# Chapter 30 — "Spot the Piel" Passage Exercise

**Stem:** Piel (פִּעֵל) — Strong Verbs
**Passages:** Gen 1:22, 28 · Exo 19:10–14 · Num 22:6–8, 17–18

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## Instructions

For each bolded verb, indicate:

1. **Piel?** (Yes / No — is it the Piel stem?)
2. **Conjugation** (Perfect, Imperfect, Wayyiqtol, Weqatal, Imperative, Inf. Const., Inf. Abs., Participle)
3. **PGN** (Person–Gender–Number, e.g., 3ms, 2mp, 1cs)
4. **Root** (3-letter root, unvoweled)
5. **Stem / Function** (if Piel: Intensive / Factitive / Declarative / Denominative / Simple action; if not: name the stem — Qal, Niphal, Hiphil, or Hophal)

*Distractors include Qal, Niphal, and Hophal forms — all stems you have already studied. The form מְבֹרָךְ in Passage C is Pual (Ch32) and is left unnumbered; you do not need to parse it.*

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## Passage A — Genesis 1:22, 28

*Context: God blesses the creatures he has made.*

> וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ **(1)** אֹתָ֛ם אֱלֹהִ֖ים לֵאמֹ֑ר פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֛וּ וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הַמַּ֖יִם בַּיַּמִּ֑ים

"And God blessed them, saying, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas…'"

| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | וַיְבָרֶךְ | | | | | |

---

> וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ **(2)** אֹתָ֖ם אֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֛וּ

"And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply…'" (Gen 1:28)

| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | וַיְבָרֶךְ | | | | | |

---

## Passage B — Exodus 19:10–14

*Context: The LORD instructs Moses to prepare Israel for the covenant theophany at Sinai.*

> וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֤ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה֙ לֵ֣ךְ אֶל־הָעָ֔ם **וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ֥ (3)** אֹתָ֛ם הַיּ֥וֹם וּמָחָ֑ר **וְכִבְּס֖וּ (4)** שִׂמְלֹתָֽם׃

"And the LORD said to Moses, 'Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments.'"

| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ | | | | | |
| 4 | וְכִבְּסוּ | | | | | |

---

> וַיֵּ֤רֶד מֹשֶׁה֙ מִן־הָהָ֔ר אֶל־הָעָ֑ם **וַיְקַדֵּ֖שׁ (5)** אֶת־הָעָ֑ם **וַיְכַבְּס֖וּ (6)** שִׂמְלֹתָֽם׃

"And Moses went down from the mountain to the people and **consecrated** the people, and they **washed** their garments." (Exo 19:14)

| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | וַיְקַדֵּשׁ | | | | | |
| 6 | וַיְכַבְּסוּ | | | | | |

---

> **וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר (7)** מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶל־הָעָ֑ם

"…and Moses **spoke** to the people." (Exo 19:25)

| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | וַיְדַבֵּר | | | | | |

---

> כָּל־הַנֹּגֵ֤עַ בָּהָר֙ מוֹת **יִסָּקֵ֣ל (8)** — אִם בְּהֵמָ֖ה אִם אִ֑ישׁ לֹ֥א יִחְיֶֽה׃

"Anyone who touches the mountain shall be put to death — whether beast or man, he shall not live; **he shall be stoned**." (Exo 19:13)

| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | יִסָּקֵל | | | | | |

---

## Passage C — Numbers 22:6–8, 17–18

*Context: Balak asks Balaam to curse Israel; Balaam responds.*

> לְכָה־נָּ֣א **אָרָה־לִּי֮ (9)** אֶת־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּה֒ כִּ֤י עָצוּם֙ הוּא֙ מִמֶּ֔נִּי אוּלַ֤י אוּכַל֙ נַכֶּה־בּ֔וֹ וַאֲגָרְשֶׁ֖נּוּ מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּ֣י יָדַ֗עְתִּי אֵ֤ת אֲשֶׁר־**תְּבָרֵךְ֙ (10)** מְבֹרָ֔ךְ [Ch32 — not numbered] וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר תָּאֹ֖ר **יוּאָֽר (11)** ׃

"Come now, **curse** this people for me … I know that he whom you **bless** is blessed [Ch32], and he whom you curse **shall be cursed**." (Num 22:6)

| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | אָרָה | | | | | |
| 10 | תְּבָרֵךְ | | | | | |
| 11 | יוּאָר | | | | | |

---

> וַיֹּ֤אמֶר **יְדַבֵּ֥ר (12)** יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י **וְדִבַּרְתִּ֖י (13)** אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

"And he said, 'The LORD will **speak** to me, and I will **speak** to you what the LORD speaks.'" (Num 22:8)

| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | יְדַבֵּר | | | | | |
| 13 | וְדִבַּרְתִּי | | | | | |

---

> כִּ֤י **כַבֵּד֙ (14)** **אֲכַבֶּדְךָ֣ (15)** מְאֹ֔ד וְכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאמַ֥ר אֵלַ֖י אֶעֱשֶׂ֑ה וּלְכָ֣ה נָּ֗א **קָֽבָה (16)**־לִ֖י אֵ֥ת הָעָ֛ם הַזֶּֽה׃

"'I will certainly honor you greatly, and whatever you say I will do; come, **curse** this people for me.'" (Num 22:17)

| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | כַבֵּד | | | | | |
| 15 | אֲכַבֶּדְךָ | | | | | |
| 16 | קָבָה | | | | | |

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## Reflection Questions

1. In Exo 19:10–14, Moses performs the same two actions commanded in verses 10–11. What is the difference in conjugation between the command (weqatal) and the narrative report (wayyiqtol)? What does the shift signal about narrative structure?

2. Verb #8 (יִסָּקֵל) is a Niphal imperfect and verb #11 (יוּאָר) is a Hophal imperfect. Both express passive meaning. What visual feature most quickly distinguishes a Niphal imperfect from a Hophal imperfect?

3. The Piel of דבר (verbs 7, 12, 13) is a denominative derived from the noun דָּבָר (word). How does this origin explain why this root has almost no Qal forms in the OT?

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## Answer Key

| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | וַיְבָרֶךְ | Yes | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | ברך | Piel — Intensive |
| 2 | וַיְבָרֶךְ | Yes | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | ברך | Piel — Intensive |
| 3 | וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ | Yes | Weqatal | 2ms | קדש | Piel — Factitive |
| 4 | וְכִבְּסוּ | Yes | Weqatal | 3cp | כבס | Piel — Intensive |
| 5 | וַיְקַדֵּשׁ | Yes | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | קדש | Piel — Factitive |
| 6 | וַיְכַבְּסוּ | Yes | Wayyiqtol | 3mp | כבס | Piel — Intensive |
| 7 | וַיְדַבֵּר | Yes | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | דבר | Piel — Denominative |
| 8 | יִסָּקֵל | No | Imperfect | 3ms | סקל | Niphal — Passive |
| 9 | אָרָה | No | Jussive | 1cs | ארר | Qal |
| 10 | תְּבָרֵךְ | Yes | Imperfect | 2ms | ברך | Piel — Intensive |
| 11 | יוּאָר | No | Imperfect | 3ms | ארר | Hophal — Passive |
| 12 | יְדַבֵּר | Yes | Imperfect | 3ms | דבר | Piel — Denominative |
| 13 | וְדִבַּרְתִּי | Yes | Weqatal | 1cs | דבר | Piel — Denominative |
| 14 | כַבֵּד | Yes | Inf. Absolute | — | כבד | Piel — Intensive |
| 15 | אֲכַבֶּדְךָ | Yes | Imperfect | 1cs | כבד | Piel — Intensive |
| 16 | קָבָה | No | Imperative | 2ms | קבב | Qal |

> **Notes on distractors:**
> - **#8 יִסָּקֵל** is a Niphal imperfect (passive: "shall be stoned"). The נִ- prefix contracts with the preformative: יִ + dagesh.
> - **#9 אָרָה** and **#16 קָבָה** are Qal forms — no Dagesh Forte in R2.
> - **#11 יוּאָר** is Hophal imperfect of ארר: the יוּ prefix (u-class vowel) is the Hophal marker.
> - **מְבֹרָךְ** in Passage C text is Pual (Ch32) and is deliberately left unnumbered.
> - **#14 כַבֵּד** is a Piel Inf. Absolute in the cognate construction כַּבֵּד אֲכַבֶּדְךָ ("I will surely honor you greatly").
