פֶּ֫רֶא (pe.re)
pe.re
wild donkey
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 10 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Definition
Definition
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
What This Word Means for Your Faith
This word describes an animal known for its untamable nature and fierce independence. In the ancient Near East, the wild donkey was a symbol of freedom that could not be bound by human effort or control. It represents a spirit that refuses to be yoked by external forces, living entirely according to its own instincts.
Scripture uses this image in different ways to teach us about human behavior and God's sovereignty. Sometimes it highlights the foolishness of stubbornness, as seen when Hagar’s son Ishmael is compared to one who lives in opposition to others. Other times, it simply acknowledges that some creatures are designed by God to remain free in the wilderness, beyond our reach.
Reflecting on this word invites us to consider where we try to control what God has left untamed, or where we resist His gentle leading with stubborn pride. It reminds us that true peace comes not from forcing our will upon the world, but from trusting the Creator who set these creatures free and knows their paths.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 10 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a wild donkey4×
- wild donkeys3×
- and/ wild donkeys1×
- a wild donkey of1×
- [the] wild donkey1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פֶּ֣רֶא2×
- פֶּ֥רֶא1×
- פֶּ֣רֶה\׀1×
- פֶּ֝֗רֶא1×
- פֶּ֖רֶא1×
- פְּרָאִ֨ים\׀1×
- פְּרָאִ֖ים1×
- פְרָאִ֣ים1×
- וּ/פְרָאִים֙1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 16:12
He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposed to all of his brothers.”
This verse uses the wild donkey to illustrate Ishmael’s future life of conflict and independence, showing how his nature would lead him to live in opposition to his brothers.
-
Job 39:5
“Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened the bonds of the swift donkey,
Here the word emphasizes God’s absolute sovereignty over creation, asking who has the power to release this untamable animal from its bonds.
-
Jeremiah 2:24
a wild donkey used to the wilderness, that sniffs the wind in her craving. When she is in heat, who can turn her away? All those who seek her will not weary themselves. In her month, they will find her.
The prophet uses the wild donkey’s instinctual craving for the wilderness to describe Israel’s stubborn refusal to return to God despite His provision.