Lexical Summary poal: Work, deed, act, labor Original Word: פֹעַל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance act, deed, do, getting, maker, work From pa'al; an act or work (concretely) -- act, deed, do, getting, maker, work. see HEBREW pa'al NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom paal Definition doing, deed, work NASB Translation acquisition (1), act (1), activity (1), conduct (2), deeds (4), doings (1), something (1), thing you are making (1), wages (2), what you have done (1), work (22). Brown-Driver-Briggs מֹּ֫עַל37 noun masculineProverbs 20:11 doing, deed, work (in poetry and late, nearly = מַעֲשֶׂה); — ׳פ absolute Habakkuk 1:1; Psalm 44:2, construct Deuteronomy 33:11 +; suffix מָּעֳלוֺ Deuteronomy 32:4 +, מֹּעֲלוֺ Isaiah 1:31 (Köii.1,35,493 Ges§ 93q, see below), Jeremiah 22:13; מָּעָלְכֶם Isaiah 41:24, etc.; plural מְּעָלִים 2 Samuel 23:20; 1 Chronicles 11:22; — 1 deed, thing done: a. of God, מָּעֳלוֺ his work in providence Deuteronomy 32:4; Isaiah 5:12; Job 36:24; in deliverance Psalm 44:2 (as accusative of congnate meaning with verb), Psalm 77:13 5t.; in judgment Psalm 64:10; Psalm 95:9, as accusative of congnate meaning with verb Habakkuk 1:5. b. of false gods Isaiah 41:24. c. of men, daily toil Job 24:5; Psalm 104:23; specific act Ruth 2:12; יָדָיו ׳פ of sacrificing Deuteronomy 33:11; plural of achievements 2 Samuel 23:20 = 1 Chronicles 11:32; action as having moral quality Job 34:11; Proverbs 20:11; Proverbs 24:12,29, evil implied Jeremiah 25:14; Jeremiah 50:29; Job 36:9; Psalm 28:4, כַּמָּיו ׳פ Psalm 9:17; חָמָס ׳פ Isaiah 59:6; good action Proverbs 21:8. 2 work, thing made: a. by hands of God Isaiah 45:9,11 (of men). b. by man Isaiah 1:31 (i.e. probably his idol Ges Checomm. Di and others; > read בַּעֲלוֺ LagSemitic i. 5 StaZAW iii (1888), 12f.). 3 wages of work Jeremiah 22:13; Job 7:2. 4 acquisition of treasures Proverbs 21:6. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Scope of פֹעַל A deed, act, or accomplished work; the stress is on the exertion that produces an observable result. Distribution in Scripture Roughly thirty-eight occurrences, ranging from Deuteronomy through Habakkuk, with notable concentrations in Job and the Psalms. The Works of the Lord Deuteronomy 32:4 introduces the theme: “The Rock—His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice.” Job exhorts, “Remember to extol His work which men have praised in song” (Job 36:24). Psalms repeatedly celebrate these deeds: • Psalm 28:5 — “Because they do not regard the works of the LORD or the labor of His hands, He will tear them down.” Human Works and Divine Retribution Psalm 62:12 states the principle: “You will repay each man according to his deeds.” Job 34:11, Proverbs 21:8, Lamentations 3:64, Hosea 12:2, and Isaiah 59:6–18 all affirm that human “poʽal” is measured by a just God. Wisdom Literature Emphasis Job’s debate hinges on whether suffering corresponds to one’s “poʽal” (Job 7:2; 10:3; 34:11; 36:9). Proverbs warns that an evildoer’s work will snare him (12:14; 16:3; 21:8), urging disciples to weigh actions by their ultimate divine assessment. Prophetic Warning and Hope Isaiah 1:31 pictures the self-reliant “strong man” consumed with “his work.” Isaiah 45 contrasts worthless idols with the Creator’s work, while Habakkuk pleads, “LORD, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds. Revive them in our day” (Habakkuk 3:2). The prophets summon Israel to repentance by recalling both the terror and the mercy embedded in God’s “poʽal.” Springs of Worship Meditation on the Lord’s deeds fuels praise and intergenerational testimony. “One generation shall declare Your works to the next” (Psalm 145:4). Neglect of those works invites judgment; remembrance inspires confidence. Ministry and Discipleship Applications 1. Preaching: Recount God’s acts to anchor faith. Christological Connections The New Testament echoes the pattern: God “will repay each person according to what he has done” (Romans 2:6), yet Christ’s finished work secures justification and empowers “good works, which God prepared in advance” (Ephesians 2:10). Summary פֹעַל weaves together God’s mighty acts, human accountability, and a call to worshipful obedience. From Moses to Habakkuk, Scripture proclaims that the God whose work is perfect will bring every deed into judgment and will complete His salvation purposes. Forms and Transliterations בְּ֭פָעֳלָם בְּפָעֳלֶ֑ךָ בְּפֹ֣עַל בפעל בפעלך בפעלם וּפָעָלְךָ֖ וּפָעָלְכֶ֖ם וּפֹ֥עַל וּפֹעֲל֖וֹ ופעל ופעלו ופעלך ופעלכם כְּפָעֳלָ֔הּ כְּפָעֳלָ֖ם כְּפָעֳלָם֮ כְּפָעֳלֽוֹ׃ כפעלה כפעלו׃ כפעלם לְפָעֳל֑וֹ לְפָעֳלָ֑ם לפעלו לפעלם פְּעָלִ֖ים פָּֽעֳל֑וֹ פָּֽעָלְךָ֙ פָּעֳל֔וֹ פָּעֳלֵ֑ךְ פָּעֳלֶ֑ךָ פָּעֳלָ֑ם פָּעֳלֽוֹ׃ פָעֳל֑וֹ פָעֳלִֽי׃ פָעֳלֶ֑ךָ פָעֳלֽוֹ׃ פֹ֙עַל֙ פֹ֣עַל פֹּ֣עַל פֹּ֤עַל פֹּ֥עַל פעל פעלו פעלו׃ פעלי׃ פעלים פעלך פעלם bə·p̄ā·‘o·lām bə·p̄ā·‘o·le·ḵā bə·p̄ō·‘al beFoal befooLecha Befoolom bəp̄ā‘olām bəp̄ā‘oleḵā bəp̄ō‘al Foal fooLecha fooLi fooLo kə·p̄ā·‘o·lāh kə·p̄ā·‘o·lām kə·p̄ā·‘o·lōw kefooLah kefooLam kefooLo kəp̄ā‘olāh kəp̄ā‘olām kəp̄ā‘olōw lə·p̄ā·‘o·lām lə·p̄ā·‘o·lōw lefooLam lefooLo ləp̄ā‘olām ləp̄ā‘olōw pā‘āləḵā pā‘olām pā‘olêḵ pā‘oleḵā p̄ā‘oleḵā p̄ā‘olî pā‘olōw p̄ā‘olōw pā·‘ā·lə·ḵā pā·‘o·lām pā·‘o·le·ḵā p̄ā·‘o·le·ḵā pā·‘o·lêḵ p̄ā·‘o·lî pā·‘o·lōw p̄ā·‘o·lōw paaleCha pə‘ālîm pə·‘ā·lîm peaLim pō‘al p̄ō‘al pō·‘al p̄ō·‘al Poal pooLam pooLech pooLecha pooLo ū·p̄ā·‘ā·lə·ḵā ū·p̄ā·‘ā·lə·ḵem ū·p̄ō·‘ă·lōw ū·p̄ō·‘al ufaaleCha ufaaleChem uFoal ufoaLo ūp̄ā‘āləḵā ūp̄ā‘āləḵem ūp̄ō‘al ūp̄ō‘ălōwLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 32:4 HEB: הַצּוּר֙ תָּמִ֣ים פָּעֳל֔וֹ כִּ֥י כָל־ NAS: The Rock! His work is perfect, KJV: [He is] the Rock, his work [is] perfect: INT: the Rock is perfect his work for for all Deuteronomy 33:11 Ruth 2:12 2 Samuel 23:20 1 Chronicles 11:22 Job 7:2 Job 24:5 Job 34:11 Job 36:9 Job 36:24 Job 37:12 Psalm 9:16 Psalm 28:4 Psalm 44:1 Psalm 64:9 Psalm 77:12 Psalm 90:16 Psalm 92:4 Psalm 95:9 Psalm 104:23 Psalm 111:3 Psalm 143:5 Proverbs 20:11 Proverbs 21:6 Proverbs 21:8 38 Occurrences |
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