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פֶּרֶק

𐤐𐤓𐤒

pereq

H6563 noun

SILEX Entry

Root פּרק to break off, tear apart, detach, break loose

Definition

Violent seizure, forceful plundering, or act of robbery; also refers to a place where something is divided or branched, such as a fork in a road or a junction. The primary sense denotes forcible breaking apart, either as a physical act (e.g. robbery, devastation) or topographically (e.g. crossroads where paths divide).

Semantic Range

violent robbery, forcible plundering, place of division, fork or crossroads, junction (of roads), act of separating by force

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root פּרק (P-R-Q), meaning 'to break off, tear apart, break loose.' פֶּרֶק (péreq) is a noun form signifying the result or location of such breaking or separating, whether as an act (violent taking) or as a physical division (junction, fork).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical contexts, פֶּרֶק often denotes violent plundering or seizure (as in Obadiah 1:14, where it refers to the looting of Jerusalem), emphasizing both the force and illegitimacy of the act. The term is less common in reference to a crossroads or fork, though it appears in this sense in later Hebrew and some textual traditions. In post-biblical Hebrew, פֶּרֶק also came to mean 'section' or 'division' (e.g., in rabbinic literature), developing from the sense of something being divided or broken up, though this later sense is not attested in the Hebrew Bible. Strong's gloss of 'rapine' reflects primarily the sense of violent plundering, while the secondary meaning relating to a fork or crossroads reflects the physical notion of division. English translations may limit the term to robbery or crossroads, but its broader meaning is outlined by the underlying sense of forcible separation or breaking. The word is rare in the Hebrew Bible and may carry distinct nuance between aggression (robbery) and topographical transition (junction), depending on context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from פָּרַק; rapine; also a fork (in roads); crossway, robbery.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

פרק (p-r-q) — break off, tear apart, detach, break loose

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4665 מִפְרֶקֶת his neck-joint
H6561 פָּרַק detach yourselves
H6562 פְּרַק Break off!
H6564 פָּרָק and disjointed-meat broth

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6563-02 פֶּ֨רֶק֙ pereq HNcmsa and plunder forcible plundering forcible plundering 1
H6563-01 הַ/פֶּ֔רֶק hapereq HTd/Ncmsa the crossroads the breaking-apart the crossroads 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6563-01 Obadiah 1:14 הַ/פֶּ֔רֶק hapereq HTd/Ncmsa the crossroads the breaking-apart the crossroads
H6563-02 Nahum 3:1 פֶּ֨רֶק֙ pereq HNcmsa and plunder forcible plundering forcible plundering
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