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

Piel Perfect 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

Piel Imperfect Paradigm

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

Piel Sequential Perfect Paradigm

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

Piel Sequential Imperfect Paradigm

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

Piel Infinitive Paradigm

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
Infinitive Construct	קַטֵּל	qattel	slaughter
Infinitive Absolute	קַטֵּל / קַטֹּל	qattel / qattol	slaughter

Piel Imperative Paradigm

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.

Piel Jussive Paradigm

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

Piel Cohortative Paradigm

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
common singular	אֲקַטֵּלָה	‘eqattelah	let me slaughter
common plural	נְקַטֵּלָה	niqattelah	let us slaughter

Piel Participle (active voice) Paradigm

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.

Example: RUT 2:13

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.

Example: JDG 19:18

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”.

Example: GEN 21:6

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.

Example: JOB 38:12 –– expressing causative action with a dynamic verb

הְֽ֭מִיָּמֶיךָ צִוִּ֣יתָ בֹּ֑קֶר יִדַּ֖עְתָּ שַׁחַר מְקֹמֽוֹ

hemiyyameykha tsiwwitha boqer yidda’ta shahar meqomo

[quest.]-from-your-days you-commanded morning you-make-known dawn his-place

Have you ever, since your own days began, given orders to the morning to begin, and caused the morning dawn to know its place

Example: GEN 21:19 –– expressing causative action with a stative verb

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.

Example: EXO 9:25

אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתָם֙ תִּתֹּצ֔וּן וְאֶת־מַצֵּבֹתָ֖ם תְּשַׁבֵּר֑וּן

‘eth-mizbehotham tittotsun we’eth-matsevotham teshabberun

[dir.obj]_their-altars you-break-down and-[dir.obj]_their-pillars you-shatter

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:

Example: ISA 10:1

ה֥וֹי הַחֹֽקְקִ֖ים חִקְקֵי־אָ֑וֶן וּֽמְכַתְּבִ֥ים עָמָ֖ל כִּתֵּֽבוּ׃

hoy hahoqeqim hiqqe-‘awen umekhattevim ‘amal kittevu

woe the-ones-who-enact laws-of_iniquity and-writers oppression they-write

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:

Example: NUM 19:19

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:

Example JOB 1:5

אוּלַי֙ חָטְא֣וּ בָנַ֔י וּבֵרֲכ֥וּ אֱלֹהִ֖ים בִּלְבָבָ֑ם

‘ulay hot’u vanay uverakhu ‘elohim bilvavam

perhaps they-have-sinned my-sons and-they-have-blessed God in-their-hearts

Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts