H6565a H6565a
To break, annul, frustrate; Hifil: violate a covenant, nullify a vow, thwart counsel; Hofal: be broken, come to nothing.
Parar in its Hifil stem is the Hebrew Bible's primary verb for the undoing of binding commitments — whether covenants, vows, or counsel. It operates across three distinct spheres of authority: the covenantal (breaking God's covenant brings curse, Gen 17:14; Lev 26:15), the legal (a husband may annul his wife's vow on the day he hears it, Num 30:8-15), and the strategic (Hushai's mission is to 'frustrate the counsel of Ahithophel,' 2 Sam 15:34). The Assyrian cognate pararu ('destroy, shatter') and the Arabic naqada ('break a compact') both point to the root metaphor of physical shattering applied to abstract obligations. What makes the word theologically potent is its asymmetry: humans break covenants with God constantly, but God's repeated declaration is that he will not break his covenant with them (Lev 26:44; Judg 2:1).
4. be broken/fail (passive) — Being broken, failing, or coming to nothing — the passive and intransitive dimension, covering Hofal forms and intransitive Hifil uses (4 occurrences). Isaiah 8:10: 'Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing.' Jer 33:21 poses the hypothetical of God's covenant with David being 'broken.' Zech 11:11 reports the staff 'Beauty' being broken as a symbolic act. German brechen (intransitive) and Spanish ser quebrantado (passive) both reflect the shift from agent to patient. These forms describe the result of breaking rather than the act itself. 4×
AR["فَ-انْتُقِضَ","وَ-تُبطَلُ","وِ-تَفِير","يُنْقَضُ"]·ben["এবং-তা-ব্যর্থ-হবে","এবং-বিফল-হয়","এবং-ভেঙে-গেল","ভেঙে-ফেলা-হবে"]·DE["[ותפר]","brechen","und-brechen"]·EN["and-fails","and-it-was-broken","and-it-will-fail","will-be-broken"]·FR["et-annuler","et-rompre","rompre"]·heb["ו-הופרה","ו-תופר","ו-תפר","תופר"]·HI["और-टूटे","और-वह-टूट-जाएगी","और-वह-टूटी","टूटेगी"]·ID["akan-dibatalkan","dan-akan-digagalkan","dan-dibatalkan","dan-gagal"]·IT["e-annullare","e-infrangere","infrangere"]·jav["badhé-dipun-pedhot","lan-dipun-batalaken","lan-dipunbatalaken","lan-gagal"]·KO["그리고-실패한다","그리고-파기되었다","깨어질-것이다","파하여지리라"]·PT["E-foi-anulada","e-falha","e-será-frustrado","será-quebrada"]·RU["и-был-расторгнут","и-опадёт","и-расстроится","разрушится"]·ES["Y-fue-roto","será-quebrantado","y-falle","y-será-frustrado"]·SW["litavunjwa","na-itashindwa","na-likabatilishwa","na-utavunjwa"]·TR["bozulur","ve-basarisiz-olur","ve-bozulacak","ve-bozuldu"]·urd["اور-ٹوٹا-گیا","اور-ٹوٹے","اور-ٹوٹے-گا","ٹوٹے-گا"]
▼ 4 more senses below
Senses
1. break/violate a covenant — Breaking or violating a covenant, commandment, or binding agreement — the most frequent and theologically central sense at 21 occurrences. The one who is uncircumcised 'has broken my covenant' (Gen 17:14); Israel's disobedience in Lev 26:15 is described as 'breaking' the covenant to the point of invoking curses. Judg 2:1 records God's declaration: 'I will never break my covenant with you' — the divine counter-promise. Arabic naqada al-'ahd ('break the covenant') and Swahili vunja agano mirror the Hebrew metaphor exactly. Spanish quebrantar ('to shatter') preserves the physical-breaking imagery that underlies the legal violation. 21×
AR["انْقُضْ","تَنْقُضُونَ","تَنْقُضْ","لِ-نَقْضِ","لِ-نَقْضِكُمْ","لِ-نَنْقُضَ","لِأَنْقُضَ","لِـ-نَقْضِ","لِيَنْقُضَ","نَقَضَ","نَقَضُوا","وَ-نَقَضُوا","وَنَقَضَ"]·ben["আর-ভঙ্গ-করছে","এবং-তারা-ভেঙ্গেছিল","তোমরা-ভেঙে-ফেল","ভঙ্গ-কর","ভঙ্গ-করতে","ভঙ্গ-করেছে","ভঙ্গ-করেছে-তারা","ভঙ্গ-করো","ভাঙ","ভাঙতে","সে-ভেঙেছে"]·DE["[הפר]","[והפר]","[ויפרו]","[להפיר]","[להפר]","brechen","brich","er-brach","hat-er-gebrochen","zu-Umbruch"]·EN["Have-broken","and-breaking","and-they-broke","break","broke","broken","he-broke","he-has-broken","to-break","you-can-break"]·FR["[הפר]","[להפר]","annuler","brise","et-annuler","il-a-brisé","il-brisa","rompre","à-briser"]·heb["הפר","הפרה","הפרו","ו-הפר","ו-יפרו","ל-הפר","ל-הפרכם","תפר","תפרו"]·HI["उसने-तोड़ा","उस्ने-तोद","और-उन्होंने-तोड़ी","और-तोड़नेवाला","के-लिए-तोड़ना","के-लिए-तोड़ने","तुम-तोड़ो","तोड़","तोड़ने-के-लिए","तोड़ने-को","तोड़ा","तोड़ें"]·ID["Dia-telah-melanggar","[obj]","batalkan","batalkanlah","dan-mereka-melanggar","dan-yang-melanggar","dengan-melanggar","dia-melanggar","ia-langgar","kamu-dapat-membatalkan","melanggar","membatalkan","untuk-melanggar","untuk-membatalkan"]·IT["[הפר]","[להפר]","a-rompere","annullare","e-annullare","egli-ha-rotto","egli-ruppe","infrangere","rompi"]·jav["batalaken","dipunbatal","dipunlanggar","kangge-nerak","lan-piyambakipun-nyuwil","lan-sami-nggégoni","mbatalaken","murèkaken","nerak","nglanggar","panjenengan-saged-medhot","piyambakipun-nglanggar","piyambakipun-nyuwil","putusna","sampun-mbatalaken","supados-mbatalaken","supados-nyuwil","supados-nyuwil-sira"]·KO["그가-어겼다","그리고-그것들이-깨뜨렸다","그리고-파기하는","깨뜨렸다","너희가-깨뜨리는-것을","너희가-깨뜨리면","로-어기다","어겼다","어기었으니","파기기-위하여-","파기하기-위함이라","파기하는-것으로","파기하라","파기한","파기했다","파하지"]·PT["e-quebra","e-quebraram","para-anular","para-quebrar","para-quebrardes","para-violar","quebraram","quebres","quebrou","rompe","romperdes"]·RU["и-нарушающий","и-нарушили","нарушай","нарушать","нарушая-вами","нарушил","нарушили","он-нарушил","разрушите","расторгни","чтобы-нарушить","чтобы-расторгнуть"]·ES["a-quebrantar","anules","para-invalidar","para-invalidar-vosotros","para-quebrantar","para-romper","quebrantareis","quebrantaron","quebrantó","rompe","rompió","violaron","y-quebrantó","y-rompieron"]·SW["Amevunja","aliivunja","alivunja","amevunja","kubatilisha","kuvunja","kuvunja-kwenu","livunje","mtavunja","na-akavunja","vunja","vunje","walivunja","wamevunja"]·TR["-e-bozmak","-e-bozmanız","boz","bozarsanız","bozdu","bozdular","bozma","bozmak-için","bozmaya","ve-bozdular","ve-bozmuş"]·urd["اور-توڑا","اور-توڑنے-والا","توڑ","توڑ-دیا","توڑ-سکو-تم","توڑا","توڑا-انہوں-نے","توڑنے","توڑنے-تمہارے","توڑنے-کو"]
2. annul/invalidate a vow — Annulling or invalidating a vow or obligation by authoritative decree — 14 occurrences concentrated in the vow legislation of Num 30. A father may 'annul' his daughter's vow (Num 30:5); a husband may 'annul' his wife's oath on the day he hears it (Num 30:8, 12-13). This is not transgression but legitimate nullification by recognized authority. French annuler and Spanish anular both select legal-cancellation vocabulary, while Arabic abtala ('render void') confirms the juridical rather than transgressive character. The distinction from sense 1 is crucial: sense 1 is illicit breaking; sense 2 is licit cancellation. 14×
AR["أَبْطَلَهَا","أَبْطَلُوا","إِبْطَالًا","تُبْطِلُ","وَأَبْطِلْ","وَيَنْقُضُ","وَيَنْقُضُونَ","وَيُبْطِلُ","يُبْطِلُ","يُبْطِلُهَا","يُبْطِلُهُ"]·ben["এবং-বাতিল-কর","এবং-বাতিল-করে","এবং-ভঙ্গ-করবে","তা-বাতিল-করবে","তারা-লঙ্ঘন-করেছে","তুমি-নষ্ট-করবে","বাতিল-কর","বাতিল-করবে","বাতিল-করে","সেগুলি-বাতিল-করেছে"]·DE["[תפר]","annulled-ihnen","annulling","brechen","er-hebt-auf","hebt-auf","sie-haben-zerbrochen","soll-aufheben-es","und-Umbruch","und-hebt-auf","und-zerbrechen"]·EN["and-annuls","and-break","annul","annulled-them","annulling","annuls","break","he-annuls","shall-annul-it","they-have-broken","will-annul"]·FR["annulant","annule","annuler","annulled-eux","devra-annuler-cela","et-annule","et-briser","et-le-annuler","il-annule","le-annuler","rompre"]·heb["הפר","הפרו","הפרם","ו-הפר","יפר","יפרנו","תפר"]·HI["और-तोड़","और-तोड़ेंगे","और-तोड़ेगा","तू-तोड़ेगा","तोड़ता-है","तोड़ते-तोड़ते","तोड़ा-उन्हें","तोड़ेगा","तोड़ेगा-उसे"]·ID["dan-hentikanlah","dan-melanggar","dan-membatalkan","engkau membatalkan","membatalkan","membatalkannya","menghilangkan","mereka-melanggar","sungguh","yang-menggagalkan"]·IT["annullare","annulled-loro","annulling","annullo'","annuls","dovra-annul-esso","e-annullo'","e-annuls","e-rompere","egli-annuls","infrangere"]·jav["Panjenengan-badhé-mbatalaken","badhé-nggagalaken","lan-mbatalaken","lan-nglanggar","lan-sirna","mbatalaken","ngrisak","saged-mbatalaken-punika","sami-nglanggar","sampun-mbatalaken-punika"]·KO["그리고-파기하리라","그리고-파기하면","그리고-파기하시리라","그치소서","깨뜨렸나이다","네가-파기하겠느냐","파괴하는구나","파기하는-것을","파기하면","파기할-것이니라","파기했다","파하리오"]·PT["anulando","anular","anulará","anulará-o","anularás","anulas","anulou-os","e-anula","e-anulará","e-quebrará","invalidaram"]·RU["и-нарушит","и-отмени","и-отменит","нарушаешь","нарушили-они","отменил-их","отменит","отменит-его","отменить","отменишь","расстроит"]·ES["anular","anularás","anule","destruyes","invalidaron","lo-anulará","los-anuló","y-anula","y-anule","y-invalidará"]·SW["amezibatilisha","atakibatilisha","atazibatilisha","atazuia","kuzibatilisha","na-akabatilisha","na-atalivunja","na-atavunja","na-uondoe","unaondoa","utabatilisha","wamevunja"]·TR["bozar","bozarsın","bozdular","iptal-edecek-onu","iptal-ederse","iptal-etmek","iptal-etti-onları","ve-bozacak","ve-iptal-ederse","ve-iptal-et"]·urd["اور-توڑ-دے","اور-توڑیں","اور-توڑےگا","اور-ختم-کر","تو-باطل-کرے-گا","توڑ-دے","توڑنا","توڑی","توڑیں-انہیں","توڑے-گا","توڑےگا-اسے","ٹوڑتا-ہے"]
3. frustrate/thwart counsel — Frustrating, thwarting, or bringing to nothing the plans or counsel of another — 7 occurrences in wisdom and narrative contexts. Hushai is dispatched to 'frustrate the counsel of Ahithophel' (2 Sam 15:34; 17:14). God 'frustrates the signs of liars' (Isa 44:25); he 'frustrates the devices of the crafty' (Job 5:12). Spanish frustrar and French déjouer both select counter-scheming vocabulary. Prov 15:22 warns that 'without counsel, plans are frustrated' — using the infinitive absolute for emphasis. The object here is always intellectual or strategic, not a legal instrument. 7×
AR["إفْشالُ","المُبْطِلُ","لِ-إِبْطالِ","لِ-يُبْطِلُوا","مُبْطِلُ","وَ-أَبْطَلَ","وَتُبطِلُ-"]·ben["-নষ্ট-করতে","আর-ব্যর্থ-করল","এবং-ব্যর্থ-করবে","নষ্ট-করতে","ব্যর্থ-করি","ব্যর্থ-করেন","ব্যর্থ-হয়"]·DE["[הפר]","[ויפר]","[להפר]","[מפר]","brechen","und-du-wird-frustrate","zu-frustrate"]·EN["Frustrator-of","and-frustrated","and-you-will-frustrate","frustrated","frustrating","to-frustrate"]·FR["[ויפר]","[להפר]","annuler","et-tu-fera-frustrate","rompre","à-frustrate"]·heb["הפר","ו-הפרתה","ו-יפר","ל-הפר","מפר"]·HI["और-तू-टालेगा","और-व्यर्थ-किया-था","जो-तोड़ता-है","तोड़ने-के-लिए","तोड़नेवाला","विफल-करने-के-लिए","व्यर्थ-होती-हैं"]·ID["Gagal","Menggagalkan","Yang-menggagalkan","dan-Allah-menggagalkan","dan-batalkan","untuk-menggagalkan"]·IT["[ויפר]","[להפר]","a-frustrate","annullare","e-tu-vorrà-frustrate","infrangere"]·jav["Ingkang-mbatalaken","gagal","kangge-nggagalaken","lan-Gusti-Allah-ngagalaken","lan-nggagalaken-panjenengan","ngrisak","supados-mbatalaken"]·KO["그리고-꺾으셨다","그리고-파하라-","깨뜨리는","께뜨리는-자이시다","실패하느니라","위해-좌절시키다","파하기를"]·PT["Frustrados","e-frustrarás","e-frustrou","frustrando","o-que-frustra","para-frustrar"]·RU["и-разрушил","и-расстроишь","разрушаются","разрушающего","разрушающий","расстроить","чтобы-расстроить"]·ES["Fracasan","Que-frustra","frustrando","para-frustrar","y-frustrarás","y-frustró"]·SW["Anayebatilisha","anavunja","kuharibu","na-akazuia","na-utaiharibu","yanashindwa"]·TR["Bozun","bozmak-icin","boşa-çıkar","boşa-çıkaran","boşa-çıkarmak-için","ve-bozdu","ve-boşa-çıkaracaksın"]·urd["اور-ٹوٹ-دیا","اور-ٹوڑے-گا","لے-ٹالنے-کو","ناکام-کرنے-والا","ٹوٹ-جاتی-ہیں","ٹوٹنے-کے-لیے"]
5. sense 5 — An isolated and intensified form — shattering or dashing to pieces. Job 16:12 uses the rare Pilpel form vayefarpereni ('he shattered me to pieces'), a dramatic reduplication conveying violent, repeated breaking. Spanish me quebrantó and English 'he shattered me' capture the physical violence. The Assyrian pararu ('shatter') is the closest cognate parallel. This single occurrence stands apart from the other senses through its intensified morphology and physical violence — Job describes God seizing him by the neck and dashing him to pieces like a target. 1×
AR["وَ-فَتَّتَنِي"]·ben["এবং-তিনি-চূর্ণ-করেছেন-আমাকে"]·DE["[ויפרפרני]"]·EN["and-He-shattered-me"]·FR["et-annuler-moi"]·heb["ו-יפרפרני"]·HI["और-उसने-मुझे-तोड़ा"]·ID["dan-Dia-memecahkanku"]·IT["e-annullare-mio"]·jav["lan-ngremuk-kawula"]·KO["그리고-흐트러뜨리셨나니"]·PT["e-me-despedaçou"]·RU["и-сокрушил-меня"]·ES["y-me-quebrantó"]·SW["na-alinikatakata"]·TR["ve-parçaladı-beni"]·urd["اور-ٹکڑے-ٹکڑے-کر-دیا-مجھے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. [פָּרַר] vb. Hiph. break, frustrate (NH Pi. crumble; J.Aram פְּרַר; Assyrian parâru, destroy; ii. shatter; Liḥy. והפרו destroy, DHMEpigr. Denkm., No. 21, 7);—Pf. 3 ms. הֵפֵר Is 33:8 +, הֵפַ֑ר Gn 17:14 Nu 15:31; also metaplastic form הֵפִיר Ez 17:19 ψ 33:10 (Ges§ 67 v); 2 ms. וְהֵפַרְתָּ֫ה 2 S 15:34, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יָפֵר Nu 30:13 +, וַיָּ֫פֶר Ne 4:9, etc.; also 1 s. אָפִיר ψ 89:34…