פָּלַס
𐤐𐤋𐤎
pâlaç
H6424 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To make level, smooth or prepare (especially a path or roadway), with extended usage meaning to evaluate, measure, or ponder (as weighing in the mind or assessing carefully). The term denotes both literal physical preparation and figurative acts of assessment or deliberation.
Semantic Range
to level, to smooth, to prepare (a way), to measure, to weigh (as in assess or ponder a course), to consider carefully
Root / Etymology
Root: פלס. The root originally conveyed the sense of levelling or smoothing out, as for a road or path. From this concrete idea, the meaning extended metaphorically to weighing, measuring, and carefully evaluating—activities that involve making assessments or judgments, as if 'levelling' or 'balancing' a matter.
Historical & Contextual Notes
פָּלַס appears primarily in poetic or wisdom literature (e.g., Proverbs, Psalms, Isaiah), where it often describes the act of making a way smooth or ready (Isa 40:12; Prov 4:26) and, in a metaphorical sense, reflecting upon or considering a course of action (Prov 5:21). There is a secondary sense related to evaluating or pondering, especially in wisdom contexts, arising from the conceptual link between levelling a surface and weighing or judging a matter. The word is never used for ritual weighing or economic transactions (for which שקל is used), but rather for the broader act of mental or spiritual assessment. English translations often use 'make level,' 'prepare,' or 'ponder'; however, none fully capture both the physical and metaphorical breadth of the term.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; properly, to roll flat, i.e. prepare (a road); also to revolve, i.e. weigh (mentally); make, ponder, weigh.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
פלס (p-l-s) — to make level, to smooth, to weigh, to assess
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6425 | פֶּלֶס | with a balance-scale |
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6424-03 |
תְּפַלֵּֽס | tefales | HVpi2ms |
you make level | you carefully level | 2 |
H6424-05 |
יְפַלֵּ֥ס | yefales | HVpi3ms |
He leveled | he will carefully weigh | 1 |
H6424-01 |
מְפַלֵּֽס | mefales | HVprmsa |
He weighs | the one who weighs out | 1 |
H6424-02 |
פַּ֭לֵּס | pales | HVpv2ms |
Make level | Carefully level! | 1 |
H6424-04 |
תְּפַלֵּֽסֽוּ/ן | tefalesun | HVpi2mp/Sn |
you weigh out | you carefully assess | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6424-03 |
Isaiah 26:7 | תְּפַלֵּֽס | tefales | HVpi2ms |
you make level | you carefully level |
H6424-04 |
Psalms 58:3 | תְּפַלֵּֽסֽוּ/ן | tefalesun | HVpi2mp/Sn |
you weigh out | you carefully assess |
H6424-05 |
Psalms 78:50 | יְפַלֵּ֥ס | yefales | HVpi3ms |
He leveled | he will carefully weigh |
H6424-02 |
Proverbs 4:26 | פַּ֭לֵּס | pales | HVpv2ms |
Make level | Carefully level! |
H6424-03 |
Proverbs 5:6 | תְּפַלֵּ֑ס | tefales | HVpi3fs |
you ponder | you carefully level |
H6424-01 |
Proverbs 5:21 | מְפַלֵּֽס | mefales | HVprmsa |
He weighs | the one who weighs out |