פֶּ֫רֶץ (pe.rets)
pe.rets
breach
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 16 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun perets describes a sudden break or burst, often visualized as a gap in a wall or an unexpected outflow. It carries the sense of something contained being forced open, whether that is water bursting through a dam or a physical breach in a barrier. In the Old Testament, it appears in sixteen verses, frequently appearing in poetic books like Job and Psalms to describe dramatic events.
Its meaning shifts between literal and figurative use depending on the context. When applied to physical structures, it refers to a broken wall or an opening that compromises integrity. More strikingly, the sources note its use as a metaphor for God’s wrath, portraying divine judgment not as a slow leak but as a violent bursting forth that cannot be contained. This imagery emphasizes the power and suddenness of the action.
Translators typically render perets as "breach," "bursting," or "outbreak." The word captures a moment of rupture where boundaries are crossed. It is not a gradual erosion but a decisive event, whether describing the collapse of a city’s defenses or the unleashing of heavenly anger against injustice.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word perets describes a sudden rupture, like water bursting through a dam or a wall collapsing under pressure. It is not a slow leak but a decisive event where boundaries are crossed. In the Old Testament, this imagery often portrays God’s wrath as an unstoppable force against injustice. Yet, the same word also points to moments of divine intervention that break open new paths for His people.
For your faith, this word reminds us that no barrier is permanent before God. Just as Moses stood in the breach to turn away wrath (Psalm 106:23), or as God promised to close the breaches of David’s tent (Amos 9:11), we see a God who both judges and restores. When life feels like it is falling apart, this word offers hope: what seems like destruction can become an opportunity for rebuilding.
Consider how Isaiah calls believers to be "Repairers of the Breach" (Isaiah 58:12). This is not just about fixing physical walls but restoring relationships and justice. You are invited to participate in God’s work of healing, trusting that He can bring wholeness out of brokenness. His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses, turning moments of crisis into testimonies of grace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 16 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a breach6×
- like/ a bursting out of2×
- like/ a breach2×
- a breaking out2×
- in the/ breach1×
- breaches/ their1×
- and/ breaches1×
- [will be] a breach1×
- [the] breach of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- כְּ/פֶ֣רֶץ4×
- פֶּ֖רֶץ3×
- פָּ֑רֶץ2×
- פֶּ֭רֶץ1×
- פֶּ֕רֶץ1×
- פֶּ֔רֶץ1×
- פִּרְצֵי/הֶ֗ן1×
- פָ֑רֶץ1×
- פֶ֭רֶץ1×
- וּ/פְרָצִ֥ים1×
- בַּ/פֶּ֣רֶץ1×
Key Verses
-
Amos 9:11
In that day I will raise up the tent of David who is fallen and close up its breaches, and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old,
Here God promises to actively close the breaches of David’s fallen tent, using the word to symbolize restoration and future hope rather than just destruction.
-
Isaiah 58:12
Those who will be of you will build the old waste places. You will raise up the foundations of many generations. You will be called Repairer of the Breach, Restorer of Paths with Dwellings.
The title 'Repairer of the Breach' connects the physical act of rebuilding with the spiritual work of restoring justice and community life.
-
II Samuel 5:20
David came to Baal Perazim, and David struck them there. Then he said, “Yahweh has broken my enemies before me, like the breach of waters.” Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim.
David names the place Baal Perazim because God broke through enemy lines like bursting waters, illustrating perets as a decisive act of divine victory.