Chapter 31 — "Spot the Piel Weak" Passage Exercise¶
Stem: Piel (פִּעֵל) — Weak Verbs Passages: Gen 2–3 + Gen 6 + Gen 18:19 + Exo 1:17 (Command, life) · Gen 16:6 + Deu 8:2–3 (Humbling) · Amos 3:7 + Gen 50:16 + Deu 8:1 + Gen 39:1 (Revelation, command)
Instructions¶
For each bolded verb, indicate:
- Piel? (Yes / No — is it the Piel stem?)
- Conjugation (Perfect, Imperfect, Wayyiqtol, Weqatal, Imperative, Inf. Construct, Participle)
- PGN (Person–Gender–Number)
- Root (3-letter root, unvoweled)
- Stem / Function (if Piel: Intensive / Factitive / Denominative / Declarative; if not: name the stem — Qal, Niphal, Hiphil, or Hophal)
Three verbs in this exercise are not Piel — drawn from Hiphil and Hophal already studied. Focus: Piel weak verbs with III-ה roots lose the final ה in some conjugations. The key marker remains the Piel vowel pattern: i-class vowel under R1 + dagesh forte in R2 (where possible).
Passage A — Genesis 2:16; 3:11, 17¶
Context: The LORD commands and questions in the garden.
וַיְצַו 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)
| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | וַיְצַו |
וַיֹּאמֶר הָאָדָם הָאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּה עִמָּדִי הִוא נָתְנָה לִי מִן הָעֵץ וָאֹכֵל — 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)
| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | צִוִּיתִיךָ |
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)
| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | צִוִּיתִיךָ |
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.
וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתָּךְ — לְהַחֲיוֹת (4) אִתָּךְ מִכֹּל חַי מִכֹּל בָּשָׂר שְׁנַיִם מִכֹּל תָּבִיא אֶל הַתֵּבָה
"…and I will establish my covenant with you… to keep alive with you…" (Gen 6:18–19)
| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | לְהַחֲיוֹת |
חִיָּה (5) אֶת אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ
"Keep alive what is on the earth." (Gen 6:19 — Piel imperative sense in context)
| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | חִיָּה |
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)
| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | יְצַוֶּה |
וְחַיּוּ (7) אֶת יַלְדֵי הַנָּשִׁים הָעִבְרִיּוֹת
"…and they kept alive the male children of the Hebrew women." (Exo 1:17 — the midwives)
| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | וַיְחַיּוּ |
Passage C — Genesis 16:6 + Deuteronomy 8:2–3¶
Context: Hagar is afflicted; Israel is humbled in the wilderness.
וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם אֶל שָׂרַי הִנֵּה שִׁפְחָתֵךְ בְּיָדֵךְ עֲשִׂי לָהּ הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינַיִךְ וַתְּעַנֶּהָ שָׂרַי וַתִּבְרַח מִפָּנֶיהָ — see below
עִנָּה (8) אֹתָהּ שָׂרַי
"Sarai afflicted / humbled her." (Gen 16:6)
| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | עִנָּה |
וְזָכַרְתָּ אֶת כָּל הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הֹלִיכְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ זֶה אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה בַּמִּדְבָּר לְמַעַן עַנֹּתְךָ (9) לְנַסֹּתְךָ
"…to humble you and to test you…" (Deu 8:2)
| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | עַנֹּתְךָ |
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)
| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | הוֹדִיעֲךָ |
יְעַנֶּה (11) יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֹתְךָ בַּמִּדְבָּר
"The LORD your God will humble you in the wilderness." (Deu 8:2 parallel)
| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | יְעַנֶּה |
Passage D — Amos 3:7 + Genesis 50:16 + Deuteronomy 8:1 + Genesis 39:1¶
Context: God reveals; Israel is commanded to observe.
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)
| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | גִּלָּה |
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)
| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | וַיְצַוּוּ |
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)
| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | מְצַוְּךָ |
הוּבָא (15) יוֹסֵף מִצְרָיְמָה
"Joseph was brought to Egypt." (Gen 39:1 — same form as ch29 exercise, included as cross-stem review)
| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | הוּבָא |
Reflection Questions¶
-
All target-stem verbs in this exercise come from III-ה roots. In the Piel Perfect 3ms (verbs 7 and 10), the final ה appears as the long vowel pattern ָה (Qamets-He). In the Imperfect 3ms (verbs 5 and 9), the pattern ends in ֶּה (tsere-He, with dagesh in R2). What form-rule governs this alternation? How does the Piel pattern differ from the Qal for the same root classes?
-
Verbs 2 and 3 are both 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?
-
Distractor 4 (לְהַחֲיוֹת) is Hiphil Inf. Construct of חיה, while verbs 5 and 7 are Piel of the same root. Compare: Hiphil לְהַחֲיוֹת ("to keep alive" — causative) vs. Piel חִיָּה ("kept alive" — intensive/factitive). What is the diagnostic morphological difference that tells you one is Hiphil and the other is Piel?
Answer Key¶
Score: 12 Piel + 3 non-Piel = 15 total
Conjugation coverage: - Wayyiqtol (3): #1, #7, #13 - Perfect (5): #2, #3, #5, #8, #12 - Imperfect (2): #6, #11 - Inf. Construct (1): #9 - Participle (1): #14 - Non-Piel (3): #4 (Hiphil Inf. Const.), #10 (Hiphil Inf. Const. + suffix), #15 (Hophal Perfect 3ms)
| # | Verb | Piel? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | וַיְצַו | Yes | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | צוה | Piel — Denominative (from מִצְוָה); III-ה apocopated in Wayyiqtol: וַיְצַו |
| 2 | צִוִּיתִיךָ | Yes | Perfect | 1cs + 2ms obj. | צוה | Piel — Denominative; III-ה: ו contraction in Pf. + 2ms suffix; "I commanded you" |
| 3 | צִוִּיתִיךָ | Yes | Perfect | 1cs + 2ms obj. | צוה | Piel — Denominative; same form as #2, repeated in different literary context |
| 4 | לְהַחֲיוֹת | No | Inf. Construct | — | חיה | NOT Piel — Hiphil Inf. Const. of חיה (III-ה); לְהַ- prefix = Hiphil marker; "to keep alive" (causative) |
| 5 | חִיָּה | Yes | Perfect | 3ms | חיה | Piel — Factitive; III-ה root: Piel Pf. 3ms = חִיָּה (Hireq under R1 + dagesh in R2 + ָה); "kept alive" |
| 6 | יְצַוֶּה | Yes | Imperfect | 3ms | צוה | Piel — Denominative; III-ה Impf. 3ms: יְ prefix + patach under R1 + dagesh forte in צּ + tsere-He ending |
| 7 | וַיְחַיּוּ | Yes | Wayyiqtol | 3mp | חיה | Piel — Factitive; III-ה Wayyiqtol 3mp: וַיְ + חַ + יּ (dagesh forte in yod) + וּ suffix; "they kept alive" |
| 8 | עִנָּה | Yes | Perfect | 3ms | ענה | Piel — Factitive; III-ה root ענה; Hireq under ע + dagesh forte in נּ + ָה; "she afflicted/humbled" |
| 9 | עַנֹּתְךָ | Yes | Inf. Construct | — + 2ms suffix | ענה | Piel — Factitive; III-ה Inf. Const. with 2ms suffix: לְעַנֹּתְךָ (patach under ע + dagesh in נּ); "to humble you" |
| 10 | הוֹדִיעֲךָ | No | Inf. Construct | — + 2ms suffix | ידע | NOT Piel — Hiphil Inf. Const. of ידע (I-י); הוֹ- prefix = Hiphil marker; "to make known / to cause to know" |
| 11 | יְעַנֶּה | Yes | Imperfect | 3ms | ענה | Piel — Factitive; III-ה Impf. 3ms: יְ prefix + patach under ע + dagesh forte in נּ + tsere-He; "will humble" |
| 12 | גִּלָּה | Yes | Perfect | 3ms | גלה | Piel — Declarative/Intensive; III-ה root גלה: Hireq under ג + dagesh forte in לּ + ָה; "revealed" |
| 13 | וַיְצַוּוּ | Yes | Wayyiqtol | 3mp | צוה | Piel — Denominative; Wayyiqtol 3mp of צוה III-ה: וַיְ + צַ + וּ (3mp ending); "they commanded/sent word" |
| 14 | מְצַוְּךָ | Yes | Participle | ms + 2ms obj. | צוה | Piel — Denominative; Piel Ptc. ms with 2ms suffix: מְ prefix + patach under צ + dagesh in וּ; "commanding you" |
| 15 | הוּבָא | No | Perfect | 3ms | בוא | NOT Piel — Hophal Pf. 3ms of I-י root בוא; הוּ prefix (u-class) = Hophal; "was brought" |
Notes on distractors: - 4 לְהַחֲיוֹת is Hiphil Inf. Construct of חיה. The לְהַ- prefix marks Hiphil (not Piel). Piel Inf. Const. of חיה would be לְחַיּוֹת (no הַ- prefix). - 10 הוֹדִיעֲךָ is Hiphil Inf. Const. of ידע (I-י). The הוֹ- (Holem-Vav) prefix marks Hiphil; Piel of ידע is extremely rare and has different morphology. - 15 הוּבָא is Hophal Perfect 3ms of בוא. The הוּ- (Shureq) prefix marks Hophal (u-class vowel), not Piel (i-class vowel under R1 + dagesh forte in R2). - Verb #1 וַיְצַו is the apocopated Piel Wayyiqtol 3ms of צוה: the III-ה drops in the Wayyiqtol, yielding וַיְצַו instead of *וַיְצַוֶּה. Compare with the full imperfect form in #6 (יְצַוֶּה).