פַּלָּצוּת (pal.la.tsut)
pal.la.tsut
shuddering
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun pal·la·tsut describes a physical reaction to fear or awe: shuddering or trembling. It captures the involuntary shaking that grips the body when facing something overwhelming. This is not merely nervousness, but a visceral response to a power greater than oneself.
This word appears only twice in the Hebrew Bible, both times in poetic texts. In Job 41:15, it describes the scales of Leviathan’s back as rigid and close together, so that no wind can pass between them, causing shuddering. In Isaiah 33:14, it depicts the terror of sinners who realize they cannot stand before a consuming fire. The imagery is stark and physical.
Its rarity makes its usage significant. Rather than describing general anxiety, pal·la·tsut points to a specific moment of confrontation with divine or cosmic power. Translators often render it as "shuddering" or "trembling," preserving the sense of bodily reaction. The word reminds readers that encountering the holy can shake even the strongest foundations.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word pal·la·tsut describes a physical shuddering, a visceral reaction to something overwhelming. It is not simple nervousness but a deep bodily response to power greater than oneself. In Job 41:15, it describes the terrifying scales of Leviathan, while Isaiah 33:14 uses it for sinners facing divine judgment.
Encountering the holy can shake even the strongest foundations. This word reminds us that reverence is not just an intellectual idea but a whole-body reality. When we stand before God’s majesty, our natural response is awe mixed with fear.
This awareness invites humility rather than despair. It calls us to approach God with respect, acknowledging His power and our need for grace. The shaking of the flesh points to the seriousness of standing in the presence of the divine.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- shuddering2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פַּלָּצֽוּת\׃1×
- פַּלָּצ֖וּת1×