Biblical Hebrew Forum

[rwburks AT flash.net]

Hello, 

I was curious about Piel roots.  Most beginning grammars deal with Qal roots 
and then 
mention the other roots in passing.  Mainly teaching the form.  Some of them 
speak of the 
Piel root as being an intense Qal and might really best be translated with 
the addition of an 
adverb.  Using the Perfect Piel for example the use of Piel with the 3ms form 
of Piel for the 
word Q+L might be translated "he brutally killed."  Some treat it as 
causative almost like a 
Hifil. Other grammars indicated that the Piel root (and for that matter the 
Pual root, while 
being the passive) speak of the resultive or factive nature of the stem.  The 
same word with a 
transitive would require an object like "he killed Tom". Or if intransitive 
it would be with no 
object "He killed" .  The latter it seems would be difficult to distinguish 
from the Qal form to 
me.  (Of course I understand in Pual that the action is being done to the 
subject hence "He 
was brutally killed" etc.

What does the use of Piel and Pual really tell me about the nature of how it 
should be 
translated.

Regards,

Bill Burks



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