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פִּרְעָתוֹן

𐤐𐤓𐤏𐤕𐤅𐤍

Pireaton

H6552 noun

SILEX Entry

Root פרע to let loosely, to let grow, be unrestrained

Definition

Pirathon – a place-name referring to a settlement or town in the hill country of Ephraim. The term is primarily used as a toponym for a specific locality, most notably associated with the origins of biblical figures. It does not convey the sense of 'chieftaincy' in its lexical usage. The semantic range is limited to its function as a proper name denoting a geographical location.

Semantic Range

proper name of a town; place in the hill country of Ephraim; location tied to prominent biblical figures

Root / Etymology

The word פִּרְעָתוֹן (Pirathon) likely derives from the root פרע, meaning 'to loose, let grow, be unrestrained.' The ending -וֹן (-ōn) is a typical toponymic suffix in Hebrew, forming a place-name, though its precise relationship to the root is unclear in this context. The connection to the root meaning is uncertain and may be based on sound similarity rather than attested semantic or historical linkage.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, פִּרְעָתוֹן (Pirathon) appears in Judges 12:13,15 as the hometown of Abdon son of Hillel and is described as located in the hill country of Ephraim. There is no explicit biblical evidence to support the translation or meaning of 'chieftaincy' for the toponym itself; this gloss likely traces to associations with the underlying root or a later interpretive tradition, rather than actual usage. The precise location of Pirathon has been debated; it is commonly identified with modern Fara'ata in the region northwest of Shechem, though some uncertainty remains. The term is not used for any personal name or title, nor does it have a broader semantic footprint outside the context of place identification. In later periods, English translations have continued to use the proper name with limited interpretation, sometimes influenced by tradition or etymological speculation, but these should not be mistaken for the term's historical usage in the biblical text.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from פַּרְעָה; chieftaincy; Pirathon, a place in Palestine; Pirathon.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

פרע (p-r-ʿ) — to let loose, let grow, be unrestrained

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6544 פָּרַע in letting loose
H6545 פֶּרַע unbound hair of
H6546 פַּרְעָה leaders of
H6549 פַּרְעֹה נְכֹה Pharaoh Necho
H6550 פַּרְעֹשׁ flea

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6552-01 בְּ/פִרְעָתוֹן֙ befireaton HR/Np in Pirathon in Pirathon 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6552-01 Judges 12:15 בְּ/פִרְעָתוֹן֙ befireaton HR/Np in Pirathon in Pirathon
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