פָּרָשׁ
𐤐𐤓𐤔
pârâsh
H6571 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A horse, specifically a warhorse or steed used in chariotry or cavalry; also a rider or horseman, typically one trained or equipped for military purposes. The term can refer both to the animal itself and, by extension, to a mounted combatant (horseman or cavalry), especially within a military context in the Hebrew Bible.
Semantic Range
warhorse, cavalry horse, chariot horse, horseman, cavalryman, mounted soldier, cavalry unit, mounted military force
Root / Etymology
From the root פ־ר־שׁ (פרש), meaning 'to spread out' or 'to separate', possibly in reference to the outstretched stride of a galloping horse or the spreading of the legs in riding. The noun פָּרָשׁ derives from this root and describes either the steed (especially in military use) or the rider. The root meaning and the specific lexical use are only loosely related, as the term came to be specialized for horses and cavalry.
Historical & Contextual Notes
פָּרָשׁ appears frequently in biblical texts involving warfare or royal spectacle, often denoting not just any horse, but specifically those used for chariots and cavalry—core components of Iron Age military organizations. While English translations often render פָּרָשׁ as 'horseman' or 'cavalry', the underlying term can refer both to the animal and the rider, and sometimes to the elite units employing horses in battle. Differentiated from סוּס (sus), the more general term for horse or steed; פָּרָשׁ is more militarily specialized. In exilic and post-exilic periods, the meaning remains focused on cavalry units as part of imperial armies (e.g. Persian and Greek). Later Jewish and Christian traditions sometimes render פָּרָשׁ as 'horseman' or, less accurately, as 'rider' without the military nuance. The ancient Israelite military's use of horses was largely associated with the monarchy's centralized forces rather than with common Israelite life.
Translation Consistency
Most natural, widely used English equivalent for parash’s typical sense of a mounted soldier or cavalry; covers both rider and, by extension, the mounted force. More idiomatic than the technical ‘cavalryman’ and matches common Bible translations’ use of ‘horseman(s).’
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from פָּרָשׁ; (compare סוּס); a steed (as stretched out to a vehicle, not single nor for mounting ); also (by implication) a driver (in a chariot), i.e. (collectively) cavalry; horseman.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
פרש (p-r-sh) — to spread out, to separate, to extend
Word Forms
11 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6571-04 |
פָּרָשִׁ֑ים | parashim | HNcmpa |
horsemen | cavalrymen | horsemen | 17 |
H6571-06 |
וּ/פָ֣רָשִׁ֔ים | ufarashim | HC/Ncmpa |
and horsemen | and cavalrymen | and horsemen | 9 |
H6571-05 |
וּ/פָרָשָׁ֖י/ו | ufarashayv | HC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms |
and his horsemen | and his war-horsemen | and his horsemen | 8 |
H6571-01 |
הַ/פָּ֣רָשִׁ֔ים | haparashim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the horsemen | the cavalrymen | the cavalrymen | 5 |
H6571-09 |
וּ/בְ/פָרָשָֽׁי/ו | uvefarashayv | HC/R/Ncmpc/Sp3ms |
and among his horsemen | and with his cavalrymen | and with his horsemen | 4 |
H6571-10 |
וּ/בְ/פָרָשִׁ֖ים | uvefarashim | HC/R/Ncmpa |
and-with-horsemen | and with cavalrymen | and with horsemen | 4 |
H6571-02 |
פָּרָ֜שׁ | parash | HNcmsa |
of the horseman | warhorse | horseman | 3 |
H6571-08 |
וּ/לְ/פָרָשִֽׁים | ulefarashim | HC/R/Ncmpa |
and for horsemen | and to cavalrymen | and to horsemen | 3 |
H6571-03 |
פָּרָשָֽׁי/ו | parashayv | HNcmpc/Sp3ms |
his horsemen | his cavalrymen | his horsemen | 2 |
H6571-07 |
וּ/כְ/פָרָשִׁ֖ים | ukhefarashim | HC/R/Ncmpa |
and like horsemen | and like warhorses | and like horsemen | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
57 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6571-04 |
Genesis 50:9 | פָּרָשִׁ֑ים | parashim | HNcmpa |
horsemen | cavalrymen | horsemen |
H6571-05 |
Exodus 14:9 | וּ/פָרָשָׁ֖י/ו | ufarashayv | HC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms |
and his horsemen | and his war-horsemen | and his horsemen |
H6571-09 |
Exodus 14:17 | וּ/בְ/פָרָשָֽׁי/ו | uvefarashayv | HC/R/Ncmpc/Sp3ms |
and his horsemen | and with his cavalrymen | and with his horsemen |
H6571-09 |
Exodus 14:18 | וּ/בְ/פָרָשָֽׁי/ו | uvefarashayv | HC/R/Ncmpc/Sp3ms |
and upon his horsemen | and with his cavalrymen | and with his horsemen |
H6571-05 |
Exodus 14:23 | וּ/פָרָשָׁ֑י/ו | ufarashayv | HC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms |
and his horsemen | and his war-horsemen | and his horsemen |
H6571-03 |
Exodus 14:26 | פָּרָשָֽׁי/ו | parashayv | HNcmpc/Sp3ms |
their horsemen | his cavalrymen | their horsemen |
H6571-01 |
Exodus 14:28 | הַ/פָּ֣רָשִׁ֔ים | haparashim | HTd/Ncmpa |
the horsemen | the cavalrymen | the cavalrymen |
H6571-09 |
Exodus 15:19 | וּ/בְ/פָרָשָׁי/ו֙ | uvefarashayv | HC/R/Ncmpc/Sp3ms |
and with his horsemen | and with his cavalrymen | and with his horsemen |
H6571-10 |
Joshua 24:6 | וּ/בְ/פָרָשִׁ֖ים | uvefarashim | HC/R/Ncmpa |
and-with-horsemen | and with cavalrymen | and with horsemen |
H6571-09 |
1 Samuel 8:11 | וּ/בְ/פָרָשָׁ֔י/ו | uvefarashayv | HC/R/Ncmpc/Sp3ms |
and among his horsemen | and with his cavalrymen | and with his horsemen |