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פָּרָשׁ

𐤐𐤓𐤔

pârâsh

H6571 noun

SILEX Entry

Root פֽרשׁ to spread out, to separate, to extend

Definition

A horse, specifically a warhorse or steed used in chariotry or cavalry; also a rider or horseman, typically one trained or equipped for military purposes. The term can refer both to the animal itself and, by extension, to a mounted combatant (horseman or cavalry), especially within a military context in the Hebrew Bible.

Semantic Range

warhorse, cavalry horse, chariot horse, horseman, cavalryman, mounted soldier, cavalry unit, mounted military force

Root / Etymology

From the root פ־ר־שׁ (פרש), meaning 'to spread out' or 'to separate', possibly in reference to the outstretched stride of a galloping horse or the spreading of the legs in riding. The noun פָּרָשׁ derives from this root and describes either the steed (especially in military use) or the rider. The root meaning and the specific lexical use are only loosely related, as the term came to be specialized for horses and cavalry.

Historical & Contextual Notes

פָּרָשׁ appears frequently in biblical texts involving warfare or royal spectacle, often denoting not just any horse, but specifically those used for chariots and cavalry—core components of Iron Age military organizations. While English translations often render פָּרָשׁ as 'horseman' or 'cavalry', the underlying term can refer both to the animal and the rider, and sometimes to the elite units employing horses in battle. Differentiated from סוּס (sus), the more general term for horse or steed; פָּרָשׁ is more militarily specialized. In exilic and post-exilic periods, the meaning remains focused on cavalry units as part of imperial armies (e.g. Persian and Greek). Later Jewish and Christian traditions sometimes render פָּרָשׁ as 'horseman' or, less accurately, as 'rider' without the military nuance. The ancient Israelite military's use of horses was largely associated with the monarchy's centralized forces rather than with common Israelite life.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from פָּרָשׁ; (compare סוּס); a steed (as stretched out to a vehicle, not single nor for mounting ); also (by implication) a driver (in a chariot), i.e. (collectively) cavalry; horseman.

Bantu Hebrew

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

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Root Family

פרש (p-r-sh) — to spread out, to separate, to extend

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6567 פָּרָשׁ was distinctly separated
H6575 פָּרָשָׁה separated section of

Word Forms

11 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6571-04 פָּרָשִׁ֑ים parashim HNcmpa horsemen cavalrymen 17
H6571-06 וּ/פָ֣רָשִׁ֔ים ufarashim HC/Ncmpa and horsemen and cavalrymen 9
H6571-05 וּ/פָרָשָׁ֖י/ו ufarashayv HC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and his horsemen and his war-horsemen 8
H6571-01 הַ/פָּ֣רָשִׁ֔ים haparashim HTd/Ncmpa the horsemen the cavalrymen 5
H6571-09 וּ/בְ/פָרָשָֽׁי/ו uvefarashayv HC/R/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and among his horsemen and with his cavalrymen 4
H6571-10 וּ/בְ/פָרָשִׁ֖ים uvefarashim HC/R/Ncmpa and-with-horsemen and with cavalrymen 4
H6571-02 פָּרָ֜שׁ parash HNcmsa of the horseman warhorse 3
H6571-08 וּ/לְ/פָרָשִֽׁים ulefarashim HC/R/Ncmpa and for horsemen and to cavalrymen 3
H6571-03 פָּרָשָֽׁי/ו parashayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms his horsemen his cavalrymen 2
H6571-07 וּ/כְ/פָרָשִׁ֖ים ukhefarashim HC/R/Ncmpa and like horsemen and like warhorses 1

Occurrences in Scripture

57 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6571-04 Genesis 50:9 פָּרָשִׁ֑ים parashim HNcmpa horsemen cavalrymen
H6571-05 Exodus 14:9 וּ/פָרָשָׁ֖י/ו ufarashayv HC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and his horsemen and his war-horsemen
H6571-09 Exodus 14:17 וּ/בְ/פָרָשָֽׁי/ו uvefarashayv HC/R/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and his horsemen and with his cavalrymen
H6571-09 Exodus 14:18 וּ/בְ/פָרָשָֽׁי/ו uvefarashayv HC/R/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and upon his horsemen and with his cavalrymen
H6571-05 Exodus 14:23 וּ/פָרָשָׁ֑י/ו ufarashayv HC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and his horsemen and his war-horsemen
H6571-03 Exodus 14:26 פָּרָשָֽׁי/ו parashayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms their horsemen his cavalrymen
H6571-01 Exodus 14:28 הַ/פָּ֣רָשִׁ֔ים haparashim HTd/Ncmpa the horsemen the cavalrymen
H6571-09 Exodus 15:19 וּ/בְ/פָרָשָׁי/ו֙ uvefarashayv HC/R/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and with his horsemen and with his cavalrymen
H6571-10 Joshua 24:6 וּ/בְ/פָרָשִׁ֖ים uvefarashim HC/R/Ncmpa and-with-horsemen and with cavalrymen
H6571-09 1 Samuel 8:11 וּ/בְ/פָרָשָׁ֔י/ו uvefarashayv HC/R/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and among his horsemen and with his cavalrymen
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