"Spot the Piel Weak" — Chapter 31 Passage Exercise

Chapter 31 — Piel Weak

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Students identify and parse Piel weak-root verbs across four thematic passages: the garden command (Genesis 2–3, featuring III-ה root צוה), the life-preservation narratives (Genesis 6, 18, and Exodus 1:17, featuring III-ה roots חיה and צוה), the wilderness humbling (Deuteronomy 8:1–3, featuring III-ה root ענה), and the revelation/command cluster (Amos 3:7, Genesis 50, and Deuteronomy 8:1, featuring III-ה roots גלה and צוה). The exercise presents 15 numbered verbs: 12 Piel weak targets spanning all major conjugations, plus 3 distractors (2 Hiphil weak, 1 Hophal) that share root classes or lexemes with the target verbs. Students indicate whether each verb is Piel, then parse Conjugation/PGN/Root and identify the semantic Function.

Sample Questions

Q1. 1 וַיְצַו Yes No Perfect Imperfect Wayyiqtol Weqatal Imperative Inf. Construct Inf. Absolute Participle 3ms 3mp 3fs 3fp 2ms 2mp 2fs 1cs 1cp ms + 3mp suffix ms fs mp fp Intensive Factitive Declarative Denominative Simple Action NOT Piel

A: ✓ Yes — Piel | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | צוה | Denominative — "and he commanded." III-ה root צוה: Piel Wayyiqtol 3ms apocopates (final ה drops): וַיְצַו. The וַיְ prefix + patach under צ = Piel Wayyiqtol pattern. Full Impf. would be יְצַוֶּה (see verb 5).

Q2. 2 צִוִּיתִיךָ Yes No Perfect Imperfect Wayyiqtol Weqatal Imperative Inf. Construct Inf. Absolute Participle 3ms 3mp 3fs 3fp 2ms 2mp 2fs 1cs 1cp ms + 3mp suffix ms fs mp fp Intensive Factitive Declarative Denominative Simple Action NOT Piel

A: ✓ Yes — Piel | Perfect | 1cs + 2ms obj. suffix | צוה | Denominative — "I commanded you." III-ה: Hireq under צ (R1) + dagesh forte in וּ (R2) + Pf. 1cs suffix תִּי + 2ms obj. suffix ךָ. The ו of the root contracts with the vowel pattern in the Perfect.

Q3. 3 צִוִּיתִיךָ Yes No Perfect Imperfect Wayyiqtol Weqatal Imperative Inf. Construct Inf. Absolute Participle 3ms 3mp 3fs 3fp 2ms 2mp 2fs 1cs 1cp ms + 3mp suffix ms fs mp fp Intensive Factitive Declarative Denominative Simple Action NOT Piel

A: ✓ Yes — Piel | Perfect | 1cs + 2ms obj. suffix | צוה | Denominative — Same form as #2. God repeats the command formula in his verdict speech. Piel Pf. 1cs of צוה III-ה + 2ms suffix.