פֶּגֶר (H6297) — Hebrew Lexicon

פֶּגֶר

𐤐𐤂𐤓

peger

H6297 noun

SILEX Entry

Root פגר to be feeble, to be exhausted, to cease functioning

Definition

A dead body, generally referring to a corpse of a human or animal, emphasizing the lifeless and inert state. The term also appears in contexts expressing disgrace or the aftermath of violence, and occasionally as a metaphor for idolatrous images (suggesting the lifelessness of idols).

Semantic Range

corpse, dead body (human), carcass (animal), lifeless form, body left for consumption by animals, metaphor for lifeless idols

Root / Etymology

From the root פגר (p-g-r), meaning 'to be feeble, exhausted, or to stop functioning.' פֶּגֶר derives from this sense, indicating something lacking vitality or life – namely, a corpse or carcass. The lexical meaning builds on the root's sense of cessation or exhaustion applied to an organism.

Historical & Contextual Notes

פֶּגֶר appears in both narrative and poetic texts, most frequently in contexts of death—particularly slain combatants left unburied (e.g., 1 Samuel 17:46; Jeremiah 7:33; Jeremiah 34:20). The term highlights the lack of vitality by contrasting with bodies still imbued with life or dignity. In some prophetic passages, פֶּגֶר is used to characterize the fate of those under divine judgment. It may refer to both human and animal remains, though in some contexts (such as Leviticus 26:30) it is applied polemically to idolatrous images, likening them to lifeless corpses to emphasize their impotence. English translations commonly use 'carcass' or 'corpse,' which generally captures the sense, though 'carcass' sometimes implies animals, while פֶּגֶר is used of human bodies as well. The more common alternative for human dead body in biblical Hebrew is נְבֵלָה (nevelah), but נְבֵלָה often emphasizes ritual impurity, whereas פֶּגֶר underscores physical lifelessness and humiliation. No clear chronological shift occurs in the term’s meaning across the biblical periods, though its metaphorical extension to idols is most prominent in late prophetic literature. Later Jewish tradition and translations sometimes render פֶּגֶר with terms associated with disgrace.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from פָּגַר; a carcase (as limp), whether of man or beast; figuratively, an idolatrous image; carcase, corpse, dead body.

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Root Family

פגר (p-g-r) — to be feeble, to be exhausted, to cease functioning

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H6296	פָּגַר	they grew exhausted

Word Forms

15 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H6297-09`	פִּגְרֵ֖י	pigerey	`HNcmpc`	corpses-of	lifeless bodies of	4
`H6297-07`	פְּגָרִ֥ים	pegarim	`HNcmpa`	corpses	lifeless bodies	3
`H6297-10`	פִּגְרֵי/כֶ֔ם	pigereykhem	`HNcmpc/Sp2mp`	your corpses	your lifeless bodies	2
`H6297-03`	הַ/פְּגָרִ֑ים	hapegarim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	of the corpses	the lifeless bodies	2
`H6297-06`	פָּ֑גֶר	pager	`HNcmsa`	of corpses	lifeless body	1
`H6297-05`	כְּ/פֶ֥גֶר	kefeger	`HR/Ncmsa`	like a corpse	like a lifeless body	1
`H6297-13`	וּ/פִגְרֵי/הֶ֖ם	ufigereyhem	`HC/Ncmpc/Sp3mp`	and their corpses	and their lifeless bodies	1
`H6297-08`	פֶּ֣גֶר	peger	`HNcmsc`	the corpse	lifeless body of	1
`H6297-01`	בְּ/פִגְרֵי֙	befigerey	`HR/Ncmpc`	on-the-carcasses	in the corpses of	1
`H6297-04`	הַ/פֶּ֔גֶר	hapeger	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the corpses	the lifeless body	1
`H6297-11`	וּ/פְגָרִים֙	ufegarim	`HC/Ncmpa`	and corpses	and lifeless bodies	1
`H6297-12`	וּ/פִגְרֵ֥י	ufigerey	`HC/Ncmpc`	and corpses of	and corpses of	1
`H6297-15`	וּ/בְ/פִגְרֵ֥י	uvefigerey	`HC/R/Ncmpc`	and by the corpses of	and in the corpses of	1
`H6297-14`	וּ/פִגְרֵי/כֶ֖ם	ufigereykhem	`HC/Ncmpc/Sp2mp`	your corpses	your lifeless bodies	1
`H6297-02`	פִגְרֵי/כֶ֜ם	figereykhem	`HNcmpc/Sp2mp`	your corpses	your corpses	1

Occurrences in Scripture

22 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H6297-03`	Genesis 15:11	הַ/פְּגָרִ֑ים	hapegarim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the carcasses	the lifeless bodies
`H6297-10`	Leviticus 26:30	פִּגְרֵי/כֶ֔ם	pigereykhem	`HNcmpc/Sp2mp`	your dead bodies	your lifeless bodies
`H6297-09`	Leviticus 26:30	פִּגְרֵ֖י	pigerey	`HNcmpc`	the dead bodies	lifeless bodies of
`H6297-02`	Numbers 14:29	פִגְרֵי/כֶ֜ם	figereykhem	`HNcmpc/Sp2mp`	your corpses	your corpses
`H6297-14`	Numbers 14:32	וּ/פִגְרֵי/כֶ֖ם	ufigereykhem	`HC/Ncmpc/Sp2mp`	your corpses	your lifeless bodies
`H6297-10`	Numbers 14:33	פִּגְרֵי/כֶ֖ם	pigereykhem	`HNcmpc/Sp2mp`	your corpses	your lifeless bodies
`H6297-08`	1 Samuel 17:46	פֶּ֣גֶר	peger	`HNcmsc`	the corpse	lifeless body of
`H6297-07`	2 Kings 19:35	פְּגָרִ֥ים	pegarim	`HNcmpa`	corpses	lifeless bodies
`H6297-05`	Isaiah 14:19	כְּ/פֶ֥גֶר	kefeger	`HR/Ncmsa`	like a corpse	like a lifeless body
`H6297-13`	Isaiah 34:3	וּ/פִגְרֵי/הֶ֖ם	ufigereyhem	`HC/Ncmpc/Sp3mp`	and their corpses	and their lifeless bodies
`H6297-07`	Isaiah 37:36	פְּגָרִ֥ים	pegarim	`HNcmpa`	corpses	lifeless bodies
`H6297-01`	Isaiah 66:24	בְּ/פִגְרֵי֙	befigerey	`HR/Ncmpc`	on-the-carcasses	in the corpses of
`H6297-03`	Jeremiah 31:40	הַ/פְּגָרִ֣ים	hapegarim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	of the corpses	the lifeless bodies
`H6297-09`	Jeremiah 33:5	פִּגְרֵ֣י	pigerey	`HNcmpc`	bodies	lifeless bodies of
`H6297-09`	Jeremiah 41:9	פִּגְרֵ֣י	pigerey	`HNcmpc`	corpses-of	lifeless bodies of
`H6297-09`	Ezekiel 6:5	פִּגְרֵי֙	pigerey	`HNcmpc`	corpses-of	lifeless bodies of
`H6297-15`	Ezekiel 43:7	וּ/בְ/פִגְרֵ֥י	uvefigerey	`HC/R/Ncmpc`	and by the corpses of	and in the corpses of
`H6297-12`	Ezekiel 43:9	וּ/פִגְרֵ֥י	ufigerey	`HC/Ncmpc`	and corpses of	and corpses of
`H6297-04`	Amos 8:3	הַ/פֶּ֔גֶר	hapeger	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the corpses	the lifeless body
`H6297-06`	Nahum 3:3	פָּ֑גֶר	pager	`HNcmsa`	of corpses	lifeless body
`H6297-07`	2 Chronicles 20:24	פְּגָרִ֛ים	pegarim	`HNcmpa`	corpses	lifeless bodies
`H6297-11`	2 Chronicles 20:25	וּ/פְגָרִים֙	ufegarim	`HC/Ncmpa`	and corpses	and lifeless bodies

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