פּוּל (pul)
pul
Pul
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
The proper noun pul refers to Pul, a ruler active during the era of the Divided Monarchy. He appears in only three biblical verses, primarily within 2 Kings, Isaiah, and 1 Chronicles. Historical records identify him as Tiglath-pileser III, the powerful king of Assyria who reigned in the eighth century BC.
The name pul serves as the Babylonian designation for this monarch, distinct from his more familiar Assyrian title, Tiglath-pileser. Lexical sources suggest the meaning "distinguishing," reflecting the regional variations in how foreign rulers were named and recorded in ancient Near Eastern texts. This single entry highlights the complex political landscape where Israel and Judah navigated the rising influence of the Assyrian Empire.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Pul appears in Scripture as a historical marker of Assyrian power, specifically identifying Tiglath-pileser III. While this king is known for military conquest and the deportation of Israel’s tribes, the biblical text frames his actions within God’s sovereign oversight. In 1 Chronicles, we read that the God of Israel stirred up Pul’s spirit to carry away the Reubenites and Gadites. This reminds us that even the rise of foreign empires falls under divine permission, not random chance.
For believers today, this word highlights the tension between human history and spiritual trust. When nations shift or political powers change, it can feel unsettling. Yet the text assures us that God remains active behind the scenes. We are invited to rest in the knowledge that no empire, however powerful, operates outside of God’s ultimate plan for His people.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Pul3×
- to/ Pul1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פּ֥וּל1×
- פּ֣וּל1×
- פ֤וּל1×
- לְ/פ֔וּל1×
Key Verses
-
II Kings 15:19
Pul the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul one thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.
This verse shows Pul demanding tribute from Menahem to secure his political hold on Israel, illustrating the heavy cost of relying on foreign powers rather than God.
-
I Chronicles 5:26
So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath Pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried away the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and to the river of Gozan, to this day.
Here Pul is explicitly linked with Tilgath Pilneser, showing that the same Assyrian ruler is referred to by different names in parallel historical accounts.
-
Isaiah 66:19
“I will set a sign among them, and I will send those who escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to far-away islands, who have not heard my fame, nor have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.
Pul is listed among distant nations like Lud and Tubal as a destination for those who escape, indicating the widespread reach of God’s message even to former oppressors.