6427. pallatsuth

Lexical Summary

pallatsuth: Horror, Dread, Terror

Original Word: פַלָּצוּת
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: pallatsuwth
Pronunciation: pal-lah-tsooth
Phonetic Spelling: (pal-law-tsooth')
KJV: fearfulness, horror, trembling
NASB: horror, shuddering
Word Origin: [from H6426 (פָּלַץ - tremble)]

1. affright

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

fearfulness, horror, trembling

From palats; affright -- fearfulness, horror, trembling.

see HEBREW palats

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from palats
Definition
a shuddering
NASB Translation
horror (3), shuddering (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

מַּלָּצוּת noun feminine shuddering; — ׳פ absolute Job 21:6; Isaiah 21:4; Ezekiel 7:18; Psalm 55:6.

Topical Lexicon

Concept Overview

The noun conveys a visceral, paralyzing dread. It is the moment when heart, mind, and body recoil before overwhelming calamity or the nearness of God’s judicial presence. Scripture employs the word for a fear so intense that it clothes the sufferer like a garment.

Canonical Distribution

• Job 21:6
• Psalm 55:5
• Isaiah 21:4
• Ezekiel 7:18

Contexts of Usage

1. Job 21:6 shows the righteous sufferer reflecting on life’s enigmas: “When I remember, terror takes hold, and my body trembles with horror.” Even the memory of divine mysteries can induce pallatsuth.
2. Psalm 55:5 pictures David betrayed by a close companion: “Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and horror has covered me.” The psalm joins external threat with internal collapse, pushing the worshiper toward refuge in God.
3. Isaiah 21:4 emerges in an oracle against Babylon. The prophet, though safe in Judah, feels the terror awaiting the empire. The dread is anticipatory and empathetic—a prophet shares the anguish of nations under judgment.
4. Ezekiel 7:18 describes the final siege of Jerusalem: “They will put on sackcloth, and horror will cover them.” Here pallatsuth is covenantal recompense; the people who ignored God’s warnings now wear dread as a mantle.

Historical and Cultural Insights

Ancient Near Eastern texts describe invaders, earthquakes, or divine theophanies producing bodily trembling. Israel’s prophets capitalize on that cultural memory, declaring that the greatest terror is not random chaos but the day Yahweh confronts sin. Sackcloth and shaved heads (Ezekiel 7:18) were public symbols of mourning; pallatsuth names the inward reality those symbols express.

Theological Significance

• Revelation of Divine Holiness – Pallatsuth arises when finite humanity senses infinite purity and power (compare Exodus 20:18–20; Isaiah 6:5).
• Retributive Justice – In prophetic oracles it foreshadows the Day of the Lord, underscoring moral accountability.
• Psychological Depth – Scripture validates profound emotional distress. God’s word is not embarrassed by dread; instead it redirects fear from circumstances to reverent awe of Him (Proverbs 1:7; Matthew 10:28).

Ministry Applications

• Pastoral Care: The vocabulary legitimizes trauma sufferers, inviting them to bring unfiltered fear to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16).
• Preaching: Pallatsuth warns complacent hearts. Proclaiming divine terror softens soil for the gospel of peace (Romans 5:1).
• Worship: Songs and prayers may move from lament (“horror has covered me”) to hope (“Cast your burden upon the LORD, and He will sustain you,” Psalm 55:22).

Christological Reflection

At Gethsemane the Savior “began to be deeply distressed and troubled” (Mark 14:33). Though the New Testament uses different terms, the scene mirrors pallatsuth: Christ entered humanity’s ultimate dread—the cup of wrath—so believers need not face eternal horror. In Him, terror is transfigured into trembling adoration.

Related Concepts

• Fear of the LORD (Proverbs 9:10)
• Dread (Deuteronomy 2:25)
• Trembling (Philippians 2:12)

Key Takeaway

Pallatsuth is more than emotion; it is a theological signal that finite, fallen humanity has collided with divine holiness or impending judgment. Recognizing that collision drives hearts either to despair or to repentance and trust in the Redeemer who bore our dread and grants perfect peace.

Forms and Transliterations

פַּלָּצ֑וּת פַּלָּצ֖וּת פַּלָּצֽוּת׃ פלצות פלצות׃ pal·lā·ṣūṯ pallāṣūṯ pallaTzut

Englishman's Concordance

Job 21:6
HEB: וְאָחַ֥ז בְּ֝שָׂרִ֗י פַּלָּצֽוּת׃
NAS: I am disturbed, And horror takes hold
KJV: I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on
INT: takes of my flesh and horror

Psalm 55:5
HEB: בִ֑י וַ֝תְּכַסֵּ֗נִי פַּלָּצֽוּת׃
NAS: come upon me, And horror has overwhelmed
KJV: are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed
INT: come has overwhelmed and horror

Isaiah 21:4
HEB: תָּעָ֣ה לְבָבִ֔י פַּלָּצ֖וּת בִּֽעֲתָ֑תְנִי אֵ֚ת
NAS: reels, horror overwhelms
KJV: panted, fearfulness affrighted
INT: reels my mind horror overwhelms the twilight

Ezekiel 7:18
HEB: וְכִסְּתָ֥ה אוֹתָ֖ם פַּלָּצ֑וּת וְאֶ֤ל כָּל־
NAS: themselves with sackcloth and shuddering will overwhelm
KJV: [themselves] with sackcloth, and horror shall cover
INT: sackcloth will overwhelm and shuddering on all

4 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6427
4 Occurrences

pal·lā·ṣūṯ — 4 Occ.