פַּלֻּאִי (pal.lu.i)
pal.lu.i
Palluite
N:N--PGQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--PG
Word Overview
The noun pal.lu.i refers to a member of the Palluites, a clan within the tribe of Reuben during the wilderness period. This term appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Numbers 26:5, where it serves as a collective label for the descendants of Pallu. The word is an adjective formed into a noun, functioning as a gentilic to identify people by their ancestral lineage rather than by personal name.
Its root connects to Pallu (H6396), meaning "wonderful" or "separated." While the etymology suggests a quality of distinction, the biblical usage is strictly genealogical. The text lists this group alongside other Reubenite clans like the Hanochites and Hezronites to record the population count before the Israelites entered Canaan. It does not carry theological weight or moral instruction; instead, it preserves the historical structure of the tribes as they prepared for settlement.
Translators typically render this word simply as "Palluites" or "of Pallu." Because the occurrence is isolated to a census list, the term highlights the importance of tribal identity in ancient Israel. It marks a specific family line that would later produce notable figures like Eliab, father of David’s brothers, though those descendants are not named with this specific gentilic form in the narrative.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
This word appears only once in Scripture, identifying the descendants of Pallu within the tribe of Reuben. It functions as a gentilic, marking a specific family line during the census before entering Canaan. While it carries no direct moral instruction, its existence reminds us that God keeps detailed records of every individual and clan.
In Numbers 26:5, this group is listed alongside others to show the structured community Israel became. This genealogical precision shows that your identity in Christ is not an accident but part of a divine plan. Even names we rarely hear are known and valued by God.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ Palluite[s]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/פַּלֻּאִֽי\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Numbers 26:5
Reuben, the firstborn of Israel; the sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;
This occurrence serves as the sole biblical reference for the Palluites, identifying them as a distinct family unit within the larger tribe of Reuben during the wilderness census.