פֶּרֶשׁ
𐤐𐤓𐤔
peresh
H6569 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Solid human or animal waste, excrement or dung, especially as eliminated from the body. In the Hebrew Bible, פֶּרֶשׁ refers specifically to what is discharged from the intestines and is often associated with ritual impurity or uncleanness, particularly in cultic and sacrificial contexts.
Semantic Range
excrement, dung, bodily waste (human or animal), sacrificial offal cast out, refuse associated with ritual impurity, metaphor for impurity or contempt
Root / Etymology
From the root פּרש (פ-ר-ש), meaning 'to separate, to spread out, to declare.' The noun פֶּרֶשׁ is derived from the sense of what is separated or cast out from the body. The actual substance referred to is excrement, but the root sense is of something being separated or expelled.
Historical & Contextual Notes
פֶּרֶשׁ appears in priestly and prophetic texts related to the temple cult, often describing the refuse or waste of sacrificial animals (e.g., Malachi 2:3, Leviticus 4:11, 8:17, 16:27). Its usage is explicitly connected to ritual impurity, as the removal of excrement from the sanctuary area was necessary to maintain the ritual cleanliness of the temple space. English translations tend to use 'dung,' 'offal,' or 'refuse,' but 'offal' strictly refers to inedible animal parts, which is not identical with פֶּרֶשׁ. The term is used less broadly than other Hebrew words for refuse (e.g., צואה—sewage, filth) and is not a general word for dirt but something specifically separated by bodily elimination. In Malachi 2:3, פֶּרֶשׁ is invoked metaphorically to express contempt for unworthy sacrifices and corrupt priests. Over time, the word's usage narrows from general excrement to a specialized cultic usage in Torah law. Later Judean and post-biblical sources use derived forms more generally for excrement or feces. Standard English translations ('dung,' 'excrement') reflect the basic meaning, but the cultic/sacrificial nuance is often lost.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from פָּרָשׁ; excrement (as eliminated); dung.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
פרשׁ (p-r-sh) — to separate, to spread out, to declare
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6568 | פְּרַשׁ | explicitly set forth |
| H6570 | פֶּרֶשׁ | Peresh |
| H6576 | פַּרְשֵׁז | spreading out wide |
Word Forms
6 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6569-05 |
פִּרְשׁ֔/וֹ | piresho | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
dung | his expelled waste | 2 |
H6569-06 |
וּ/פִרְשֽׁ/וֹ | ufiresho | HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
and its dung | and his expelled waste | 1 |
H6569-03 |
פִּרְשָׁ֖/הּ | pireshah | HNcmsc/Sp3fs |
its dung | her expelled waste | 1 |
H6569-01 |
פֶ֨רֶשׁ֙ | feresh | HNcmsa |
dung | expelled excrement | 1 |
H6569-02 |
פֶּ֖רֶשׁ | peresh | HNcmsc |
the dung | excrement | 1 |
H6569-04 |
פִּרְשָֽׁ/ם | piresham | HNcmsc/Sp3mp |
dung | their excrement | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6569-05 |
Exodus 29:14 | פִּרְשׁ֔/וֹ | piresho | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
dung | his expelled waste |
H6569-06 |
Leviticus 4:11 | וּ/פִרְשֽׁ/וֹ | ufiresho | HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
and its dung | and his expelled waste |
H6569-05 |
Leviticus 8:17 | פִּרְשׁ֔/וֹ | piresho | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
dung | his expelled waste |
H6569-04 |
Leviticus 16:27 | פִּרְשָֽׁ/ם | piresham | HNcmsc/Sp3mp |
dung | their excrement |
H6569-03 |
Numbers 19:5 | פִּרְשָׁ֖/הּ | pireshah | HNcmsc/Sp3fs |
its dung | her expelled waste |
H6569-01 |
Malachi 2:3 | פֶ֨רֶשׁ֙ | feresh | HNcmsa |
dung | expelled excrement |
H6569-02 |
Malachi 2:3 | פֶּ֖רֶשׁ | peresh | HNcmsc |
the dung | excrement |