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פֶּרֶץ

𐤐𐤓𐤑

Perets

H6557 noun

SILEX Entry

Root פ-ר-ץ to breach, break through, burst forth

Definition

A personal name, Perets, primarily referring to two distinct individuals in Israelite genealogy: (1) an important descendant of Judah, son of Judah and Tamar, who became the progenitor of a prominent clan within the tribe of Judah; (2) a Judahite mentioned among the post-exilic returnees. The name likely signifies 'breach' or 'one who breaks through', drawing from the underlying root meaning. The word also functions independently (outside the proper name) to denote 'breach', 'gap created by force', or 'burst forth'.

Semantic Range

personal name; 'breach' or 'breakthrough' (literal or figurative); clan or lineage derived from Perets; unexpected or forceful emergence

Root / Etymology

The name פֶּרֶץ (Perets) derives from the root פרץ (פ-ר-ץ), meaning 'to breach', 'to break out', or 'to burst forth'. In the naming of the individual (Genesis 38:29), it reflects the narrative circumstances — a child breaking forth unexpectedly. The form is a nominal derivative indicating 'breach' or 'one who breaks through'.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the genealogical narratives (Genesis 38:29; Ruth 4:18–22; 1 Chronicles 2), Perets is a foundational figure within the tribe of Judah, with the clan (the Peretzites) becoming a significant segment of that tribe, thus the name carries social and historical resonance beyond the individual. Later biblical texts refer to descendants as 'sons of Perets' (e.g. Nehemiah 11:4,6), marking the continuity of the lineage through the Persian and perhaps early Hellenistic periods. The root is frequently used for breaches or gaps in walls, battle lines, or the like, suggesting connotations of force or unexpected rupture. English Bibles traditionally render פֶּרֶץ as 'Perez' or 'Pharez' for the personal name, sometimes as 'breach' for the common noun, but this does not capture the full semantic field. The narrative in Genesis 38 (the birth of Perets and Zerah) underscores the thematic idea of unexpected reversal and breakthrough, encapsulated in the name itself. The word's root (פ-ר-ץ) is also used metaphorically in prophetic or poetic literature for divine intervention or catastrophe, though as a proper noun it is limited to persons and lineages.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

the same as פֶּרֶץ; Perets, the name of two Israelites; Perez, Pharez.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

פרץ (p-r-ts) — to breach, break through, burst forth

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4664 מִפְרָץ his inlets
H6530 פְּרִיץ violent breach-maker
H6555 פָּרַץ he broke through
H6556 פֶּרֶץ in the breaches
H6558 פַּרְצִי the Peretsite

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6557-02 פֶ֖רֶץ ferets HNp Perez Breaker-through 6
H6557-05 פֶּ֔רֶץ perets HNp Perez breach 4
H6557-04 פָּֽרֶץ parets HNp Perez Breaker-through 2
H6557-06 וָ/פֶ֣רֶץ vaferets HC/Np and Perez and Breakthrough 1
H6557-03 לְ/פֶ֕רֶץ leferets HR/Np of Perez to Breakthrough 1
H6557-01 פָֽרֶץ farets HNp Perez Breakthrough-one 1

Occurrences in Scripture

15 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6557-04 Genesis 38:29 פָּֽרֶץ parets-2 HNp Perez Breaker-through
H6557-06 Genesis 46:12 וָ/פֶ֣רֶץ vaferets HC/Np and Perez and Breakthrough
H6557-02 Genesis 46:12 פֶ֖רֶץ ferets HNp of Perez Breaker-through
H6557-03 Numbers 26:20 לְ/פֶ֕רֶץ leferets HR/Np of Perez to Breakthrough
H6557-02 Numbers 26:21 פֶ֔רֶץ ferets HNp Perez Breaker-through
H6557-05 Ruth 4:12 פֶּ֔רֶץ perets HNp of Perez breach
H6557-04 Ruth 4:18 פָּ֔רֶץ parets HNp Perez Breaker-through
H6557-05 Ruth 4:18 פֶּ֖רֶץ perets HNp Perez breach
H6557-01 Nehemiah 11:4 פָֽרֶץ farets HNp Perez Breakthrough-one
H6557-02 Nehemiah 11:6 פֶ֕רֶץ ferets HNp Perez Breaker-through
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