Chapter 32 — "Spot the Pual" Passage Exercise¶
Stem: Pual (פֻּעַל) — Strong Verbs Passages: Num 22:6, 12, 23:8, 20 · Gen 25:8, 10 · Exo 14:4 / Isa 43:23
Instructions¶
For each bolded verb, indicate:
- Pual? (Yes / No — is it the Pual stem?)
- Conjugation (Perfect, Imperfect, Wayyiqtol, Weqatal, Imperative, Inf. Const., Inf. Abs., Participle)
- PGN (Person–Gender–Number, e.g., 3ms, 2mp, 1cs)
- Root (3-letter root, unvoweled)
- Stem / Function (if Pual: Passive — state what the Piel means and how Pual passivizes it; if not: name the stem)
Distractors include Piel, Hophal, and Qal forms — stems you have already studied. The key Pual diagnostic: Qibbuts (ֻ) under R1 + Dagesh Forte in R2. Note: when R2 = ר (which rejects dagesh), the vowel under R1 lengthens compensatorily from Qibbuts to Qamets.
Passage A — Numbers 22:6, 12; 23:8, 20¶
Context: The Balaam cycle — Balak summons Balaam to curse Israel; God instructs Balaam; Balaam delivers oracles.
כִּ֣י יָדַ֗עְתִּי אֵ֤ת אֲשֶׁר־תְּבָרֵךְ (1) מְבֹרָ֔ךְ (2) וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר תָּאֹ֖ר יוּאָֽר (3) ׃
"…for I know that he whom you bless (1) is blessed (2), and he whom you curse is cursed (3)." (Num 22:6)
| # | Verb | Pual? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | תְּבָרֵךְ | |||||
| 2 | מְבֹרָךְ | |||||
| 3 | יוּאָר |
לֹ֥א תֵלֵ֖ךְ עִמָּהֶ֑ם לֹ֥א תָאֹ֖ר (4) אֶת־הָעָ֑ם כִּ֥י בָר֖וּךְ (5) הֽוּא׃
"You shall not go with them. You shall not curse (4) the people, for they are blessed (5)." (Num 22:12)
| # | Verb | Pual? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | תָאֹר | |||||
| 5 | בָּרוּךְ |
מַה־אֶקֹּ֕ב לֹ֥א קַבֹּ֖ה (6) אֵ֑ל וּמַה־אֶזְעֹ֕ם לֹ֥א זָעַ֖ם (7) יְהוָֽה׃
"How shall I curse what God has not cursed (6), and how shall I denounce what the LORD has not denounced (7)?" (Num 23:8)
| # | Verb | Pual? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | קַבֹּה | |||||
| 7 | זָעַם |
הִנֵּ֥ה בָרֵ֖ךְ (8) לָקָ֑חְתִּי וּבֵרַ֖ךְ וְלֹ֥א אֲשִׁיבֶֽנָּה׃
"Behold, I have received a command to bless (8); he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it." (Num 23:20)
| # | Verb | Pual? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | בָרֵךְ |
Passage B — Genesis 25:8, 10¶
Context: The death and burial of Abraham (Gen 25:7–10).
וַיִּגְוַ֨ע וַיָּ֤מָת (9) אַבְרָהָם֙ בְּשֵׂיבָ֣ה טֹובָ֔ה זָקֵ֖ן וְשָׂבֵ֑עַ וַיֵּאָ֖סֶף (10) אֶל עַמָּֽיו׃
"He expired, and Abraham died (9) at a good old age, old and full of years, and was gathered (10) to his people." (Gen 25:8)
| # | Verb | Pual? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | וַיָּמָת | |||||
| 10 | וַיֵּאָסֶף |
וַיִּקְבְּר֤וּ (11) אֹתֹו֙ יִצְחָ֣ק וְיִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל בָּנָ֖יו אֶל מְעָרַ֣ת הַמַּכְפֵּלָ֑ה … הַשָּׂדֶה֩ אֲשֶׁר קָנָ֨ה אַבְרָהָ֜ם … שָׁ֛מָּה קֻבַּ֥ר (12) אַבְרָהָ֖ם וְשָׂרָ֥ה אִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃
"And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him (11) in the cave of Machpelah … the field that Abraham purchased … there Abraham was buried (12), and Sarah his wife." (Gen 25:9–10)
| # | Verb | Pual? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | וַיִּקְבְּרוּ | |||||
| 12 | קֻבַּר |
Passage C — Exodus 14:4; Isaiah 43:23¶
Context: The Pual of כבד — "be honored / be made heavy."
וְכָבַדְתִּ֤י (13) בְּפַרְעֹה֙ וּבְכָל־חֵיל֔וֹ וְיָדְע֥וּ מִצְרַ֖יִם כִּי־אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֑ה׃
"And I will get glory (13) through Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD." (Exo 14:4)
| # | Verb | Pual? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | וְכָבַדְתִּי |
לֹ֥א כֻבַּ֖דְתָּנִי (14) בְּקָרְבָּנֶ֑יךָ וְעָמַלְתַּ֥נִי בִּלְבוֹנָתֶֽךָ׃
"You have not honored me (14) with your offerings, or wearied me with your frankincense." (Isa 43:23)
| # | Verb | Pual? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | כֻּבַּדְתַּנִי |
הוּקַ֥ם (15) הַמִּשְׁכָּ֖ן בְּיוֹם הַחֹ֥דֶשׁ הָרִאשֽׁוֹן׃
"The tabernacle was set up (15) on the first day of the first month." (Num 9:15 / Exo 40:17)
| # | Verb | Pual? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | הוּקַם |
Reflection Questions¶
-
In Passage A, verbs 1 (תְּבָרֵךְ) and 2 (מְבֹרָךְ) come from the same root ברך but are in different stems. What is the active/passive relationship between them, and how does the Pual vowel pattern (Qamets under R1, since ר rejects dagesh) differ from what you would expect in a strong Pual form?
-
Verb 3 (יוּאָר, Hophal) and verb 14 (כֻּבַּדְתַּנִי, Pual) both express passive meaning. What is the key visual feature that distinguishes a Hophal Imperfect from a Pual Perfect? What does each stem tell you about the corresponding active stem?
-
Verbs 11 (וַיִּקְבְּרוּ, Qal Wayyiqtol 3mp) and 12 (קֻבַּר, Pual Perfect 3ms) in Passage B both come from root קבר. One is Qal active (Isaac and Ishmael as subjects), the other is Pual passive (Abraham as the object). Describe the active/passive contrast. What does the Pual vowel pattern tell you about who is performing the burying action?
Answer Key¶
| # | Verb | Pual? | Conjugation | PGN | Root | Stem / Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | תְּבָרֵךְ | No | Imperfect | 2ms | ברך | Piel — Intensive: "you bless" (R2=ר; Piel: Tsere under R2) |
| 2 | מְבֹרָךְ | Yes | Participle | ms | ברך | Pual — Passive: "blessed" (Qamets under R1 compensates for ר rejecting dagesh) |
| 3 | יוּאָר | No | Imperfect | 3ms | ארר | Hophal — Passive: "shall be cursed" (יוּ prefix = u-class on preformative = Hophal marker; no dagesh in R2) |
| 4 | תָאֹר | No | Imperfect | 2ms | ארר | Qal — "you shall curse" |
| 5 | בָּרוּךְ | Yes | Participle | ms | ברך | Pual — Passive: "blessed" (substantival use; בָּ = Qamets for ר; same form as מְבֹרָךְ without מְ prefix) |
| 6 | קַבֹּה | No | Inf. Absolute | — | קבב | Qal — Inf. Abs. in negated construction: "what God has not cursed" |
| 7 | זָעַם | No | Perfect | 3ms | זעם | Qal — "has denounced/been indignant" |
| 8 | בָרֵךְ | No | Inf. Absolute | — | ברך | Piel — Inf. Abs.: "to bless" (cognate construction with לָקַח; Piel Inf. Abs. of ברך; Tsere under R2 confirms Piel) |
| 9 | וַיָּמָת | No | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | מות | Qal — "and Abraham died" |
| 10 | וַיֵּאָסֶף | No | Wayyiqtol | 3ms | אסף | Niphal — Passive: "was gathered to his people" |
| 11 | וַיִּקְבְּרוּ | No | Wayyiqtol | 3mp | קבר | Qal — "and they buried him" (active) |
| 12 | קֻבַּר | Yes | Perfect | 3ms | קבר | Pual — Passive: "was buried" (Qibbuts under R1 + Dagesh Forte in R2 = Pual; passive of Qal verb 11) |
| 13 | וְכָבַדְתִּי | No | Weqatal | 1cs | כבד | Niphal — Reflexive/Passive: "I will get glory / be glorified" (וְנִ form; Niphal of כבד) |
| 14 | כֻּבַּדְתַּנִי | Yes | Perfect | 2ms+1cs | כבד | Pual — Passive: "you have not honored me" (Qibbuts under R1 כֻ + Dagesh Forte in R2 בּ = Pual diagnostic) |
| 15 | הוּקַם | No | Perfect | 3ms | קום | Hophal — Passive: "was set up/raised" (הוּ prefix with Shureq = Hophal Perfect marker; u-class but no Dagesh Forte in R2 because this is biconsonantal) |
Notes on distractors: - #3 יוּאָר is Hophal Imperfect of ארר. The יוּ prefix (Shureq = u-class vowel under prefix) is the Hophal marker. Compare: Pual would have Qibbuts under R1 with Dagesh in R2. - #4 תָאֹר and #6 קַבֹּה and #7 זָעַם are Qal forms — no Pual u-class vowel under R1 with Dagesh in R2. - #10 וַיֵּאָסֶף is Niphal Wayyiqtol, not Pual — the Niphal prefix + assimilation of nun into the root marks Niphal passive. - #11 וַיִּקְבְּרוּ is Qal active of קבר, not Pual — no u-class vowel under R1 with Dagesh Forte in R2. - #15 הוּקַם is Hophal Perfect — the הוּ prefix is the Hophal marker; no Dagesh Forte in R2 (biconsonantal root קום). - מְבֹרָךְ (#2) and בָּרוּךְ (#5) are both Pual Participles of ברך — the compensatory Qamets under R1 (replacing expected Qibbuts) occurs because ר cannot take Dagesh Forte.