פָּלַח
pa.lach
to cleave
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Hebrew word פָּלַח (pa.lach), with Strong's number H6398, is defined as "to cleave." In the context of its semantic domain, Movement & Travel, this verb suggests a sudden separation or breaking apart of something, often in the sense of bursting open or splitting. The word is used 5 times in the Bible, indicating its limited but effective use in specific contexts. Its usage implies a dramatic or intense action, which can be either literal or metaphorical. For instance, in situations of conflict or violent separation, pa.lach may describe the breaking apart of solid objects or even the splintering of relationships. The significance of pa.lach lies in its ability to convey intensity and suddenness in movement or separation. This verb contributes to the rich linguistic tapestry of the Hebrew Bible, offering a unique perspective on the physical and metaphorical aspects of movement and change.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences across the text
His archers surround me. He splits my kidneys apart, and does not spare. He pours out my bile on the ground.
Job 39:3They bow themselves. They bear their young. They end their labor pains.
Psalms 141:7“As when one plows and breaks up the earth, our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.”
Proverbs 7:23Until an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and doesn’t know that it will cost his life.
2 Kings 4:39One went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered a lap full of wild gourds from it, and came and cut them up into the pot of stew; for they didn’t recognize them.