Lesson 23: Piel
The primary characteristic of the piel is is the strong dagesh in the middle root consonant. Together, the qal, niphal, piel, and hiphil, make up 97% of all verbs in the Hebrew Bible. Generally speaking, verbs in the piel are the intensive form of the qal verbs--if the verb is used in the qal. On occasion, piels will express a repeated or extended action. And sometimes, a verb appears in the piel and is used in a normal, active sense rather than intensive.
Perfect
| Piel | Qal | Person |
| קִטֵּל | קָטַל | 3ms |
| קִטְּלָה | קָטְלָה | 3fs |
| קִטַּלְתָּ | קָטַלְתָּ | 2ms |
| קִטַּלְתְּ | קָטַלְתְּ | 2fs |
| קִטַּלְתִּי | קָטַלְתִּי | 1cs |
| קִטְּלוּ | קָטְלוּ | 3cp |
| קִטַּלְתֶּם | קְטַלְתֶּם | 2mp |
| קִטַּלְתֶּן | קְטַלְתֶּן | 2fp |
| קִטַּלְנוּ | קָטַלְנוּ | 1cp |
Imperfect
| Piel | Qal | Person |
| יְקַטֵּל | יִקְטֹל | 3ms |
| תְּקַטֵּל | תִּקְטֹל | 3fs |
| תְּקַטֵּל | תִּקְטֹל | 2ms |
| תְּקַטְּלִי | תִּקְטְלִי | 2fs |
| אֲקַטֵּל | אֶקְטֹל | 1cs |
| יְקַטְּלוּ | יִקְטְלוּ | 3mp |
| תְּקַטֵּלְנָה | תִּקְטֹלְנָה | 3fp |
| תְּקַטְּלוּ | תִּקְטְלוּ | 2mp |
| תְּקַטֵּלְנָה | תִּקְטֹלְנָה | 2fp |
| נְקַטֵּל | נִקְטֹל | 1cp |
Imperative
| Imperative | Imperfect | Person |
| קַטֵּל | תְּקַטֵּל | 2ms |
| קַטְּלִי | תְּקַטְּלִי | 2fs |
| קַטְּלוּ | תְּקַטְּלוּ | 2mp |
| קַטֵּלְנָה | תְּקַטֵּלְנָה | 2fp |
Infinitives
| Infinitive Construct | Imperative |
| קַטֵּל | קַטֵּל |
Infinitive Absolute
Participle
| Piel | Qal | Person |
| מְקַטֵּל | קֹטֵל | ms |
| מְקַטֶּלֶת | קֹטֶלֶת | fs |
| מְקַטְּלִים | קֹטְלִים | mp |
| מְקַטְּלוֹת | קֹטְלוֹת | fp |
Cohortative
| Piel | Qal | Person |
| אֲקַטְּלָה | אֶקְטְלָה | 1cs |
| נְקַטְּלָה | נִקְטְלָה | 1cp |
Jussive
| Piel | Qal | Person |
| יְקַטֵּל | יִקְטֹל | 3ms |
Reading
Please read pages 190-193 in Biblical Hebrew Step-by-Step.
Exercises
1. Memorize the Piel paradigm.