1. The first kind consists of verbs that are intransitive in the qal stem, and this stem renders them transitive toward a second object. For example: qam (“he rose”) becomes heqim (“he caused [someone] to rise”); yarad (“he went down”) becomes horid (“he brought down”). For this reason this stem was established. Accordingly, it appears most often in the class of verbs with a quiescent middle letter, which is the usual domain of intransitive verbs, as I wrote in the sixth principle. It also appears, though less frequently, with complete verbs, such as from shakhav and rakhav, yielding hishkiv and hirkiv—all of which are transitive toward a second object.

2. The second kind is when the qal stem is transitive toward a second object, and this stem makes it transitive toward a third. Thus, from the root akhal, which is transitive toward a second object, we say he’ekhīl, which is transitive toward a third. For example, “ha-ma’akhilkha man”: here there are three participants—the Holy One, blessed be He, who causes to eat; Israel, who eats; and the manna, which is eaten.

3. The third kind consists of verbs that are not found in the qal stem at all, such as hishkim, hishlikh, and the like. Their meaning nevertheless corresponds to that of this stem, as will be explained at the end of the thirteenth principle.

4. The fourth kind consists of verbs that are intransitive in the qal stem and also in this stem, such as “u-Far‘oh hiqriv” (Exodus 14:10), and “va-ya‘teq mi-sham” (Genesis 12:8), which are equivalent to qarav and ‘ataq. Ibn Ezra said that the object is omitted in these cases: in “u-Far‘oh hiqriv” the object maḥanehu (“his camp”) is lacking; and likewise in “va-ya‘teq mi-sham” the object oholoh (“his tent”) is lacking; and so too in other places. And there are verbs in this stem that in one context are intransitive and in another are transitive, such as “heḥepir Levanon qamal” (Isaiah 33:9), which is intransitive, but “yav’ish ve-yaḥpir” (Proverbs 10:22; 23:5), which is transitive; likewise “ve-khen et ha-‘ir lo hirḥiqu” (Genesis 44:4) is intransitive, whereas “hirḥiq mimennu et pesha‘einu” (Psalms 103) is transitive. Similarly, “ki ya‘ashir ish” (Psalms 49:17) is intransitive, while “birkat Hashem hi ta‘ashir” >(Proverbs 10) is transitive. And behold, this stem too produced a derivative, which is called the hof‘al stem.