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פְּלַג

𐤐𐤋𐤂

pᵉlag

H6387 noun

SILEX Entry

Root פ-ל-ג to split, divide, separate

Definition

A half, a portion cut or divided from a whole, especially referring to one part of something split into two equal (or nearly equal) parts. In some contexts it denotes a division, a half-share, or a moiety.

Semantic Range

half, one of two equal parts, divided portion, half-share, division, moiety

Root / Etymology

From the root פּ-ל-ג (פלג), meaning primarily 'to split, divide, separate.' The Aramaic noun פְּלַג derives from this root and refers to a divided portion, most specifically half. The word is a direct borrowing from Aramaic, and is distinct from the Hebrew פָּלָג (palag, 'to divide, split').

Historical & Contextual Notes

פְּלַג (pelag) is an Aramaic loanword found only in the Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible, especially in Daniel and Ezra. During the Persian period, Aramaic replaced Hebrew as the lingua franca of administration, so words like פְּלַג entered the scriptural text. The term is typical of legal and administrative contexts, signifying a mathematically determined half or share, such as in 'half of the kingdom' (Daniel 5:7, 16, 29, Aramaic section). It is generally synonymous with 'half' or 'moiety,' but may imply formality or legal division. In contrast, the Hebrew language uses חֵצִי (chetsi) for 'half.' English versions typically translate פְּלַג as 'half,' but this does not always capture the formal, administrative nuance present in certain contexts. The semantic field overlaps with other division terms but retains a technical specificity in Aramaic. Not attested in pre-exilic Israelite literature, reflecting its later administrative Aramaic context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) from פְּלַג; a half; dividing.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

פלג (p-l-g) — split, divide, separate

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4653 מִפְלַגָּה to divided groups
H6385 פָּלַג he split apart
H6386 פְּלַג divided
H6388 פֶּלֶג like distributary-streams of
H6389 פֶּלֶג Peleg

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6387-01 וּ/פְלַ֥ג ufelag AC/Ncmsc and half and a half of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6387-01 Daniel 7:25 וּ/פְלַ֥ג ufelag AC/Ncmsc and half and a half of
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