פָּלַח (pa.lach)
pa.lach
to cleave
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb palach carries the basic meaning of splitting or cleaving something apart. In its simplest form, it describes the physical act of dividing material, whether by slicing through flesh or breaking open a hard surface. The word appears in only five verses, primarily within the wisdom literature of Job, Psalms, and Proverbs, where it serves as a vivid metaphor for intense emotional or spiritual distress.
While the root suggests a physical action like plowing or piercing, its literary usage often points to an internal rupture. For instance, in Psalm 38:7, the psalmist describes his loins being filled with burning, using palach to convey a sense of being split apart by pain. Similarly, in Proverbs 25:18, it illustrates the destructive nature of false testimony, likening it to someone striking down their neighbor with force. The imagery is one of violent separation rather than gentle division.
Translators typically render palach as "cleave," "split," or "pierced" depending on the context. The word’s rarity in Scripture highlights its power; when it does appear, it marks a moment of significant trauma or disruption. It reminds readers that some experiences are not merely difficult but fundamentally shattering, requiring language that captures the depth of being torn asunder.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word palach describes a violent splitting or cleaving apart. It is not a gentle division but a forceful rupture that leaves something fundamentally changed. In Scripture, this rare verb often captures moments of intense physical pain or deep emotional trauma, where the inner self feels torn asunder by circumstances beyond control.
When you face seasons of overwhelming distress, this imagery reminds you that your suffering is seen and named with honesty. The psalmist did not hide his brokenness; he described it as being split open before God. This word validates the reality of deep wounds, acknowledging that some experiences are shattering rather than merely difficult.
Yet, bringing these raw feelings into the light is an act of trust. By naming the pain with such vivid language, we invite God into the very center of our rupture. He meets us in our brokenness not with dismissal, but with a presence that holds us together when we feel like falling apart.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they cleave open1×
- it will pierce1×
- he splits open1×
- and/ he sliced [them]1×
- [one who] plows1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תְּפַלַּ֑חְנָה1×
- פֹלֵ֣חַ1×
- יְפַלַּ֪ח1×
- יְפַלַּ֣ח1×
- וַ/יְפַלַּ֛ח1×
Key Verses
-
Job 16:13
His archers surround me. He splits my kidneys apart, and does not spare. He pours out my bile on the ground.
This verse uses the verb to depict God’s agents surrounding the speaker and splitting his kidneys, conveying a sense of total physical and spiritual violation.
-
Psalms 141:7
“As when one plows and breaks up the earth, our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.”
Here the word describes plowing or breaking up the earth, serving as a metaphor for how bones are scattered at death, emphasizing the finality and devastation of loss.
-
Proverbs 7:23
Until an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and doesn’t know that it will cost his life.
The text likens false flattery to an arrow striking through the liver, using the concept of piercing or cleaving to illustrate sudden, fatal deception.