# Chapter 30 — Piel Semantic Function Sorting

BBH Chapter 30 · Piel Strong Verbs

Classify each Piel verb as I (Intensive), F (Factitive), D (Declarative), SA (Simple Action), or DN (Denominative). Type your answer in the Function column, then click ▶ Answer to check.

Code | Function | Key diagnostic question
--- | --- | ---
I | Intensive | Does the subject do the Qal action more forcefully, completely, or repeatedly?
F | Factitive | Does the subject cause an object to enter a state? (Stative Qal root.)
D | Declarative | Does the subject pronounce or treat something as being in a state?
SA | Simple Action | Is the Piel the standard form with no common Qal equivalent?
DN | Denominative | Is the Piel verb built on a noun and performs that noun's characteristic action?

Tip: Stative root (to be X) + Piel = Piel causes X → Factitive. Active root (to do X) + Piel = Piel does X more intensely → Intensive. Legal / evaluative pronouncement → Declarative. No common Qal → Simple Action. Verb built on a noun → Denominative.

# | Hebrew Form | Conjugation | Root | Ref | Contextual Gloss | Function |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
1 | יְבָרֶךְ | Wayyiqtol 3ms | בָּרַךְ | Gen 1:22 | "God blessed them" |  |
SA — Simple Action · Root: בָּרַךְ (Qal: to kneel/bless — rare) · Blessing is the Piel's primary function; no intensification of a common Qal is intended
2 | יְקַדֵּשׁ | Wayyiqtol 3ms | קָדַשׁ | Gen 2:3 | "he set it apart as holy" |  |
F — Factitive · Root: קָדַשׁ (Qal: to be holy — stative) · God caused the Sabbath day to enter the state of holiness
3 | יְכַל | Wayyiqtol 3ms | כָּלָה | Gen 2:2 | "he finished all his work" |  |
F — Factitive · Root: כָּלָה (Qal: to be complete, finished — stative) · God caused his work to reach completion; Piel = bring something to its finished state
4 | שַׁחֵת | Inf. Construct | שָׁחַת | Gen 6:17 | "to destroy all flesh" |  |
I — Intensive · Root: שָׁחַת (Qal: to ruin, be corrupt) · Piel = destroy utterly; not mere ruin but total annihilation — the intensification is cosmic in scope
5 | יְצַו | Wayyiqtol 3ms | צָוָה | Gen 2:16 | "the LORD God commanded the man" |  |
SA — Simple Action · Root: צָוָה (no common Qal) · Commanding is the Piel's own basic function; there is no Qal "command" to intensify
6 | יְגָרֶשׁ | Wayyiqtol 3ms | גָּרַשׁ | Gen 3:24 | "he drove out the man" |  |
I — Intensive · Root: גָּרַשׁ (Qal: to drive out) · Piel = forcible, emphatic expulsion; Adam is driven out completely and definitively
7 | חַיּוֹת | Inf. Construct | חָיָה | Gen 7:3 | "to keep offspring alive on the earth" |  |
F — Factitive · Root: חָיָה (Qal: to live, be alive — stative) · Piel = cause to be alive = preserve alive; God causes Noah to keep seed in the state of living
8 | יְשַׁלַּח | Wayyiqtol 3ms | שָׁלַח | Gen 8:7 | "he sent out a raven" |  |
I — Intensive · Root: שָׁלַח (Qal: to send) · Piel = send away / release completely; the bird is let go on its own; thorough dispatching
9 | יְכַסּוּ | Wayyiqtol 3mp | כָּסָה | Gen 9:23 | "they covered their father's nakedness" |  |
I — Intensive · Root: כָּסָה (Qal: to cover) · Piel = cover thoroughly / completely conceal; the act of covering is emphatic and complete
10 | יְדַבֵּר | Wayyiqtol 3ms | דָּבַר | Gen 8:15 | "God spoke to Noah" |  |
SA — Simple Action · Root: דָּבַר (Qal: to speak — exceedingly rare) · Speaking is the Piel's standard meaning; the Qal is functionally absent; no intensification is in view
11 | יְשָׁרֶת | Wayyiqtol 3ms | שָׁרַת | Gen 39:4 | "he served him / ministered to him" |  |
SA — Simple Action · Root: שָׁרַת (no common Qal) · Service/ministry is the Piel's own function; no Qal counterpart in general use
12 | אֲגַדְּלָה | Yiqtol 1cs | גָּדַל | Gen 12:2 | "I will make your name great" |  |
F — Factitive · Root: גָּדַל (Qal: to be great — stative) · God will cause Abram's name to enter the state of greatness = make great, magnify
13 | מְקַלֵּל | Participle ms | קָלַל | Gen 12:3 | "the one who treats you lightly / curses you" |  |
D — Declarative · Root: קָלַל (Qal: to be small, light, of little account — stative) · Piel Declarative = pronounce someone accursed / treat as contemptible; the subject makes a verbal declaration of the other's diminishment
14 | יְנַגַּע | Wayyiqtol 3ms | נָגַע | Gen 12:17 | "the LORD afflicted Pharaoh with plagues" |  |
I — Intensive · Root: נָגַע (Qal: to touch, strike) · Piel = strike repeatedly, afflict with plague; not a single touch but sustained divine striking
15 | וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ | Weqatal 2ms | קָדַשׁ | Exo 19:10 | "you shall consecrate them today and tomorrow" |  |
F — Factitive · Root: קָדַשׁ (Qal: to be holy — stative) · Moses will cause the people to enter a state of ritual holiness; same Factitive function as #2
16 | וְכִבְּסוּ | Weqatal 3cp | כָּבַס | Exo 19:10 | "they shall wash their garments" |  |
I — Intensive · Root: כָּבַס (Qal: to wash) · Piel = wash thoroughly; in a ritual preparation context the washing is complete and thorough
17 | יְהַלֲלוּ | Wayyiqtol 3mp | הָלַל | Gen 12:15 | "Pharaoh's officials praised her" |  |
SA — Simple Action · Root: הָלַל (Qal: to shine, be bright — rare in this sense) · Praising is the Piel's primary meaning; Qal use is functionally unrelated; no intensification model works
18 | יְבַקֵּשׁ | Wayyiqtol 3ms | בָּקַשׁ | Gen 37:15 | "what are you seeking?" |  |
I — Intensive · Root: בָּקַשׁ (Qal: to seek — uncommon) · Piel = seek diligently/earnestly; intensive searching is the standard Piel nuance for this root
19 | לְנַחֵם | Inf. Construct | נָחַם | Gen 37:35 | "he refused to be comforted" |  |
I/SA — Intensive or Simple Action · Root: נָחַם (Qal: to be sorry, regret; Niphal: to be comforted) · Piel = actively comfort another person; whether this is "intensified comforting" or the Piel's own action is debated
20 | צִוָּה | Perfect 3ms | צָוָה | Gen 6:22 | "God had commanded him" |  |
SA — Simple Action · Root: צָוָה (no common Qal) · Same root as #5; commanding is always the Piel's standard function
21 | לְכַפֵּר | Inf. Construct | כָּפַר | Lev 4:20 | "to make atonement for them" |  |
DN — Denominative · Root: כָּפַר · Derived from noun כֹּפֶר ("ransom, covering, pitch") · The Piel performs the act of covering/ransoming = make atonement; the noun explains the theology
22 | יְחַלֵּל | Wayyiqtol 3ms | חָלַל | Lev 21:12 | "he shall not profane the sanctuary" |  |
F — Factitive · Root: חָלַל (Qal: to be profane, common — stative) · Piel = cause the sanctuary to enter the state of profaneness = desecrate
23 | בִּקֵּשׁ | Perfect 3ms | בָּקַשׁ | Gen 43:30 | "he sought a place to weep" |  |
I — Intensive · Root: בָּקַשׁ (Qal: to seek) · Same analysis as #18; diligent seeking is the Piel's standard nuance for this root
24 | יְנַחֵם | Yiqtol 3ms | נָחַם | Gen 5:29 | "this one will comfort us" |  |
I/SA — Intensive or Simple Action · Root: נָחַם (Qal: to be sorry; Niphal: to be comforted) · Same analysis as #19; the Piel = actively comfort, console; Niphal = be comforted (passive/reflexive)
25 | לְהַלֵּל | Inf. Construct | הָלַל | Psa 113:1 | "praise the name of the LORD" |  |
SA — Simple Action · Root: הָלַל · Same analysis as #17; praise is always the Piel's function; Qal "shine" is semantically remote

## Discussion Questions

1. Items 1, 5, 10, 17, 20 are all classified as Simple Action. What do these roots share? Why is a Qal→Piel intensification analysis not helpful for them?
2. Items 2, 12, 15, 22: these Factitive Piels all involve stative roots. What is the Qal meaning of each root, and how does the Piel "factitivize" it — that is, how does it cause the object to enter the state the Qal describes?
3. Items 16 and 9 (כָּבַס "wash" and כָּסָה "cover"): both are Intensive. What does the intensification add for a washing verb vs. a covering verb? Is "wash thoroughly" or "wash repeatedly" a better description for כָּבַס? Does the same choice apply to כָּסָה?
4. Item 21 (לְכַפֵּר): if this is Denominative, what noun is it derived from? How does knowing that noun illuminate the theological significance of כִּפֶּר in Leviticus?