פָּלַל84 H6419
To pray, intercede, or mediate; primarily in the Hitpael, to direct supplication toward God; in the Piel, to judge or intervene.
The dominant biblical word for prayer, appearing almost exclusively in the Hitpael stem as a reflexive act of turning oneself toward God in supplication. From Abraham's intercession for Abimelech (Gen 20:17) through Solomon's great temple prayer (1 Kgs 8:28-54) to Hezekiah's desperate plea against Sennacherib (2 Kgs 19:15), this verb carries the weight of Israel's prayer life. The rare Piel stem preserves an older judicial meaning—to arbitrate or intercede as a mediator (1 Sam 2:25; Ps 106:30). At Genesis 48:11, Jacob uses the verb uniquely to mean 'I had not expected/imagined,' likely a denominative usage from pelilah (judgment, reckoning).
1. pray (Hitpael) — The overwhelmingly primary sense (80 of 84 occurrences): to pray, make supplication, or intercede before God in the Hitpael stem. The reflexive form suggests directing oneself toward God. Covers all major biblical prayers—intercessory (Gen 20:17; Num 21:7), penitential (Deut 9:26), dedicatory (1 Kgs 8:28), and desperate (2 Kgs 19:15; Jonah 2:1). Cross-linguistic evidence is consistent: English 'prayed,' Spanish 'oró,' French 'pria,' German 'betete' all converge on supplicatory prayer. 80×
AR["فَ-صَلَّى","فَصَلَّى","وَ-صَلَّتْ","وَ-صَلَّوْا","وَ-صَلَّى","وَصَلَّى"]·ben["এবং-প্রার্থনা-করবে","এবং-প্রার্থনা-করল","এবং-প্রার্থনা-করলেন","ও-প্রার্থনা-করল","ও-প্রার্থনা-করলেন"]·DE["und-beten","und-betete","und-er-betete","und-sie-bete","und-sie-betete"]·EN["And-prayed","and-he-prayed","and-prayed","and-she-prayed","and-they-pray"]·FR["et-elle-pria","et-il-pria","et-ils-prie","et-pria","et-prier"]·heb["ו-התפלל","ו-התפללה","ו-התפללו","ו-יתפלל"]·HI["और-उसने-प्रार्थना-की","और-प्ररथन-कि","और-प्रार्थना-करेंगे","और-प्रार्थना-की","वय्यित्पल्लेल"]·ID["Dan-berdoa","Dan-berdoalah","dan-berdoa","dan-berdoalah","dan-dia-berdoa","dan-ia-berdoa"]·IT["e-egli-pregò","e-ella-pregò","e-essi-prega","e-pregare","e-prego","e-pregò"]·jav["Lan-ndedonga","dhateng-","lan-ndedonga","lan-piyambakipun-ndedonga"]·KO["그가-기도했다","그리고-그가-기도했다","그리고-기도하니라","그리고-기도하면","그리고-기도하였다","그리고-기도했다","그리고-기도했으니라"]·PT["E-orou","e-orarem","e-orou","§ E-orou"]·RU["И-молился","И-помолился","и-будут-молиться","и-молилась","и-молился","и-помолился"]·ES["Y-oro","Y-oró","y-orarán","y-oró"]·SW["Na-akaomba","hapa","katika-nyumba","na-Hezekia-akaomba","na-akaomba","na-akasali","wayiּtpaּleּl"]·TR["Ve-dua-etti","ve-dua-ederlerse","ve-dua-etti"]·urd["اور-دعا-مانگیں","اور-دعا-کی","اور-دُعا-کی"]
Gen 20:17, Num 11:2, Num 21:7, Num 21:7, Deut 9:20, Deut 9:26, 1 Sam 1:10, 1 Sam 1:12, 1 Sam 1:26, 1 Sam 2:1, 1 Sam 8:6, 1 Sam 12:23 (+38 more)
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
2. judge, intercede (Piel) — A rare Piel stem usage (3 occurrences) meaning to judge, mediate, or intercede in a judicial or intercessory capacity. At 1 Samuel 2:25 it means to arbitrate a dispute; at Psalm 106:30 Phinehas 'intervened' (executed judgment) to stop a plague; at Ezekiel 16:52 Jerusalem 'judged' (vindicated) her sisters through her own greater sin. English renders variously as 'intercedes,' 'executed judgment,' 'judged'; Spanish 'juzgaste' and German 'intercedes' preserve the judicial coloring that distinguishes this from devotional prayer. 3×
AR["حَكَمْتِ","وَ-تَشَفَّعَ","وَ-يَحْكُمُ"]·ben["এবং-মধ্যস্থতা-করবেন-তাকে","এবং-মধ্যস্থতা-করলেন","সুপারিশ-করেছিলে"]·DE["beten","und-betete","und-intercedes-fuer-ihn"]·EN["and-executed-judgment","and-intercedes-for-him","you-judged"]·FR["et-intercedes-pour-lui","et-prier","prier"]·heb["ו-יפלל","ו-פיללו","פיללת"]·HI["और-उसने-बीच-में-पड़ा","और-न्याय-करेगा","न्याय-किया-तूने"]·ID["dan-menghakimi","engkau-putuskan","maka-menghakiminya"]·IT["e-intercedes-per-lui","e-prego'","pregare"]·jav["lan-ndedonga","lan-ngadili-piyambakipun","panjenengan-ngadili"]·KO["그리고-중재하였도다","그리고-판단하다-그-를","네가-변호하였다"]·PT["e-executou-juízo","e-julgá-lo-á","intercedeste"]·RU["вменяла","и-рассудит-его","и-совершил-суд"]·ES["e-hizo-juicio","juzgaste","y-le-juzgará"]·SW["na-akahukumu","na-atamwombea","ulihukumu"]·TR["pişettiğin","ve-yargıladı","ve-yargılar-onu"]·urd["اور-اُس-نے-سزا-دی","تو-فیصلہ-کرے-گا","تُو-نے-حکم-دیا"]
3. sense 3 — A unique occurrence at Genesis 48:11, where Jacob says 'I had not pallalti seeing your face'—meaning 'I had not expected, imagined, or reckoned.' English 'thought,' Spanish 'pensé,' and German 'hatte ich gehofft' (I had hoped) all reflect a cognitive meaning of reckoning or expectation, likely a denominative use from the noun pelilah (judicial assessment, reckoning). This isolated sense preserves the root's oldest layer: forming a judgment or assessment in one's mind. 1×
AR["أَظُنَّ"]·ben["আমি-আশা-করেছিলাম"]·DE["hatte-ich-gehofft"]·EN["thought"]·FR["thought"]·heb["התפלל"]·HI["सोचा-था-मैंने"]·ID["aku-kira"]·IT["pensò"]·jav["kula-ngarep-arep"]·KO["내가-바랐다"]·PT["esperava"]·RU["надеялся"]·ES["pensé"]·SW["sikufikiria"]·TR["umuyordum"]·urd["سوچا-تھا-میں-نے"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)H2076 1. Qal: offer sacrifice (cultic) (116×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G0040 1. the Holy One, Holy Spirit (98×)H2931 1. ritually or morally unclean (88×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
[פָּלַל84] vb. prob. intervene, interpose (hence both arbitrate, judge, and intercede, pray, cf. Dr 1 S 2:25; NH פלל (rare), נתפלל, pray, פִּילּוּל act of prayer, פְּלִילָה judicial matter;—otherwise WeHeid. (2), 126 who conj. der. for הִתְפַּלֵּל from Arabic فَلَّ notch edge (of sword, etc.), i.e. cut oneself in worship);— †Pi. mediate, judge: Pf. 3 ms. consec., arbitrate, sf. וּפִלְלוֹ 1 S 2:25…