Lexical Summary pelach: To serve, to labor, to worship Original Word: פְלַח Strong's Exhaustive Concordance minister, serve (Aramaic) corresponding to palach; to serve or worship -- minister, serve. see HEBREW palach NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to palach Definition to pay reverence to, serve NASB Translation servants (1), serve (9). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מְּלַח] verb pay reverence to, serve (deity) (compare Assyrian palâ—u, fear, revere (and Biblical Hebrew יָרֵא, מָּחַד etc.); Egyptian Aramaic פלח worship Lzb351; ᵑ7 מְּלַח serve, Syriac  ; Palmyrene פלחא soldier); — Pe`al 1 pay reverence to deity (usually ל accusative): imperfect3masculine plural יִפְלְחין Daniel 3:28; Daniel 7:14,27; so Participle active מָּלַח Daniel 6:17; Daniel 6:21, plural מָּֽלְחִין Daniel 3:12,14,18, and (accusative of deity) Daniel 3:17. 2 plural construct as noun מָּֽלְחֵי בֵית אֱלָהָא Ezra 7:24 servants of the house of God ( + priests, Nethinim, etc.). Topical Lexicon Entry: פְלַח (Strong’s 6399)Literary Setting Appears only in the Aramaic portions of Ezra and Daniel (Ezra 7:24; Daniel 3:12, 14, 17, 18, 28; 6:16, 20; 7:14, 27). The verb surfaces where foreign powers confront the covenant people, pressing the question, “Whom will you serve?” Categories of Service 1. Ecclesiastical service protected by imperial decree (Ezra 7:24). Loyalty under Pressure: Daniel 3 Nebuchadnezzar’s demand—“serve my gods” (Daniel 3:14)—meets the unwavering confession, “We will not serve your gods” (3:18). The furnace scene shows that genuine service rests on exclusive covenant fidelity and that the God who is served is also the God who saves (3:17, 28). Unceasing Devotion: Daniel 6 Darius twice acknowledges, “your God, whom you serve continually” (Daniel 6:16, 20). Service here is habitual orientation, not sporadic ritual. Daniel’s deliverance from the lions vindicates persevering worship. Eschatological Horizon: Daniel 7 The verb expands from personal devotion to global consummation: “the people of every nation and language should serve Him” (Daniel 7:14). Finally, “all rulers will serve and obey Him” (7:27). What tyrants once seized, Messiah receives by right. Temple Ministry: Ezra 7 Artaxerxes exempts “servant[s] of this house of God” from taxes (Ezra 7:24), enabling restored worship in Jerusalem and illustrating how secular authority can safeguard sacred service. Theological Motifs • Exclusivity of worship—service belongs solely to the living God. Ministry Implications • Believers must deny every idolatrous claim, even under threat. Christological Fulfillment Jesus, the Son of Man (Matthew 26:64), receives the dominion foreseen in Daniel 7. Revelation echoes the verb’s trajectory: “His servants will serve Him” (Revelation 22:3). פְלַח thus anticipates the consummation where redeemed humanity renders eternal service to the Lamb. Forms and Transliterations וּפָ֣לְחֵ֔י ופלחי יִפְלְח֑וּן יִפְלְח֖וּן יִפְלְח֤וּן יפלחון פָּֽלְחִ֔ין פָּֽלַֽח־ פָֽלְחִ֔ין פָלְחִ֔ין פלח־ פלחין faleChin pā·laḥ- pā·lə·ḥîn p̄ā·lə·ḥîn palach pālaḥ- paleChin pāləḥîn p̄āləḥîn ū·p̄ā·lə·ḥê uFaleChei ūp̄āləḥê yifleChun yip̄·lə·ḥūn yip̄ləḥūnLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezra 7:24 HEB: תָרָֽעַיָּא֙ נְתִ֣ינַיָּ֔א וּפָ֣לְחֵ֔י בֵּ֖ית אֱלָהָ֣א NAS: Nethinim or servants of this KJV: Nethinims, or ministers of this INT: doorkeepers Nethinim servants house of God Daniel 3:12 Daniel 3:14 Daniel 3:17 Daniel 3:18 Daniel 3:28 Daniel 6:16 Daniel 6:20 Daniel 7:14 Daniel 7:27 10 Occurrences |
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