Lexical Summary parur: Pot, Pan Original Word: פָארוּר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance blackness From pa'ar; properly, illuminated, i.e. A glow; as noun, a flush (of anxiety) -- blackness. see HEBREW pa'ar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originperhaps from paar Definition perhaps beauty NASB Translation pale (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs מָּארוּר noun [masculine] meaning dubious; only ׳קִבְּצוּ פ Nahum 2:11; Joel 2:6; Thes, all faces gather a glow (glow with dread, from assumed √ פאר), so We Now; AE Hi and others gather in (their) beauty (√ I. פאר; grow pale); Vrss AV gather blackness (from מָּרוּר a pot !), see Dr; all very uncertain. Topical Lexicon Definition and Semantic Range פָארוּר portrays the sudden loss of facial color that accompanies overwhelming dread, shock, or grief. The word pictures a draining of life-hue from the face, a visible sign of inward turmoil. Occurrences and Literary Context 1. Joel 2:6 – In the description of the advancing Day of the Lord army: “Before them the nations writhe in anguish; every face turns pale.” The pallor underscores the universal terror evoked by God’s unstoppable host. Both contexts are prophetic oracles of judgment. פָארוּר functions as part of a triplet or quartet of bodily reactions (melting hearts, trembling knees, quaking loins, pale faces), reinforcing the total collapse of human confidence. Historical Background In the ancient Near East a sudden blanching of the face was recognized as a physical manifestation of fear or grief. Writers employed it to depict kings who heard disastrous news, soldiers facing certain defeat, or populations confronted by plagues. Joel and Nahum adopt this common image, but anchor it in covenant theology: the terror is not random fate but the righteous intervention of YHWH. Theological Themes 1. The Day of the Lord – פָארוּר signals the inescapable dread that attends God’s direct action in history. Ministry Implications • Preaching: The term reminds proclaimers to present divine judgment realistically. When Scripture speaks of faces growing pale, it refuses to trivialize sin. Related Biblical Motifs • “Hearts melt” (Joshua 2:11; Nahum 2:10) – inward emotional collapse complements outward pallor. Christological and Eschatological Connections At Calvary the terror of judgment fell upon Christ, sparing those who trust in Him from the ultimate Day of dread. Eschatologically, faces will again blanch when the Lamb opens the final seals (Revelation 6:15-17). פָארוּר thus foreshadows both the seriousness of sin and the urgency of grace. Application for Today Believers need not live in paralyzing fear, yet honest contemplation of פָארוּר guards against casual attitudes toward holiness. It urges watchfulness, fuels intercession for the unconverted, and deepens gratitude for salvation that “does not appoint us to wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9). Forms and Transliterations פָארֽוּר׃ פארור׃ faRur p̄ā·rūr p̄ārūrLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joel 2:6 HEB: פָּנִ֖ים קִבְּצ֥וּ פָארֽוּר׃ NAS: faces turn pale. KJV: all faces shall gather blackness. INT: faces turn pale Nahum 2:10 2 Occurrences |
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