פְּרָת (pe.rat)
pe.rat
Euphrates
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 18 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun perat refers specifically to the Euphrates River, the largest waterway in western Asia. Its name carries the meaning "fruitfulness," a fitting description for the life-giving waters that sustain the land from their sources in the Armenian mountains down to the Persian Gulf.
In the Old Testament, this river serves as a defining geographical boundary and a symbol of imperial power. It appears eighteen times, with significant occurrences in Jeremiah, II Kings, and I Chronicles. The text often uses it to mark the extent of Israel’s territory or the reach of foreign empires, such as when Nebuchadnezzar’s forces are described as coming from this distant region.
The word functions primarily as a proper noun for the physical river rather than a metaphorical term. Its repeated mention in historical and prophetic books anchors the narrative in a real landscape, reminding readers of the political realities surrounding ancient Judah. The Euphrates stands as a constant marker of distance and power in the biblical world.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name perat refers to the Euphrates River, a major waterway in western Asia that often marked the boundaries of ancient nations. In Scripture, this river represents both the vast extent of God’s promises and the reach of earthly empires. When the text mentions this distant water, it reminds us that God’s sovereignty covers the entire known world, from the smallest local details to the farthest borders.
For your faith, this word highlights the reality of God’s power over history. Nations rise and fall, but the Lord remains the ultimate authority over all lands and peoples. Whether describing the ideal boundaries of Israel or the movements of foreign kings, the Euphrates serves as a constant reminder that no political force operates outside of God’s plan.
Trust in this truth: the same God who oversees the distant rivers also cares for your daily life. You do not need to fear the size or power of any obstacle before you. His authority is absolute, and His promises are reliable across every generation.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 18 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Euphrates11×
- Perath/ towards3×
- [the] Euphrates2×
- at/ Perath1×
- [is the] Euphrates1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פְּרָֽת\׃5×
- פְּרָ֔תָ/ה3×
- פְּרָ֑ת3×
- פְּרָ֗ת2×
- פְּרָ֔ת2×
- פְּרָ֖ת1×
- פְרָֽת\׃1×
- בִּ/פְרָ֑ת1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 15:18
In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I have given this land to your offspring, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:
This verse defines the Euphrates as the eastern boundary of the land God promised to Abram's descendants, showing its role in establishing divine covenant boundaries.
-
Jeremiah 13:4
“Take the belt that you have bought, which is on your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.”
Here the prophet is commanded to hide a linen belt by the Euphrates, using the river as a specific location for a symbolic act of judgment against Judah.
-
II Kings 23:29
In his days Pharaoh Necoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates; and King Josiah went against him, but Pharaoh Necoh killed him at Megiddo when he saw him.
The king of Egypt marched to this river to fight Assyria, illustrating how the Euphrates functioned as a strategic military frontier in ancient geopolitics.