פֶּ֫לַח
pe.lach
millstone
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Hebrew word פֶּ֫לַח, pe.lach, is lexically defined as a "millstone" within the semantic domain of Construction & Crafts. This term likely refers to a stone used in grinding or milling grain. Based on its short definition and semantic domain, it's reasonable to infer that pe.lach is a tool used in food preparation or processing. The word pe.lach appears six times in the Hebrew Bible, indicating its significance in ancient Hebrew culture. Given its connection to food preparation, it's possible that pe.lach played a role in daily life, particularly in agricultural communities. The limited occurrences in the Bible suggest that pe.lach is not an obscure term, but rather a fairly common object in the Hebrew world.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences across the text
His heart is as firm as a stone, yes, firm as the lower millstone.
Song of Solomon 4:3Your lips are like scarlet thread. Your mouth is lovely. Your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your veil.
Song of Solomon 6:7Your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your veil.
Judges 9:53A certain woman cast an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, and broke his skull.
1 Samuel 30:12They gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins. When he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, and drank no water for three days and three nights.
2 Samuel 11:21Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Didn’t a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’ then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.’ ”