Hithpael הִתְפַּעֵל hitpa‘el
The Hithpael is one of the seven stems of the Hebrew verb. It adds “do to oneself” (reflexive), “do to one another” (reciprocal), or “do to and fro” (iterative) to a root. It has two marks: הִתְ (hit) in front, and a dot (doubling) in the middle root letter. But when the first root letter is ס שׂ שׁ צ, the ת swaps places with it, and before letters such as ד ט ת the ת merges into them. This page shows these shapes, one by one, in words actually used in the Bible.
the model verb פָּעַל in this stem — “do to oneself”
Colour key blue = added at the front · orange = added at the end · purple = a mark inside (dot · doubled letter · changed vowel) · underline = the word this page is about
1What the Hithpael is
A Hebrew verb builds kinds of meaning by changing the letters and vowels around a three-letter root. Each kind is a stem (Hebrew בִּנְיָן binyan, “building”). The Hithpael takes the frame of the Piel (the stem that doubles the middle letter) and adds the prefix הִתְ. Counted from the OSHB morphology, Hithpael words occur 920 times in the Old Testament.
It adds four kinds of meaning. (1) Reflexive — “do to oneself” (3:8 וַיִּתְחַבֵּא “he hid himself”). (2) Reciprocal — “do to one another” (42:1 תִּתְרָאוּ “look at one another”). (3) Iterative — “do to and fro” (3:8 מִתְהַלֵּךְ “walking about”). (4) Acting as, presenting oneself as (42:7 וַיִּתְנַכֵּר “he made himself a stranger”).
2Where the name comes from — הִתְפַּעֵל hitpa‘el
Stem names take the verb פָּעַל (pa‘al, “do, make”) as a model and use the sound of that verb in the stem as the name.
פָּעַל in the Hithpael is הִתְפַּעֵל (hitpa‘el): הִתְ (hit) in front and ֵ (e) under the second root letter. This stem doubles its middle letter, but the model letter ע is a guttural and cannot take the doubling dot, so the name shows no dot.
3At a glance — three marks of the Hithpael
- הִתְ · יִתְ · מִתְ in frontThe perfect, imperative and infinitive begin הִתְ (hit); the imperfect יִתְ תִּתְ אֶתְ נִתְ; the participle מִתְ — מִתְהַלֵּךְ (Gen 3:8).
- A dot in the middle letterAs in the Piel, the second root letter is doubled with a dot (dagesh) — the ב of וַיִּתְחַבֵּא (Gen 3:8).
- ת swaps or mergesIf the first root letter is ס שׂ שׁ צ, it swaps with ת (מִשְׁתָּאֵה Gen 24:21); before letters such as ד ט ת ז נ, ת merges into them as a dot (וְהִטַּהֲרוּ Gen 35:2).
4The perfect — הִתְ in front, a dot in the middle letter
The Hithpael perfect of the model verb קטל (kill): “… killed himself.” It is the Piel perfect קִטֵּל (qittel) with הִתְ in front. “Who” is shown at the end, as in the Qal.
| Who | Hithpael perfect | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| he (3ms) | הִתְקַטֵּל | hitqattel | he killed himself |
| she (3fs) | הִתְקַטְּלָה | hitqattelah | she killed herself |
| you (2ms) | הִתְקַטַּלְתָּ | hitqattalta | you (m) … |
| you (2fs) | הִתְקַטַּלְתְּ | hitqattalt | you (f) … |
| I (1cs) | הִתְקַטַּלְתִּי | hitqattalti | I … |
| they (3cp) | הִתְקַטְּלוּ | hitqattelu | they … |
| you (2mp) | הִתְקַטַּלְתֶּם | hitqattaltem | you (m pl) … |
| you (2fp) | הִתְקַטַּלְתֶּן | hitqattalten | you (f pl) … |
| we (1cp) | הִתְקַטַּלְנוּ | hitqattalnu | we … |
The first root letter always has ַ (a), and the middle letter always has a dot. “He” has ֵ (e); the first and second persons have ַ (a). The endings are those of the Qal perfect.
5The perfect — real examples from the Bible
All are Hithpael perfects in Genesis. Look for הִתְ in front and the dot in the middle letter.
hithallekh — (Noah) walked
הִתְ (the Hithpael mark) + the root ה-ל-ך (walk, go) + לֶּ (a doubling dot in the middle letter ל). Qal הָלַךְ is “go”; the Hithpael is “walk about, walk continually” — a repeated action. “Noah walked with God.”
YLVThese are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man (ish), blameless in his generations; Noah walked with God.
hithallakhti — I have walked
הִתְ + ה + לַּ (the doubled ל) + כְ + the ending תִּי (I). In the first person the middle vowel is ַ (a). Abraham speaks of “YHWH, before whom I have walked.”
YLVAnd he said to me, 'YHWH, before whom I have walked, will send his messenger with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife (ishah) for my son from my family and from my father's house.
hit‘assequ — they contended (with him)
הִתְ + the root ע-שׂ-ק (quarrel) + שְּׂ (the doubled שׂ) + the ending קוּ (the root’s ק + וּ they). The herdsmen of Gerar and of Isaac “contended with each other” — a reciprocal sense. Isaac named the well “Esek” (contention).
YLVAnd the herdsmen of Gerar strove with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, "The water is ours." And he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.
6The imperfect — prefix + תְ
The Hithpael imperfect of קטל (“… will kill himself”). The imperfect prefix (י ת א נ) takes the place of the ה of הִתְ.
| Who | Hithpael imperfect | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| he | יִתְקַטֵּל | yitqattel |
| she · you (m) | תִּתְקַטֵּל | titqattel |
| you (f) | תִּתְקַטְּלִי | titqatteli |
| I | אֶתְקַטֵּל | ’etqattel |
| they (m) | יִתְקַטְּלוּ | yitqattelu |
| they (f) · you (f pl) | תִּתְקַטֵּלְנָה | titqattelnah |
| you (m pl) | תִּתְקַטְּלוּ | titqattelu |
| we | נִתְקַטֵּל | nitqattel |
The ה drops between the prefix and the vowel for the same reason as in the Hiphil imperfect (יַקְטִיל). But the Hithpael keeps its ת, so it is recognized by יִתְ.
7Imperfect · wayyiqtol — real examples from the Bible
Look for תְ after the prefix and the dot in the middle letter.
vayyitḥabbe — and he hid himself
Wayyiqtol וַ (and) + יִתְ (he + the Hithpael ת) + the root ח-ב-א (hide) + בֵּ (the doubled ב). “He hid himself” — a reflexive. In 3:10 Adam uses the Niphal of the same root, וָאֵחָבֵא (and I hid myself).
YLVAnd they heard the voice of YHWH God walking about in the garden at the spirit (ruach) of the day; and Adam and his woman (ishah) hid themselves from the presence of YHWH God in the midst of the trees of the garden.
vayyitpallel — and he prayed
וַ + יִתְ + the root פ-ל-ל + לֵּ (the doubled middle ל). “Pray” is almost always a Hithpael in the Bible. Such verbs are not translated “do to oneself,” simply “pray.”
YLVAnd Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and his wife (ishah), and his maidservants; and they bore children.
vayyitnakker — and he made himself a stranger
וַ + יִתְ + the root נ-כ-ר (be strange) + כֵּ (the doubled כ). “Make oneself a stranger → act as a stranger.” Earlier in the verse וַיַּכִּרֵם (he recognized them) is the Hiphil of the same consonantal root נ-כ-ר (lexicons sometimes list the two meanings as separate words): Joseph knew them, yet acted as if he did not.
YLVAnd Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he made himself a stranger to them and spoke harsh things with them, and said to them, "From where do you come?" And they said, "From the land of Canaan, to buy food."
titra’u — (you) look at one another
תִּתְ (you + ת) + the root ר-א-ה (see) + the ending אוּ (א + וּ you pl). The middle ר cannot be doubled, so it has no dot, and the final ה has dropped. The Hithpael of “see” is “look at one another” — a reciprocal.
YLVAnd Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, "Why do you look at one another?"
8Imperative · infinitives · participle
The imperative and infinitives begin with הִתְ like the perfect. The participle begins with מִתְ (mit).
| Form | Model קטל | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| imperative (2ms) | הִתְקַטֵּל | hitqattel | kill yourself |
| imperative (2mp) | הִתְקַטְּלוּ | hitqattelu | (you pl) … yourselves |
| infinitive construct | הִתְקַטֵּל | hitqattel | killing oneself |
| infinitive absolute | הִתְקַטֵּל | hitqattel | (emphatic) killing oneself |
| participle (ms) | מִתְקַטֵּל | mitqattel | (one) killing himself |
| participle (fs) | מִתְקַטֶּלֶת | mitqattelet | (she / it) … |
| participle (mp) | מִתְקַטְּלִים | mitqattelim | (those) … |
The perfect “he,” the 2ms imperative and both infinitives all share the shape הִתְקַטֵּל. Which one it is depends on its place in the sentence.
9Imperative · infinitive · participle — real examples from the Bible
hithallekh — walk
Imperative: הִתְ + ה + לֵּ (the doubled ל) + ךְ. The same root and stem as הִתְהַלֶּךְ (Noah walked, a perfect) in 6:9, and almost the same shape. YHWH tells Abram “walk before me,” so it is an imperative.
YLVAnd Abram was a son of ninety years and nine years, and YHWH appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty (El Shaddai); walk before me and be blameless.
vehit‘anni — and humble yourself (f)
Feminine singular imperative: וְ (and) + הִתְ + the root ע-נ-ה (humble) + נִּ (the doubled נ) + the ending י (you, to a woman — the final ה dropped). “Humble oneself” — a reflexive. The messenger of YHWH speaks to Hagar, so the form is feminine.
YLVAnd the messenger of YHWH said to her, "Return to your mistress, and humble yourself under her hands."
lehitnaḥem — to be comforted
לְ (to) + the infinitive construct הִתְנַחֵם. The middle ח is a guttural and cannot be doubled, so no dot. Earlier in the verse לְנַחֲמוֹ (to comfort him) is the Piel of the root; this word is the Hithpael, “let oneself be comforted.” Jacob “refused to be comforted.”
YLVAnd all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, and said, "For I will go down to my son mourning, to Sheol." And his father wept for him.
mithallekh — walking about
Participle: מִתְ (the participle prefix) + ה + לֵּ (the doubled ל) + ךְ. “Walk to and fro, walk about” — a repeated action. The sound of YHWH God “walking about” in the garden.
YLVAnd they heard the voice of YHWH God walking about in the garden at the spirit (ruach) of the day; and Adam and his woman (ishah) hid themselves from the presence of YHWH God in the midst of the trees of the garden.
hammithappekhet — turning every way
The article הַ (the) + the feminine singular participle מִתְהַפֶּכֶת (the doubled פ + the feminine ending ת). The Hithpael of ה-פ-ך (turn, overturn): “turn this way and that.” It describes “the sword” (חֶרֶב), a feminine noun, so the form is feminine.
YLVAnd he drove out Adam, and he stationed east of the garden of Eden the cherubim and the flame of the whirling sword, to keep the way of the tree of life (chai).
10When the first letter is ס שׂ שׁ צ — ת swaps places
A “t” sound directly before a hissing sound like “s · sh · ts” is awkward to say. So the ת moves after that letter. This is called metathesis.
- שׁ (shin)הִשְׁתַּ… is written instead of הִתְשַׁ… — מִשְׁתָּאֵה (Gen 24:21), וְיִשְׁתַּמֵּר (Mic 6:16).
- שׂ (sin)הִשְׂתָּ… — תִשְׂתָּרֵר (Num 16:13).
- ס (samekh)הִסְתַּ… — מִסְתַּתֵּר (1 Sam 23:19).
- צ (tsade)After the swap, ת also changes to ט to match צ — הִצְטַ…: נִּצְטַדָּק (Gen 44:16).
11Metathesis — real examples from the Bible
See the ת standing after the first root letter. Purple marks the two letters that swapped.
mishta’e — gazing (at her)
Participle: מִ (the participle prefix) + שְׁתָּ (the root’s first letter שׁ and the Hithpael ת have swapped — originally מִתְשָׁ…) + אֵה. The Hithpael of שׁ-א-ה (gaze): “gaze intently.” Abraham’s servant “gazing” at Rebekah.
YLVAnd the man (ish) was gazing at her in silence, to know whether YHWH had prospered his way or not.
nitstaddaq — (how) shall we justify ourselves
נִּ (we) + צְטַ (the first letter צ and ת have swapped, and ת became ט to match צ) + דָּ (the doubled middle ד) + ק. The Hithpael of צ-ד-ק (be righteous): “show oneself righteous” — a reflexive. The dot in the prefix נ comes from its close joining by maqqef to the preceding מַה־ (what).
YLVAnd Judah said, "What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? And how shall we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are servants to my lord, both we and he in whose hand the goblet was found."
tistarer — you make yourself a prince (over us)
תִ (you) + שְׂתָּ (the first letter שׂ and ת have swapped) + רֵר. The Hithpael of שׂ-ר-ר (rule): “make oneself a ruler.” The infinitive absolute הִשְׂתָּרֵר stands beside it in the same verse for emphasis.
YLVIs it a small thing that you have brought us up from a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you should also make yourself altogether a prince over us?
mistatter — hiding himself
Participle: מִ + סְתַּ (the first letter ס and ת have swapped) + תֵּ (the doubled middle ת) + ר. The Hithpael of ס-ת-ר (hide): “hide oneself” — a reflexive. “Is not David hiding himself …?”
YLVAnd the Ziphites went up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, "Is not David hiding himself with us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?
12When the first letter is ד ט ת ז נ — ת merges into a dot
When ת stands right before a similar sound, it merges into that letter and only a dot (dagesh) remains in it. This is called assimilation — the same thing that happens to the נ of the Niphal. In the words below no ת is seen.
vehittaharu — and purify yourselves
Masculine plural imperative: וְ (and) + הִ + טַּ (a dot in the first root letter ט — the ת of an original הִתְטַ… has merged into ט) + הֲ + the ending רוּ (ר + וּ you pl). The Hithpael of ט-ה-ר (be clean): “make oneself clean.” The middle ה is a guttural, so no doubling dot.
YLVAnd Jacob said to his house and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods that are in your midst, and purify yourselves, and change your garments;
middabber — speaking
Participle: מִ + דַּ (a dot in the first letter ד — the merged ת) + בֵּ (the doubled middle ב) + ר. The Hithpael participle of ד-ב-ר (speak), describing the voice Moses heard “speaking to him.” וַיְדַבֵּר (and he spoke) at the end of the verse is the Piel of the same root.
YLVAnd when Moses went into the tent (ohel) of appointed time (moed) to speak with him, then he heard the voice speaking to him from above the cover which is upon the ark of the testimony (edut), from between the two cherubim; and He spoke to him.
hizzakku — purify yourselves
Masculine plural imperative: הִ + זַּ (a dot in the first letter ז — the merged ת) + כּ (the doubled כ) + the ending וּ (you pl). The Hithpael of ז-כ-ך (be clean). It shows that ת can also merge before ז.
YLVWash yourselves, purify yourselves, remove the evil of your deeds from before My eyes; cease to do evil;
hinnabbe’u — they prophesied
Perfect 3cp: הִ + נַּ (a dot in the first letter נ — the merged ת) + בְּ (the doubled ב) + the ending אוּ (א + וּ they). The Hithpael of נ-ב-א (prophesy). This verb also means “prophesy” in the Niphal (נִבָּא), so the הִ in front and the whole shape decide the stem.
YLVAnd in the prophets of Samaria I have seen folly: they prophesied by Baal, and led my people Israel astray.
13When the middle letter is a guttural or ר — a longer vowel instead of a dot
The gutturals א ה ח ע and ר cannot be doubled, so they cannot take the doubling dot. When the middle letter is one of these, there is no dot; instead the vowel before it lengthens (ַ → ָ) or stays as it is.
Example: וְהִתְבָּרֲכוּ (vehitbarakhu, Gen 22:18 “shall be blessed”) — the middle ר has no dot, and the vowel under the first root letter ב has lengthened from ַ to ָ. The Hithpael of ב-ר-ך (bless).
לְהִתְנַחֵם (37:35 — middle ח) · וְהִטַּהֲרוּ (35:2 — middle ה) · תִּתְרָאוּ (42:1 — middle ר) also have no dot in the middle letter for the same reason.
14What the Hithpael does — reflexive · reciprocal · iterative · acting as
(1) Reflexive “do to oneself” — the subject acts on itself: וַיִּתְחַבֵּא (hid himself, 3:8) · וְהִטַּהֲרוּ (purify yourselves, 35:2) · וְהִתְעַנִּי (humble yourself, 16:9).
(2) Reciprocal “do to one another”: תִּתְרָאוּ (look at one another, 42:1) · הִתְעַשְּׂקוּ (contended with each other, 26:20).
(3) Iterative “to and fro, continually” — not once but repeatedly: מִתְהַלֵּךְ (walking about, 3:8) · הַמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת (turning every way, 3:24) · הִתְהַלֶּךְ (walked continually, 6:9).
(4) Acting as, presenting oneself as: וַיִּתְנַכֵּר (made himself a stranger, 42:7).
(5) Verbs whose basic meaning is Hithpael — such as וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל (prayed, 20:17), translated plainly without “oneself.” So when you meet a Hithpael, ask “to whom — oneself? one another? repeatedly?” and check the verb’s use in the lexicon.
15Easy to confuse
It can be a Hithpael even when no ת is seen in front. With metathesis (מִשְׁתָּאֵה) or assimilation (וְהִטַּהֲרוּ) there is no הִתְ. The assimilated forms (הִטַּ… · מִדַּ…) have a dot in the first root letter and look like a Niphal imperative (הִפָּרֵד), but the Hithpael also doubles the middle letter (the ב of מִדַּבֵּר) and its participle begins with מ.
Hithpael and Niphal: both can mean “do to oneself.” The Hithpael וַיִּתְחַבֵּא (he hid himself, Gen 3:8) and the Niphal וָאֵחָבֵא (I hid myself, 3:10) share the root ח-ב-א. The shape decides: the Hithpael has תְ and a doubled middle letter; the Niphal imperfect has a dot in the first letter (or, before a guttural, a lengthened prefix vowel).
וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ (bowed down, Gen 18:2): it shows שְׁתַּ as if by metathesis, and in many places OSHB analyses it as a Hithpael (root שׁ-ח-ה). Elsewhere OSHB analyses the same verb as the rare stem Hishtaphel (root ח-ו-ה) (Gen 22:5 וְנִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה). Many grammars today take it as a Hishtaphel. Either way the meaning is “bow down” (see Rare stems).