# "Weak-Form Identification Drill" — Exercise

*BBH Chapter 31 · Piel Weak Verbs*

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## Instructions

**Part A:** Forms are grouped by weak class (5 per class, 4 classes = 20 items). For each, identify: conjugation, PGN, root.
**Part B:** Forms are mixed. Identify: weak class first, then conjugation, PGN, root.

The Piel of weak verbs retains the signature Dagesh Forte in R2 that marks the stem, but the vowels change predictably by class. Knowing these patterns allows you to identify the root even when vowel letters shift.

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## Diagnostic Reference

| Class | Key feature in Piel |
|---|---|
| **III-he** | Final ה drops in wayyiqtol (apocopated: יְכַל, יְצַו); retained with tsere/seghol in perfect (כִּלָּה, צִוָּה) and imperfect (יְכַלֶּה) |
| **I-guttural** | Hateph vowel under R1 instead of simple shewa; no dagesh lene under prefix consonant; e.g., עִנּוּ, יְעַנֶּה |
| **Geminate** | Doubled root (R2=R3): Dagesh forte in R2 is also the root's doubled consonant; e.g., הִלֵּל, יְהַלֵּל |
| **I-nun** | Unlike Qal/Hiphil, nun does NOT assimilate in the Piel; the Dagesh Forte already occupies R2; e.g., יְנַחֵם |

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## Part A — By Class

### Group 1: III-he

| # | Form | Reference | Conjugation | PGN | Root |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | יְכַל | Gen 2:2 | | | |
| 2 | יְצַו | Gen 2:16 | | | |
| 3 | צִוִּיתִי | Gen 3:11 | | | |
| 4 | יְחַיּוּ | Gen 12:12 | | | |
| 5 | כִּלָּה | Gen 17:22 | | | |

### Group 2: I-guttural

| # | Form | Reference | Conjugation | PGN | Root |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | עִנּוּ | Gen 15:13 | | | |
| 7 | יְעַנֶּה | Exo 22:21 | | | |
| 8 | עַנּוֹת | Exo 10:3 | | | |
| 9 | מְחַיֶּה | Neh 9:6 | | | |
| 10 | תְּחַנֶּן | 1 Kgs 8:33 | | | |

### Group 3: Geminate (Ayin-Doubled)

| # | Form | Reference | Conjugation | PGN | Root |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | הִלֵּל | Isa 14:12 | | | |
| 12 | יְהַלֵּל | Prov 27:2 | | | |
| 13 | יְהַלֲלוּ | Ps 22:24 | | | |
| 14 | הַלְלוּ | Ps 113:1 | | | |
| 15 | מְהַלֵּל | Gen 12:15 | | | |

### Group 4: I-nun

| # | Form | Reference | Conjugation | PGN | Root |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | יְנַחֵם | Gen 5:29 | | | |
| 17 | יְנַחֲמוּ | Gen 37:35 | | | |
| 18 | וַיְנַגַּע | Gen 12:17 | | | |
| 19 | נִסָּה | Gen 22:1 | | | |
| 20 | יְנַסֶּה | Deu 8:16 | | | |

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## Part B — Mixed (identify weak class first)

| # | Form | Reference | Weak class | Conjugation | PGN | Root |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | צִוָּה | Gen 6:22 | | | | |
| 22 | מְחַלֵּל | Exo 31:14 | | | | |
| 23 | יְנַסֶּה | Deu 4:34 | | | | |
| 24 | כִּלָּה | Gen 24:19 | | | | |
| 25 | יְעַנּוּ | Gen 15:13 | | | | |
| 26 | יְהַלֵּל | Ps 69:31 | | | | |
| 27 | יְכַלּוּ | Gen 2:1 | | | | |
| 28 | נִחַם | Gen 6:7 | | | | |
| 29 | עִנָּה | Gen 16:6 | | | | |
| 30 | יְנַחֵל | Num 34:17 | | | | |

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## Answer Key — Part A

| # | Form | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Diagnostic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | יְכַל | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | כָּלָה | Apocopated — final ה dropped; short *patach* under R2 (III-he wayyiqtol) |
| 2 | יְצַו | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | צָוָה | Apocopated — final ה dropped; short *patach* under R2 (III-he wayyiqtol) |
| 3 | צִוִּיתִי | Perfect | 1cs | צָוָה | *Chiriq-yod* vowel letter before תִּי suffix; dagesh in ו (R2); III-he perfect 1cs |
| 4 | יְחַיּוּ | Imperfect | 3mp | חָיָה | *Shureq* 3mp ending; yod (R2) takes dagesh; III-he imperfect 3mp |
| 5 | כִּלָּה | Perfect | 3ms | כָּלָה | *Qamets* + ה ending; dagesh forte in ל (R2) — Piel perfect 3ms III-he |
| 6 | עִנּוּ | Perfect | 3cp | עָנָה | *Hiriq* under R1 (ע); dagesh forte in נ (R2); *shureq* 3cp ending; I-guttural (no hateph but ע still rej. dagesh lene in prefix) |
| 7 | יְעַנֶּה | Imperfect | 3ms | עָנָה | Hateph-*patach* under ע (R1); dagesh forte in נ (R2); *seghol* + ה III-he ending — combines I-guttural + III-he |
| 8 | עַנּוֹת | Inf. Construct | — | עָנָה | *Patach* under ע; dagesh in נ; וֹת ending = Piel inf. construct III-he |
| 9 | מְחַיֶּה | Participle | ms | חָיָה | מְ prefix + hateph-*patach* under ח (guttural R1) + yod (R2) + *seghol* + ה ending — Piel participle ms III-he I-guttural |
| 10 | תְּחַנֶּן | Imperfect | 2ms/3fs | חָנַן | תְּ prefix; hateph-*patach* under ח (I-guttural); dagesh forte in נ (R2); *seghol* final |
| 11 | הִלֵּל | Perfect | 3ms | הָלַל | *Tsere* under R2 (ל doubled by dagesh forte); Geminate: R2=R3 (ל=ל) |
| 12 | יְהַלֵּל | Imperfect | 3ms | הָלַל | *Patach* under prefix (יְ→יְ); hateph under ה (I-guttural interaction); dagesh forte in ל; *tsere* final |
| 13 | יְהַלֲלוּ | Imperfect | 3mp | הָלַל | *Shureq* 3mp ending; dagesh forte in first ל; composite shewa under second ל (Geminate before vocalic ending) |
| 14 | הַלְלוּ | Imperative | 2mp | הָלַל | No prefix; *patach* + ל + shewa + ל + וּ; Geminate Piel imperative 2mp |
| 15 | מְהַלֵּל | Participle | ms | הָלַל | מְ prefix + *patach* under ה + dagesh forte in ל + *tsere* — Piel participle ms Geminate |
| 16 | יְנַחֵם | Imperfect | 3ms | נָחַם | Nun visible (not assimilated); *patach* under נ; dagesh forte in ח (R2); *tsere* final — I-nun Piel imperfect |
| 17 | יְנַחֲמוּ | Imperfect | 3mp | נָחַם | Nun visible; *patach* under נ; composite shewa under ח before vocalic ending — I-nun Piel 3mp |
| 18 | וַיְנַגַּע | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | נָגַע | Nun visible; dagesh forte in ג (R2); *patach* under ג before final ע (III-ח/ע lowers vowel) |
| 19 | נִסָּה | Perfect | 3ms | נָסָה | נ is R1 (not a prefix); dagesh forte in ס (R2); *qamets* + ה (III-he perfect 3ms) |
| 20 | יְנַסֶּה | Imperfect | 3ms | נָסָה | Nun visible; dagesh forte in ס; *seghol* + ה — I-nun Piel imperfect III-he |

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## Answer Key — Part B

| # | Form | Weak class | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | צִוָּה | III-he | Perfect | 3ms | צָוָה | *Qamets* + ה; dagesh forte in ו (R2); standard Piel III-he perfect 3ms |
| 22 | מְחַלֵּל | Geminate | Participle | ms | חָלַל | מְ prefix + composite shewa under ח + dagesh forte in ל + *tsere* — Geminate |
| 23 | יְנַסֶּה | I-nun | Imperfect | 3ms | נָסָה | Nun visible; dagesh forte in ס; III-he *seghol* + ה — also III-he |
| 24 | כִּלָּה | III-he | Perfect | 3ms | כָּלָה | *Qamets* + ה ending; dagesh forte in ל |
| 25 | יְעַנּוּ | I-guttural | Imperfect | 3mp | עָנָה | Composite shewa under ע; *shureq* 3mp; III-he root also |
| 26 | יְהַלֵּל | Geminate | Imperfect | 3ms | הָלַל | Dagesh forte in ל; *tsere* final; I-guttural prefix interaction |
| 27 | יְכַלּוּ | III-he | Imperfect | 3mp | כָּלָה | Dagesh forte in ל (R2); *shureq* 3mp ending — Piel imperfect 3mp |
| 28 | נִחַם | Perfect | 3ms | נָחַם | I-nun | *Hiriq* under נ (R1); dagesh forte in ח (R2); *patach* final — Piel perfect 3ms I-nun |
| 29 | עִנָּה | Perfect | 3ms | עָנָה | I-guttural + III-he | *Hiriq* under ע; dagesh forte in נ; *qamets* + ה (III-he) |
| 30 | יְנַחֵל | I-nun | Imperfect | 3ms | נָחַל | Nun visible (not assimilated); dagesh forte in ח (R2); *tsere* final |

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## Discussion Questions

**1.** Items 1–2 (יְכַל, יְצַו) are Piel wayyiqtol 3ms of III-he roots. The final ה is apocopated (dropped). How does this compare to what happens in the Piel perfect 3ms of the same roots (כִּלָּה, צִוָּה)? What form does the ה take in the perfect, and why is it dropped in the wayyiqtol?

**2.** Compare item 6 (עִנּוּ, I-guttural Piel perfect 3cp) with a normal Piel perfect 3cp like שִׁלְּחוּ (from שָׁלַח). In שִׁלְּחוּ the prefix consonant שׁ carries a dagesh lene. Why is no such dagesh found in עִנּוּ? What is it about the ע that prevents it?

**3.** Items 11–15 all come from the Geminate root הָלַל. What is the telltale structural feature that marks the Geminate Piel compared to a strong Piel? Specifically, where does the Piel's dagesh forte fall in a strong root (like שִׁלֵּם from שָׁלַם), and where does it fall in a Geminate root (like הִלֵּל from הָלַל)?

**4.** Items 16–20 (I-nun Piel) all retain the nun. In the Qal and Hiphil of the same roots, the nun typically assimilates into a dagesh forte in R2. Why does the Piel not follow this assimilation? What already occupies R2 in the Piel stem, and why does that prevent a second dagesh?
