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פָּלַל

𐤐𐤋𐤋

pâlal

H6419 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To intervene or intercede, primarily by verbal address to a higher authority; to pray or make a petition, especially directed toward a deity. The word can indicate the act of judicially interceding, deciding, or arbitrating disputes, but in most biblical occurrences, it denotes speaking to the deity with a request, petition, or supplication. The semantic range includes petitionary prayer, intercessory prayer, and formal appeals for divine intervention, as well as, in limited contexts, forms of judicial decision or argumentation.

Semantic Range

to pray, to intercede, to entreat, to make a petition to a deity, to arbitrate, to judge, to make a legal decision

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root פלל, which carries the idea of intervening or mediating as an arbiter or judge. The root meaning 'to make a decision' or 'to act as an arbiter' underlies both legal/judicial and petitionary uses. The derived verb פָּלַל developed the additional sense of making an appeal, especially to a deity, thus 'to pray' or 'to intercede.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

While early uses of פָּלַל may carry the sense of judicial intervention or assessment, in the vast majority of biblical occurrences, especially from the monarchic period onward, the verb refers to the act of prayer—presented as an intercessory, formal, or urgent request to the deity by an individual or leader on behalf of oneself or others. Notably, the act of prayer in Israelite tradition is less formulaic than in some surrounding ancient Near Eastern cultures, often depicted as a legitimate, direct address to the deity. The term is distinct from other Hebrew words like עתר (to entreat, to appeal strongly) or חלל (to beseech), which may express different kinds of petitions or forms of address. English translations often render פָּלַל as 'pray,' 'intercede,' or 'make supplication,' but this can obscure its roots in the concept of mediation or judgment. In poetic or prophetic texts, the term may carry theological implications of judgment or arbitration as the deity assesses the intercessor's request. In post-exilic and later contexts, the word becomes more exclusively associated with prescribed acts of prayer. The term should not be confused with later fixed liturgical practices; biblical usage emphasizes directness and relational quality in prayer.

Translation Consistency

primary "pray" 41 occurrences

Most occurrences denote petitionary or intercessory speaking to a deity; 'pray' is the most natural, common English rendering and covers the primary sense (including interceding on behalf of others). Judicial/decision senses are rare and can be handled contextually, but 'pray' best captures the typical usage.

Alternatives (9 occurrences):
"intercede" (4x) "thought" (1x) "interceded" (1x) "intercede for" (1x) "intercede yourself" (1x) "those interceding" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to judge (officially or mentally); by extension, to intercede, pray; intreat, judge(-ment), (make) pray(-er, -ing), make supplication.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

פלל (Palal) — to intervene, to judge, to mediate, to make a decision

Root פלל to intervene, mediate, judge, decide
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6414 פָּלִיל by arbiters
H6415 פְּלִילָה judicial proceeding
H6416 פְּלִילִי judicial
H6417 פְּלִילִיָּה judicial proceeding
H6420 פָּלָל Palal

Word Forms

29 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6419-20 וַ/יִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל vayitepalel HC/Vtw3ms and prayed and he interceded himself and he prayed 16
H6419-24 וְ/הִֽתְפַּֽלְל֧וּ vehitepalelu HC/Vtq3cp and they pray and they interceded and they pray 10
H6419-07 לְ/הִתְפַּלֵּ֖ל lehitepalel HR/Vtc to pray to intercede oneself to pray oneself 8
H6419-06 הִתְפַּלֵּ֧ל hitepalel HVtv2ms pray Intercede yourself he prayed 5
H6419-28 יִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל yitepalel HVti3ms prays he will intercede he will pray 5
H6419-08 מִתְפַּלֵּ֥ל mitepalel HVtrmsa am praying the one interceding the one praying 4
H6419-15 וָֽ/אֶתְפַּלֵּ֛ל vaetepalel HC/Vtw1cs and I prayed and I interceded and I prayed 4
H6419-10 תִּתְפַּלֵּ֣ל titepalel HVtj2ms pray may you intercede intercede 3
H6419-23 וְ/הִתְפַּלֵּ֖ל vehitepalel HC/Vtq3ms and pray and he interceded and he prayed 3
H6419-25 וְ/יִתְפַּלֵּ֥ל veyitepalel HC/Vti3ms and he prays and he will intercede and he prays 3

Occurrences in Scripture

84 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6419-25 Genesis 20:7 וְ/יִתְפַּלֵּ֥ל veyitepalel HC/Vti3ms and he will pray and he will intercede and he will pray
H6419-20 Genesis 20:17 וַ/יִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל vayitepalel HC/Vtw3ms prayed and he interceded himself and he prayed
H6419-03 Genesis 48:11 פִלָּ֑לְתִּי filaleti HVpp1cs I had thought I interceded I had thought
H6419-20 Numbers 11:2 וַ/יִּתְפַּלֵּ֤ל vayitepalel HC/Vtw3ms and prayed and he interceded himself and he prayed
H6419-06 Numbers 21:7 הִתְפַּלֵּל֙ hitepalel HVtv2ms intercede Intercede yourself intercede
H6419-20 Numbers 21:7 וַ/יִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל vayitepalel HC/Vtw3ms and prayed and he interceded himself and he interceded
H6419-15 Deuteronomy 9:20 וָֽ/אֶתְפַּלֵּ֛ל vaetepalel HC/Vtw1cs and I prayed and I interceded and I prayed
H6419-15 Deuteronomy 9:26 וָ/אֶתְפַּלֵּ֣ל vaetepalel HC/Vtw1cs and I prayed and I interceded and I prayed
H6419-18 1 Samuel 1:10 וַ/תִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל vatitepalel HC/Vtw3fs and prayed and she interceded and she prayed
H6419-07 1 Samuel 1:12 לְ/הִתְפַּלֵּ֖ל lehitepalel HR/Vtc to pray to intercede oneself to pray oneself
H6419-07 1 Samuel 1:26 לְ/הִתְפַּלֵּ֖ל lehitepalel HR/Vtc praying to intercede oneself to pray oneself
H6419-05 1 Samuel 1:27 הִתְפַּלָּ֑לְתִּי hitepalaleti HVtp1cs I prayed I interceded I prayed
H6419-18 1 Samuel 2:1 וַ/תִּתְפַּלֵּ֤ל vatitepalel HC/Vtw3fs and she prayed and she interceded and she prayed
H6419-11 1 Samuel 2:25 וּ/פִֽלְל֣/וֹ ufilelo HC/Vpq3ms/Sp3ms and-they-will-pray-for-him and he interceded for him and he will intercede for him
H6419-28 1 Samuel 2:25 יִתְפַּלֶּל yitepalel HVti3ms will-intercede he will intercede he will pray
H6419-21 1 Samuel 7:5 וְ/אֶתְפַּלֵּ֥ל veetepalel HC/Vti1cs and I will pray and I will intercede and I will intercede
H6419-20 1 Samuel 8:6 וַ/יִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל vayitepalel HC/Vtw3ms and he prayed and he interceded himself and he prayed
H6419-06 1 Samuel 12:19 הִתְפַּלֵּ֧ל hitepalel HVtv2ms pray Intercede yourself Intercede yourself
H6419-07 1 Samuel 12:23 לְ/הִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל lehitepalel HR/Vtc to pray to intercede oneself to pray oneself
H6419-07 2 Samuel 7:27 לְ/הִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל lehitepalel HR/Vtc to pray to intercede oneself to pray oneself
H6419-08 1 Kings 8:28 מִתְפַּלֵּ֥ל mitepalel HVtrmsa prays the one interceding the one praying
H6419-28 1 Kings 8:29 יִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל yitepalel HVti3ms prays he will intercede he will pray
H6419-29 1 Kings 8:30 יִֽתְפַּֽלְל֖וּ yitepalelu HVti3mp they-pray they intercede they pray
H6419-24 1 Kings 8:33 וְ/הִֽתְפַּֽלְל֧וּ vehitepalelu HC/Vtq3cp and pray and they interceded and they pray
H6419-24 1 Kings 8:35 וְ/הִֽתְפַּֽלְל֞וּ vehitepalelu HC/Vtq3cp and they pray and they interceded and they prayed
H6419-23 1 Kings 8:42 וְ/הִתְפַּלֵּ֖ל vehitepalel HC/Vtq3ms and prays and he interceded and prays
H6419-24 1 Kings 8:44 וְ/הִתְפַּֽלְל֣וּ vehitepalelu HC/Vtq3cp and they pray and they interceded and they pray
H6419-24 1 Kings 8:48 וְ/הִֽתְפַּֽלְל֣וּ vehitepalelu HC/Vtq3cp and pray and they interceded and they prayed
H6419-07 1 Kings 8:54 לְ/הִתְפַּלֵּל֙ lehitepalel HR/Vtc to pray to intercede oneself to pray oneself
H6419-23 1 Kings 13:6 וְ/הִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל vehitepalel HC/Vtv2ms and-pray and he interceded and he prayed
H6419-20 2 Kings 4:33 וַ/יִּתְפַּלֵּ֖ל vayitepalel HC/Vtw3ms and prayed and he interceded himself and he prayed
H6419-20 2 Kings 6:17 וַ/יִּתְפַּלֵּ֤ל vayitepalel HC/Vtw3ms and he prayed and he interceded himself and he prayed
H6419-20 2 Kings 6:18 וַ/יִּתְפַּלֵּ֨ל vayitepalel HC/Vtw3ms and he prayed and he interceded himself and he prayed
H6419-20 2 Kings 19:15 וַ/יִּתְפַּלֵּ֨ל vayitepalel HC/Vtw3ms and prayed and he interceded himself and he prayed
H6419-04 2 Kings 19:20 הִתְפַּלַּ֧לְתָּ hitepalaleta HVtp2ms you have prayed you interceded you have prayed
H6419-20 2 Kings 20:2 וַ/יִּ֨תְפַּלֵּ֔ל vayitepalel HC/Vtw3ms and prayed and he interceded himself and he prayed
H6419-07 Isaiah 16:12 לְ/הִתְפַּלֵּ֖ל lehitepalel HR/Vtc to pray to intercede oneself to pray oneself
H6419-20 Isaiah 37:15 וַ/יִּתְפַּלֵּל֙ vayitepalel HC/Vtw3ms and prayed and he interceded himself and he prayed
H6419-04 Isaiah 37:21 הִתְפַּלַּ֣לְתָּ hitepalaleta HVtp2ms you have prayed you interceded you have prayed
H6419-20 Isaiah 38:2 וַ/יִּתְפַּלֵּ֖ל vayitepalel HC/Vtw3ms and prayed and he interceded himself and he prayed
H6419-25 Isaiah 44:17 וְ/יִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל veyitepalel HC/Vti3ms and he prays and he will intercede and he prays
H6419-27 Isaiah 45:14 יִתְפַּלָּ֔לוּ yitepalalu HVti3mp they-will-pray they will intercede they will pray
H6419-14 Isaiah 45:20 וּ/מִתְפַּלְלִ֔ים umitepalelim HC/Vtrmpa and pray and those interceding and those interceding
H6419-10 Jeremiah 7:16 תִּתְפַּלֵּ֣ל titepalel HVtj2ms pray may you intercede intercede
H6419-10 Jeremiah 11:14 תִּתְפַּלֵּל֙ titepalel HVtj2ms pray may you intercede pray
H6419-10 Jeremiah 14:11 תִּתְפַּלֵּ֛ל titepalel HVtj2ms pray may you intercede intercede
H6419-24 Jeremiah 29:7 וְ/הִתְפַּֽלְל֥וּ vehitepalelu HC/Vtv2mp and pray and they interceded and pray
H6419-22 Jeremiah 29:12 וְ/הִתְפַּלַּלְתֶּ֖ם vehitepalaletem HC/Vtq2mp and pray and you interceded and you will pray
H6419-15 Jeremiah 32:16 וָ/אֶתְפַּלֵּ֖ל vaetepalel HC/Vtw1cs and-I-prayed and I interceded and I prayed
H6419-06 Jeremiah 37:3 הִתְפַּלֶּל hitepalel HVtv2ms pray Intercede yourself pray
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