# Chapter 31 — Piel Weak-Form Identification Drill

BBH Chapter 31 · Piel Weak Verbs

For each form: (1) identify the weak class, (2) parse (conjugation + PGN), (3) identify the root.

Class | Key diagnostic signal in Piel
--- | ---
III-he | Final ה retained in perfect (כִּלָּה) and imperfect (יְכַלֶּה); dropped (apocopated) in wayyiqtol (יְכַל); וֹת in inf. construct
I-guttural | Hateph vowel under R1 instead of simple shewa; dagesh lene absent under prefix consonant; composite shewa visible before R1 guttural
Geminate | Root has R2=R3; the Piel dagesh forte doubles the already-doubled consonant; imperfect 3mp shows composite shewa before vocalic ending (יְהַלֲלוּ)
I-nun | Nun (R1) visible throughout — does NOT assimilate into dagesh in R2 (contrast Qal/Hiphil where nun assimilates); dagesh forte in R2 is the Piel stem marker, not an assimilation dagesh

## Part A — By Class

Group 1 — III-he

# | Form | Reference | Conjugation | PGN | Root |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
1 | יְכַל | Gen 2:2 |  |  |  |
Wayyiqtol · 3ms · כָּלָה — and he finished; apocopated Piel III-he wayyiqtol: final ה dropped, short patach under R2 (כַ)
2 | יְצַו | Gen 2:16 |  |  |  |
Wayyiqtol · 3ms · צָוָה — and he commanded; apocopated: ה dropped; patach under צ; R2=ו (vav takes dagesh forte)
3 | צִוִּיתִי | Gen 3:11 |  |  |  |
Perfect · 1cs · צָוָה — I commanded; chiriq-yod vowel letter before תִּי suffix; dagesh forte in ו (R2); III-he perfect 1cs
4 | יְחַיּוּ | Gen 12:12 |  |  |  |  |
Imperfect · 3mp · חָיָה — they will let live; shureq 3mp ending; dagesh forte in יּ (R2); III-he Piel imperfect 3mp
5 | כִּלָּה | Gen 17:22 |  |  |  |
Perfect · 3ms · כָּלָה — he finished; qamets + ה ending; dagesh forte in ל (R2) — Piel perfect 3ms III-he

Group 2 — I-guttural

# | Form | Reference | Conjugation | PGN | Root |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
6 | עִנּוּ | Gen 15:13 |  |  |  |
Perfect · 3cp · עָנָה — they afflicted; hiriq under ע (R1); dagesh forte in נ (R2); shureq 3cp ending; I-guttural: ע rejects simple shewa and dagesh lene in preceding prefix
7 | יְעַנֶּה | Exo 22:21 |  |  |  |
Imperfect · 3ms · עָנָה — he afflicts/will afflict; hateph-patach under ע (I-guttural); dagesh forte in נ; seghol + ה (III-he ending) — doubly weak: I-guttural + III-he
8 | עַנּוֹת | Exo 10:3 |  |  |  |
Inf. Construct · — · עָנָה — to humble/afflict; patach under ע; dagesh forte in נ; וֹת ending = Piel inf. construct III-he
9 | מְחַיֶּה | Neh 9:6 |  |  |  |
Participle · ms · חָיָה — one who gives life; מְ prefix + hateph-patach under ח (guttural R1) + dagesh forte in יּ + seghol + ה — Piel participle ms doubly weak (I-guttural + III-he)
10 | תְּחַנֶּן | 1 Kgs 8:33 |  |  |  |
Imperfect · 2ms/3fs · חָנַן — you implore/seek favor; תְּ prefix; hateph-patach under ח (I-guttural); dagesh forte in נ (R2); seghol final

Group 3 — Geminate

# | Form | Reference | Conjugation | PGN | Root |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
11 | הִלֵּל | Isa 14:12 |  |  |  |
Perfect · 3ms · הָלַל — he boasted/shone; hiriq under R1 (ה); dagesh forte in ל (R2=R3 doubled); tsere under R2 — Geminate Piel perfect 3ms
12 | יְהַלֵּל | Prov 27:2 |  |  |  |
Imperfect · 3ms · הָלַל — let him praise; patach under prefix (יְ→יְ); hateph-patach under ה (I-guttural interaction); dagesh forte in ל; tsere final
13 | יְהַלֲלוּ | Ps 22:24 |  |  |  |
Imperfect · 3mp · הָלַל — they will praise; dagesh forte in first ל; composite shewa under second ל before vocalic ending (shureq) — Geminate 3mp marker
14 | הַלְלוּ | Ps 113:1 |  |  |  |
Imperative · 2mp · הָלַל — praise!; patach under ה + ל + shewa + ל + וּ; no prefix consonant in Piel imperative; Geminate root visible in doubled ל
15 | מְהַלֵּל | Gen 12:15 |  |  |  |
Participle · ms · הָלַל — one who praises; מְ prefix + patach under ה + dagesh forte in ל + tsere — Piel participle ms Geminate

Group 4 — I-nun

# | Form | Reference | Conjugation | PGN | Root |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
16 | יְנַחֵם | Gen 5:29 |  |  |  |
Imperfect · 3ms · נָחַם — he will comfort; nun (R1) visible and retained; patach under נ; dagesh forte in ח (R2); tsere final — I-nun Piel imperfect: nun stays
17 | יְנַחֲמוּ | Gen 37:35 |  |  |  |
Imperfect · 3mp · נָחַם — they comforted him; nun visible; composite shewa under ח (guttural) before vocalic ending; shureq 3mp
18 | וַיְנַגַּע | Gen 12:17 |  |  |  |
Wayyiqtol · 3ms · נָגַע — and he struck/afflicted; nun visible; dagesh forte in ג (R2); patach under ג before final ע — guttural lowers the stem vowel in III-ח/ע pattern
19 | נִסָּה | Gen 22:1 |  |  |  |
Perfect · 3ms · נָסָה — he tested; נ is R1 (not a prefix); dagesh forte in ס (R2); qamets + ה ending (III-he Piel perfect 3ms)
20 | יְנַסֶּה | Deu 8:16 |  |  |  |
Imperfect · 3ms · נָסָה — to test; nun visible (not assimilated); dagesh forte in ס; seghol + ה ending — I-nun Piel imperfect III-he root

## Part B — Mixed

Identify the weak class first, then parse fully.

# | Form | Reference | Weak class | Conjugation | PGN | Root |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
21 | צִוָּה | Gen 6:22 |  |  |  |  |
III-he · Perfect · 3ms · צָוָה — he commanded; qamets + ה; dagesh forte in ו (R2); standard Piel III-he perfect 3ms
22 | מְחַלֵּל | Exo 31:14 |  |  |  |  |
Geminate · Participle · ms · חָלַל — one who profanes; מְ prefix + composite shewa under ח (guttural) + dagesh forte in ל + tsere; root ח-ל-ל (R2=R3)
23 | יְנַסֶּה | Deu 4:34 |  |  |  |  |
I-nun (also III-he) · Imperfect · 3ms · נָסָה — to test; nun visible; dagesh forte in ס; seghol + ה III-he ending
24 | כִּלָּה | Gen 24:19 |  |  |  |  |
III-he · Perfect · 3ms · כָּלָה — he finished; qamets + ה; dagesh forte in ל (R2)
25 | יְעַנּוּ | Gen 15:13 |  |  |  |  |
I-guttural (also III-he) · Imperfect · 3mp · עָנָה — they will afflict; composite shewa under ע; dagesh forte in נ; shureq 3mp ending; III-he root
26 | יְהַלֵּל | Ps 69:31 |  |  |  |  |
Geminate · Imperfect · 3ms · הָלַל — he will praise; dagesh forte in ל; tsere final; I-guttural prefix interaction visible
27 | יְכַלּוּ | Gen 2:1 |  |  |  |  |
III-he · Imperfect · 3mp · כָּלָה — they were finished/completed; dagesh forte in ל (R2); shureq 3mp ending; Piel imperfect 3mp III-he
28 | נִחַם | Gen 6:7 |  |  |  |  |
I-nun · Perfect · 3ms · נָחַם — he relented/was comforted; hiriq under נ (R1); dagesh forte in ח (R2); patach final — Piel perfect 3ms I-nun
29 | עִנָּה | Gen 16:6 |  |  |  |  |
I-guttural + III-he · Perfect · 3ms · עָנָה — he afflicted; hiriq under ע (I-guttural); dagesh forte in נ; qamets + ה (III-he perfect 3ms)
30 | יְנַחֵל | Num 34:17 |  |  |  |  |
I-nun · Imperfect · 3ms · נָחַל — he will give as inheritance; nun (R1) visible and retained; dagesh forte in ח (R2); tsere final — I-nun Piel imperfect

## 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?