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פֹּעַל

𐤐𐤏𐤋

pôʻal

H6467 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A work, deed, or action, especially one resulting from human effort or activity; in some contexts, the result or product of an act. The term emphasizes the concrete outcome or accomplishment produced by a person, agent, or force. It can also denote the body of work or deeds attributed to someone, including the works of the deity. In poetry and wisdom literature, it often refers to notable or exemplary deeds.

Semantic Range

deed, act, work (product), achievement, outcome (of effort), enterprise, action, body of works

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root פָּעַל (p-ʻ-l), meaning 'to do, make, perform, act.' The noun form פֹּעַל denotes the result of doing or making — the product or tangible outcome of an action.

Historical & Contextual Notes

פֹּעַל appears chiefly in poetry and wisdom literature (e.g., Job, Psalms, Proverbs), often in parallel with other terms for deed such as מַעֲשֶׂה (ma‘ăseh) or עֲשִׂיָּה (asiyyah). While מַעֲשֶׂה is the more common prose term for 'deed' or 'work,' פֹּעַל tends to carry a more poetic or literary connotation and may focus on notable achievements or results, both human and divine. In the context of divine action, פֹּעַל accentuates the visible effects or products of the deity’s creative or judicial activity. Later translations sometimes use broader terms such as 'work,' 'deed,' or even 'enterprise,' but these may not reflect the specifically concrete nuance of the Hebrew term. In later Biblical Hebrew, the term is less frequent and largely replaced by more common words for work. It does not inherently imply moral or religious value, though context may assign such qualities. It is not specific to any period or social class and can refer to any productive act, whether mundane or extraordinary.

Translation Consistency

primary "work" 21 occurrences

‘Work’ is the most frequent and natural rendering in the attested P2 usages and cleanly covers the SILEX range — a concrete product or outcome, an activity or deed, and a body of works (e.g. the works of God). It is neutral, idiomatic English that can be pluralized as needed (works) while still fitting poetic, wisdom, and narrative contexts better than the narrower ‘deed’.

Alternatives (17 occurrences):
"work-of" (5x) "deed" (3x) "according to their deed" (2x) "work-product" (2x) "according to his deed" (2x) "according to her deed" (1x) "wages" (1x) "perform" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from פָּעַל; an act or work (concretely); act, deed, do, getting, maker, work.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

פעל (Elepaal) — to do, to make, to work, to perform

Root פעל to do, to make, to act, to work
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4659 מִפְעָל his deeds
H508 אֶלְפַּעַל God-acts
H6466 פָּעַל I accomplish
H6468 פְּעֻלָּה wage of
H6469 פְּעֻלְּתַי Work-of-Yah

Word Forms

23 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6467-19 פֹּ֤עַל poal HNcmsc work work-of work-of 5
H6467-17 פָּעֳל֔/וֹ paolo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his work his deed his work 4
H6467-06 פָעֳלֽ/וֹ faolo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his-wages his accomplished work for his wages 2
H6467-07 פֹ֨עַל֙ foal HNcmsa a work work-product work-product 2
H6467-09 כְּ/פָעֳלָ֖/ם kefaolam HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp according-to-deed-of-them according to their deed according to their deed 2
H6467-10 כְּ/פָעֳלֽ/וֹ kefaolo HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms according to his work according to his deed according to his deed 2
H6467-15 פָּעֳלֶ֑/ךָ paolekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your-works your deed your works 2
H6467-18 פְּעָלִ֖ים pealim HNcmpa in deeds works works 2
H6467-22 וּ/פֹ֥עַל ufoal HC/Ncmsc and the work and work-of and work of 2
H6467-23 וּ/פֹעֲל֖/וֹ ufoalo HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms and his work his deed his work 2

Occurrences in Scripture

38 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6467-17 Deuteronomy 32:4 פָּעֳל֔/וֹ paolo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his work his deed his work
H6467-22 Deuteronomy 33:11 וּ/פֹ֥עַל ufoal HC/Ncmsc and-work and work-of and work of
H6467-18 2 Samuel 23:20 פְּעָלִ֖ים pealim HNcmpa in deeds works works
H6467-23 Isaiah 1:31 וּ/פֹעֲל֖/וֹ ufoalo HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms and his work his deed his work
H6467-19 Isaiah 5:12 פֹּ֤עַל poal HNcmsc deeds work-of work-of
H6467-21 Isaiah 41:24 וּ/פָעָלְ/כֶ֖ם ufaalekhem HC/Ncmsc/Sp2mp and your work and your deed and your work
H6467-20 Isaiah 45:9 וּ/פָעָלְ/ךָ֖ ufaalekha HC/Ncmsc/Sp2ms your work your deed your work
H6467-19 Isaiah 45:11 פֹּ֥עַל poal HNcmsc the work work-of work-of
H6467-22 Isaiah 59:6 וּ/פֹ֥עַל ufoal HC/Ncmsc and the work and work-of and work of
H6467-23 Jeremiah 22:13 וּ/פֹעֲל֖/וֹ ufoalo HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms his worker his deed his work
H6467-09 Jeremiah 25:14 כְּ/פָעֳלָ֖/ם kefaolam HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp according-to-deed-of-them according to their deed according to their deed
H6467-08 Jeremiah 50:29 כְּ/פָעֳלָ֔/הּ kefaolah HR/Ncmsc/Sp3fs according to her deed according to her deed according to her deed
H6467-07 Habakkuk 1:5 פֹ֨עַל֙ foal HNcmsa a work work-product work-product
H6467-13 Habakkuk 3:2 פָּֽעָלְ/ךָ֙ paalekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your work your deed your deed
H6467-03 Psalms 9:17 בְּ/פֹ֣עַל befoal HR/Ncmsc in the work in work-of in the work
H6467-09 Psalms 28:4 כְּ/פָעֳלָ/ם֮ kefaolam HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp according to their work according to their deed according to their deed
H6467-19 Psalms 44:2 פֹּ֥עַל poal HNcmsa work work-of work-of
H6467-19 Psalms 64:10 פֹּ֥עַל poal HNcmsc work work-of work-of
H6467-15 Psalms 77:13 פָּעֳלֶ֑/ךָ paolekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your-works your deed your works
H6467-04 Psalms 90:16 פָעֳלֶ֑/ךָ faolekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms Your work your deed your work
H6467-02 Psalms 92:5 בְּ/פָעֳלֶ֑/ךָ befaolekha HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms in your works in your work in your work
H6467-05 Psalms 95:9 פָעֳלִֽ/י faoli HNcmsc/Sp1cs my work my deed my deed
H6467-12 Psalms 104:23 לְ/פָעֳל֑/וֹ lefaolo HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms to his work to his work to his work
H6467-17 Psalms 111:3 פָּֽעֳל֑/וֹ paolo HNcmsc/Sp3ms is his work his deed his work
H6467-15 Psalms 143:5 פָּעֳלֶ֑/ךָ paolekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms Your works your deed your works
H6467-17 Proverbs 20:11 פָּעֳלֽ/וֹ paolo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his work his deed his work
H6467-19 Proverbs 21:6 פֹּ֣עַל poal HNcmsc making work-of work-of
H6467-17 Proverbs 21:8 פָּעֳלֽ/וֹ paolo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his work his deed his work
H6467-10 Proverbs 24:12 כְּ/פָעֳלֽ/וֹ kefaolo HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms according to his work according to his deed according to his deed
H6467-10 Proverbs 24:29 כְּ/פָעֳלֽ/וֹ kefaolo HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms according to his work according to his deed according to his deed
H6467-06 Job 7:2 פָעֳלֽ/וֹ faolo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his-wages his accomplished work for his wages
H6467-01 Job 24:5 בְּ֭/פָעֳלָ/ם befaolam HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp in their work in their deed in their work
H6467-07 Job 34:11 פֹ֣עַל foal HNcmsc work work-product work-product
H6467-14 Job 36:9 פָּעֳלָ֑/ם paolam HNcmsc/Sp3mp their work their deed their deed
H6467-06 Job 36:24 פָעֳל֑/וֹ faolo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his work his accomplished work his work
H6467-11 Job 37:12 לְ/פָעֳלָ֑/ם lefaolam HR/Vqc/Sp3mp to do them to perform them to perform them
H6467-16 Ruth 2:12 פָּעֳלֵ֑/ךְ paolekhe HNcmsc/Sp2fs your work your deed your work
H6467-18 1 Chronicles 11:22 פְּעָלִ֖ים pealim HNcmpa in deeds works works
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