פַּר132 H6499
A young bull or bullock, predominantly a sacrificial animal; figuratively, a symbol of fierce strength or aggression.
Par is the standard Hebrew term for the young male bovine selected for sacrifice, appearing overwhelmingly in ritual legislation. The phrase par ben-baqar ('bull, son of the herd') recurs like a liturgical formula across Leviticus and Numbers, specifying the costliest individual animal offering — required for priestly consecration (Exod 29:1), sin offerings (Lev 4:3), and festival burnt offerings (Num 28-29). In poetic texts, the bull's raw power becomes a metaphor for aggression: the 'bulls of Bashan' encircle the suffering psalmist (Ps 22:12), and Babylon's warriors are called 'her bulls' marked for slaughter (Jer 50:27).
Senses
1. young bull, bullock — A young bull selected for sacrifice and offering — the primary and overwhelmingly dominant sense across 130 occurrences. Used in burnt offerings (Exod 29:1), sin offerings (Lev 4:3; Exod 29:36), peace offerings (Exod 24:5), and festival liturgies (Num 28-29). Spanish novillo and toro, French taureau, and German Stier all converge on the same bovine referent. The construct phrase par ha-chattat ('bull of the sin offering') appears as a fixed ritual formula. 130×
AR["ثَوراً", "ثَوْرًا", "ثَوْرٌ"]·ben["একটি-ষাঁড়", "বৃষ", "ষাঁড়"]·DE["Stier", "ein-Stier"]·EN["a-bull", "bull"]·FR["taureau", "un-taureau"]·heb["פר"]·HI["बैल"]·ID["lembu-jantan", "lembu-jantan-muda", "satu-lembu-jantan-muda"]·IT["toro", "un-toro"]·jav["Sapi-enom", "lembu-jaler", "sapi-enom", "sapi-jaler"]·KO["수소를", "황소", "황소-를"]·PT["novilho", "touro"]·RU["бык", "быка", "тельца"]·ES["Novillo", "novillo", "toro"]·SW["fahali", "ng'ombe-dume", "ng'ombe-dume-mchanga"]·TR["boğa"]·urd["بچھڑا", "بیل"]
Exod 29:1, Exod 29:3, Exod 29:10, Exod 29:10, Exod 29:11, Exod 29:12, Exod 29:14, Lev 4:3, Lev 4:4, Lev 4:4, Lev 4:4, Lev 4:5 (+38 more)
2. bull (figurative, mighty) — Bulls as a figurative image of powerful, aggressive enemies or mighty warriors. The 'bulls of Bashan' surround the psalmist in anguished prayer (Ps 22:12), evoking the famously well-fed cattle of that fertile region as metaphors for brutal oppressors. Jeremiah applies the image to Babylon's doomed warriors — 'slaughter all her bulls' (Jer 50:27). Hindi glosses shift to power-specific vocabulary here, distinguishing this metaphorical sense from the literal sacrificial animal. 3×
AR["ثِيرَانًا", "ثِيرَانٌ", "ثِيرَانِهَا"]·ben["তার-ষাঁড়গুলোকে", "ষাঁড়", "ষাঁড়গুলি"]·DE["Stier", "[פריה]"]·EN["bulls", "her-bulls"]·FR["[פריה]", "taureau"]·heb["פריה", "פרים"]·HI["उसके-बैलों-को", "साँड़ों-ने", "सांड़"]·ID["lembu-lembu-jantannya"]·IT["[פריה]", "toro"]·jav["badhé-nganggep-asor", "sapi-lanang", "sapi-lanangipun"]·KO["수소-들-을", "황소들-이", "황소들을-그녀의"]·PT["novilhos", "seus-touros", "touros"]·RU["быки", "быков-её", "тельцов"]·ES["sus-toros", "toros"]·SW["ng'ombe-dume", "wote-wake"]·TR["boğalar", "boğalarını"]·urd["بیل", "بیلوں-اُس-کے-کو", "سانڈوں-نے"]
Related Senses
H6629 1. flock, sheep/goats (small livestock) (274×)H1241 1. cattle, herd (bovine livestock) (183×)H0352a 1. ram (male sheep) (156×)H3532 1. lamb, young male sheep (105×)H2543 1. donkey (male ass) (96×)H7794 1. ox, bull (79×)H7462b 1. shepherd (agent noun) (76×)H5795 1. she-goat(s), female goat(s) (68×)H7462b 2. to shepherd, tend, pasture (60×)H1581 1. camel (domestic animal) (54×)H0738b 1. lion (46×)G4263 1. sheep (39×)H5739 1. flock or herd of livestock (38×)H5695 1. calf, young bull (35×)H0738a 1. lion (large predatory feline) (34×)H0860 1. female donkey (34×)H3611 1. dog (animal) (32×)H3715a 1. young lion, lion cub (31×)G0721 1. Lamb (29×)H6260 1. male goat, he-goat (28×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
פַּר132 n.m. Gn 32:16 young bull, steer;—abs. פ׳ Nu 7:15 +, פָּ֑ר ψ 50:9, always הַפָּר 1 S 1:25 +; cstr. פַּר (הַ)חַטָּאת Ex 29:36 +; pl. פָּרִים Gn 32:16 +; sf. פָּרֶיהָ Je 50:27;—steer [v. especially פַּר בֶּן־בָּקָר Lv 4:3 + 6 times; פ׳ אֶחָד ב׳־ב׳ Ex 29:1 + 12 times Nu 7, cf. 8:8; פ׳ ב׳־ב׳ אֶחָד Nu 15:24 + 3 times, cf. Ez 43:23; 45:18; 46:6; pl. פָּרִים בְּנֵי־ב׳ Nu 28:11 + 4 times; v. בֵּן"…