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פְּרָת

𐤐𐤓𐤕

Perat

H6578 noun

SILEX Entry

Root פרת etymology uncertain; proper noun referring to a specific river (Euphrates)

Definition

Proper noun designating the Euphrates River—the major river flowing from the Taurus mountains in Anatolia through Mesopotamia to the Persian Gulf. In biblical usage, פְּרָת (Pᵉrâth) refers specifically to the Euphrates, often as a geographic boundary or symbol of distant lands. The term appears almost exclusively as a name for this river, which was one of the four rivers mentioned in the Garden of Eden narrative (Genesis 2:14) and served as the northeastern border of the land promised to the ancestors of Israel (Genesis 15:18; Deuteronomy 1:7). Occasionally, it serves as a metonym for the farthest extent or limit of Israelite territorial aspirations in biblical thought.

Semantic Range

the Euphrates River, great river of Mesopotamia, geographical boundary; never used generically for rivers or streams

Root / Etymology

Root/Etymology: Root uncertain. Although Strong suggests an unused root meaning 'to break forth' or 'to rush,' there is no securely attested Hebrew or Semitic root from which פְּרָת is derived. It is widely accepted that the Hebrew form reflects the Akkadian Purattu, itself deriving from earlier Sumerian Buranun, the ancient name of the river.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Historical & Contextual Notes: פְּרָת is the standard biblical Hebrew designation for the Euphrates River, the longest river of Western Asia, which played a critical role in Mesopotamian civilization and in the political geography of the ancient Near East. In the Hebrew Bible, it appears almost exclusively in reference to this specific river. The river marked the northeastern boundary of the land promised to the ancestors of Israel and was associated with major empires—the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians—that lay beyond it. In the patriarchal narratives (Genesis 15:18), the river symbolizes the ideal extent of promised territory. In later monarchic and post-exilic contexts, references to פְּרָת emphasize foreignness, distance, or the threat and power of empires east of Israel. English translations almost universally render פְּרָת as 'Euphrates,' which adequately conveys the geographic reference for modern readers. The term never carries ethnic, religious, or abstract metaphorical senses within the Hebrew Bible and is distinct from general Hebrew words for 'river' (נָהָר) or 'stream' (נַחַל). The identification as 'Euphrates' is consistent from early to late biblical texts, with no known shifts in meaning.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from an unused root meaning to break forth; rushing; Perath (i.e. Euphrates), a river of the East; Euphrates.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

פרת (p-r-t) — proper noun referring to the Euphrates River

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6578-03 פְּרָֽת perat HNp Euphrates Euphrates 14
H6578-04 פְּרָ֔תָ/ה peratah HNp/Sd to Perath Euphrates-ward 3
H6578-01 בִּ/פְרָ֑ת biferat HR/Np at the Euphrates at the Euphrates 1
H6578-02 פְרָֽת ferat HNp Euphrates Euphrates 1

Occurrences in Scripture

19 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6578-02 Genesis 2:14 פְרָֽת ferat HNp Euphrates Euphrates
H6578-03 Genesis 15:18 פְּרָֽת perat HNp the Euphrates Euphrates
H6578-03 Deuteronomy 1:7 פְּרָֽת perat HNp Euphrates Euphrates
H6578-03 Deuteronomy 11:24 פְּרָ֗ת perat HNp Euphrates Euphrates
H6578-03 Joshua 1:4 פְּרָ֗ת perat HNp Euphrates Euphrates
H6578-03 2 Samuel 8:3 פְּרָֽת perat HNp Euphrates Euphrates
H6578-03 2 Kings 23:29 פְּרָ֑ת perat HNp Euphrates Euphrates
H6578-03 2 Kings 24:7 פְּרָ֔ת perat HNp Euphrates Euphrates
H6578-04 Jeremiah 13:4 פְּרָ֔תָ/ה peratah HNp/Sd to Perath Euphrates-ward
H6578-01 Jeremiah 13:5 בִּ/פְרָ֑ת biferat HR/Np at the Euphrates at the Euphrates
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