# Chapter 30 — Piel Semantic Function Sorting

*BBH Chapter 30 · Piel Strong Verbs*

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## Instructions

Below are 25 Piel verb forms drawn from the OT. Each item gives you the Hebrew form, its conjugation, root, reference, and a contextual gloss.

**For each item, classify the Piel as one of the five semantic functions:**

| Code | Function | Description |
|---|---|---|
| **I** | Intensive | Intensified form of the Qal action — more forceful, thorough, or repeated |
| **F** | Factitive | Causes an object to enter a state (typically from a stative Qal root) |
| **D** | Declarative | Declares or treats something as being in a state |
| **DN** | Denominative | Derived from a noun; performs the noun's characteristic action |
| **SA** | Simple Action | No productive Qal; Piel is the primary form of the root |

> **Tip:** Ask: *Does the subject do the action more forcefully/completely?* → **Intensive**. *Does the subject cause something to become a certain way (from a stative root)?* → **Factitive**. *Does the subject pronounce/treat something as being in a state?* → **Declarative**. *Is the Piel the standard form with no common Qal equivalent?* → **Simple Action**. *Is the verb built on a noun?* → **Denominative**.

Write your answer (I / F / D / DN / SA) in the blank column.

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## Exercise Table

| # | Hebrew Form | Conjugation | Root | Reference | Contextual Gloss | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | יְבָרֶךְ | Wayyiqtol 3ms | בָּרַךְ | Gen 1:22 | "God blessed them" | |
| 2 | יְקַדֵּשׁ | Wayyiqtol 3ms | קָדַשׁ | Gen 2:3 | "he set it apart as holy" | |
| 3 | יְכַל | Wayyiqtol 3ms | כָּלָה | Gen 2:2 | "he finished/completed all his work" | |
| 4 | שַׁחֵת | Inf. Construct | שָׁחַת | Gen 6:17 | "to destroy all flesh" | |
| 5 | יְצַו | Wayyiqtol 3ms | צָוָה | Gen 2:16 | "the LORD God commanded the man" | |
| 6 | יְגָרֶשׁ | Wayyiqtol 3ms | גָּרַשׁ | Gen 3:24 | "he drove out the man" | |
| 7 | חַיּוֹת | Inf. Construct | חָיָה | Gen 7:3 | "to keep offspring alive on the earth" | |
| 8 | יְשַׁלַּח | Wayyiqtol 3ms | שָׁלַח | Gen 8:7 | "he sent out a raven" | |
| 9 | יְכַסּוּ | Wayyiqtol 3mp | כָּסָה | Gen 9:23 | "they covered their father's nakedness" | |
| 10 | יְדַבֵּר | Wayyiqtol 3ms | דָּבַר | Gen 8:15 | "God spoke to Noah" | |
| 11 | יְשָׁרֶת | Wayyiqtol 3ms | שָׁרַת | Gen 39:4 | "he served him / ministered to him" | |
| 12 | אֲגַדְּלָה | Yiqtol 1cs | גָּדַל | Gen 12:2 | "I will make your name great" | |
| 13 | מְקַלֵּל | Participle ms | קָלַל | Gen 12:3 | "the one who curses/treats you lightly" | |
| 14 | יְנַגַּע | Wayyiqtol 3ms | נָגַע | Gen 12:17 | "the LORD afflicted Pharaoh with plagues" | |
| 15 | וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ | Weqatal 2ms | קָדַשׁ | Exo 19:10 | "you shall consecrate them today and tomorrow" | |
| 16 | וְכִבְּסוּ | Weqatal 3cp | כָּבַס | Exo 19:10 | "and they shall wash their garments" | |
| 17 | יְהַלֲלוּ | Wayyiqtol 3mp | הָלַל | Gen 12:15 | "Pharaoh's officials praised her" | |
| 18 | יְבַקֵּשׁ | Wayyiqtol 3ms | בָּקַשׁ | Gen 37:15 | "the man asked him, saying, 'What are you seeking?'" | |
| 19 | לְנַחֵם | Inf. Construct | נָחַם | Gen 37:35 | "but he refused to be comforted" | |
| 20 | צִוָּה | Perfect 3ms | צָוָה | Gen 6:22 | "God had commanded him" | |
| 21 | לְכַפֵּר | Inf. Construct | כָּפַר | Lev 4:20 | "to make atonement for them" | |
| 22 | יְחַלֵּל | Wayyiqtol 3ms | חָלַל | Lev 21:12 | "he shall not profane the sanctuary of his God" | |
| 23 | בִּקֵּשׁ | Perfect 3ms | בָּקַשׁ | Gen 43:30 | "he sought a place to weep" | |
| 24 | יְנַחֵם | Yiqtol 3ms | נָחַם | Gen 5:29 | "this one will comfort us" | |
| 25 | לְהַלֵּל | Inf. Construct | הָלַל | Psa 113:1 | "praise the name of the LORD" | |

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## 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 the Piel 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?

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## Answer Key

| # | Root | Qal Meaning | Function | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | בָּרַךְ | to kneel / bless | **SA** | Blessing is the primary Piel function; Qal "bless" is rare; no intensification needed |
| 2 | קָדַשׁ | to be holy | **F** | Qal = stative "be holy"; Piel causes the day to enter the state of holiness |
| 3 | כָּלָה | to be complete, finished | **F/I** | Qal = stative "be complete"; Piel causes the work to reach completion (factitive) — some analyze as intensive "finish thoroughly" |
| 4 | שָׁחַת | to ruin, be corrupt | **I** | Qal = "be corrupt/ruined"; Piel = thorough, total destruction; not merely "ruin" but "utterly destroy" |
| 5 | צָוָה | (no common Qal) | **SA** | Commanding is the Piel's basic function; no Qal counterpart in general use |
| 6 | גָּרַשׁ | to drive out | **I** | Qal = drive away; Piel = expel forcibly, drive out completely; intensified ejection |
| 7 | חָיָה | to live, be alive | **F** | Qal = stative "be alive"; Piel causes living creatures to enter the state of being alive = preserve alive |
| 8 | שָׁלַח | to send | **I** | Qal = send; Piel = send away / release thoroughly; the released bird is let go completely |
| 9 | כָּסָה | to cover | **I** | Qal = cover; Piel = cover thoroughly / completely conceal |
| 10 | דָּבַר | to speak | **SA** | Speaking is the Piel's standard function; Qal is exceedingly rare; no useful Qal counterpart |
| 11 | שָׁרַת | to serve, minister | **SA** | Service/ministry is the Piel's basic domain; no common Qal; possibly Denominative from a noun |
| 12 | גָּדַל | to be great | **F** | Qal = stative "be great"; Piel = cause a name/person to be great = make great, magnify |
| 13 | קָלַל | to be small, light | **D** | Qal = stative "be light/of little account"; Piel Declarative = pronounce/treat as accursed; to curse is to declare someone in a state of diminishment |
| 14 | נָגַע | to touch, strike | **I** | Qal = touch, reach; Piel = strike repeatedly/afflict with plague; intensified or repeated striking |
| 15 | קָדַשׁ | to be holy | **F** | Same as #2; Piel causes the people to be in a state of ritual consecration |
| 16 | כָּבַס | to wash (garments) | **I** | Qal = wash; Piel = wash thoroughly; the Piel form is the standard for laundering ritual garments |
| 17 | הָלַל | to shine, praise | **SA** | Praising is the Piel's primary meaning; Qal "shine/be bright" is rare and unrelated in usage |
| 18 | בָּקַשׁ | to seek | **I** | Qal = seek; Piel = seek diligently/earnestly; intensified searching |
| 19 | נָחַם | to be comforted, sorry | **I/SA** | Qal = be comforted; Piel = actively comfort/console someone; some analyze as Simple Action because the Piel meaning is standard for the comfort function |
| 20 | צָוָה | (no common Qal) | **SA** | Same root as #5; commanding is always the Piel's function |
| 21 | כָּפַר | to wipe, cover | **DN** | Derived from noun כֹּפֶר ("ransom, cover, pitch"); the Piel performs the act of covering/ransoming = make atonement |
| 22 | חָלַל | to be profane, common | **F** | Qal = stative "be profane"; Piel = cause to become profane = desecrate, profane |
| 23 | בָּקַשׁ | to seek | **I** | Same root as #18; intensified seeking |
| 24 | נָחַם | to be comforted | **I/SA** | Same root as #19; same analysis applies |
| 25 | הָלַל | to praise | **SA** | Same root as #17; praise is always the Piel's function |

### Function summary

| Function | Items | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Action | 1, 5, 10, 11, 17, 20, 25 | 7 |
| Intensive | 4, 6, 8, 9, 14, 16, 18, 23 | 8 |
| Factitive | 2, 3, 7, 12, 15, 22 | 6 |
| Declarative | 13 | 1 |
| Denominative | 21 | 1 |
| Intensive/SA | 19, 24 | 2 |
