H6505 H6505
Mule; the hybrid mount used as royal transport, pack animal, and trade commodity in ancient Israel.
Denotes the mule, the sturdy hybrid of horse and donkey prized across the ancient Near East for reliability on rough terrain. In Scripture the mule is conspicuously royal: Absalom's sons ride mules as a mark of princely status (2 Sam 13:29), and Absalom himself is fatally caught while riding one in battle (2 Sam 18:9). Solomon receives mules as annual tribute (1 Kgs 10:25), and Obadiah searches for pasture for royal mules during drought (1 Kgs 18:5). Mules also appear as pack animals ('the load of a pair of mules,' 2 Kgs 5:17), in Tyrian commerce (Ezek 27:14), and among the livestock of returning exiles (Ezra 2:66). Psalm 32:9 uses the mule as a cautionary image of stubbornness.
Senses
1. mule — The mule (פֶּרֶד), a horse-donkey hybrid valued for sure-footedness and endurance. Multilingual glosses converge tightly — Spanish 'mulo/mula,' French 'Paras,' German 'Maultiere' — confirming a single zoological referent. Royal associations dominate: princes ride mules (2 Sam 13:29; 18:9), kings receive them as gifts (1 Kgs 10:25), and they serve as beasts of burden in trade and return from exile (Ezek 27:14; Ezra 2:66). Psalm 32:9 alone exploits the animal's reputation for obstinacy in a moral simile. 14×
AR["الْبَغْلُ","الْبَغْلِ","الْبَغْلِ،","بَغلِهِ","بِغَالٍ","بِغَالُهُم","خَيْلًا","كَبَغْلٍ","وَ-الْبَغْلُ","وَ-بَغْلًا","وَبِ-الْبِغَالِ","وَبِالبِغَال","وَبِغالاً","وَبِغَالًا"]·ben["-এবং-খচ্চরে","আর-খচ্চরেরা","এবং-খচ্চর","এবং-খচ্চরে","ও-খচ্চর","খচ্চর","খচ্চর-তার","খচ্চরের","তাদের-খচ্চর","যেমন-খচ্চর"]·DE["Maultiere","[הפרד]","[ובפרדים]","[ופרדים]","[פרדיהם]","der-Maultier","sein-Maultier","und-Maultier","und-Maultiere","und-der-Maultier","wie-ein-mule"]·EN["and-mule","and-mules","and-on-mules","and-the-mule","his-mule","like-a-mule","mules","the-mule","their-mules"]·FR["Paras","[ובפרדים]","[ופרדים]","[פרדיהם]","comme-mule","et-Paras","et-le-mulet","et-mulet","et-mulets","le-mulet","mulets","son-mulet"]·heb["ה-פרד","ו-ב-ה-פרדים ׀","ו-ב-פרדים","ו-ה-פרד","ו-פרד","ו-פרדים","וּ-פְרָדִים","כ-פרד","פרד-ו","פרדיהם-ם","פרדים"]·HI["अपने-खच्चर","और-खच्चर","और-खच्चरों","और-खच्चरों-पर","खच्चर","खच्चर-उनके","खच्चर-की","खच्चरों-का","जैसे-खच्चर"]·ID["-bagal","bagal","bagal-bagal-mereka","bagalnya","dan-bagal","dan-dengan-bagal-bagal"]·IT["[הפרד]","[ובפרדים]","[ופרדים]","[כפרד]","[פרדיהם]","e-il-mulo","e-muli","e-mulo","il-mulo","muli","suo-mulo"]·jav["bagalipun","begal","bigal","bihal","kados-bigal","lan-bagal","lan-bagal-bagal","lan-bihal","lan-ing-bagal","lan-klawan-bihal"]·KO["그-노새","그-노새가","그-노새의","그-와-에-노새들","그들-의-노새들","그리고-그-노새는","그리고-노새","그리고-노새들","그리고-노새들로","그리고-노새들을","나귀-그의","노새-같이","노새들-의"]·PT["a-mula","como-mula","e-a-mula","e-em-mulas","e-mula","e-mulas","mula-dele","mulas","suas-mulas"]·RU["-мулов","Мулов-их","и-мул","и-мулами","и-мулов","и-мулу","и-на-hа-мулах","и-на-мулах","как-мул","мул","мула","мула-своего","муле"]·ES["como-mulo","el-mulo","la-mula","mula-de-él","mulas","sus-mulas","y-en-mulos","y-la-mula","y-mula","y-mulas","y-mulos"]·SW["kama-nyumbu","na-kwa-nyumbu","na-nyumbu","nyumbu","nyumbu-yake","nyumbu-zao"]·TR["katir","katirlari","katır","katır-gibi","katırın","katırının","ve-katır","ve-katırlar","ve-katırlarla"]·urd["-خچر-کی-طرح","اور-خچر","اور-خچروں-پر","اپنے-خچر","خچر","خچر-ان-کے","خچر-کی","خچروں-کا"]
2 Sam 13:29, 2 Sam 18:9, 2 Sam 18:9, 2 Sam 18:9, 1 Kgs 10:25, 1 Kgs 18:5, 2 Kgs 5:17, 1 Chr 12:40, 2 Chr 9:24, Ezra 2:66, Ps 32:9, Isa 66:20 (+2 more)
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
† פֶּ֫רֶד n.m. 2 S 18:19 mule;—פ׳ abs. 2 S 18:9(×3) +, sf. פִּרְדּוֹ 13:29; pl. פְּרָדִים 1 K 10:25 +; פִּרְדֵיהֶם Ezr 2:66 = Ne 7:68 (van d. H.; Gi Baer in marg.);—mule, ridden by princes 2 S 13:29; in battle 18:9(×3); cf. (later, + horses, etc.) Zc 14:15; Is 66:20; royal gift 1 K 10:25 = 2 Ch 9:24; royal property 1 K 18:5; in trade of Tyre Ez 27:14; beast of burden, מַשָּׂא צֶמֶד פְּרָדִים 2 K…