Stem Pilpel

Summary

The Pilpel is a rare stem formation that is similar to the Piel and expresses the same range of meanings.

Article

The Pilpel stem is a variation of the Piel and has potential to express the same range of verbal action. The Pilpel stem is formed from the Piel by dropping the 2nd radical and repeating the 1st and 3rd radical, thus making a verb that appears to have 4 consonants. It is a rare stem formation in Biblical Hebrew. Many of the occurrences of the Pilpel stem in the Hebrew Bible are from the root verb כּוּל (“to comprehend, contain”).

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

These paradigms use the root כּוּל, meaning “to sustain” in the Pilpel stem.

Pilpel Perfect Paradigm

Parsing

Hebrew

Transliteration

Gloss

masculine singular third person

כִּלְכֵּל

kilkel

he sustained

feminine singular third person

כִּלְכֲּלָה

kilkalah

she sustained

masculine singular second person

כִּלְכַּלְתָּ

kilkalta

you sustained

feminine singular second person

כִּלְכַּלְתְּ

kilkalt

you sustained

common singular first person

כִּלְכַּלְתִּי

kilkalti

I sustained

common plural third person

כִּלְכֲּלוּ

kilkalu

they sustained

masculine plural second person

כִּלְכַּלְתֶּם

kilkaltem

you sustained

feminine plural second person

כִּלְכַּלְתֶּן

kilkalten

you sustained

common plural first person

כִּלכַּלְנוּ

kilkalnu

we sustained

Pilpel Imperfect Paradigm

Parsing

Hebrew

Transliteration

Gloss

masculine singular third person

יְכַלְכֵּל

yikhalkel

he will sustain

feminine singular third person

תְּכַלְכֵּל

tekhalkel

she will sustain

masculine singular second person

תְּכַלְכֵּל

tekhalkel

you will sustain

feminine singular second person

תְּכַלְכְּלִי

tekhalkeli

you will sustain

common singular first person

אֲכַלְכֵּל

‘akhalkel

I will sustain

masculine plural third person

יְכַלְכְּלוּ

yekhalkelu

they will sustain

feminine plural third person

תְּכַלְכֵּלְנָה

tekhalkelnah

they will sustain

masculine plural second person

תְּכַלְכְּלוּ

tekhalkelu

you will sustain

feminine plural second person

תְּכַלְכֵּלְנָה

tekhalkelnah

you will sustain

common plural first person

נְכַלְכֵּל

nekhalkel

we will sustain

Pilpel Participle Paradigm

Parsing

Hebrew

Transliteration

Gloss

masculine singular absolute

מְכַלְכֵּל

mekhalkel

sustaining / he who sustains

feminine singular absolute

מְכַלְכֶּלֶת / מְכַלְכְּלָה

mekhalkeleth / mekhalkelah

sustaining / she who sustains

masculine plural absolute

מְכַלְכְּלִים

mekhalkelim

sustaining / men who sustain

feminine plural absolute

מְכַלְכְּלוֹת

mekhalkeloth

sustaining / women who sustain

Examples

Example: ISA 22:5

מְקַרְקַ֥ר קִ֖ר

meqarqar qir

breaking-down wall

a breaking down of the walls

Example: EZE 39:2
וְשֹׁבַבְתִּ֨יךָ֙ וְשִׁשֵּׁאתִ֔יךָ וְהַעֲלִיתִ֖יךָ מִיַּרְכְּתֵ֣י

צָפֹ֑ון

weshovavtikha weshishethikha weha’alithikha miyyarkethe tsafown

And-I-will-turn-you and-I-will-lead-you and-I-will-bring-you-up

from-remotest north

I will turn you and lead you on I will bring you up from the far

north