פָּרָשׁ (pa.rash)
pa.rash
horse; horseman
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 46 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun parash refers primarily to a rider on horseback, though it can also denote the animal itself. In the Old Testament, this word appears forty-six times, frequently in historical and prophetic books like Chronicles and Isaiah. It describes the mounted warrior who serves as a key element of ancient military power.
Its meaning is grounded in the context of warfare and royal strength. The sources highlight its use for both the rider and the steed, often emphasizing their role in battle or in the display of a king’s might. For instance, passages in Isaiah describe these riders as part of formidable armies that threaten nations.
The word carries significant theological weight because it represents human military capability. In several prophetic texts, God is depicted as dismantling the power of parashim to show that victory comes from Him alone, not from chariots or cavalry. This contrast underscores a central biblical theme: reliance on divine protection rather than earthly strength.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word parash reminds us that human power is real but limited. In Scripture, horsemen represent the strongest earthly forces, yet they are often shown as powerless against God’s will. When Pharaoh’s army chased Israel, their riders could not stop the sea from closing. This shows that no military strength can override divine purpose.
For your life, this means you do not need to rely on your own resources or fear overwhelming odds. Trust in God’s protection is deeper than any human defense. Even when circumstances seem threatening, remember that He holds all power. Your security rests in Him alone, not in what you can control.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 46 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- horsemen11×
- and/ horsemen6×
- and/ horsemen/ his4×
- the/ horsemen3×
- and/ horsemen/ its3×
- horses2×
- and/ with/ horsemen2×
- and/ for/ horsemen2×
- and/ by/ horsemen/ his2×
- warhorses/ its1×
- warhorses1×
- the/ warhorses1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פָּרָשִׁ֑ים5×
- פָּֽרָשִׁ֑ים3×
- פָּרָשִׁ֔ים2×
- פָּֽרָשִׁים֙2×
- פָּֽרָשִׁ֔ים2×
- וּ/פָרָשָׁ֖י/ו2×
- וּ/פָרָשִׁים֒2×
- וּ/פָרָשִֽׁים\׃2×
- וּ/לְ/פָרָשִֽׁים\׃2×
- וּ/בְ/פָרָשָֽׁי/ו\׃2×
- הַ/פָּרָשִׁ֑ים2×
- הַ/פָּ֣רָשִׁ֔ים2×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 14:28
The waters returned, and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even all Pharaoh’s army that went in after them into the sea. There remained not so much as one of them.
This verse shows the total destruction of Pharaoh’s horsemen, proving that human military might cannot stand against God’s intervention.
-
I Samuel 8:11
He said, “This will be the way of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them as his servants, for his chariots and to be his horsemen; and they will run before his chariots.
Here the word describes a future king’s use of horsemen to establish authority, highlighting how earthly power often demands service from the people.
-
II Kings 2:12
Elisha saw it, and he cried, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” He saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
Elisha calls Elijah ‘the chariots of Israel and its horsemen,’ using the term metaphorically to show that a prophet’s presence was the nation’s true defense.