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פֶּלֶג

𐤐𐤋𐤂

peleg

H6388 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A stream, rivulet, or small channel of water; especially a distributary, brook, or minor branch of a watercourse. In some contexts refers to divisions of water or natural channels that partition land. The term is used for both natural and artificial watercourses, with emphasis on their function as smaller offshoots from larger bodies or as boundaries.

Semantic Range

stream, small channel, rill, distributary, brook, watercourse, division (of water)

Root / Etymology

From the root פּלג (p-l-g), meaning to split, divide, separate. פֶּלֶג is a nominal form indicating that which is divided or that which divides, especially in reference to water that splits off from a main channel.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Throughout the Hebrew Bible, פֶּלֶג appears in poetic and narrative contexts to denote streams or smaller offshoots of rivers, often in contrast to larger, main rivers, which are generally נָהָר (nahar). In Psalm 1:3 and 119:136, פֶּלֶג describes watercourses that nourish or delineate boundaries, potentially evoking both irrigation canals and natural distributaries. It is distinct from יֹאבַל (yo'val), which more specifically designates an irrigation canal or artificial watercourse. In Genesis 10:25 and 1 Chronicles 1:19, the proper name Peleg ('division') plays on the root meaning but does not refer to a watercourse. Later Hebrew usage continues to recognize פֶּלֶג as a channel or distributary rather than a full river. English translations often render the term as 'stream,' 'brook,' or 'channel,' which can lose the nuance of division or branching inherent in the Hebrew term.

Translation Consistency

primary "stream" 8 occurrences

Peleg primarily denotes a small flowing watercourse or offshoot of a larger water system. "Stream" is the most natural, broadly understood English term that covers brooks, rills, and distributaries, matches the majority P2 renderings ("streams"), and works well for both natural and minor artificial channels.

Alternatives (2 occurrences):
"brooks" (1x) "dividing-streams of" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from פָּלַג; a rill (i.e. small channel of water, as in irrigation); river, stream.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

פּלג (miphlaggâh) — to divide, split, separate

Root פּלג to divide, split, separate
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4653 מִפְלַגָּה to divided groups
H6390 פְּלַגָּה in stream-branches

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6388-02 פַּלְגֵי palegey HNcmpc streams of dividing-streams of streams of 6
H6388-01 כְּ/פַלְגֵי kefalegey HR/Ncmpc like streams like distributary-streams of like streams 1
H6388-03 פְּלָגָ֗י/ו pelagayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms its streams his branching streams its branching streams 1
H6388-04 פְּלָגִ֖ים pelagim HNcmpa brooks divided channels brooks 1
H6388-05 פֶּ֣לֶג peleg HNcmsc channel Split-Stream stream 1

Occurrences in Scripture

10 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6388-04 Isaiah 30:25 פְּלָגִ֖ים pelagim HNcmpa brooks divided channels brooks
H6388-01 Isaiah 32:2 כְּ/פַלְגֵי kefalegey HR/Ncmpc like streams like distributary-streams of like streams
H6388-02 Psalms 1:3 פַּלְגֵ֫י palegey HNcmpc streams dividing-streams of streams of
H6388-03 Psalms 46:5 פְּלָגָ֗י/ו pelagayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms its streams his branching streams its branching streams
H6388-05 Psalms 65:10 פֶּ֣לֶג peleg HNcmsc channel Split-Stream stream
H6388-02 Psalms 119:136 פַּלְגֵי palegey HNcmpc streams of dividing-streams of streams of
H6388-02 Proverbs 5:16 פַּלְגֵי palegey HNcmpc streams of dividing-streams of streams of
H6388-02 Proverbs 21:1 פַּלְגֵי palegey HNcmpc channels dividing-streams of dividing-streams of
H6388-02 Job 29:6 פַּלְגֵי palegey HNcmpc streams dividing-streams of streams of
H6388-02 Lamentations 3:48 פַּלְגֵי palegey HNcmpc streams of dividing-streams of streams of
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