Stem Haphel

Summary

The Haphel stem generally expresses causative action in active voice, but it can also express other kinds of verbal action depending on the context and the specific verb.

Article

The Haphel form is a verbal stem formation in Biblical Aramaic, usually indicated by a הִ prefix before the 1st radical and a hireq-yod (or sometimes tsere) vowel under the 2nd radical of the verb. (This ה changes in the participle and Imperfect forms.) The Haphel stem is generally used to express causative action in active voice. In many cases the noun derived from the same root is the object or result of the hiphil verb associated with that root. For example, the Hiphil verb הִמְטִיר means “to cause to rain down”; the noun מָטָר means “rain”.

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

Haphel Perfect Paradigm

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular third person	הַכְתֵּב (or הַכְתִּב)	hakhtabh	he caused to write
feminine singular third person	הַכְתְּבַת	hakhtebhath	she caused to write
masculine singular second person	הַכְתֵּבְתְּ	hakhtabhte	you caused to write
feminine singular second person	הַכְתֵּבְתִּי	hakhtabhtiy	you caused to write
common singular first person	הַכְתְּבֵת	hakhtebheth	I caused to write
masculine plural third person	הַכְתִּבוּ	hakhtibhu	they caused to write
feminine plural third person	הַכְתִּבָה	hakhtibhah	they caused to write
masculine plural second person	הַכְתֵּבְתּוּן	hakhtebhetun	you caused to write
feminine plural second person	הַכְתֵּבְתֵּן	hakhtebhten	you caused to write
common plural first person	הַכְתֵּבְנָא	hakhtebhna’	we caused to write

Haphel Imperfect/Jussive Paradigm

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular third person	יְהַכְתֵּב (or יְהַכְתִּב)	yehakhtebh	he will cause to write
feminine singular third person	תְּהַכְתֵּב	tehakhtebh	she will cause to write
masculine singular second person	תְּהַכְתֵּב	tehakhtebh	you will cause to write
feminine singular second person	תְּהַכְתְּבִין	tehakhbebhiyn	you will cause to write
common singular first person	אֲהַכְתֵּב	‘ehakhtebh	I will cause to write
masculine plural third person	יְהַכְתְּבוּן	yehakhtebhun	they will cause to write
feminine plural third person	יְהַכְתְּבָן	yehakhtebhan	they will cause to write
masculine plural second person	תְּהַכְתְּבוּן	tehakhtebhun	you will cause to write
feminine plural second person	תְּהַכְתְּבָן	tehakhtebhan	you will cause to write
common plural first person	נְהַכְתֵּב	nehakhtebh	we will cause to write

Haphel Infinitive Paradigm

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
Infinitive	הַכְתָּבָה	hakhtabhah	cause to write

Haphel Imperative Paradigm

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular	הַכְתֵּב (or הַכְתִּב)	hakhtebh (or hakhtibh)	you must cause to write
feminine singular	הַכְתִּבִי	hakhtibhiy	you must cause to write
masculine plural	הַכְתִּבוּ	hakhtibhu	you must cause to write
feminine plural	הַכְתִּבָה	hakhtibhah	you must cause to write

Haphel Participle (active voice) Paradigm

Parsing	Aramaic	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular	מְהַכְתֵּב (or מְהַכְתִּב)	mehakhtebh (or mhakhtibh)	causing to write
feminine singular	מְהַכְתְּבָה	mehakhtebhah	causing to write
masculine plural	מְהַכְתְּבִין	mehakhtebhiyn	causing to write
feminine plural	מְהַכְתְּבָן	mehakhtebhan	causing to write

Function

The Haphel stem can express any of the following kinds of verbal action:

Expresses causative action

Causative action means that the subject of the verb is causing the object of the verb either to perform the verbal action (for dynamic verb) or to be in the state described by the verb (for stative verbs). The Haphel stem usually serves this causative function with dynamic verbs (and sometimes with stative verbs also). A good example is the verb בּוֹא. In the Qal stem, the verb בּוֹא expresses the simple action “to come” or “to go”. But in the Hiphil stem, the verb בּוֹא expresses the causative action “to bring” (meaning, to cause something to come/go). In English, causative action is expressed using the main verb “to cause” paired with the infinitive of the verbal action in view. In Biblical Aramaic, the causative nature of the verbal action is expressed by the Hiphil form of the verb itself with no additional verbal element.

Expresses various kinds of simple or causative action

In Biblical Aramaic, some verbs are found only in the Haphel stem (and/or its derivative stem formations). In these cases, the Haphel usually expresses a simple action which is causative by its very nature. A good example is the Aramaic verb סוּת, which occurs only in the Haphel stem and means “to incite” or “to entice”. A dictionary or lexicon will indicate all the stem formations in which a particular verb is found as well as the appropriate meaning(s).

Some verbs express different meanings in different stem formations. A good example is the verb גָּלָה. In the Pe’al stem, the verb גָּלָה expresses the simple action “to uncover” or “to reveal”. But in the Haphel stem, the verb גָּלָה expresses the simple action “to exile”. Again, this will be indicated by a dictionary or lexicon.

The Haphel stem can also be used to express miscellaneous kinds of simple or causative action that might not follow any of the other descriptions listed above. As always, the specific meaning of the verb will be indicated by a dictionary or lexicon.