פָּרַר (pa.rar)
pa.rar
to break; to split
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 35 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb parar describes the act of breaking, splitting, or shattering something into pieces. It conveys a forceful division, whether physical, like cracking earth or dividing waters, or abstract, such as violating a covenant or frustrating plans. The word appears in thirty-five verses, with significant usage in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Job.
In the Qal stem, it often means to split or crack through, evoking images of solid objects giving way under pressure. The Hiphil stem shifts the focus to breaking agreements or making plans ineffectual, emphasizing the nullification of intent. For example, God promises to break (parar) the yoke of Babylon in Jeremiah 50:27, using the word to depict the destruction of oppressive power.
The Pilpel stem intensifies this action, meaning to shatter completely or break into bits. This form appears in Job 16:9, where God is described as having shattered Job, highlighting a sense of total disintegration. The Hophal passive voice indicates being broken or frustrated, showing the result of this forceful action on the object involved.
Translators render parar variously as break, shatter, divide, or frustrate, depending on context. The word’s range from physical splitting to abstract nullification underscores its power to describe both tangible destruction and the collapse of human efforts against divine will.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew verb parar carries the forceful sense of breaking, splitting, or shattering. It describes physical destruction, like the earth tearing apart, but also the nullification of human plans and the violation of sacred agreements. When Scripture speaks of breaking a covenant, it marks a profound rupture in relationship, signaling that the bond has been severed by choice or judgment.
For your faith, this word offers both warning and comfort. It reminds us that our commitments matter deeply to God, yet it also reveals His sovereignty over human schemes. While people may attempt to frustrate divine purposes, Scripture assures us that God’s plans cannot be ultimately broken. Even when we feel shattered by circumstance, the same God who breaks yokes of oppression is able to restore what seems destroyed.
This tension invites trust. We are called to keep our covenants faithfully, knowing that God honors integrity. At the same time, we can rest in the truth that no human plot can thwart His ultimate will. The breaking of plans often makes way for God’s better purposes, turning our failures into opportunities for His grace to shine through.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 35 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to/ break4×
- to/ frustrate2×
- they have broken2×
- he has broken2×
- and/ it will break2×
- [who] frustrates2×
- you will break1×
- you divided1×
- you break1×
- you annul1×
- will you annul1×
- will he frustrate [it]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תָּפֵ֣ר2×
- לְ/הָפֵ֣ר2×
- הָפֵ֣ר2×
- תָּפֵ֥ר1×
- תָּפֵ֙רוּ֙1×
- תֻפַר֙1×
- פוֹרַ֣רְתָּ1×
- פּ֤וֹר1×
- מֵפֵר֙1×
- מֵ֭פֵר1×
- לְ/הָפֵר֙1×
- לְ/הָפֵיר֙1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 17:14
The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”
This verse uses parar to describe the severe consequence of rejecting circumcision, framing it as breaking God's covenant.
-
Leviticus 26:15
and if you shall reject my statutes, and if your soul abhors my ordinances, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant,
Here the word links Israel's rejection of statutes directly to breaking the covenant, showing the relational cost of disobedience.
-
Job 16:12
I was at ease, and he broke me apart. Yes, he has taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces. He has also set me up for his target.
In this intense personal lament, Job describes God breaking him apart physically, illustrating the word's use for total disintegration.
-
Isaiah 24:5
The earth also is polluted under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, and broken the everlasting covenant.
The earth is described as having broken the everlasting covenant through transgression, highlighting the cosmic scope of this violation.
-
Psalms 119:126
It is time to act, Yahweh, for they break your law.
The psalmist calls for God to act because people are breaking His law, using parar to depict active rebellion against divine order.