The Niphal stem in Biblical Hebrew is the domain of verbs that receive, reflect, or reveal action—often passive, reflexive, or transformational in nature. Marked by the prefixed or infixed nun, Niphal turns כָּתַב (“he wrote”) into נִכְתַּב (“it was written”), quietly relocating the agent behind the act. Its usage spans divine revelation (נִגְלָה), covenantal creation (יִבָּרֵאוּן), and poetic justice (נִשְׁפַּטְתִּי), giving theological depth to verbs that portray not just motion, but consequence. In the Niphal, sacred narrative breathes through what is received, remembered, and revealed.
Defining the Niphal Stem
The Niphal (נִפְעַל) stem is one of the seven primary binyanim (verb stems) in Biblical Hebrew. It typically expresses a simple passive or reflexive action—what happens to the subject rather than what the subject does. It often serves as the passive counterpart to the Qal stem, though in some contexts it can convey middle or reciprocal nuances.
Its name (Niphal) is derived from the characteristic prefixed nun (נ) and the vocalization pattern of the stem, based on the root פ־ע־ל (“to do”) in the form נִפְעַל, which gives the stem its name.
Core Functions of Niphal
The Niphal stem conveys a variety of grammatical functions, depending on the context:
- Passive voice: The subject receives the action (e.g., “was written,” “was found”).
- Reflexive voice: The subject acts upon itself (e.g., “he sanctified himself”).
- Stative or inchoative: Denotes a state or becoming something (e.g., “was opened,” “became known”).
Niphal Paradigm: נָכַר (“to recognize”)
| Form | Example | Gloss |
|---|---|---|
| Perfect (3ms) | נִכַּר | he was recognized |
| Imperfect (3ms) | יִנָּכֵר | he will be recognized |
| Imperative (ms) | הִנָּכֵר | be recognized! |
| Infinitive Construct | הִנָּכֵר | to be recognized |
| Infinitive Absolute | נִכּוֹר | surely be recognized |
| Participle (ms) | נִכָּר | being recognized |
Examples from Scripture
- יִבָּרֵאוּן (Psalm 104:30) – “they are created” (passive of בָּרָא)
- נִשְׁמַע (1 Kings 6:7) – “was heard”
- נִפְקַד (Numbers 31:49) – “was missing”
- יִלָּחֵם (Exodus 14:14) – “will fight” (reflexive/middle: he will fight for them)
Common Patterns and Characteristics
Niphal verbs are identifiable by specific prefixes and infixes:
- Prefix נ (nun) in the perfect, participle, and infinitive absolute
- Infix נ (nun) after the prefix in the imperfect and imperative forms
- Verbs with gutturals or weak roots may modify, assimilate, or lose the nun
These features make the Niphal morphologically distinct and relatively predictable.
Niphal vs. Qal and Piel: Functional Contrast
| Stem | Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Qal | כָּתַב | he wrote |
| Niphal | נִכְתַּב | it was written |
| Piel | כִּתֵּב | he composed / inscribed |
This contrast shows how the Niphal transforms a simple action into a passive or reflexive event, often without explicit mention of the agent.
Theological and Literary Value
Many important theological actions in the Bible are conveyed through the Niphal stem:
- יִבָּרֵאוּן (Psalm 104:30): Emphasizes the passive result of divine action.
- נִגְלָה (Isaiah 40:5) – “was revealed”: Common in prophetic literature referring to YHWH’s appearing.
- נִשְׁפַּטְתִּי (Ezekiel 20:36) – “I was judged”: Focuses on the subject’s experience of divine justice.
These usages demonstrate how the Niphal can stress divine agency, hidden causality, and the experience of transformation or judgment.
Niphal: Where Action Meets Reception
The Niphal stem embodies the reception of action—whether passive, reflexive, or inchoative. Its grammatical structure allows Hebrew to express complex states of being, divine encounters, and covenantal reversals. Mastery of the Niphal is essential for reading prophetic, poetic, and legal texts in the Hebrew Bible, where nuance and voice shape the theology as much as the vocabulary.
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