פֹּ֫עַל37 H6467
Deed, work, act; rarely wages or recompense for labor
A poetic noun for action and its results, nearly synonymous with the more common 'ma'aseh' but concentrated in elevated discourse -- Deuteronomy's Song of Moses, the Psalms, Isaiah, and Job. When Moses declares 'His work is perfect' (Deut 32:4), the word celebrates divine activity; when Ruth receives Boaz's blessing 'May the LORD repay your work' (Ruth 2:12), it denotes human moral conduct deserving reward. The root p-'-l carries an inherent connection to labor and wages, and in two passages (Job 7:2; Jer 22:13) the noun itself slides from 'work done' to 'wages owed' -- a metonymic shift from action to compensation. Spanish moves between 'obra' (work) and 'salario' (wages); German 'Tat/Taten' (deed/deeds) stays closer to the action pole.
Senses
1. deed, work, act — The dominant sense: a deed or act performed by God or humans, subject to moral evaluation. Deuteronomy 32:4 celebrates God's 'work' as perfect; Psalm 44:1 recalls ancestral testimony of divine 'work'; Ruth 2:12 applies it to human courageous conduct. Spanish 'obra,' French 'oeuvre,' and German 'Tat' center on purposeful action and its enduring results. 35×
AR["الْأَفْعَالِ", "بِ-فِعْلِ", "عَمَلَ", "عَمَلَكَ", "عَمَلَهُ", "عَمَلُهُ", "عَمَلِ", "عَمَلِكَ", "فِعلَ", "فِعلُهُ", "فِعْلَ", "فِعْلُكَ", "فِعْلُهُ", "فِعْلِكَ", "كَ-عَمَلِهِ", "كَ-فِعْلِهِمْ", "لِ-فِعْلِهِمْ", "وَ-فِعْلُ"]·ben["-এবং-কাজ", "-কাজের", "কর্মের", "কাজ", "কাজ-তোমার;", "কাজের-অনুসারে", "তাঁর-কাজ", "তাদের-কাজের-জন্য", "তার-কাজ", "তার-কাজ-অনুসারে", "তোমার-কাজ"]·DE["Tat", "Taten", "[כפעלו]", "[לפעלם]", "[פעל]", "[פעלו]", "[פעלך]", "dein-Tat", "der-Tat-", "ein-Tat", "sein-Tat", "sein-Werk", "und-Tat"]·EN["His-work", "Your-work", "a-work", "according-to-his-work", "according-to-their-deed", "and-deed-of", "deeds", "for-their-work", "his-work", "the-work-of", "work-of", "your-work"]·FR["actes", "comme-son-œuvre-lui", "et-œuvre", "son-oeuvre", "son-œuvre-lui", "ton-oeuvre", "à-œuvre-eux", "œuvre"]·heb["ו-פועל", "כ-פועלם", "כ-פעלו", "ל-פועלם", "פועל", "פועלו", "פועלך", "פעלו", "פעלים", "פעלך"]·HI["उनके-कार्य-के-अनुसार", "उसका-कार्य", "और-कृत्य", "काम", "कार्य", "कार्य-उनके-लिए", "कार्य-उसका", "कार्य-उसके", "कार्य-उसके-अनुसार", "कार्यों-के", "तेरा-कार्य", "तेरे-कार्यों-पर", "पाओलेखा"]·ID["dan-perbuatan", "karya-Mu,", "pekerjaan", "pekerjaan-Nya", "pekerjaanNya", "pekerjaannya", "perbuatan", "perbuatan-Mu", "perbuatannya", "sesuai-dengan-perbuatan-mereka", "sesuai-perbuatannya", "untuk-pekerjaan mereka"]·IT["atti", "come-opera-suo", "e-opera", "opera", "opera-suo", "per-opera-loro", "suo-opera"]·jav["damelaning-Panjenengan", "kanggé-padamelan-ipun", "karya", "lan-tumindak", "miturut-pakaryan-ipun", "miturut-pandamelanipun", "padamelan", "padamelan-ipun", "pakaryan", "pakaryan-Panjenengan", "pakaryanipun", "pakaryané", "pandamel", "pandamelanipun", "tumindak"]·KO["그-의-업적을", "그-의-행하신-일-이", "그것들-의-행하기-위하여", "그리고-일이니", "그의-행위", "당신-의-역사-를", "당신-의-일-을", "당신-의-행하심", "에-따라-그들의-행위를", "일-을", "일을", "작품을", "주-의-일-을", "행위-대로-그-의", "행위-를", "행위가-그-의", "행위들", "행위를"]·PT["a-obra-de", "a-tua-obra", "conforme-obra-sua", "conforme-sua-obra", "e-obra-de", "feitos", "obra", "obra-de", "para-sua-obra", "sua-obra", "tua-obra", "é-Sua-obra"]·RU["дел", "делах-Твоих", "деле", "дело", "дело-Его", "дело-Твоё", "дело-его", "деяние", "деяние-Его", "деятельности-Твоей", "для-дел-их", "и-деяние-", "по-делу-его", "по-делу-их"]·ES["es-su-obra", "la-obra-de", "obra", "obra-de", "obra-de-", "obra-de-ti", "obras", "para-su-obra", "según-su-obra", "su-obra", "su-obrar", "tu-obra", "y-obra-de"]·SW["kama-kazi-yao", "kazi", "kazi-ya", "kazi-yake", "kazi-yako", "kwa-kazi-yao", "kwa-matendo-yake", "matendo", "na-kitendo", "yote"]·TR["isine", "isinin", "işi", "işi-", "işin", "işine-göre", "işine-senin", "işini", "işlemeleri-için", "işler", "işlerine-göre", "işlerini", "ve-eylem-"]·urd["اس کے کام کو", "ان کے کام کے لیے", "اور-فعل", "اُس-کا-کام", "تیرا-کام", "تیرے-کام", "تیرے-کاموں-پر", "عمل-اُس-کا", "عمل-اُس-کے-موافق", "موافق-کام-ان-کے", "کام", "کاموں-والا"]
Deut 32:4, Deut 33:11, Ruth 2:12, 2 Sam 23:20, 1 Chr 11:22, Job 24:5, Job 34:11, Job 36:9, Job 36:24, Job 37:12, Ps 9:16, Ps 28:4 (+23 more)
2. wages, recompense — A metonymic extension from work done to compensation owed: wages or recompense. Job 7:2 compares the sufferer to a hireling who 'waits for his wages'; Jeremiah 22:13 denounces the king who withholds a neighbor's pay. Spanish 'salario' signals the economic register, a shift from the moral-evaluative 'obra' of sense 1. 2×
AR["أُجْرَتَهُ", "وَ-أُجْرَتَهُ"]·ben["ও-তার-মজুরি", "তার-মজুরির"]·DE["[פעלו]", "und-Tat"]·EN["and-wage-his", "his-wages"]·FR["et-œuvre", "son-œuvre-lui"]·heb["ו-פעולתו", "פועלו"]·HI["अपनी-मज़दूरी", "और-मजदूरी-उसकी"]·ID["dan-upahnya", "upahnya"]·IT["e-opera", "opera-suo"]·jav["epahipun", "lan-opah-ipun"]·KO["그-삯을", "그리고-그의-삯을"]·PT["e-seu-salário", "salário-dele"]·RU["и-платы-его", "платы-своей"]·ES["su-salario.", "y-salario-de-él"]·SW["mshahara-wake", "na-ujira-wake"]·TR["ve-emeğini", "ücretini"]·urd["اور-مزدوری-اُس-کی", "اپنی-مزدوری-کا"]
3. sense 3 — A single uncertain occurrence in Proverbs 21:6 in connection with 'getting treasures by a lying tongue.' The sense may shade toward ill-gotten gain or the product of deceitful effort, though lexicons leave the precise meaning open. Spanish 'adquisicion' and English 'getting' attempt a processual-resultative rendering distinct from both 'deed' and 'wages.' 1×
AR["جَمْعُ"]·ben["লাভ-করা"]·DE["[פעל]"]·EN["getting"]·FR["œuvre"]·heb["פועל"]·HI["कमाना"]·ID["Memperoleh"]·IT["opera"]·jav["pandamelan"]·KO["얻는-것은"]·PT["O-que-trabalha-por"]·RU["приобретение"]·ES["La-adquisición-de"]·SW["kupata"]·TR["elde-eden"]·urd["کمانا"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)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×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
פֹּ֫עַל37 n.m. Pr 20:11 doing, deed, work (poet. and late, nearly = מַעֲשֶׂה);—פ׳ abs. Hb 1:1 ψ 44:2, cstr. Dt 33:11 +; sf. פָּעֳלוֹ 32:4 +, פֹּעֲלוֹ Is 1:31 (Köii. 1, 35, 493 Ges§ 93 q, v. infr.), Je 22:13; פָּעָלְכֶם Is 41:24, etc.; pl. פְּעָלִים; 2 S 23:20; 1 Ch 11:22;— 1. deed, thing done: a. of God, פָּעֳלוֹ his work in providence Dt 32:4; Is 5:12; Jb 36:24; in deliverance ψ 44:2 (as acc.…