Stem Piel¶
Summary¶
The Piel stem is the most flexible stem formation in Biblical Hebrew and can express simple, intensive, resultative, causative, or other kinds of verbal action depending on the context and the specific verb.
Article¶
The Piel form is a verbal stem formation in Biblical Hebrew, usually indicated by a daghesh in the 2nd radical of the verb. The Piel stem is the most flexible in its use of all the various stem formations; it can express simple action, intensive action, resultative action, causative action, or other kinds of action (all in active voice) depending on the context and the specific verb. Some verbs express simple action in the Piel stem; some verbs express intensive action in the Piel stem; for some verbs, the Piel stem might express either simple action or intensive action, depending on the context; and so on.
Note
It is recommended to always check a dictionary or lexicon for the meaning of a specific verb, because this stem may express many different kinds of action in different contexts.
Form¶
Paradigm¶
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
קִטֵּל / קִטַּל |
qittel / qittal |
he slaughtered |
feminine singular third person |
קִטְּלָה |
qittelah |
she slaughtered |
masculine singular second person |
קִטַּלְתָּ |
qittalta |
you slaughtered |
feminine singular second person |
קִטַּלְתְּ |
qittalt |
you slaughtered |
common singular first person |
קִטַּלְתִּי |
qittalti |
I slaughtered |
common plural third person |
קִטְּלוּ |
qittelu |
they slaughtered |
masculine plural second person |
קִטַּלְתֶּם |
qittaltem |
you slaughtered |
feminine plural second person |
קִטַּלְתֶּן |
qittalten |
you slaughtered |
common plural first person |
קִטַּלְנוּ |
qittalnu |
we slaughtered |
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
יְקַטֵּל |
yiqattel |
he will slaughter |
feminine singular third person |
תְּקַטֵּל |
tiqattel |
she will slaughter |
masculine singular second person |
תְּקַטֵּל |
tiqattel |
you will slaughter |
feminine singular second person |
תְּקַטְּלִי |
tiqatteli |
you will slaughter |
common singular first person |
אֲקַטֵּל |
‘eqattel |
I will slaughter |
masculine plural third person |
יְקַטְּלוּ |
yiqattelu |
they will slaughter |
feminine plural third person |
תְּקַטַּלְנָה |
tiqattalnah |
they will slaughter |
masculine plural second person |
תְּקַטְּלוּ |
tiqattelu |
you will slaughter |
feminine plural second person |
תְּקַטַּלְנָה |
tiqattalnah |
you will slaughter |
common plural first person |
נְקַטֵּל |
niqattel |
we will slaughter |
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
וְקִטֵּל / וְקִטַּל |
weqittel / weqittal |
(and) he will slaughter |
feminine singular third person |
וְקִטְּלָה |
weqittelah |
(and) she will slaughter |
masculine singular second person |
וְקִטַּלְתָּ |
weqittalta |
(and) you will slaughter |
feminine singular second person |
וְקִטַּלְתְּ |
weqittalt |
(and) you will slaughter |
common singular first person |
וְקִטַּלְתִּי |
weqittalti |
(and) I will slaughter |
common plural third person |
וְקִטְּלוּ |
weqittelu |
(and) they will slaughter |
masculine plural second person |
וְקִטַּלְתֶּם |
weqittaltem |
(and) you will slaughter |
feminine plural second person |
וְקִטַּלְתֶּן |
weqittalten |
(and) you will slaughter |
common plural first person |
וְקִטַּלְנוּ |
weqittalnu |
(and) we will slaughter |
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
וַיְּקַטֵּל |
wayyeqattel |
(and) he slaughtered |
feminine singular third person |
וַתְּקַטֵּל |
watteqattel |
(and) she slaughtered |
masculine singular second person |
וַתְּקַטֵּל |
watteqattel |
(and) you slaughtered |
feminine singular second person |
וַתְּקַטְּלִי |
watteqatteli |
(and) you slaughtered |
common singular first person |
וָאֲקַטֵּל |
wa’eqattel |
(and) I slaughtered |
masculine plural third person |
וַיְּקַטְּלוּ |
wayyeqattelu |
(and) they slaughtered |
feminine plural third person |
וַתְּקַטַּלְנָה |
watteqattelnah |
(and) they slaughtered |
masculine plural second person |
וַתְּקַטְּלוּ |
watteqattelu |
(and) you slaughtered |
feminine plural second person |
וַתְּקַטַּלְנָה |
watteqattelnah |
(and) you slaughtered |
common plural first person |
וַנְּקַטֵּל |
wanneqattel |
(and) we slaughtered |
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
Infinitive Construct |
קַטֵּל |
qattel |
slaughter |
Infinitive Absolute |
קַטֵּל / קַטֹּל |
qattel / qattol |
slaughter |
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
masculine singular |
קַטֵּל |
qattel |
you must slaughter |
feminine singular |
קַטְּלִי |
qatteli |
you must slaughter |
masculine plural |
קַטְּלוּ |
qattelu |
you must slaughter |
feminine plural |
קַטֵּלְנָה |
qattelnah |
you must slaughter |
Note
The jussive form in the Piel stem is recognizable only for certain verbs. Here the sample verb is גָּלָה (meaning “to uncover nakedness” in the Piel stem), where the 3rd radical (ה) has dropped out.
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
masculine singular third person |
יְגַל |
yegal |
may he uncover nakedness |
feminine singular third person |
תְּגַל |
tegal |
may she uncover nakedness |
masculine singular second person |
תְּגַל |
tegal |
may you uncover nakedness |
feminine singular second person |
תְּגַלִי |
tagali |
may you uncover nakedness |
masculine plural third person |
יְגַלוּ |
yegalu |
may they uncover nakedness |
feminine plural third person |
תְּגַלְנָה |
tegalnah |
may they uncover nakedness |
masculine plural second person |
תְּגַלוּ |
tegalnu |
may you uncover nakedness |
feminine plural second person |
תְּגַלְנָה |
tegalnah |
may you uncover nakedness |
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
common singular |
אֲקַטֵּלָה |
‘eqattelah |
let me slaughter |
common plural |
נְקַטֵּלָה |
niqattelah |
let us slaughter |
Parsing |
Hebrew |
Transliteration |
Gloss |
---|---|---|---|
masculine singular |
מְקַטֵּל |
meqattel |
slaughtering |
feminine singular |
מְקַטֶּלֶת |
meqatteleth |
slaughtering |
masculine plural |
מְקַטְּלִים |
meqattelim |
slaughtering |
feminine plural |
מְקַטְּלוֹת |
meqatteloth |
slaughtering |
Function¶
The Piel stem can express any of the following kinds of verbal action:
Expresses simple action¶
In Biblical Hebrew, some verbs can express different meanings in different stem formations. A good example is the Hebrew verb נָחַם. In the Niphal stem, the verb נָחַם usually expresses either stative action (“to be sorry”) or passive action (“to be comforted”). But in the Piel stem, the verb נָחַם expresses the simple action “to comfort”. A dictionary or lexicon will indicate the different meanings for these verbs in the various stem formations.
כִּ֣י נִֽחַמְתָּ֔נִי |
ki nihamtani |
for you-have-comforted-me |
for you have comforted me |
On the other hand, some verbs express the same meaning in multiple stem formations. A good example is the verb אָסַף, which expresses the simple action “to gather” in both the Qal and the Piel stem. This also will be indicated by a dictionary or lexicon.
וְאֵ֣ין אִ֔ישׁ מְאַסֵּ֥ף אוֹתִ֖י הַבָּֽיְתָה |
we’en ‘ish me’assef ‘othi habbayethah |
and-there-is-not man gathering [dir.obj]-me to-the-house |
but there is no one who will take me into his house |
Expresses resultative action¶
Resultative action means that the primary focus of the verb is on the result of the verbal action. A good example is the verb שָׁלַח. In the Qal stem, the verb שָׁלַח means “to send” or “to stretch out”. But in the Piel stem, the verb שָׁלַח means “to send away”.
וַיִּתֵּ֣ן … וְאֶת־הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֶ֑הָ |
wayyitten … we’eth-hayyeled wayeshalleheha |
and-he-gave … and-[dir.obj]_the-boy and-he-sent-her-away |
He gave her the boy and sent her away |
Expresses causative action¶
Causative action means that the subject of the verb is causing the object of the verb either to perform the verbal action (for dynamic verbs) or to be in the state described by the verb (for stative verbs). The Piel stem often serves this causative function with stative verbs. A good example is the verb מָלֵא. In the Qal stem, the verb מָלֵא expresses the stative action “to be full”. But in the Piel stem, the verb מָלֵא expresses the causative action “to fill” (meaning, to cause something to be full). In English, causative action is expressed using the main verb “to cause” paired with the infinitive of the verbal action in view. In Biblical Hebrew, the causative nature of the verbal action is expressed by the Piel form of the verb itself with no additional verbal element.
Note
Causative action must be expressed by a trasitive verb, but non-causative action can be expressed by an intransitive verb. Thus, a verb that is transitive in the Piel stem may be intransitive in the Qal and/or Niphal stems.
הְֽ֭מִיָּמֶיךָ צִוִּ֣יתָ בֹּ֑קֶר יִדַּ֖עְתָּ שַׁחַר מְקֹמֽוֹ |
hemiyyameykha tsiwwitha boqer yidda’ta shahar meqomo |
|
|
וַתֵּ֜לֶךְ וַתְּמַלֵּ֤א אֶת־הַחֵ֙מֶת֙ מַ֔יִם |
wattelekh wattemalle ‘eth-hahemeth mayim |
and-she-went and-she-filled [dir.obj]_the-skin-of water |
She went and filled the skin with water |
Expresses intensive action¶
Intensive action means that the verbal action is strengthened in some way. A good example is the Hebrew verb שָׁבַר. In the Qal stem, the verb שָׁבַר means “to break”. But in the Piel stem, the verb שָׁבַר means “to shatter” or “to break in pieces”. A dictionary or lexicon will indicate an intensive nuance in comparison with the meaning of the verb in other stem formations.
אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתָם֙ תִּתֹּצ֔וּן וְאֶת־מַצֵּבֹתָ֖ם תְּשַׁבֵּר֑וּן |
‘eth-mizbehotham tittotsun we’eth-matsevotham teshabberun |
|
you must break down their altars, smash their stone pillars |
Expresses various other kinds of verbal action¶
Sometimes the Piel form is used in ways that do not follow the general conventions of the Piel stem as listed above. In these instances, the context demonstrates that none of the normal meanings of the verbal action make sense. A dictionary or lexicon will indicate the correct meaning in these rare instances of the Piel stem.
The Piel form of the verb כָּתַב (“to write”) has uncertain meaning, but seems to indicate a specific kind of writing, for example:
|
hoy hahoqeqim hiqqe-‘awen umekhattevim ‘amal kittevu |
|
Woe to those who enact unjust laws and write unfair decrees |
The verb חָטָא means “to sin” in the Qal stem, but ִin the Piel stem it means “to purify”, for example:
וְחִטְּאוֹ֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י |
wehitte’o bayyom hashevi’i |
and-he-purifies-him on-the-day the-seventh |
On the seventh day the unclean person must purify himself |
The verbal action may be the opposite of the normal meaning of the verb, for example:
אוּלַי֙ חָטְא֣וּ בָנַ֔י וּבֵרֲכ֥וּ אֱלֹהִ֖ים בִּלְבָבָ֑ם |
‘ulay hot’u vanay uverakhu ‘elohim bilvavam |
|
Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts |