פָּעַל57 H6466
To do, make, work; the poetic verb for purposeful action, deeds, and craftsmanship — the elevated synonym of 'asah.
Pa'al is the poet's verb for doing. Where 'asah is the everyday Hebrew word for 'make' or 'do,' pa'al belongs to elevated speech — the Song of Moses, the oracles of Balaam, the wisdom debates of Job. Its 56 occurrences cluster overwhelmingly in poetry and prophecy, making it a stylistic marker as much as a semantic one. The Arabic cognate fa'ala confirms the core meaning ('to do, act'), and the participial form po'ale ('workers of') has become virtually a fixed phrase in the Psalms: 'workers of iniquity' (po'ale aven) appears like a refrain in Psalms 5:5, 6:8, 14:4, and beyond. Spanish obrar ('to work, act morally') and French faire ('to do') capture different aspects: obrar carries the ethical weight of deeds judged, while faire stays closer to the neutral performative sense. In a handful of passages the verb shifts from doing to making — God as the one who 'fashions' or 'creates' (Job 36:3) — though this creative sense never fully separates from the broader notion of purposeful action.
Senses
1. doer or worker of — One who does or works — the substantival participle used as a noun, appearing 24 times, overwhelmingly in the fixed phrase po'ale aven ('workers of iniquity'). This construction dominates the Psalms as a designation for the wicked: 'the boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all workers of iniquity' (Ps 5:5), 'depart from me, all you workers of evil' (Ps 6:8). Job uses the same form for moral agents: 'he walks with workers of iniquity and goes in company with wicked men' (Job 34:8). Spanish hacedores de ('doers of') and French faire ('to do') treat these as agent nouns, while German sometimes simply renders the Hebrew form in brackets, reflecting the difficulty of a single-word equivalent. The participial form has effectively lexicalized as a noun meaning 'practitioner' or 'doer.' 24×
AR["فاعِلو", "فاعِلي", "فَاعِلُو", "فَاعِلِي", "فَاعِلِي-", "لِ-فاعِلي", "لِفاعِلِي", "لِفَاعِلِي"]·ben["অধর্ম-কারীদের-জন্য", "কর্মকারী-", "কর্মকারীদের", "কর্মকারীদের-", "কর্মকারীরা", "কর্মকারীরা-", "কারীদের", "কারীদের-জন্য", "কারীরা", "যারা-করে", "যারা-বলে"]·DE["[לפעלי]", "[פעלי]", "der-workers-von", "doers-of", "doers-von", "workers-von"]·EN["doers-of", "for-workers-of", "of-workers", "the-workers-of", "to-the-workers-of", "to-workers-of", "workers-of"]·FR["faire", "à-faire"]·heb["ל-פועלי", "פועלי"]·HI["करने-वालों", "करने-वालों-की", "करनेवाले", "करनेवालो", "करनेवालों", "करनेवालों-", "करनेवालों-का", "करनेवालों-के", "करनेवालों-के-लिए", "काम-करने-वाले", "काम-करने-वालों"]·ID["bagi-yang-berbuat", "bagi-yang-melakukan", "pelaku", "pelaku-pelaku", "untuk-yang melakukan", "yang melakukan", "yang-berbuat", "yang-melakukan-"]·IT["fare", "operare", "opero'", "per-operare"]·jav["ingkang-nindakaken", "ingkang-nindakaken-", "ingkang-tumindak", "kang-nindakaken", "kanggé-ingkang-nindakaken", "kanggé-tiyang-kang-nglampahi", "kanggé-tiyang-kang-nindakaken", "sareng-sareng", "tiyang-ingkang-nindakaken"]·KO["악-을-행하는-자-들-이", "행하는-자-들-에게", "행하는-자-들-을", "행하는-자-들-을-대적하여", "행하는-자-들-이", "행하는-자들", "행하는-자들-", "행하는-자들-과", "행하는-자들-에게", "행하는-자들-을", "행하는-자들-이", "행하는-자들의", "행하는-자들이"]·PT["fazedores-de", "os-que-praticais", "os-que-praticam", "para-os-que-praticam", "para-praticantes-de", "praticantes-de", "que-praticam"]·RU["-делающих", "делающие", "делающими", "делающих", "делающих-", "для-делающих", "для-творящих", "творящим-", "творящими-"]·ES["hacedores-de", "hacedores-de-", "los-que-obran", "obradores-de", "para-hacedores-de", "para-hacedores-de-", "para-los-que-hacen", "que-hacen-"]·SW["kwa-wafanyao", "kwa-watendaji", "kwa-watendao", "wa-watenda", "wafanyaji-wa", "wafanyao", "watenda", "watendaji", "watendao"]·TR["işleyenler-için", "yapanlar", "yapanlar-için", "yapanlara", "yapanlarin", "yapanları", "yapanları-", "yapanların", "yapanların-", "yapanlarını", "yapanlarıyla"]·urd["بدکار", "بدکاروں", "بدکاری-کرنے-والے", "بدی-کرنے-والوں-کے-لیے", "کام-کرنے-والو", "کام-کرنے-والوں-سے", "کام-کرنے-والے", "کرنے والوں", "کرنے والوں کے لیے", "کرنے-والوں", "کرنے-والوں-کا", "کرنے-والوں-کو", "کرنے-والوں-کے", "کرنے-والوں-کے-لیے", "کَرنے-والے-"]
2. to do or perform — To do, perform, or carry out an action — the general verbal sense at 23 occurrences, covering moral conduct, divine action, and human deeds. In Numbers 23:23 Balaam declares 'what God has done!' (ma pa'al El), and Deuteronomy 32:27 warns lest enemies say 'our hand has done this.' Job's dialogues repeatedly use the verb for divine action whose meaning is inscrutable (Job 11:8, 22:17, 33:29). Spanish obrar and el que obra ('the one who acts') select vocabulary that carries ethical weight — doing as moral performance. Korean haenghada and Arabic fa'ala both confirm the general-action sense without the specialized 'create/fashion' nuance of sense 3. The distinction from sense 1 is grammatical: here the finite verb describes the act itself, not the agent. 23×
AR["أَعمَلُ", "أَفْعَلْ", "تَفعَلونَ", "تَفعَلُ", "تَفْعَلُ", "صَنَعْتَهَا", "عَمِلتُ", "فاعِلُ", "فَعَلتَ", "فَعَلوا", "فَعَلَ", "فَعَلُوا", "فَعَلْتَ", "فَعَلْتَهُ", "يَفعَلُ", "يَفْعَلُ", "يَفْعَلُوا"]·ben["আমি-করেছি", "করবেন", "করেছ", "করেছি", "করেছিলে-তুমি", "করেছে", "করেছেন", "করেন-", "কর্তা", "তারা-করে", "তুমি-কর", "তুমি-করবে", "তুমি-করেছ", "তোমরা-কর", "পালন-করেছ", "সম্পন্ন-হচ্ছে"]·DE["[יפעל]", "[פעל]", "[פעלו]", "[פעלת]", "[פעלתי]", "[תפעל]", "du-Werk", "du-haben-worked", "du-worked", "hat-getan", "kann-er-tun", "sie-tun", "tat", "working"]·EN["I-have-done", "You-have-done", "You-have-worked", "You-worked", "can-do", "can-he-do", "can-you-do", "did", "do-you-accomplish", "has-done", "have-practiced", "is-being-worked", "they-do", "they-practice", "working", "works", "you-have-done", "you-work"]·FR["a-fait", "faire", "fit", "oeuvre", "son-oeuvre"]·heb["יפעל", "פועל", "פעל", "פעלו", "פעלת", "פעלתי", "תפעל", "תפעלון"]·HI["कर-सकता-है", "करता-है", "करते-हो-तुम", "करने-वाला-हूँ", "करेगा", "करोगे", "किया", "किया-तूने", "किया-मैंने", "किया-है", "किया-है-तूने", "किया।", "तू-करेगा", "तूने-की"]·ID["Aku-mengerjakan", "Engkau melakukan", "Engkau-kerjakan", "aku melakukan", "aku-melakukan", "berbuat", "dapat-berbuat", "engkau lakukan-", "engkau-perbuat", "melakukan", "melakukan-", "mereka-berbuat", "mereka-melakukan", "telah-dilakukan", "yang-melakukan", "yang-telah-Engkau-kerjakan"]·IT["fare", "fece", "ha-fatto", "operare", "opero'"]·jav["Kawula-damel", "Panjenengan-nindakaken", "Panjenengan-sampun-nindakaken", "Panjenengan-sampun-tumindak", "Panjenengan-tumindak", "amargi", "dipun-tindakaken", "ingkang-nindakaken", "kawula-nindakaken", "kula-tumindak", "nindakaken", "panjenengan-nindakaken", "panjenengan-tumindak", "sami-ngandika", "sampun-dipun-tindakaken"]·KO["내가-행하였다", "내가-행했다", "네가-하겠느냐", "네가-행하겠느냐", "네가-행하였다", "하겠느냐", "하리이까", "하셨는가", "행하도다", "행하리라", "행하셨나이다", "행하셨다", "행하셨도다", "행하시는", "행하신다", "행하였느니라", "행하였도다", "행한"]·PT["fará", "farás", "faz", "fazendo", "fez", "fiz", "fizeste", "pode-fazer", "praticais", "praticam", "praticaram", "pratiquei", "que-opera", "realizas", "realizaste"]·RU["делаете", "делал-я", "делали", "делают", "исполняли", "сделает", "сделаешь", "сделаешь-", "сделал", "сделала", "совершаю", "совершающий", "совершил-Ты", "соделал", "соделал-Ты", "сотворил", "творит-"]·ES["el-que-obra", "ha-hecho?", "hace-", "hará", "harás-", "harás?", "has-obrado", "he-hecho", "hiciste", "hizo", "obran", "obrando", "obraste", "obráis", "obré", "obró", "practicaron"]·SW["aliyefanya", "amefanya", "anafanya", "anaweza-kufanya", "anayefanya", "atafanya", "inafanya", "kufanya", "mnafanya", "nimefanya", "ulifanya", "uliyoifanya", "umefanya", "umeyafanya", "unafanya", "utafanya", "wamefanya"]·TR["işlediler", "işleyen", "işliyorsunuz", "yapabilir", "yapan", "yapar", "yapar-", "yaparsın", "yaparsın-", "yaptin", "yaptı", "yaptılar", "yaptım", "yaptın", "yaptıysam", "yaptığın"]·urd["تو نے کیا", "تو کرتا ہے", "تو-نے-کیے", "تُو-نے-کیا", "عمل-کیا", "میں نے کی", "کر-سکتا-ہے", "کرتا ہے", "کرتے", "کرنے-والا", "کرنے-والا-ہے", "کرے گا", "کرے-گا-تُو", "کَرتے-ہو", "کیا", "کیا-میں-نے"]
3. to make or fashion — To make, fashion, or create — 8 occurrences where the verb takes on a creative or constructive meaning, often with God as subject. Exodus 15:17 celebrates the sanctuary that 'your hands, O Lord, have made' (pa'alu); Job 36:3 declares 'I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker' (lefo'ali); and Psalm 7:13-15 describes God as one who 'fashions' weapons of judgment. Spanish hacer/preparar, Arabic sana'a ('to make/fashion'), and Korean mandeulda ('to create') all shift to manufacturing vocabulary, distinguishing this from the moral-conduct sense of pa'al. The Maker/Creator usage in Job (7:20, 36:3) elevates the verb to near-divine status, paralleling 'asah in creation contexts. 8×
AR["أَصْنَعُ", "صَنَعَ", "صَنَعْتَ", "وَ-لِ-صانِعِي", "وَيَصْنَعُهُ", "يَصْنَعُ", "يَصْنَعُ-", "يَصْنَعُهَا"]·ben["আমি-করেছি", "আর-আমার-সৃষ্টিকর্তার-জন্য", "এবং-কাজ-করে-তাকে", "কাজ-করে-", "তিনি-তৈরি-করেন", "তুমি-তৈরি-করেছ", "তৈরি-করেছেন", "সে-তৈরি-করেছে"]·DE["Du-machte", "[אפעל]", "[ויפעלהו]", "[ולפעלי]", "[יפעל]", "[פעל]", "er-gemacht", "er-macht"]·EN["You-made", "and-to-my-Maker", "and-works-it", "he-made", "he-makes", "made", "will-I-do"]·FR["Tu-fit", "et-faire", "et-faire-moi", "faire"]·heb["אפעל", "ו-יפעלהו", "ו-ל-פועלי", "יפעל", "יפעל-", "פעל", "פעלת"]·HI["और-बनाता-है-उसे", "और-बनानेवाले-अपने-को", "करूँ-मैं", "किया", "जो-उसने-बनाया", "बनाता-है-", "बनाया-तूने", "वह-बनाता-है"]·ID["Engkau-buat", "Ia-buat", "aku-perbuat", "dan-kepada-Pembuatku", "dan-mengerjakannya", "ia-buat", "ia-membuat-", "membuat"]·IT["Tu-fece", "e-fare", "e-per-operare-mio", "fare", "operare", "opero'"]·jav["Lan-ndamel-piyambakipun", "Panjenengan-sampun-damel", "dipun-damel", "kawula-nindakaken", "lan-dhatèng-ingkang-ndamel-kula", "piyambakipun-ndamel-"]·KO["그리고-나-의-만드신-이-에게", "그리고-만든다-그것을", "만드셨느니라", "만드시리로다", "만든", "만들는다-", "주께서-만드셨나이다", "할까-내가"]·PT["e-ao-meu-Criador", "e-trabalha-o", "farei", "faz", "faz-", "fez", "que-fez", "que-fizeste,"]·RU["делает", "и-Творцу-моему", "и-делает-его", "сделал", "сделаю-я", "соделал-Ты", "сотворил"]·ES["hace", "hará", "haré", "hizo", "preparaste", "y-a-mi-Hacedor", "y-lo-hace"]·SW["alifanya", "amefanya", "anafanya", "anatengeneza", "na-anaitumia", "na-kwa-Muumba-wangu", "nimekufanyia", "umeifanya"]·TR["ve-Yaratıcıma", "ve-isler-onu", "yapar", "yapayım", "yapti-", "yaptı", "yaptın"]·urd["اور-اُسے-تراشتا-ہے", "اور-اپنے بنانے والے کو", "بنایا-تو-نے", "بنایا-ہے", "جو-اُس-نے-بنایا", "وہ-بناتا-ہے", "وہ-بناتا-ہے-", "کروں"]
4. sense 4 — Uncertain or transitional usage — a single occurrence at Isaiah 44:12, where the smith 'works' (ufa'al) iron with tongs over the coals. The multilingual evidence is minimal (Spanish y trabaja, 'and works'; French et faire), and the context is artisanal labor that could fit either sense 2 (performing an action) or sense 3 (fashioning something). The verse's focus on metalworking craftsmanship might edge it toward sense 3, but the gloss evidence does not decisively separate it from the general performative meaning. 1×
AR["وَيَعْمَلُ"]·ben["এবং-কাজ-করে"]·DE["[ופעל]"]·EN["and-works"]·FR["et-faire"]·heb["ו-פעל"]·HI["और-कार्य-करता-है"]·ID["dan-bekerja"]·IT["e-fare"]·jav["lan-nyambut-damel"]·KO["그리고-작업하느니라"]·PT["e-trabalha"]·RU["и-работает"]·ES["y-trabaja"]·SW["na-anafanya-kazi"]·TR["ve-calisti"]·urd["اور-کام-کرتا-ہے"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H???? 1. (4670×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
פָּעַל57 vb. do, make (poet. for עָשָׂה) (NH פּוֹעֵל workman, cf. J Aram.; Ph. פעל = BH (often); Arabic فَعَلَ id.; Old Aramaic פעל; Syriac in der. spec. and deriv.);— Qal Pf. 3 ms. Dt 32:27 +, פָ֫עַל אֵל Nu 23:23, 2 ms. פָּעַלְתָּ Ex 15:17 +, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִפְעַל Jb 22:17 +; 2 ms. תִּפְעָל־ 35:6, etc.; Inf. cstr. לְפָעֳלָם Jb 37:12 (v. infr.); Pt. act. פֹּעֵל ψ 15:2 +, pl. cstr. פֹּעֲלֵי…