Chapter 30 — Qal–Piel Contrast Drill

BBH Chapter 30 · Piel Strong Verbs

Each item gives you a root with its Qal meaning and an attested Piel form. For each item: (1) translate the Piel, (2) name the function (Intensive / Factitive / Iterative / Simple Action / Denominative), (3) click ▶ Answer to check.

Key test: Does the subject do the action more forcefully or completely? → Intensive. Does the subject cause an object to enter a state (stative root)? → Factitive. Does the Piel mark the action as repeated or ongoing? → Iterative (e.g., הָלַךְ → הִלֵּךְ, to pace; צָעַק → צֵעֵק, to keep crying). No common Qal to intensify? → Simple Action. Verb built on a noun? → Denominative.

Part A — Intensive Roots

The Qal describes a basic action. The Piel performs it more forcefully, completely, or repeatedly.

Root

Qal Meaning

Piel Form

Ref

Translation

Function

שָׁבַר

to break

שִׁבֵּר (Perfect 3ms)

Exo 32:19

Intensive · he smashed to pieces · Moses shattered the tablets completely; not merely "broke" but dashed them into fragments — an emphatic, total breaking

כָּסָה

to cover

יְכַסּוּ (Wayyiqtol 3mp)

Gen 9:23

Intensive · they covered thoroughly · Shem and Japheth covered their father completely; the Piel emphasizes an emphatic, total covering

שָׁלַח

to send

יְשַׁלַּח (Wayyiqtol 3ms)

Gen 8:7

Intensive · he sent out / released · The raven was let go definitively; Piel = send away completely, not merely dispatch

גָּרַשׁ

to drive out

יְגָרֶשׁ (Wayyiqtol 3ms)

Gen 3:24

Intensive · he drove out forcibly · Adam was expelled emphatically from Eden; Piel = expel completely, not a gentle sending away

שָׁחַת

to ruin, be corrupt

שַׁחֵת (Inf. Construct)

Gen 6:17

Intensive · to destroy utterly · Total, cosmic destruction of all flesh; the Piel intensifies far beyond ordinary ruin into complete annihilation

נָגַע

to touch, strike

יְנַגַּע (Wayyiqtol 3ms)

Gen 12:17

Intensive · he afflicted with plagues · Repeated divine striking on Pharaoh's household; not one blow but sustained, intense affliction

כָּבַס

to wash (garments)

וְכִבְּסוּ (Weqatal 3cp)

Exo 19:10

Intensive · they shall wash thoroughly · Ritual preparation at Sinai required complete, thorough laundering — not a casual rinse

Part B — Stative Roots (Factitive)

These roots describe a state in the Qal. The Piel causes an object to enter that state.

Factitive vs. Intensive: Ask "does the Piel cause an object to be in a state?" (Factitive) or "does it do the Qal action more intensely?" (Intensive). Stative roots (to be holy, great, alive) almost always yield Factitive Piels.

Root

Qal Meaning

Piel Form

Ref

Translation

Function

קָדַשׁ

to be holy

יְקַדֵּשׁ (Wayyiqtol 3ms)

Gen 2:3

Factitive · he sanctified / set apart as holy · The Qal stative describes a state (to be holy); the Piel causes an object to enter that state — God caused the Sabbath to be holy

גָּדַל

to be great

אֲגַדְּלָה (Yiqtol 1cs)

Gen 12:2

Factitive · I will make great · The Qal stative describes a state (to be great); the Piel causes an object to enter that state — God will cause Abram's name to become great

חָיָה

to live, be alive

חַיּוֹת (Inf. Construct)

Gen 7:3

Factitive · to preserve alive · The Qal stative describes a state (to live); the Piel causes an object to enter that state — Noah is to cause animals to remain in the state of living

חָלַל

to be profane, common

יְחַלֵּל (Wayyiqtol 3ms)

Lev 21:12

Factitive · he would profane · The Qal stative describes a state (to be profane); the Piel causes an object to enter that state — the priest would cause the sanctuary to become profane

כָּלָה

to be complete, finished

יְכַל (Wayyiqtol 3ms)

Gen 2:2

Factitive · he completed / finished · The Qal stative describes a state (to be complete); the Piel causes an object to enter that state — God caused his work to enter the state of completion

Part C — Simple Action and Denominative

Root

Qal Meaning

Piel Form

Ref

Translation

Function

קָלַל

to be small, light, of little account

מְקַלֵּל (Participle ms)

Gen 12:3

Simple Action · one who curses / reviles · קִלֵּל "to curse/revile" is the standard Piel form; the Qal קָלַל means "to be light/of little account" (stative), but the Piel does not merely intensify that state — it performs the speech act of cursing. BBH classifies it as Simple Action since the Piel is the normal active form (no common Qal counterpart for "to curse")

כָּפַר

to cover, wipe

לְכַפֵּר (Inf. Construct)

Lev 4:20

Denominative · to make atonement · Derived from noun כֹּפֶר ("ransom, covering, pitch") — the Piel performs the action of ransoming/covering = make atonement; knowing the noun explains the Levitical theology

בָּרַךְ

to kneel / bless (Qal rare)

יְבָרֶךְ (Wayyiqtol 3ms)

Gen 1:22

Simple Action · he blessed (them) · Blessing is the Piel's own standard function; the Qal is not in active use; there is no Qal action to intensify — the Piel simply is the verb "to bless"

דָּבַר

to speak (Qal rare)

יְדַבֵּר (Wayyiqtol 3ms)

Gen 8:15

Simple Action · he spoke · Speaking is the Piel's own standard function; the Qal of דָּבַר is functionally absent, so there is no Qal action to intensify

הָלַל

to shine, be bright (Qal rare)

יְהַלֲלוּ (Wayyiqtol 3mp)

Gen 12:15

Simple Action · they praised · Praising is the Piel's own standard function; the Qal "to shine" is semantically unrelated, so the Piel simply is the verb "to praise"

Discussion Questions

For Part A items 1–7, what single English test helps you identify whether a Piel is Intensive? (Hint: ask "does the subject cause an object to become X, or does the subject do X more forcefully/completely?") Apply the test to שַׁחֵת (item 5) and חַיּוֹת (item 10) — what different functions emerge?
Items 8–12 (Factitive, Part B): for each root, write the stative Qal meaning and the Piel meaning side by side. What grammatical object does the Piel require that the Qal stative does not?
Items 13, 14, and 15–17 are Simple Action, Denominative, and Simple Action respectively. For each category, explain in one sentence why "Intensive" doesn't fit, even though all five forms are grammatically Piel.