פִּלְאִי (pil.i)
pil.i
incomprehensible
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew adjective pil’i describes something that is wonderful, extraordinary, or beyond human understanding. It appears in only two verses in the Old Testament, both found in the book of Judges. In these contexts, it characterizes actions or events that are so remarkable they defy normal explanation.
Its root relates to the concept of a "wonder" or a "marvel," suggesting something set apart from the ordinary. When used in Scripture, it points to divine interventions that leave observers in awe because they exceed natural limits. The word emphasizes the sheer impressiveness and mystery of the event rather than just its moral quality.
Translators typically render pil’i as "wonderful" or "extraordinary." This choice captures the sense of something striking and unusual, inviting the reader to recognize a moment where the ordinary boundaries of experience are broken. It serves as a linguistic marker for divine activity that is both beautiful and incomprehensible.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When life presents moments that defy logic or explanation, the Hebrew word pili offers a comforting perspective. It describes things that are truly extraordinary, standing apart from the ordinary flow of daily experience. Rather than viewing confusion as a failure of understanding, this term invites us to recognize the presence of something greater at work.
In Judges 13, the angel’s response highlights that some divine realities simply exceed human capacity to name or fully grasp. This is not a dismissal but an invitation to awe. We are reminded that God’s ways often operate beyond our immediate comprehension, yet they remain reliable and true.
Similarly, Psalm 139 reflects on knowledge that feels too lofty to attain. These verses encourage us to rest in the mystery of God’s nature. When we encounter the incomprehensible, we can trust that it points to a wisdom far deeper than our own, offering peace even when answers remain hidden.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [is] incomprehensible1×
- [is too] wonderful1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פְּלִ֣יאָֽה1×
- פֶ֛לִאי\׃\ \ס1×
Key Verses
-
Judges 13:18
Yahweh’s angel said to him, “Why do you ask about my name, since it is incomprehensible?”
The angel uses this term to indicate that His divine identity and authority are too vast to be captured by a single human name.
-
Psalms 139:6
This knowledge is beyond me. It’s lofty. I can’t attain it.
David applies the concept of the extraordinary to God’s knowledge, acknowledging that divine understanding surpasses human ability to reach or fully comprehend it.