6384. Pallu'iy

Lexical Summary

Pallu'iy: Palluite

Original Word: פַלֻּאִי
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: Pallu'iy
Pronunciation: pal-loo-EE
Phonetic Spelling: (pal-loo-ee')
KJV: Palluites
Word Origin: [patronymically from H6396 (פַּלּוּא - Pallu)]

1. a Palluite (collectively) or descendants of Pallu

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Palluites

Patronymically from Palluw'; a Palluite (collectively) or descendants of Pallu -- Palluites.

see HEBREW Palluw'

Brown-Driver-Briggs

מַּלֻּאִי adjective, of a people of foregoing, with article as collective noun, Numbers 26:5.

Topical Lexicon

Identity within Israel

The Palluites are the clan that descended from Pallu, second-born of Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn. Although the clan name appears explicitly only once (Numbers 26:5), its forefather and later descendants are traced in Genesis 46:9, Exodus 6:14, Numbers 26:8-9, and 1 Chronicles 5:3. Thus the Palluite lineage is firmly anchored in the broader Reubenite genealogy.

Biblical Occurrence

Numbers 26:5 records the clan during the wilderness census on the Plains of Moab:

“Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. The descendants of Reuben were: of Hanoch, the Hanochite clan; of Pallu, the Palluite clan”.

Genealogical Context

1. Pallu himself entered Egypt with Jacob’s family (Genesis 46:9).
2. His sons are listed among the household heads in Egypt (Exodus 6:14).
3. Pallu’s grandson Eliab fathered Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram (Numbers 26:8-9). These latter two led the rebellion with Korah and perished when “the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them” (Numbers 26:10).
4. Despite that judgment, the Palluite clan survived and is still counted in the second census, demonstrating both divine discipline and covenantal preservation.

Historical Setting

The second census of Numbers 26 was taken nearly forty years after Sinai, just before Israel crossed the Jordan. The enumeration identified each clan so that land allotments could later be distributed “by lot, according to the names of their fathers’ tribes” (Numbers 26:55). The Palluites therefore stood on the verge of inheritance, witnesses to God’s faithfulness across the desert generation.

Theological Significance

• Continuity of Grace: Although the clan produced notorious rebels, God preserved the line of Pallu, illustrating mercy that tempers judgment (compare Exodus 34:6-7).
• Corporate Accountability: The presence of both faithful and unfaithful members within one family underscores Scripture’s call for personal obedience while recognizing communal identity (Deuteronomy 24:16; Romans 14:12).
• Covenant Participation: By being numbered for war and inheritance, the Palluites shared in the national calling to conquer and settle Canaan, foreshadowing the New Testament truth that every believer has a part in the mission and promise of God (Ephesians 4:16).

Lessons for Ministry Today

1. Heritage does not guarantee holiness; each generation must choose fidelity.
2. God’s purposes for His people include both correction and preservation, encouraging leaders to practice both church discipline and pastoral hope.
3. Even seemingly obscure names matter to the Lord; thus every believer and every local church, however small, has significance in the unfolding redemptive story.

Summary

The Palluite clan, descending from Pallu of Reuben, appears only once by name yet threads through key events from Egypt to the threshold of Canaan. Their account testifies to God’s unwavering faithfulness, the seriousness of rebellion, and the enduring inclusion of all covenant families in the divine plan.

Forms and Transliterations

הַפַּלֻּאִֽי׃ הפלאי׃ hap·pal·lu·’î happallu’î happalluI

Englishman's Concordance

Numbers 26:5
HEB: לְפַלּ֕וּא מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַפַּלֻּאִֽי׃
NAS: of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;
KJV: of Pallu, the family of the Palluites:
INT: of Pallu the family of the Palluites

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 6384
1 Occurrence

hap·pal·lu·’î — 1 Occ.