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פֶּלֶא

𐤐𐤋𐤀

peleʼ

H6382 noun

SILEX Entry

Root פלא to be extraordinary, be wonderful, surpass, be marvellous

Definition

An event, occurrence, or phenomenon that is extraordinary or surpasses ordinary human experience, often perceived as astonishing, wondrous, or inexplicable. Used in biblical texts to refer to deeds or things of exceptional character, frequently attributed to the divine as signs of power or uniqueness.

Semantic Range

miracle, marvellous thing, wonder, extraordinary occurrence, astonishing phenomenon, remarkable deed

Root / Etymology

From the root פלא (p-l-ʼ), which broadly means 'to be wonderful, surpass, be extraordinary.' In פֶּלֶא (peleʼ), the root conveys the sense of something being set apart by virtue of its unusual or miraculous character. The word functions as a noun referring to the outcome or object characterized by this surpassing quality.

Historical & Contextual Notes

פֶּלֶא is commonly used in poetic and narrative contexts to denote acts or signs that inspire awe or highlight divine intervention, especially within the Exodus tradition (e.g., Exodus 15:11; Psalm 77:15). While English translations often render it as 'miracle' or 'wonder,' the Hebrew term does not always connote a violation of natural law, but rather an act or thing that evokes amazement due to its extraordinary nature. The term overlaps semantically with מוֹפֵת (môphet, 'portent, sign') and נֵס (nēs, 'banner, signal'), but פֶּלֶא emphasizes the marvellous or surpassing quality rather than function as a sign per se. The concept appears in both early and late biblical texts, with its meaning remaining relatively stable: signifying awe-inspiring acts or objects attributed to the deity or understood as exceptional within the experience of Israel. Later biblical literature sometimes distinguishes פֶּלֶא from other terms by its focus on the inexplicable or wondrous nature of an event rather than its purpose as a sign.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from פָּלָא; a miracle; marvellous thing, wonder(-ful, -fully).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

פלא (p-l-ʾ) — to be extraordinary, be wonderful, surpass, be marvellous

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4652 מִפְלָאָה wonders of
H6381 פָּלָא in his extraordinary acts
H6383 פִּלְאִי extraordinary one
H6384 פַּלֻּאִי the Pallu-descendant
H6411 פְּלָיָה Yah has distinguished

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6382-05 פֶּ֠לֶא pele HNcmsc wonder extraordinary wonder 3
H6382-01 פֶֽלֶא fele HNcmsa wonders extraordinary wonder 3
H6382-07 פִּלְאֶֽ/ךָ pileekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your wonders your wondrous deed 2
H6382-08 וָ/פֶ֑לֶא vafele HC/Ncmsa and a wonder and an extraordinary wonder 1
H6382-04 פְּלָא֥וֹת pelaot HNcmpa wonderful surpassing wonders 1
H6382-06 פִּלְאֲ/ךָ֣ pileakha HNcmsc/Sp2ms Your wonders your extraordinary deed 1
H6382-02 הַ/פְּלָאֽוֹת hapelaot HTd/Ncmpa of these wonders the extraordinary things 1
H6382-03 פְּלָאִ֔ים pelaim HNcmpa wonderfully extraordinary deeds 1

Occurrences in Scripture

13 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6382-01 Exodus 15:11 פֶֽלֶא fele HNcmsa wonders extraordinary wonder
H6382-05 Isaiah 9:5 פֶּ֠לֶא pele HNcmsc Wonder extraordinary wonder
H6382-05 Isaiah 25:1 פֶּ֑לֶא pele HNcmsa wonders extraordinary wonder
H6382-08 Isaiah 29:14 וָ/פֶ֑לֶא vafele HC/Ncmsa and a wonder and an extraordinary wonder
H6382-07 Psalms 77:12 פִּלְאֶֽ/ךָ pileekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your wonders your wondrous deed
H6382-01 Psalms 77:15 פֶ֑לֶא fele HNcmsa wonders extraordinary wonder
H6382-01 Psalms 78:12 פֶ֑לֶא fele HNcmsa marvelous things extraordinary wonder
H6382-05 Psalms 88:11 פֶּ֑לֶא pele HNcmsa wonder extraordinary wonder
H6382-07 Psalms 88:13 פִּלְאֶ֑/ךָ pileekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your wonders your wondrous deed
H6382-06 Psalms 89:6 פִּלְאֲ/ךָ֣ pileakha HNcmsc/Sp2ms Your wonders your extraordinary deed
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