פְּרָזָה
𐤐𐤓𐤆𐤄
pᵉrâzâh
H6519 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An open country or rural area; by extension, an unwalled settlement, village, or town distinguished by the absence of fortifications. The primary sense refers to areas not secured by city walls, often contrasted with fortified urban centers. It can denote both the geographical open country and a type of community (settlement) living in such areas.
Semantic Range
open country, rural area, unwalled settlement, village, unfortified town, region lacking fortifications
Root / Etymology
From the root פָּרָז (prz), meaning 'to be separate, open, exposed,' though the root is rare and etymologically uncertain. פְּרָזָה is derived as a feminine noun indicating a place of openness or exposure, in contrast to walled, protected towns.
Historical & Contextual Notes
פְּרָזָה is a term typically used in contrast to a fortified city (עִיר בְּצוּרָה). In the Hebrew Bible, it appears in discussions of rural areas and settlements not surrounded by defensive walls, especially in descriptions of the land during times of peace (e.g., Judges 5:7,11) or in context of invasions where unwalled towns are especially vulnerable (Ezekiel 38:11). The term reflects Israelite settlement patterns from the pre-monarchic through the Persian periods, when population centers ranged from fortified cities to unfortified rural villages. English translations often use 'village,' 'country town,' or 'open country,' though the nuance of 'unprotected by walls' can be lost. In later periods, the distinction between reinforced towns and פְּרָזוֹת became significant for administrative and military organization. Related Hebrew terms include עִיר (ʿîr, 'city') and קִרְיָה (qiryāh, 'town'), both suggesting more urbanized or fortified contexts. The Greek Septuagint sometimes renders פְּרָזָה as ἀγρός ('field, countryside') or κώμη ('village'), showing a similar recognition of its rural, unfortified nuance. The concept does not map precisely onto later terms (e.g., 'Jewish village'), and it is anachronistic to conflate פְּרָזָה with modern or medieval European 'villages.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the same as פָּרָז; an open country; (unwalled) town (without walls), unwalled village.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
פרז (p-r-z) — to be open, to be separated, to be exposed
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6518 | פָּרָז | his unwalled village |
| H6520 | פְּרָזוֹן | unwalled settlement |
| H6521 | פְּרָזִי | the open-country dweller |
| H6522 | פְּרִזִּי | the open-country dweller |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6519-02 |
פְּרָז֔וֹת | perazot | HNcfpa |
unwalled towns | unfortified settlements | unfortified settlements | 2 |
H6519-01 |
הַ/פְּרָזוֹת֒ | haperazot | HTd/Ncfpa |
of the rural areas | the unwalled settlements | the unwalled settlements | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6519-02 |
Ezekiel 38:11 | פְּרָז֔וֹת | perazot | HNcfpa |
unwalled villages | unfortified settlements | unwalled villages |
H6519-02 |
Zechariah 2:8 | פְּרָזוֹת֙ | perazot | HNcfpa |
unwalled towns | unfortified settlements | unfortified settlements |
H6519-01 |
Esther 9:19 | הַ/פְּרָזוֹת֒ | haperazot | HTd/Ncfpa |
of the rural areas | the unwalled settlements | the unwalled settlements |