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פָּלַשׁ

𐤐𐤋𐤔

pâlash

H6428 verb

SILEX Entry

Root פלש to roll, to wallow, to throw oneself down

Definition

To roll, especially to roll oneself upon the ground or in dust; to wallow. This verb often carries the sense of deliberate, intensive self-casting onto the ground, typically as an expression of mourning, humiliation, or distress. In context, it can depict the bodily gesture of rolling in dust or ashes as a physical manifestation of grief or loss, though it may also indicate other purposes of intense self-abasement.

Semantic Range

to roll oneself (especially in dust or ashes), to wallow, to fling or hurl oneself onto the ground, to perform an act of mourning or humiliation by rolling

Root / Etymology

Root: פלש. Derived from the triliteral root פלש, which in Hebrew conveys the idea of rolling or wallowing. The sense of the verb likely stems from a concrete, physical action, and retains that overtone in all biblical occurrences. There is no evidence for cognate roots in related Semitic languages; thus, it is considered a distinctly Hebrew verb with uncertain wider etymological connections.

Historical & Contextual Notes

פָּלַשׁ appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible and typically in poetic or expressive passages, often associated with mourning rituals. In ancient Israelite culture, physical gestures such as rolling in dust or ashes were key elements in public displays of lamentation or shame, contrasting with terms like עָפַר (ʿāfar, 'dust') or חָפַר (ḥāfar, 'to bury oneself') that focus more on the material or act itself. Modern translations often render פָּלַשׁ as 'wallow' or 'roll,' but these may fail to capture the ritualistic, expressive force the term carried for ancient audiences. Its use is distinct from verbs denoting simple falling or lying on the ground, as פָּלַשׁ indicates repeated or intense rolling, typically by one’s own volition. The nuanced meaning of mourning-related rolling is not always communicated in English translations, which sometimes simply use 'wallow' or 'roll.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to roll (in dust); roll (wallow) self.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

פלש (p-l-sh) — to roll, to wallow, to throw oneself down

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6429 פְּלֶשֶׁת land of the migrants
H6430 פְּלִשְׁתִּי the Philistine men

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6428-01 הִתְפַּלָּֽשִׁי hitepalashi HVtv2fs roll yourself Wallow yourself! 1
H6428-03 וְ/הִתְפַּלְּשִׁ֣י vehitepaleshi HC/Vtv2fs and roll yourself and roll yourself down 1
H6428-02 התפלשתי htflshty HVtp1cs I have rolled myself I rolled myself 1
H6428-04 וְ/הִֽתְפַּלְּשׁוּ֙ vehitepaleshu HC/Vtv2mp and wallow and roll yourselves 1
H6428-05 יִתְפַּלָּֽשׁוּ yitepalashu HVti3mp they-will-wallow they will roll themselves 1

Occurrences in Scripture

5 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6428-03 Jeremiah 6:26 וְ/הִתְפַּלְּשִׁ֣י vehitepaleshi HC/Vtv2fs and roll yourself and roll yourself down
H6428-04 Jeremiah 25:34 וְ/הִֽתְפַּלְּשׁוּ֙ vehitepaleshu HC/Vtv2mp and wallow and roll yourselves
H6428-05 Ezekiel 27:30 יִתְפַּלָּֽשׁוּ yitepalashu HVti3mp they-will-wallow they will roll themselves
H6428-02 Micah 1:10 התפלשתי htflshty HVtp1cs I have rolled myself I rolled myself
H6428-01 Micah 1:10 הִתְפַּלָּֽשִׁי hitepalashi HVtv2fs roll yourself Wallow yourself!
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