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

Instructions: For each bolded/numbered verb, fill in: (1) Is it Piel? (Yes/No) (2) Conjugation (3) PGN (4) Root (5) Stem/Function. Distractors are drawn from stems already studied: Qal, Niphal, and Hophal. Click ▶ Answer to reveal the key for that row.

Note: The form מְבֹרָךְ in Passage C is Pual (Ch32) and is deliberately left unnumbered. You do not need to parse it.

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…'" (Gen 1:22)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
1וַיְבָרֶךְ
✓ Yes — Piel | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | ברך | Intensive — God's blessing on the creatures; וַיְ prefix (patach+shewa) = Piel/Hophal Wayyiqtol. R2=ר rejects dagesh; Piel identified by vowel pattern.
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)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
2וַיְבָרֶךְ
✓ Yes — Piel | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | ברך | Intensive — Same form as #1; God's intensive blessing on humanity.

Passage B — Exodus 19:10–14

Context: The LORD prepares Israel for the 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.'" (Exo 19:10)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
3וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ
✓ Yes — Piel | Weqatal | 2ms | קדש | Factitive — "you shall consecrate them" = cause them to become holy. Weqatal carries consequential/instructional modal force.
4וְכִבְּסוּ
✓ Yes — Piel | Weqatal | 3cp | כבס | Intensive — "they shall wash their garments." כבס appears almost exclusively in the Piel; dagesh forte in ב (R2) confirms it.
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)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
5וַיְקַדֵּשׁ
✓ Yes — Piel | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | קדש | Factitive — Moses executes the LORD's command (v.3). Weqatal (command) → Wayyiqtol (narrative fulfillment): same root, different conjugation.
6וַיְכַבְּסוּ
✓ Yes — Piel | Wayyiqtol | 3mp | כבס | Intensive — The people execute the command (v.4). Piel Wayyiqtol 3mp: וַיְ + Piel imperfect stem.
וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר [7] מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶל־הָעָ֑ם

"And Moses spoke to the people." (Exo 19:25)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
7וַיְדַבֵּר
✓ Yes — Piel | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | דבר | Denominative — "spoke" from the noun דָּבָר (word). 1,090× in the Piel OT-wide; the paradigm Piel denominative.
Distractor alert — Niphal: Exo 19:13 gives us a Niphal Imperfect from a root you know.
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)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
8יִסָּקֵל
✗ No — Niphal | Imperfect | 3ms | סקל | Niphal passive — "shall be stoned." The נִ- prefix contracts with the preformative: יִ + dagesh forte in סּ. No dagesh in R2 (ק), so this is NOT Piel.

Passage C — Numbers 22:6–8, 17–18

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

Parsing challenge: This passage mixes Piel, Qal, and Hophal forms. The form מְבֹרָךְ is Pual (Ch32) and is not numbered — focus on the numbered verbs only.
לְכָה־נָּ֣א אָרָה [9]־לִּי֮ אֶת־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּה֒ כִּ֣י יָדַ֗עְתִּי אֵ֤ת אֲשֶׁר־תְּבָרֵךְ֙ [10] מְבֹרָ֔ךְ [Ch32 — not numbered] וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר תָּאֹ֖ר יוּאָֽר [11]׃

"Come now, curse [9] this people for me … I know that he whom you bless [10] is blessed [Ch32], and he whom you curse shall be cursed [11]." (Num 22:6)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
9אָרָה
✗ No — Qal | Jussive | 1cs | ארר | Qal — Qal jussive "let me curse." No dagesh in R2. The Piel of cursing is קִלֵּל, not this root.
10תְּבָרֵךְ
✓ Yes — Piel | Imperfect | 2ms | ברך | Intensive — תְּ prefix (shewa) + patach-class vowel under R1 (בָ) + tsere. R2=ר rejects dagesh — Piel identified by vowel sequence alone.
11יוּאָר
✗ No — Hophal | Imperfect | 3ms | ארר | Hophal passive — "shall be cursed." The יוּ prefix (Shureq = u-class vowel under prefix) = Hophal Imperfect marker. Compare: Piel prefix = יְ (shewa), Hophal = יוּ (Shureq).
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְדַבֵּ֥ר [12] יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י וְדִבַּרְתִּ֖י [13] אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

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

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
12יְדַבֵּר
✓ Yes — Piel | Imperfect | 3ms | דבר | Denominative — יְ prefix (shewa) + patach under R1 + dagesh in R2 (בּ) + tsere. Standard Piel Imperfect strong form.
13וְדִבַּרְתִּי
✓ Yes — Piel | Weqatal | 1cs | דבר | Denominative — וְ + Perfect form: Hireq under R1 + dagesh in R2 (בּ) + 1cs suffix תִּי. Future/consequential Weqatal.
כִּֽי כַבֵּד֙ [14] אֲכַבֶּדְךָ֣ [15] מְאֹ֔ד וְכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאמַ֥ר אֵלַ֖י אֶעֱשֶׂ֑ה וּלְכָ֣ה נָּ֗א קָֽבָה [16]־לִ֖י אֵ֥ת הָעָ֛ם הַזֶּֽה׃

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

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
14כַבֵּד
✓ Yes — Piel | Inf. Absolute | — | כבד | Intensive — כַּבֵּד אֲכַבֶּדְךָ = cognate absolute construction. Patach under R1 (כַ) + dagesh forte in R2 (בּ) + tsere = classic Piel Inf.Abs. form. "I will certainly greatly honor you."
15אֲכַבֶּדְךָ
✓ Yes — Piel | Imperfect | 1cs | כבד | Factitive/Intensive — אֲ prefix + shewa + patach under R1 (כַ) + dagesh forte in R2 (בּ) + tsere. 2ms suffix ךָ attached. Piel כבד = "to honor."
16קָבָה
✗ No — Qal | Imperative | 2ms | קבב | Qal — Qal imperative (curse, geminate root). No dagesh in R2. Balak's cursing vocabulary is Qal, not Piel.
Reflection Questions
  1. In Exo 19:10–14, the same two actions (קדש and כבס) appear in v.10 as Weqatal and in v.14 as Wayyiqtol. What is the difference in narrative function between these two conjugations?
  2. Verb #8 (יִסָּקֵל) is Niphal imperfect and verb #11 (יוּאָר) is Hophal imperfect. Both express passive meaning. What single visual feature most quickly distinguishes a Niphal imperfect from a Hophal imperfect?
  3. The Piel of דבר (to speak) appears in verbs 7, 12, and 13 — all denominative, all from the noun דָּבָר (word). How does this denominative origin explain why this root has almost no Qal forms?

Quick Answer Key

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRootStem / Function
1וַיְבָרֶךְYesWayyiqtol3msברךPiel — Intensive
2וַיְבָרֶךְYesWayyiqtol3msברךPiel — Intensive
3וְקִדַּשְׁתָּYesWeqatal2msקדשPiel — Factitive
4וְכִבְּסוּYesWeqatal3cpכבסPiel — Intensive
5וַיְקַדֵּשׁYesWayyiqtol3msקדשPiel — Factitive
6וַיְכַבְּסוּYesWayyiqtol3mpכבסPiel — Intensive
7וַיְדַבֵּרYesWayyiqtol3msדברPiel — Denominative
8יִסָּקֵלNoImperfect3msסקלNiphal — Passive
9אָרָהNoJussive1csאררQal
10תְּבָרֵךְYesImperfect2msברךPiel — Intensive
11יוּאָרNoImperfect3msאררHophal — Passive
12יְדַבֵּרYesImperfect3msדברPiel — Denominative
13וְדִבַּרְתִּיYesWeqatal1csדברPiel — Denominative
14כַּבֵּדYesInf. Absolute—כבדPiel — Intensive
15אֲכַבֶּדְךָYesImperfect1csכבדPiel — Intensive
16קָבָהNoImperative2msקבבQal