Participle בֵּינוֹנִי beinoni
The participle is the verb form for “doing.” Like a verb it has a meaning (eat, walk) and a stem; like an adjective it has masculine, feminine, singular and plural forms. So it can describe a person or thing (“creeping,” “walking”), say what is going on (“is doing”), or become a noun outright (“enemy,” “shepherd”). Participles begin as early as Gen 1:2, “hovering” (מְרַחֶפֶת). This page shows their shapes and uses one by one in real biblical words.
“the middle one” — named as the form between past and future, “now doing”
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 participle is
The participle shares the nature of a verb and of an adjective. (1) Like a verb it has a root, a stem, and objects. (2) Like an adjective it changes for gender (m · f) and number (sg · pl), not for person. (3) So unlike the perfect and imperfect it does not say “I, you, he” itself; the subject is written separately (אָנֹכִי מְבַקֵּשׁ “I am seeking,” 37:16).
There are two kinds: the active participle “doing” (זֹרֵעַ yielding seed, 1:29) and the passive participle “done, having received” (אָרוּר cursed, 3:14). A separate passive participle form exists mainly in the Qal.
The Old Testament has 9,780 participles (8,295 active · 1,485 passive), including 5,780 Qal active and 1,001 Qal passive (counted from the OSHB morphology). After the perfect, imperfect and wayyiqtol, it is the most common verb form.
2Where the name comes from — בֵּינוֹנִי beinoni
Hebrew grammar calls the participle בֵּינוֹנִי (beinoni, “the middle one”), from בֵּין (between). It is named as the form between the perfect, which tells what is past, and the imperfect, which tells what is to come — that is, “now doing.”
The active participle is בֵּינוֹנִי פּוֹעֵל (beinoni po‘el), the passive בֵּינוֹנִי פָּעוּל (beinoni pa‘ul). The two names already contain the two forms of the model verb פעל: פּוֹעֵל (po‘el) and פָּעוּל (pa‘ul).
English “participle” comes from Latin participium, “sharing”: it shares the nature of verb and adjective.
3At a glance — how to recognize the participle
- Qal active קֹטֵל — “o” on the first letterֹ (o, sometimes וֹ) on the first root letter, ֵ (e) on the second — הָרֹמֵשׂ (that creeps, Gen 1:26).
- Qal passive קָטוּל — וּ after the secondָ (a) on the first letter, וּ (u) after the second — אָרוּר (cursed, Gen 3:14).
- Other stems: מְ in frontPiel מְ, Hiphil מַ, Hithpael מִתְ are prefixed — מְרַחֶפֶת (Gen 1:2) · מַבְדִּיל (Gen 1:6). Only the Niphal has נִ.
- Endings like an adjectivefeminine ָה or ֶת, masculine plural ִים, feminine plural וֹת — never the person endings (תִּי תָּ).
4The Qal participle — active and passive
The model קטל (kill), in four forms for gender and number. Active: “killing”; passive: “killed.”
| Gender · number | Active (doing) | Reading | Passive (done) | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| masc. sg. | קֹטֵל | qotel | קָטוּל | qatul |
| fem. sg. | קֹטֶלֶת · קֹטְלָה | qotelet · qotlah | קְטוּלָה | qetulah |
| masc. pl. | קֹטְלִים | qotlim | קְטוּלִים | qetulim |
| fem. pl. | קֹטְלוֹת | qotlot | קְטוּלוֹת | qetulot |
The “o” of the active participle is written either with a dot, קֹ, or with a ו, קוֹ. הָרֹמֵשׂ in Gen 1:26 and רוֹמֵשׂ in 1:30 are the same word spelled both ways.
5Qal active participles — examples from Genesis 1–2
Look for the “o” on the first root letter. With the article הַ it means “the one that does …”
haromes — that creeps
הָ (the — the article) + the Qal active participle רֹמֵשׂ (creeping, root ר-מ-שׂ). It has exactly the vowels of the model קֹטֵל (qotel). With the article it describes “every creeping thing”: “that creeps on the earth.” The article is הָ because the next letter ר cannot take a dot (dagesh).
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."
haromeset — that moves (f.)
The feminine singular participle of the same root ר-מ-שׂ: הָ + רֹמֶשֶׂ + the ending ת. The noun it describes, נֶפֶשׁ (living creature), is feminine, so the participle is feminine. Compare the masculine הָרֹמֵשׂ in 1:26.
YLVAnd God created the great sea-creatures (tannin), and every living soul (nephesh) that creeps, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
yotse — was going out
The Qal active participle of י-צ-א (go out). Without the article and after its subject נָהָר (a river), it is the predicate: “a river was going out from Eden.” A participle does not mark time itself, so inside a narrative it pictures what was going on then.
YLVAnd a river was going out from Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four heads.
hassovev — which goes around
הַ (the) + the Qal active participle סֹבֵב of ס-ב-ב (go around). With the article, “the one that goes around the whole land of Havilah” — like a relative clause, it explains הוּא (it = the Pishon). In 2:13 the same word is spelled הַסּוֹבֵב, with ו.
YLVThe name of the first is Pishon; it is the one surrounding all the land of Havilah, where there is gold.
6Other genders and numbers, construct, passive — real examples from the Bible
tso‘aqim — are crying out
The Qal active participle of צ-ע-ק (cry out), masculine plural ים, agreeing with דְּמֵי (bloods — plural). “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground” — something going on now. The middle letter ע is a guttural and takes ֲ instead of a sheva.
YLVAnd he said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground (adamah).
yotse’ot — are coming out (women)
The Qal active participle of י-צ-א, feminine plural — the ending וֹת, here written ֹת without ו. It agrees with its subject בְנוֹת (daughters). It is the same word as יֹצֵא (masculine singular) in 2:10.
YLVBehold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men (ish) of the city are coming out to draw water;
yod‘e — knowers (of)
The participle of י-ד-ע (know), masculine plural construct: the ending ִים becomes ֵי and binds to the next word — יֹדְעֵי טוֹב וָרָע (knowers of good and evil). The participle forms a construct like a noun. Earlier in the same verse, יֹדֵעַ (knows) is masculine singular.
YLVfor God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be like God, knowing good and evil."
’arur — cursed
The Qal passive participle of א-ר-ר (curse): ָ on the first letter, וּ after the second — the shape of the model קָטוּל (qatul). The feminine אֲרוּרָה (the ground is cursed) is in 3:17, and בָּרוּךְ (blessed), in the same pattern, in 9:26.
YLVAnd YHWH God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the cattle and above every living thing (chai) of the field; upon your belly you shall go, and dust (aphar) you shall eat all the days of your life (chai).
7The participle in each stem
Masculine singular of the model קטל. Every stem except the Qal and Niphal has מ in front. This מ is the participle mark, standing where the imperfect has its prefix.
| Stem | Participle (ms) | Reading | Meaning | Genesis example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qal active | קֹטֵל | qotel | killing | הָרֹמֵשׂ (1:26) |
| Qal passive | קָטוּל | qatul | killed | אָרוּר (3:14) |
| Niphal | נִקְטָל | niqtal | killed | נֶחְמָד (2:9) |
| Piel | מְקַטֵּל | meqattel | slaughtering | מְרַחֶפֶת (1:2, feminine singular) |
| Pual | מְקֻטָּל | mequttal | slaughtered | — |
| Hiphil | מַקְטִיל | maqtil | causing to die | מַבְדִּיל (1:6) |
| Hithpael | מִתְקַטֵּל | mitqattel | killing oneself | מִתְהַלֵּךְ (3:8) |
The Niphal participle נִקְטָל (niqtal) and the Niphal perfect נִקְטַל (niqtal) differ only in the second vowel (participle ָ · perfect ַ).
8Participles in other stems — real examples from the Bible
meraḥefet — hovering
Piel participle, feminine singular: מְ (the Piel participle prefix) + the root ר-ח-ף + ת (feminine). It describes רוּחַ (spirit), a feminine noun. A Piel should have a dot in the middle letter, but ח is a guttural and cannot take it. This is the first participle in the Bible.
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.
mavdil — separating
Hiphil participle: מַ (the Hiphil participle prefix) + the root ב-ד-ל (separate) + “i” ִי. וִיהִי מַבְדִּיל (and let it be separating) presents the expanse’s task as an ongoing “separating.” Same root and stem as the infinitive לְהַבְדִּיל in 1:14.
YLVAnd God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide between waters and waters."
mithallekh — walking about
Hithpael participle: מִתְ (the Hithpael participle prefix) + the root ה-ל-ך (walk) + a dot in the middle letter לּ. “The voice of YHWH God walking about in the garden” — walking to and fro, going on. Same stem as the imperative הִתְהַלֵּךְ in 17:1.
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.
mevaqqesh — am seeking
Piel participle: מְ + the root ב-ק-שׁ (seek) + a dot in the middle letter קּ (Piel doubling). With אָנֹכִי (I) before it: “I am seeking.” A participle does not say “who” itself, so the subject is written separately.
YLVAnd he said, "I am seeking my brothers; tell me, I pray you, where they are feeding the flock."
9What the participle does — three uses
(1) Predicate “is doing” — in a clause without a finite verb the participle is the predicate; the context sets the time. Now: יֹדֵעַ אֱלֹהִים (God knows, 3:5) · אָנֹכִי מְבַקֵּשׁ (I am seeking, 37:16). Going on at that time: וְנָהָר יֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן (a river was going out from Eden, 2:10). With הִנֵּה (behold), about to happen: הִנְנִי מֵבִיא אֶת־הַמַּבּוּל (behold, I am bringing the flood, 6:17).
(2) Modifier “that does” — like an adjective it describes a noun, matching its gender, number and article: הָרֹמֵשׂ (1:26) · הָרֹמֶשֶׂת (1:21) · הַסֹּבֵב (2:11). A participle with the article works like an English relative clause, “which/who does.”
(3) Noun “one who does” — the participle becomes the name of a person or thing: אֹיְבָיו (his enemies, 22:17 — “those hostile”) · רֹעִים (shepherds, 37:16 — “those who tend”) · מֵתֶךָ (your dead, 23:6).
10When the shape changes
III-He verbs end in ֶה (e) in the masculine singular: עֹשֶׂה (yielding, 1:11 — root ע-שׂ-ה) · עֹשִׂים (plural, 24:49).
A guttural last letter gets a short “a” slipped in under final ע or ח: זֹרֵעַ (yielding seed, 1:29) · יֹדֵעַ (knowing, 3:5). The Hiphil too: מַזְרִיעַ (yielding seed, 1:11).
A guttural middle letter takes a hateph instead of a sheva when an ending shortens the second vowel: צֹעֲקִים (4:10) · הַשֹּׁאֲבֹת (the women who draw water, 24:11).
Hollow verbs have a short Qal active participle like קָם: מֵת (dying, 50:24) · בָּאִים (advanced, 18:11, “well on in days”). The Hiphil has מֵ, as in מֵבִיא (bringing, 6:17).
11Easy to confuse
Participle מֵת and perfect מֵת — for the hollow verb מ-ו-ת, the Qal active participle (“dying”) and the perfect 3ms (“he died”) are both מֵת. In Gen 50:24 אָנֹכִי מֵת has the subject אָנֹכִי (I) in front, so it is the participle, “I am dying.” A perfect would attach “I” as an ending, מַתִּי (I died).
A מ in front is not always a participle — many nouns begin with מ: מָקוֹם (place) · מַבּוּל (flood). A participle fits the vowel pattern of a root and stem (מְקַטֵּל מַקְטִיל).
Qal active participle vs infinitive absolute — the participle קֹטֵל has its “o” on the first letter (יֹדֵעַ 3:5); the infinitive absolute קָטוֹל on the second (יָדֹעַ 15:13). The Qal passive participle קָטוּל has “u” (וּ) (אָרוּר 3:14).
The participle’s time is not fixed — whether “is doing,” “was doing,” or “is about to do” depends on the context (inside a narrative? with הִנֵּה?).
12Where this appears in Genesis 1–2
All 17 places, found from the OSHB morphology. Tap one to go to that word’s notes.