Chapter 31 — "Spot the Piel Weak" Passage Exercise

Stem: Piel (פִּעֵל) — Weak Verbs  |  Passages: Gen 2–3, 6, 16, 18 · Deu 8:1–3 · Amos 3:7 · Gen 50:16 · 1 Sam 3:21

Instructions: For each numbered verb, fill in: (1) Is it Piel? (Yes/No) (2) Conjugation (3) PGN (4) Root. Several verbs in this exercise are not Piel — drawn from Qal, Niphal, Hiphil, and Hophal already studied. Click ▶ Answer to reveal the key for that row.

Key diagnostic for III-ה Piel: The Piel of III-ה roots retains the i-class vowel under R1 and dagesh forte in R2 (where possible), but the ה ending behaves like other III-ה verbs. Pf. 3ms ends in ָּה (e.g., צִוָּה, חִיָּה, גִּלָּה). Impf. 3ms ends in ֶּה (e.g., יְצַוֶּה, יְעַנֶּה). Wayyiqtol 3ms apocopates: וַיְצַו, וַיְגַל.

Passage A — Genesis 2:16; 3:11, 17

Context: The LORD commands and questions in the garden.

וַיְצַו [1] יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים עַל־הָאָדָם לֵאמֹר מִכֹּל עֵץ הַגָּן אָכֹל תֹּאכֵל

"And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'You may freely eat from every tree of the garden…'" (Gen 2:16)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRoot
1וַיְצַו
Yes Wayyiqtol 3ms צוה Piel — Denominative. "and he commanded." III-ה Piel Wayyiqtol 3ms apocopates (ה drops): וַיְצַו. Full Impf. = יְצַוֶּה (#6).
הֲמִן הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִיךָ [2] לְבִלְתִּי אֲכָל מִמֶּנּוּ אָכָלְתָּ

"'…Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?'" (Gen 3:11)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRoot
2צִוִּיתִיךָ
Yes Perfect 1cs + 2ms obj. צוה Piel — Denominative. "I commanded you." Hireq under צ + dagesh forte in וּ (R2) + Pf. 1cs תִּי + 2ms obj. suffix ךָ.
כִּי שָׁמַעְתָּ לְקוֹל אִשְׁתֶּךָ וַתֹּאכַל מִן הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִיךָ [3] לֵאמֹר לֹא תֹאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ

"'…because you listened to the voice of your wife and ate of the tree about which I commanded you…'" (Gen 3:17)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRoot
3צִוִּיתִיךָ
Yes Perfect 1cs + 2ms obj. צוה Piel — Denominative. Same form as #2. God repeats the command formula in the verdict speech.

Passage B — Genesis 6:18–20 + 18:19 + Exodus 1:17

Context: God commands Noah; Abraham is chosen to command his household; the midwives keep alive.

Hiphil vs. Piel of חיה: Both can mean "keep alive," but Hiphil (4) is causative (make to live) while Piel is factitive/intensive. The key diagnostic: Hiphil Inf. Const. takes לְהַ- prefix; Piel Inf. Const. takes לְחַ- (no הַ-).
וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתָּךְ לְהַחֲיוֹת [4] אִתָּךְ

"…and I will establish my covenant with you, to keep alive with you…" (Gen 6:18–19)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRoot
4לְהַחֲיוֹת
No Inf. Construct — חיה NOT Piel — Hiphil Inf. Const. "to keep alive" (causative). לְהַ- prefix marks Hiphil; Piel Inf. Const. would be לְחַיּוֹת.
חִיָּה [5] אֶת אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ

"Keep alive what is on the earth." (Gen 6:19 context)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRoot
5חִיָּה
Yes Perfect 3ms חיה Piel — Factitive. "kept alive." Hireq under ח (R1) + dagesh forte in יּ (R2) + ָה (III-ה Pf. 3ms ending).
כִּי יְדַעְתִּיו לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר יְצַוֶּה [6] אֶת בָּנָיו וְאֶת בֵּיתוֹ אַחֲרָיו

"For I know him, so that he will command his sons and his household after him…" (Gen 18:19)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRoot
6יְצַוֶּה
Yes Imperfect 3ms צוה Piel — Denominative. "will command." III-ה Impf. 3ms: יְ + Pathach under צ + dagesh forte in וּ + Tsere-He (ֶּה) ending. Full (non-apocopated) form.
וַיְחַיּוּ [7] אֶת יַלְדֵי הַנָּשִׁים הָעִבְרִיּוֹת

"…and they kept alive the male children of the Hebrew women." (Exo 1:17)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRoot
7וַיְחַיּוּ
Yes Wayyiqtol 3mp חיה Piel — Factitive. "they kept alive." III-ה Wayyiqtol 3mp: וַיְ + חַ + יּ (dagesh forte in R2) + וּ (3mp suffix).

Passage C — Genesis 16:6 + Deuteronomy 8:2–3

Context: Hagar is afflicted; Israel is humbled in the wilderness.

עִנָּה [8] אֹתָהּ שָׂרַי

"Sarai afflicted / humbled her." (Gen 16:6)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRoot
8עִנָּה
Yes Perfect 3ms ענה Piel — Factitive. "she afflicted/humbled." Hireq under ע (R1) + dagesh forte in נּ (R2) + ָה (III-ה Pf. 3ms ending).
וְזָכַרְתָּ אֶת כָּל הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הֹלִיכְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְמַעַן עַנֹּתְךָ [9] לְנַסֹּתְךָ

"…to humble you and to test you…" (Deu 8:2)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRoot
9עַנֹּתְךָ
Yes Inf. Construct — + 2ms suffix ענה Piel — Factitive. "to humble you." Pathach under ע + dagesh forte in נּ; III-ה Inf. Const. ending appears as ת before suffix.
וַיְעַנְּךָ וַיַּרְעִבֶךָ וַיַּאֲכִלְךָ אֶת הַמָּן לְמַעַן הוֹדִיעֲךָ [10] כִּי לֹא עַל הַלֶּחֶם לְבַדּוֹ יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם

"…and he fed you manna in order to make you know that man does not live by bread alone." (Deu 8:3)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRoot
10הוֹדִיעֲךָ
No Inf. Construct — + 2ms suffix ידע NOT Piel — Hiphil Inf. Const. "to make you know." הוֹ- prefix (Holem-Vav) = Hiphil of I-י root ידע (causative: "to inform").
יְעַנֶּה [11] יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֹתְךָ בַּמִּדְבָּר

"The LORD your God will humble you in the wilderness." (Deu 8:2 parallel)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRoot
11יְעַנֶּה
Yes Imperfect 3ms ענה Piel — Factitive. "will humble." יְ + Pathach under ע + dagesh forte in נּ (R2) + Tsere-He (ֶּה) ending. Same root as #8 and #9.

Passage D — Amos 3:7 + Genesis 50:16 + Deuteronomy 8:1 + Genesis 39:1

Context: God reveals his secrets; Joseph's brothers send a command; Moses commands Israel.

כִּי לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה דָּבָר כִּי אִם גִּלָּה [12] סוֹדוֹ אֶל עֲבָדָיו הַנְּבִיאִים

"For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRoot
12גִּלָּה
Yes Perfect 3ms גלה Piel — Declarative/Intensive. "revealed." Hireq under ג (R1) + dagesh forte in לּ (R2) + ָה (III-ה Pf. 3ms ending).
וַיְצַוּוּ [13] אֶל יוֹסֵף לֵאמֹר אָבִיךָ צִוָּה לִפְנֵי מוֹתוֹ לֵאמֹר

"They sent a command to Joseph, saying, 'Your father gave orders before his death…'" (Gen 50:16)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRoot
13וַיְצַוּוּ
Yes Wayyiqtol 3mp צוה Piel — Denominative. "they commanded/sent word." Wayyiqtol 3mp: וַיְ + צַ + וּ (3mp suffix; root ו retained before plural ending).
כָּל הַמִּצְוָה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ [14] הַיּוֹם תִּשְׁמְרוּן לַעֲשׂוֹת

"All the commandment that I am commanding you today, you shall be careful to do." (Deu 8:1)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRoot
14מְצַוְּךָ
Yes Participle ms + 2ms obj. צוה Piel — Denominative. "commanding you." מְ prefix + Pathach + dagesh forte in וּ (R2) + 2ms suffix ךָ. Present/durative force.
Cross-stem review — Hophal distractor: The next verb appeared in the Ch29 exercise. Here it serves as a reminder that הוּ prefix = Hophal (passive), not Piel (active/intensive).
הוּבָא [15] יוֹסֵף מִצְרָיְמָה

"Joseph was brought to Egypt." (Gen 39:1)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRoot
15הוּבָא
No Perfect 3ms בוא NOT Piel — Hophal Pf. 3ms. "was brought." הוּ prefix (u-class Shureq) = Hophal passive marker. I-י root בוא has no Piel stem.

Passage E — Deuteronomy 8:1-3 (additional) + 1 Samuel 3:21

Context: Three more verbs from the Deuteronomy 8 passage already studied, plus a Niphal from 1 Samuel — all non-Piel.

כָּל הַמִּצְוָה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם תִּשְׁמְרוּן לַעֲשׂוֹת לְמַעַן תִּחְיוּן [16] וּרְבִיתֶם

"All the commandment that I am commanding you today, you shall be careful to do, so that you may live and multiply…" (Deu 8:1)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRoot
16תִּחְיוּן
No Imperfect 2mp חיה NOT Piel — Qal Impf. 2mp of חיה. Hireq under תִּ + no dagesh in ח + III-ה with וּן suffix = Qal. "you may live." Compare Piel of same root (#5, #7) which have dagesh in יּ (R2).
כָּל הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הֹלִיכְךָ [17] יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ זֶה אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה

"…all the way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years…" (Deu 8:2)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRoot
17הֹלִיכְךָ
No Perfect 3ms + 2ms obj. הלך NOT Piel — Hiphil Pf. 3ms + 2ms obj. suffix of הלך (I-י root). הֹ prefix (Holem = Hiphil of I-י) + liqtol stem + ךָ suffix. "he led you." No dagesh in R2 = not Piel.
כִּי לֹא עַל הַלֶּחֶם לְבַדּוֹ יִחְיֶה [18] הָאָדָם

"…for man does not live by bread alone…" (Deu 8:3)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRoot
18יִחְיֶה
No Imperfect 3ms חיה NOT Piel — Qal Impf. 3ms of חיה (III-ה). Hireq under יִ + no dagesh in ח + Seghol-He ending = Qal. "lives/will live." Compare Piel #5 (חִיָּה) and Hiphil #4 (לְהַחֲיוֹת); all three stems of the same root appear in this exercise.
כִּי נִגְלָה [19] יְהוָה אֶל שְׁמוּאֵל בְּשִׁלֹה

"…for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh." (1 Sam 3:21)

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRoot
19נִגְלָה
No Perfect 3ms גלה NOT Piel — Niphal Pf. 3ms of גלה. נִ prefix + no dagesh in ל + ָה ending = Niphal III-ה perfect. "was revealed / revealed himself" (reflexive). Compare Piel #12 (גִּלָּה): same root, but Piel has dagesh forte in ל and active meaning "revealed [a secret]."

Reflection Questions

  1. All Piel target verbs in this exercise come from III-ה roots. In the Piel Perfect 3ms (e.g., #8 עִנָּה, #12 גִּלָּה), the final ה appears as ָּה (Qamets-He with dagesh). In the Piel Imperfect 3ms (e.g., #6 יְצַוֶּה, #11 יְעַנֶּה) the pattern ends in ֶּה (Tsere-He with dagesh in R2). What rule governs this alternation? Compare with the Qal forms of the same roots (e.g., #16, #18).
  2. Verbs 2 and 3 are identical forms of צוה (Piel Perf. 1cs + 2ms object suffix). How does the object suffix affect the form, and what rule about R2 (ו of III-ה roots) applies in the Piel Perfect? Can you spot where the vowel contraction occurs?
  3. Three stems of חיה appear in this exercise: Hiphil (#4 לְהַחֲיוֹת), Piel (#5 חִיָּה, #7 וַיְחַיּוּ), and Qal (#16 תִּחְיוּן, #18 יִחְיֶה). What morphological markers distinguish each stem? Pay attention to the prefix, vowel pattern, and whether ח takes a dagesh.

Answer Key

#VerbPiel?ConjugationPGNRootNotes
1וַיְצַוYesWayyiqtol3msצוהPiel — Denominative; III-ה apocopated: וַיְצַו
2צִוִּיתִיךָYesPerfect1cs + 2ms obj.צוהPiel — Denominative; "I commanded you"
3צִוִּיתִיךָYesPerfect1cs + 2ms obj.צוהPiel — Denominative; same form, different literary context
4לְהַחֲיוֹתNoInf. Construct—חיהNOT Piel — Hiphil Inf. Const. (לְהַ- prefix)
5חִיָּהYesPerfect3msחיהPiel — Factitive; "kept alive"
6יְצַוֶּהYesImperfect3msצוהPiel — Denominative; III-ה Impf. 3ms full form
7וַיְחַיּוּYesWayyiqtol3mpחיהPiel — Factitive; "they kept alive"
8עִנָּהYesPerfect3msענהPiel — Factitive; "she afflicted/humbled"
9עַנֹּתְךָYesInf. Construct— + 2ms suffixענהPiel — Factitive; "to humble you"
10הוֹדִיעֲךָNoInf. Construct— + 2ms suffixידעNOT Piel — Hiphil Inf. Const. (הוֹ- prefix)
11יְעַנֶּהYesImperfect3msענהPiel — Factitive; "will humble"
12גִּלָּהYesPerfect3msגלהPiel — Declarative/Intensive; "revealed"
13וַיְצַוּוּYesWayyiqtol3mpצוהPiel — Denominative; "they commanded/sent word"
14מְצַוְּךָYesParticiplems + 2ms obj.צוהPiel — Denominative; "commanding you"
15הוּבָאNoPerfect3msבואNOT Piel — Hophal Pf. 3ms (הוּ prefix)
16תִּחְיוּןNoImperfect2mpחיהNOT Piel — Qal Impf. 2mp; "you may live" (no dagesh in ח)
17הֹלִיכְךָNoPerfect3ms + 2ms obj.הלךNOT Piel — Hiphil Pf. 3ms + 2ms suffix (הֹ = Hiphil I-י)
18יִחְיֶהNoImperfect3msחיהNOT Piel — Qal Impf. 3ms; "lives" (no dagesh in ח)
19נִגְלָהNoPerfect3msגלהNOT Piel — Niphal Pf. 3ms; "was revealed" (נִ prefix, no dagesh in ל)