# Chapter 32 — Piel–Pual Contrast Drill

*BBH Chapter 32 · Pual Strong Verbs*

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## Instructions

The Pual is the passive of the Piel, exactly as the Hophal is the passive of the Hiphil. Every Pual form has a corresponding Piel active counterpart. The defining Pual diagnostic: **Qibbuts (ֻ) under R1 + Dagesh Forte in R2**.

**Part A** gives you active/passive pairs from the same root. For each form: (1) identify the stem (Piel or Pual), (2) parse fully, (3) translate.

**Part B** gives you 15 forms from Piel, Pual, Hiphil, and Hophal. For each: identify the stem, then parse.

The answer key is at the bottom.

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## Stem Reference

| Stem | R1 vowel (perfect 3ms) | R2 | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Piel** | *Hiriq* (קִ) or *patach* (קַ) | Dagesh Forte | Active |
| **Pual** | *Qibbuts* (קֻ) | Dagesh Forte | Passive of Piel |
| **Hiphil** | *Hiriq* under הִ | No dagesh in R2 (unless I-nun) | Active causative |
| **Hophal** | *Qibbuts/qamets-hateph* under הֻ/הָ | No dagesh in R2 | Passive of Hiphil |

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## Part A — Active/Passive Pairs

### Pair 1: בָּרַךְ (to bless)

| # | Form | Reference | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | תְּבָרֵךְ | Num 22:6 | | | | |
| 2 | מְבֹרָךְ | Num 22:6 | | | | |

### Pair 2: קָדַשׁ (to be holy)

| # | Form | Reference | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ | Exo 29:36 | | | | |
| 4 | יְקֻדַּשׁ | Exo 29:37 | | | | |

### Pair 3: כִּסָּה (to cover)

| # | Form | Reference | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | יְכַסֶּה | Exo 10:5 | | | | |
| 6 | יְכֻסּוּ | Gen 7:19 | | | | |

### Pair 4: שִׁנַּן (to sharpen / teach diligently)

| # | Form | Reference | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | שִׁנַּנְתָּם | Deu 6:7 | | | | |
| 8 | שֻׁנָּן | (expected) | | | | |

### Pair 5: יָלַד (to give birth)

| # | Form | Reference | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | יּוֹלֶד | Gen 5:3 | | | | |
| 10 | יֻלַּד | Gen 4:18 | | | | |

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## Part B — Identification Drill (Piel / Pual / Hiphil / Hophal)

| # | Form | Reference | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Root |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | מְבֹרָךְ | Num 22:6 | | | | |
| 12 | תְּבָרֵךְ | Num 22:6 | | | | |
| 13 | יֻלַּד | Gen 4:18 | | | | |
| 14 | יְכֻלּוּ | Gen 2:1 | | | | |
| 15 | יְכַסֶּה | Exo 10:5 | | | | |
| 16 | יְכֻסּוּ | Gen 7:19 | | | | |
| 17 | יְבָרֵךְ | Gen 1:22 | | | | |
| 18 | יֻּגַּד | Gen 22:20 | | | | |
| 19 | וַיְקַדֵּשׁ | Exo 19:14 | | | | |
| 20 | יְקֻדַּשׁ | Exo 29:37 | | | | |
| 21 | שִׁנַּנְתָּם | Deu 6:7 | | | | |
| 22 | קֻדַּשׁ | Exo 29:21 | | | | |
| 23 | הוּקַם | Exo 40:17 | | | | |
| 24 | הִקְדִּישׁ | Lev 27:14 | | | | |
| 25 | כֻּסָּה | Exo 15:5 | | | | |

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## Answer Key — Part A

### Pair 1: בָּרַךְ

| # | Form | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | תְּבָרֵךְ | Piel | Imperfect | 2ms | you bless | *Tsere* as Piel stem vowel; active |
| 2 | מְבֹרָךְ | Pual | Participle | ms | is blessed | *Qibbuts* normally; ר rejects dagesh forte → *qamets* lengthened compensatorily under ר; Pual passive participle |

### Pair 2: קָדַשׁ

| # | Form | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ | Piel | Weqatal | 2ms | and you shall consecrate | *Hiriq* + dagesh forte in ד; Piel active weqatal |
| 4 | יְקֻדַּשׁ | Pual | Imperfect | 3ms | it will be consecrated | *Qibbuts* under ק + dagesh forte in ד — classic Pual signature |

### Pair 3: כִּסָּה

| # | Form | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | יְכַסֶּה | Piel | Imperfect | 3ms | he will cover | *Patach* under כ + dagesh forte in ס; III-he: *seghol* + ה ending |
| 6 | יְכֻסּוּ | Pual | Imperfect | 3mp | they were covered | *Qibbuts* under כ + dagesh forte in ס; III-he Pual 3mp |

### Pair 4: שִׁנַּן

| # | Form | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | שִׁנַּנְתָּם | Piel | Perfect | 2ms + 3mp suffix | you shall teach them diligently | *Hiriq* under שׁ + dagesh forte in נ + pronominal suffix |
| 8 | שֻׁנָּן | Pual | Perfect | 3ms | it has been sharpened | *Qibbuts* under שׁ + dagesh forte in נ — Pual passive of Piel שִׁנֵּן |

### Pair 5: יָלַד

| # | Form | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | יּוֹלֶד | Hiphil | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | and he fathered/begat | הוֹ prefix contracted with wayyiqtol prefix; I-yod Hiphil |
| 10 | יֻלַּד | Pual | Perfect | 3ms | was born/begotten | *Qibbuts* under י + dagesh forte in ל — Pual passive of Piel/Hiphil causative |

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## Answer Key — Part B

| # | Form | Stem | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | מְבֹרָךְ | Pual | Participle | ms | בָּרַךְ | Pual passive participle; ר rejects dagesh → compensatory lengthening → *qamets* |
| 12 | תְּבָרֵךְ | Piel | Imperfect | 2ms | בָּרַךְ | *Tsere* stem vowel; ר rejects dagesh → compensatory lengthening; active |
| 13 | יֻלַּד | Pual | Perfect | 3ms | יָלַד | *Qibbuts* under י + dagesh forte in ל; Pual passive |
| 14 | יְכֻלּוּ | Pual | Wayyiqtol | 3mp | כָּלָה | *Qibbuts* under כ + dagesh forte in ל; III-he Pual 3mp ending (וּ); "were finished/completed" |
| 15 | יְכַסֶּה | Piel | Imperfect | 3ms | כָּסָה | *Patach* under כ; Piel III-he *seghol* + ה ending; active |
| 16 | יְכֻסּוּ | Pual | Imperfect | 3mp | כָּסָה | *Qibbuts* under כ; Pual III-he passive; shureq 3mp ending |
| 17 | יְבָרֵךְ | Piel | Imperfect | 3ms | בָּרַךְ | *Patach* under prefix; *tsere* stem vowel; ר rejects dagesh; active |
| 18 | יֻּגַּד | Hophal | Imperfect | 3ms | נָגַד | *Qibbuts* under י (Hophal prefix); dagesh forte in the ג (I-nun assimilation in Hophal) — Hophal not Pual: הוּ/הֻ perfect prefix would confirm |
| 19 | וַיְקַדֵּשׁ | Piel | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | קָדַשׁ | *Patach* under ק + dagesh forte in ד; Piel active |
| 20 | יְקֻדַּשׁ | Pual | Imperfect | 3ms | קָדַשׁ | *Qibbuts* under ק + dagesh forte in ד; Pual passive |
| 21 | שִׁנַּנְתָּם | Piel | Perfect | 2ms + obj. sfx | שָׁנַן | *Hiriq* under שׁ + dagesh forte in נ; Piel active + 3mp pronominal suffix |
| 22 | קֻדַּשׁ | Pual | Perfect | 3ms | קָדַשׁ | *Qibbuts* under ק + dagesh forte in ד; Pual passive perfect |
| 23 | הוּקַם | Hophal | Perfect | 3ms | קוּם | הוּ Hophal prefix (holem-vav); biconsonantal root; NOT Pual (no dagesh forte in R2) |
| 24 | הִקְדִּישׁ | Hiphil | Perfect | 3ms | קָדַשׁ | הִ Hiphil prefix + *hiriq-yod* medial vowel; active causative |
| 25 | כֻּסָּה | Pual | Perfect | 3ms | כָּסָה | *Qibbuts* under כ + dagesh forte in ס; III-he *qamets* + ה ending — Pual perfect 3ms |

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## Discussion Questions

**1.** What is the one feature that distinguishes a Pual perfect 3ms from a Piel perfect 3ms when you look at R1? List the expected vowel under R1 for each stem and explain what that difference signals.

**2.** Item 11 (מְבֹרָךְ): the expected Pual marker is *qibbuts* (ֻ) under R1, but this form has *qamets* (ָ) under ר. Why? What phonological rule governs this substitution, and which other letters share this behavior?

**3.** Compare items 18 (יֻּגַּד, Hophal imperfect) and 13 (יֻלַּד, Pual perfect). Both have *qibbuts* under the first visible consonant. State two structural features that reliably distinguish a Hophal from a Pual when the forms look similar.

**4.** Item 10 (יֻלַּד, "was born/begotten") appears dozens of times in the genealogies of Genesis. The Niphal of the same root (נוֹלַד) also means "was born." Is there a semantic distinction between Pual יֻלַּד and Niphal נוֹלַד in the OT genealogies? What does the Pual's connection to the Hiphil/Piel causative system suggest about how the text presents lineage?
