פְּלַג (pe.lag)
pe.lag
to divide
A:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb palag means simply to divide or be divided. It appears only once in the Old Testament, in Daniel 2:41. In this context, it describes the toes of the statue’s feet being partly iron and partly clay. The image is one of a mixture that does not fully blend, creating a structural weakness.
Because its usage is so limited, the word carries no broad theological range. It serves as a precise descriptor for fragmentation. The text uses it to highlight the unstable nature of the final kingdom, which is split and unable to hold together despite having some strength from iron.
Translators typically render this single occurrence as "partly" or "divided." This choice preserves the visual contrast between the materials. The word itself does not imply a moral judgment but rather states a physical reality of separation that leads to division.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word palag describes something that is split or divided. It appears only once in the Old Testament, in Daniel 2:41. There, it explains why the statue’s feet were weak. They were made of iron mixed with clay, a combination that could not hold together. This image shows how things that do not blend well will eventually fall apart.
When you face situations where people or plans seem unstable, this word offers a quiet truth. Division often comes from mixing incompatible elements. The text does not judge the materials but simply states the result: a divided kingdom. You can see this pattern in many areas of life today.
God’s kingdom is built on unity, not division. While human plans may fracture, His purposes remain steady. This single word reminds us that true strength comes from what is whole and aligned with God’s will, rather than what is forced together.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- divided1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פְלִיגָה֙1×
Key Verses
-
Daniel 2:41
Whereas you saw the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay and part of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but there will be in it of the strength of the iron, because you saw the iron mixed with miry clay.
The verb describes the physical mixture of iron and clay in the statue's toes, explaining why the final kingdom would be structurally weak and divided.