamic verb; that is, the verb describes an action being performed by the subject of the verb.

Example: GEN 16:2 –– Qal stem expressing simple action (dynamic verb)
וַתֹּ֨אמֶר שָׂרַ֜י אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם
wattomer saray 'el-'avram
And-she-said Sarai to_Abram
So Sarai said to Abram

Stative action

Stative action refers to a typical stative verb; that is, the verb describes the subject of the verb as being in a certain state/condition.

Example: GEN 6:11 –– Qal stem expressing stative action (stative verb)
וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ חָמָֽס
wattimmale ha'arets hamas
and-it-was-full the-earth violence
and it was filled with violence.

Causative action

Causative action means that the subject of the verb is causing the object of the verb either to perform the verbal action (with dynamic verbs) or to be in the state described by the verb (with stative verbs). In English, causative action is expressed using the main verb "to cause" paired with the infinitive of the verbal action in view. In Biblical Hebrew, the causative nature of the verbal action is expressed by the stem formation itself with no additional verbal element.

Example: PSA 98:2 –– Hiphil stem expressing causative action of a dynamic verb ("to cause to know")
הוֹדִ֣יעַ יְ֭הוָה יְשׁוּעָת֑וֹ
hodia' yehwah yeshu'atho
He-made-known Yahweh his-salvation
Yahweh has made known his salvation

Example: GEN 21:19 –– Piel stem expressing causative action of a stative verb ("to cause to be filled")
וַתֵּ֜לֶךְ וַתְּמַלֵּ֤א אֶת־הַחֵ֙מֶת֙ מַ֔יִם
wattelekh wattemalle 'eth-hahemeth mayim
and-she-went and-she-filled [dir.obj]_the-skin-of water
She went and filled the skin with water

Resultative action

Resultative action means that the primary focus of the verb is on the result of the verbal action.

Example: GEN 21:10 –– Piel stem expressing resultative action
וַיִּתֵּ֣ן ... וְאֶת־הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֶ֑הָ
wayyitten ... we'eth-hayyeled wayeshalleheha
and-he-gave ... and-[dir.obj]_the-boy and-he-sent-her-away
He gave her the boy and sent her away

Intensive action

Intensive action means that the verbal action is strengthened in some way.

Example: EXO 34:13 –– Piel stem expressing intensive action
אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתָם֙ תִּתֹּצ֔וּן וְאֶת־מַצֵּבֹתָ֖ם תְּשַׁבֵּר֑וּן
'eth-mizbehotham tittotsun we'eth-matsevotham teshabberun
[dir.obj]_their-altars you-break-down and-[dir.obj]_their-pillars you-shatter
you must break down their altars, smash their stone pillars

Expresses the voice of the verb

Active voice

Active voice means that the subject of the verb is performing the verbal action. Most verbs are in the active voice.

Example: GEN 16:2
וַתֹּ֨אמֶר שָׂרַ֜י אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם
wattomer saray 'el-'avram
And-she-said Sarai to_Abram
So Sarai said to Abram

Passive voice

Passive voice means that the subject of the verb is receiving the verbal action rather than performing the verbal action. 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 stem formation of the verb itself without any helping verbs.

Example: 2KI 21:18
וַיִּקָּבֵ֥ר בְּגַן־בֵּית֖וֹ
wayyiqqaver began-betho
and-he-was-buried in-garden-of_his-house
and he was buried in the garden of his own house

Reflexive voice

Reflexive voice means that the subject of the verb is both performing and receiving the verbal action. In English, reflexive voice is expressed using a reflexive pronoun as the object of the verb, "I tell myself". In Biblical Hebrew, the reflexive nature of the verbal action is expressed by the stem formation of the verb itself without any additional words.

Example: NUM 16:21
הִבָּ֣דְל֔וּ מִתּ֖וֹךְ הָעֵדָ֣ה הַזֹּ֑את
hibbodlu mittokh ha'edah hazzoth
Separate-yourselves from-midst-of the-congregation the-this
Separate yourselves from among this community

Middle voice

Middle voice means that the subject receives the action but also is (partially) involved in performing the action. Middle voice stands somewhere between passive voice and reflexive voice.

Example: GEN 3:5
וְנִפְקְח֖וּ עֵֽינֵיכֶ֑ם
wenifqehu 'enekhem
and-they-will-be-opened your-eyes
your eyes will be opened

Reciprocal voice

Reciprocal voice means that multiple subjects are in view who are both performing the verbal action for another and receiving the verbal action from another. In English, reciprocal voice is expressed using the phrase "each other" as the object of the verb, "They tell each other." In Biblical Hebrew, the reciprocal nature of the action is expressed by the stem formation of the verb itself without any additional words.

Reciprocal voice must be distinguished from reflexive voice. The phrase "They tell themselves" is reflexive: the subject "they" is a unified group and the action could be expressed reflexively for each individual as "he tells himself, and he tells himself, and she tells herself, etc." The phrase "They tell each other" is reciprocal: each member of the group is telling something to another member of the group, and each member of the group is being told something by another member of the group.

Example: 2KI 3:23
נֶֽחֶרְבוּ֙ הַמְּלָכִ֔ים
nehervu hammelakhim
they-have-killed-each-other the-kings
the kings have killed each other

Rare stem formations

The following stem formations occur only rarely in Biblical Hebrew: Hishtaphel – Hithpalpel – Hithpoel – Hithpolel – Hothpaal – Nithpael – Palel – Pealal – Pilel – Pilpel – Poal – Poel – Polal – Polel – Polpal – Pulal – Qal Passive – Tiphil.

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