Lexical Summary palas: To weigh, to make level, to ponder Original Word: פָלַס Strong's Exhaustive Concordance make, ponder, weigh A primitive root; properly, to roll flat, i.e. Prepare (a road); also to revolve, i.e. Weigh (mentally) -- make, ponder, weigh. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origindenominative verb from peles Definition to weigh, make level NASB Translation level (1), leveled (1), make (1), ponder (1), watch (1), watches (1), weigh (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מָּלַס] verb Pi`el denominative weigh, make level (Phoenician פלס Pi`el make level (?) in proper names); — Imperfect3masculine singular יְפַלֵּס Psalm 78:20; 2masculine plural תְּפַלֵּס֑וּן Psalm 58:3 (see below), etc.; Imperative masculine singular מַּלֵּס Proverbs 4:26; Participle מְפַלֵּס Proverbs 5:11; — 1 weign out חֲמַס יְדֵיכֶם תּפי Psalm 58:3 (figurative; but read perhaps תָמָס יְדֵיכֶם תְּפַלֵּסְנָה violence do your hands weigh out, so ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ᵑ7 Bae Kau We). 2 make level, smooth (compare Gerber32), with accusative of path (figurative), מַעְגָּל Proverbs 4:26; Proverbs 5:21; Isaiah 26:7, נָתִּיב Psalm 78:50, אֹרַח Proverbs 5:6. Topical Lexicon Concept and Imagery The verb פָלַס (palas) carries the picture of deliberate measuring, leveling, or weighing. In Scripture it depicts a careful assessing of paths—whether literal roadways cleared for movement or metaphorical life-routes evaluated for their moral straightness. The term therefore ties together themes of preparation, examination, and moral equity. Canonical Distribution All six occurrences fall within poetry and wisdom literature, reinforcing the experiential and reflective nature of the word: two in Psalms (Psalm 58:2; Psalm 78:50), three in Proverbs (Proverbs 4:26; 5:6; 5:21), and one in Isaiah (Isaiah 26:7). Each context deepens a particular facet of divine or human assessment. Divine Justice and Retribution (Psalms) Psalm 58:2 rebukes rulers who “mete out violence on the earth.” Here palas exposes a counterfeit justice: human “weighing” that is corrupt. By contrast, Psalm 78:50 attributes true leveling to God: “He cleared a path for His anger.” The judged Egyptians discover that when God measures, His standard is inflexibly righteous. Together the verses reveal a God who both discerns wickedness and executes perfectly proportioned judgment. Moral Discernment in Daily Life (Proverbs) 1. Proverbs 4:26 commands: “Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.” The reader is called to pre-measure decisions, smoothing out hazards before they trip him up. Prophetic Hope and Eschatological Leveling (Isaiah 26:7) “The path of the righteous is level; You clear a straight path for the upright.” Isaiah combines promise with exhortation. Whereas Proverbs highlights human responsibility to level one’s own course, Isaiah celebrates the Lord who engineers the highway of salvation for His faithful. The eschatological vision anticipates the fuller revelation in John the Baptist’s cry to “prepare the way for the Lord,” where ultimate leveling culminates in the advent of Messiah. Historical Resonance In the Ancient Near East, road construction symbolized royal authority and benevolence. Kings who could literally straighten paths proved their power to bring order. Israel’s poets and sages adapt this imagery, portraying Yahweh as the true King who grades spiritual terrain, and His people as subjects who must mirror His precision in their moral walk. Ministry and Discipleship Applications • Self-examination: Believers are urged to weigh motives and choices before acting, submitting plans to the searching gaze of the Lord (Proverbs 5:21; 1 Corinthians 11:31-32). Christological Fulfillment Jesus Christ embodies calibrated righteousness. In His earthly life He perfectly “weighed” every word and deed, fulfilling the wisdom ideal. At the cross God “cleared a path” for holy wrath against sin while simultaneously leveling access for repentant sinners (Hebrews 10:19-20). The doctrine of justification hinges on divine measurement—our sin imputed to Christ, His righteousness imputed to believers—demonstrating the richest expression of פָלַס. Summary פָלַס invites the reader to see life as a road that must be measured by God’s standard, straightened through obedient wisdom, and ultimately secured by the Lord Himself. Whether confronting injustice, counseling the wayward, or awaiting final redemption, the concept calls every generation to live carefully weighed lives before the One whose scales never err. Forms and Transliterations יְפַלֵּ֥ס יפלס מְפַלֵּֽס׃ מפלס׃ פַּ֭לֵּס פלס תְּפַלֵּ֑ס תְּפַלֵּֽסֽוּן׃ תְּפַלֵּֽס׃ תפלס תפלס׃ תפלסון׃ mə·p̄al·lês mefalLes məp̄allês pal·lês Palles pallês tə·p̄al·lê·sūn tə·p̄al·lês tefalLes tefalLeSun təp̄allês təp̄allêsūn yə·p̄al·lês yefalLes yəp̄allêsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 58:2 HEB: חֲמַ֥ס יְ֝דֵיכֶ֗ם תְּפַלֵּֽסֽוּן׃ NAS: On earth you weigh out the violence KJV: wickedness; ye weigh the violence INT: the violence of your hands weigh Psalm 78:50 Proverbs 4:26 Proverbs 5:6 Proverbs 5:21 Isaiah 26:7 6 Occurrences |
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