פֶּ֫רֶשׁ (pe.resh)
pe.resh
refuse
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun peresh refers to the refuse or offal removed from an animal sacrifice, specifically the fecal matter found within the intestines. In the ritual laws of Leviticus and Numbers, this term identifies the waste products that must be carried outside the camp and burned, distinguishing them from the blood and fat reserved for the altar.
This word highlights the physical reality of ancient sacrificial systems, where purity required the removal of all impure remnants. The sources note its occurrence in Malachi 1:10, where God expresses displeasure at careless handling of offerings. By specifying that even the internal waste must be dealt with reverently, the text underscores that holiness involves complete attention to detail, leaving nothing behind except what is properly consecrated.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
In ancient Israel, handling the refuse of a sacrifice was not merely a cleanup task; it was a sacred duty that required leaving the camp entirely. This word reminds us that God cares about the details of our worship and service. It is not enough to offer what looks good on the surface; true holiness involves addressing every part of the offering, even the parts we might prefer to ignore or discard.
For your faith life today, this teaches a simple but profound lesson: bring your whole self to God. Do not hide the messy or difficult aspects of your heart. When you offer everything—your strengths and your struggles—with reverence, you create space for genuine cleansing and restoration. God desires integrity in how we approach Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- offal/ its3×
- offal/ their1×
- dung1×
- and/ offal/ its1×
- [the] dung of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פִּרְשׁ֔/וֹ2×
- פֶּ֖רֶשׁ1×
- פִּרְשָֽׁ/ם\׃1×
- פִּרְשָׁ֖/הּ1×
- פֶ֙רֶשׁ֙1×
- וּ/פִרְשֽׁ/וֹ\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 16:27
The bull for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp; and they shall burn their skins, their flesh, and their dung with fire.
This verse establishes the pattern for the Day of Atonement, showing that complete removal of impurity was necessary for the people to be cleansed.
-
Malachi 2:3
Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and will spread dung on your faces, even the dung of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it.
Here the term shifts from ritual waste to a metaphor for divine judgment, illustrating how careless reverence leads to shame rather than blessing.
-
Exodus 29:14
But the meat of the bull, and its skin, and its dung, you shall burn with fire outside of the camp. It is a sin offering.
This command highlights that even the sin offering's refuse had to be burned outside, emphasizing that nothing defiled could remain within the holy community.