III-He verbs ל״ה lamed-he
In verbs ending in ה, that ה is not a consonant but the letter that writes the final vowel. So the ending changes with each form (ָה ֶה וֹת), the hidden י appears before “I” (עָשִׂיתִי), and in the wayyiqtol and jussive the ending falls off. וַיְהִי וַיַּעַשׂ וַיַּרְא in Genesis 1 are all such short forms. This page shows these changes one by one in words actually used in the Bible.
ה in the ל (third root) position
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 III-He verbs are
A great many verbs are listed with ה (he) as the last letter — הָיָה (be, become) · עָשָׂה (make, do) · רָאָה (see) · בָּנָה (build) · עָלָה (go up) · צִוָּה (command, Piel) · כָּלָה (be finished). The most frequent verbs of Genesis 1 — וַיְהִי (and it was) · וַיַּעַשׂ (and he made) · וַיַּרְא (and he saw) — all belong here.
This final ה is not a consonant. It is a vowel letter written to show the vowel at the end of the word. The original third root letter was י (rarely ו). So the ending changes by form (ָה ֶה ֵה וֹת), the י reappears before endings like “I, you” (עָשִׂיתִי), and in some forms the ending falls off entirely (וַיַּעַשׂ).
2Where the name comes from — ל״ה Lamed-He
Traditional grammar names the root positions after the model verb פָּעַל (pa‘al); the third position is ל (lamed). A verb “with ה in the third position” is therefore Lamed-He (ל״ה).
English grammars write Lamed-He or III-He, and after the original letter also III-Yod. The name says “ה,” but the weak letter hidden behind it is י; remembering that makes the forms easy to follow.
3At a glance — the ending tells the form
- ָה (a) = perfect “he”עָשָׂה (he made, Gen 1:31).
- ֶה (e) = imperfect · participleיִהְיֶה (it shall be, 1:29) · עֹשֶׂה (making, 1:11).
- וֹת (ot) = infinitive constructלִרְאוֹת (to see, 2:19) · הֱיוֹת (being, 2:18).
- ִי visible = perfect “I, you, we”עָשִׂיתִי (I have made, 7:4) — the hidden root י appears.
- No ending = short form (jussive · wayyiqtol)וַיַּעַשׂ (1:7) · וַיְהִי (1:3) · וַיִּבֶן (2:22) — the ending ֶה has dropped.
4Paradigm — בנה (build)
The main Qal and Niphal forms. Orange marks the ending that changes with each form.
| Form | בנה | Reading | Ending |
|---|---|---|---|
| perfect (he) | בָּנָה | banah | ָה |
| perfect (she) | בָּנְתָה | banetah | ְתָה (old feminine ת + ָה) |
| perfect (you, m) | בָּנִיתָ | banita | ִי + תָ |
| perfect (I) | בָּנִיתִי | baniti | ִי + תִי |
| perfect (they) | בָּנוּ | banu | ה dropped + וּ |
| imperfect (he) | יִבְנֶה | yivneh | ֶה |
| imperfect (they) | יִבְנוּ | yivnu | ה dropped + וּ |
| jussive · wayyiqtol | יִבֶן · וַיִּבֶן | yiven · vayyiven | no ending (short form) |
| imperative (2ms) | בְּנֵה | beneh | ֵה |
| infinitive construct | בְּנוֹת | benot | וֹת |
| infinitive absolute | בָּנֹה | banoh | ֹה |
| participle (ms) | בֹּנֶה | boneh | ֶה |
| Niphal perfect (he) | נִבְנָה | nivnah | ָה |
| Niphal imperfect (he) | יִבָּנֶה | yibbaneh | ֶה |
The final ה has no dot (mappiq): it is not read as a consonant “h.” Other stems (Piel צִוָּה · Hiphil הִשְׁקָה) follow the same ending rule: perfect ָה, imperfect ֶה, infinitive וֹת.
5Why the forms change — the hidden י
- 1. The original last letter is יThe third root letter of these verbs was originally י. Being close to a vowel, it merged with the preceding vowel at the end of the word and disappeared; the remaining final vowel was written with the vowel letter ה. So the ה is not pronounced.
- 2. Before consonantal endings the י reappearsWhen an ending beginning with a consonant is added — “I” תִּי, “you” תָּ, “we” נוּ — the root י shows up before it as the vowel letter ִי (or ֵי) → עָשִׂיתִי (‘asiti).
- 3. Before vowel endings it drops out entirelyWhen a vowel ending like “they” וּ is added, the final vowel and its ה drop and only וּ remains → עָשׂוּ (they made), יִקָּווּ (let them gather, 1:9).
- 4. Short forms cut off the endingThe jussive and wayyiqtol use a short form that cuts off the imperfect ending ֶה. That leaves two consonants clustered at the end (יַעֲשׂ); Hebrew breaks this up with a helping vowel (וַיַּעַשׂ vayya‘as · וַיִּבֶן vayyiven) or by shifting the vowel (יִהְי → יְהִי yehi).
6Long and short forms — real pairs from Genesis
Pairs where both the imperfect (long) and the wayyiqtol (short) of a verb occur in Genesis. The ֶה at the end of the left form is gone on the right.
| Root | Long form (imperfect · cohortative) | Short form (wayyiqtol) | How it shortened |
|---|---|---|---|
| ה-י-ה be, become | יִהְיֶה yihyeh (1:29) | וַיְהִי vayhi (1:3) | cut ֶה → יִהְי → vowel shifts to יְהִי |
| ע-שׂ-ה make | יַעֲשֶׂה ya‘aseh (18:25) | וַיַּעַשׂ vayya‘as (1:7) | helping vowel ַ breaks up יַעֲשׂ |
| ר-א-ה see | יִרְאֶה yir’eh (22:8) | וַיַּרְא vayyar (1:4) | final א is silent, so no helping vowel; prefix vowel ַ |
| צ-ו-ה command (Piel) | יְצַוֶּה yetsavveh (18:19) | וַיְצַו vaytsav (2:16) | cut ֶה; the doubled ו becomes single |
| ב-נ-ה build | נִבְנֶה nivneh (11:4, let us build) | וַיִּבֶן vayyiven (2:22) | helping vowel ֶ breaks up יִבְן |
7Short forms — examples from Genesis 1–2
vayhi — and there was
Wayyiqtol: וַ (and) + יְהִי (short form). From the imperfect יִהְיֶה of ה-י-ה the ending ֶה is cut and the vowel shifts, giving יְהִי. The י after וַ has no dot because it carries a sheva, under which the dot is left out. This is the most frequent verb form in Genesis.
YLVAnd God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
vayya‘as — and he made
וַיַּ + עַשׂ. Cutting ֶה from the imperfect יַעֲשֶׂה leaves ע and שׂ clustered at the end; a helping ַ goes between them, giving וַיַּעַשׂ. The ה of the root ע-שׂ-ה is not seen.
YLVAnd God made the firmament, and divided between the waters which were under the firmament and the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.
vayyar — and he saw
וַיַּ + רְא, the short form of ר-א-ה. The final א is silent, so no helping vowel is needed: “vayyar.” This א is the middle root letter; the third letter ה has dropped. “God saw the light, that it was good.”
YLVAnd God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided between the light and between the darkness.
vayyiven — and he built
וַיִּ + בֶן. Root ב-נ-ה. Cutting ֶה from יִבְנֶה gives יִבְן; a helping ֶ goes between ב and נ. “He built the rib into a woman.”
YLVAnd YHWH God built the rib which he had taken from Adam into a woman (ishah), and brought her to Adam.
vaytsav — and he commanded
Piel wayyiqtol: וַיְ (Piel prefix with sheva) + צַו. The Piel imperfect יְצַוֶּה has a doubled, dotted ו; in the short form it ends the word and stays a single undotted ו. וַיְכַל (and he finished, 2:2) is the same kind of Piel short form.
YLVAnd YHWH God commanded (tzivvah) Adam, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you shall surely eat,
yirev — let (birds) multiply
Qal jussive: יִ + רֶב. From the imperfect יִרְבֶּה of ר-ב-ה (multiply) the ending is cut and a helping ֶ added. “Let the birds multiply on the earth.” וּרְבוּ earlier in the verse is the imperative of the same root.
YLVAnd God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds multiply in the earth."
8Perfect — ָה, ְתָה, ִי, וּ
hayetah — it (she) was
Qal perfect (she): הָיְ + תָה. The strong verb ends “she” with ָה; these verbs keep the old feminine ת and add ָה after it, giving ְתָה. The subject “the earth” (הָאָרֶץ) is feminine. “The earth was formless and empty.”
YLVAnd the earth was formlessness and emptiness, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the spirit (ruach) of God was hovering upon the face of the waters.
‘asiti — I have made
Qal perfect (I): עָשִׂ + י (the hidden root letter, now a vowel letter) + תִי (I). The final ה is gone and the original י appears in its place. The ת has no dot because a vowel precedes it.
YLVFor in yet seven days I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will blot out all that exists, which I have made, from upon the face of the ground (adamah)."
ra’iti — I have seen
רָאִ + י + תִי. The same root ר-א-ה as וַיַּרְא in 1:4: in the short form the ה dropped; before “I” it appears as ִי. “I have seen you righteous before me.”
YLVAnd YHWH said to Noah, "Come, you and all your house, into the ark, for you I have seen righteous before me in this generation.
9Imperfect ֶה · infinitive וֹת · participle ֶה
yihyeh — it shall be
Qal imperfect (he): יִ + הְיֶ + ה; the long form ends in ֶה. “It shall be food for you.” יְהִי in 1:3 is the short form of the same verb.
YLVAnd God said, "Behold, I have given to you every herb yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food.
na‘aseh — let us make
Qal imperfect (we): נַ (we) + עֲשֶׂ + ה. The first root letter ע is a guttural, so the prefix has ַ and ע has hateph patah (ֲ). The ֶה remains, so this is not a short form. “Let us make man.”
YLVAnd God said, "Let us make man (adam) in our image, after our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the beast, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."
‘asot — (in the day of) making
Qal infinitive construct: עֲשׂ + וֹת; for these verbs it always ends in וֹת. “In the day that YHWH God made earth and heavens.”
YLVThese are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that YHWH God made earth and heavens.
lir’ot — to see
לִ (to) + רְא + וֹת. Root ר-א-ה: “to see what he would call them.”
YLVAnd YHWH God formed out of the ground (adamah) every living thing (chai) of the field and every bird of the heavens, and brought it to Adam to see what he would call it; and whatever Adam called it, the living soul (nephesh), that was its name.
‘oseh — yielding (fruit)
Qal participle: עֹ (“o” on the first letter) + שֶׂ + ה. Like the imperfect, the participle ends in ֶה. “Fruit trees yielding fruit” — literally “making fruit.”
YLVAnd God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, herb yielding seed, fruit tree making fruit after its kind, in which is its seed, upon the earth"; and it was so.
10In the other stems the ending is the same
lehashqot — to water
לְ + הַ (Hiphil infinitive) + שְׁק + וֹת. The same Hiphil as 2:6, but as an infinitive construct it ends in וֹת. “A river went out of Eden to water the garden.”
YLVAnd a river was going out from Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four heads.
vetera’eh — and let (the dry land) appear
Niphal imperfect: וְ + תֵ (she — the merged Niphal נ stands before the guttural ר, so instead of a dot the prefix vowel lengthens to ֵ) + רָאֶ + ה. The Niphal of ר-א-ה → “be seen, appear”; the ֶה remains (long form).
YLVAnd God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered to one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.
11Easy to confuse
Short forms show only two root letters. Reading וַיַּעַשׂ וַיִּבֶן וַיַּרְא as roots ע-שׂ ב-ן will get you nowhere in the lexicon. Add the ה and look up ע-שׂ-ה ב-נ-ה ר-א-ה.
וַיַּרְא (he saw) and וַיִּירָא (he feared). וַיַּרְא is the short form of ר-א-ה; וַיִּירָא (Gen 28:17) is the wayyiqtol of י-ר-א (fear). The ִי and the prefix vowel (ַ or ִ) tell them apart.
A vowel under the final ה means something else. In תַּעֲשֶׂהָ (you shall make it, 6:16) the final הָ is the suffix “it (fem.)”; this ה is a consonant carrying ָ, while the verb’s own ending has already become ֶ before it.
Short form: wayyiqtol or jussive? With וַ (waw followed by a dot) in front it is a wayyiqtol (“and … did”); without it, a jussive (“let …”) — וַיְהִי (end of 1:3) · יְהִי (beginning of 1:3).