פֶּ֫רַע
par.ah
leader
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Supported# פרע (par'ah) - Leader The Hebrew word *par'ah* (Strong's H6546) carries the meaning of "leader," designating someone who holds a position of authority or guidance. Based on the lexical data provided, this term appears only twice in the biblical text, which suggests it represents a relatively specialized or limited usage within Hebrew vocabulary for leadership roles. The scarcity of this term—appearing only twice—indicates that biblical Hebrew employed other, more common words to express leadership concepts. This rarity makes *par'ah* potentially significant when it does appear, as it may denote a particular type or context of leadership distinct from more frequently used alternatives. Without access to the specific passages where it occurs, we cannot determine whether it refers to political, military, religious, or social leadership, or whether it carried connotations that made it more suitable for certain situations than competing terms. The existence of *par'ah* demonstrates that ancient Hebrew vocabulary for leadership was nuanced and varied, with different words available to distinguish between different kinds or aspects of authority. Its limited attestation in the biblical corpus suggests that translators and scribes had multiple options available when describing leaders and that this particular word occupied a narrower semantic space within the broader field of leadership terminology.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences across the text
I will make my arrows drunk with blood. My sword shall devour flesh with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the head of the leaders of the enemy.”
Judges 5:2“Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, Yahweh!