6466. paal
Lexical Summary
paal: To do, make, perform, work

Original Word: פָעַל
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: pa`al
Pronunciation: pah-ahl
Phonetic Spelling: (paw-al')
KJV: commit, (evil-) do(-er), make(-r), ordain, work(-er)
NASB: do, workers, done, work, made, did, doers
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to do or make (systematically and habitually), especially to practise

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
commit, evil doer, maker, ordain, worker

A primitive root; to do or make (systematically and habitually), especially to practise -- commit, (evil-) do(-er), make(-r), ordain, work(-er).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
do, make
NASB Translation
accomplish (1), act (1), acted (1), carried (1), deal (1), did (2), do (15), doers (2), does (1), does his work (1), doing (1), done (6), made (3), Maker (1), makes (2), performed (2), work (4), workers (7), working (1), works (2), wrought (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
מָּעַל57 verb do, make (in poetry for עָשָׂה) (Late Hebrew מּוֺעֵל workman, compare Jewish-Aramaic; Phoenician פעל = Biblical Hebrew (often); Arabic id.; Old Aramaic; פעל; Syriac in derived species and derivatives ); —

Qal Perfect3masculine singular Deuteronomy 32:27 +, פָ֫עַל אֵל Numbers 23:23, 2masculine singular מָּעַלְתָּ Exodus 15:17 +, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular יִפְעַל Job 22:17 +; 2 masculine singular תִּפְעָלֿ Job 35:6, etc.; Infinitive construct לְפָעְָלָם Job 37:12 (see below); Participle active מֹּעֵל Psalm 15:2+, plural construct מֹּעֲלֵי Psalm 5:6 +, etc.; —

1 do:

a. of God, with accusative (abstract) Numbers 23:23; Deuteronomy 32:27; Job 33:29, יְשׁוּעוֺת Psalm 74:12; + ל person Psalm 31:20; Psalm 68:29; Isaiah 26:12; Job 22:17; with accusative of congnate meaning with verb מֹּעַל Psalm 44:2; Habakkuk 1:5; accusative omitted Isaiah 43:13, compare Isaiah 41:4.

b. of men, with accusative Psalm 11:3; Job 11:8, + ל person (God) Job 7:20, + ב person (God) Job 35:6; especially of doing evil, שָׁ֑קֶר Hosea 7:1, עָוֶל Job 34:32, עַוְלָה Job 36:23; Psalm 58:3; Psalm 119:3, אָוֶן Proverbs 30:20, especially מֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן Hosea 6:8; Isaiah 31:2; Job 31:3; Job 34:8,22; Psalm 5:6 15t. in Psalms, Proverbs 10:29; Proverbs 21:15, מֹּעֲלֵי רָע Micah 2:1; rarely of doing right, with accusative מִשְׁמָּטוֺ Zephaniah 2:3, צֶדֶק Psalm 15:2.

c. of clouds, with accusative Job 37:12 (disregarding ֑֯).

2 make;

a. of God, with accusative concrete Exodus 15:17; + ל of thing Proverbs 16:4, ל of 2nd object Psalm 7:16; מֹּעֲלִי Job 36:3 my Maker.

b. of man, with accusative concrete Isaiah 44:12,15; accusative omitted Isaiah 44:12; Psalm 7:16. — Isaiah 1:31 see מֹּעַל.

Topical Lexicon
Overview

פָעַל (paʿal) appears roughly fifty-six times and conveys purposeful action—doing, making, producing, accomplishing. Because the same verb describes God’s mighty deeds, the craftsman’s labor, and the plots of evildoers, it serves as a window into the Bible’s theology of work: acts reveal character.

The Works of the LORD

• Perfect and Just

“The Rock—His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice” (Deuteronomy 32:4). Divine paʿal is flawless, righteous, and covenant-faithful.

• Redemptive and Mighty

“See what God has done!” (Numbers 23:23). From the Exodus to the conquest, His acts define Israel’s history and identity.

• Creative and Sustaining

“O LORD, how manifold are Your works!” (Psalm 104:24). Creation’s order and beauty are ongoing expressions of His working.

• Grounds for Worship and Testimony

“One generation will declare Your works to the next” (Psalm 145:4). Remembering His deeds shapes Israel’s praise and pedagogy.

Human Works That Please God

• Covenant Response

“Fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully, considering what great things He has done for you” (1 Samuel 12:24). Gratitude for divine paʿal motivates obedient human paʿal.

• Skillful Labor

Isaiah 44:12 pictures the blacksmith who “works the coals.” Craftsmanship, though misdirected toward idolatry here, witnesses to God-given skill that can honor Him.

• Righteous Fruit

“The work of righteousness will be peace” (Isaiah 32:17). God-centered deeds build shalom in community life.

Workers of Iniquity

Psalms and Job often speak of “workers of iniquity” (e.g., Psalm 6:8; Job 34:8). Persistent evil deeds re-fashion identity: the sinner becomes a “worker” of wickedness. Scripture warns and comforts—God will “repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands” (Jeremiah 25:14).

Wisdom Reflections

Job probes the mystery: “Will You not look away from me long enough to swallow my spit?” (Job 7:19). Yet Elihu affirms, “The Almighty will not pervert justice” (Job 34:12). Meditation on God’s works stabilizes faith amid suffering: “I meditate on all Your works; I ponder the work of Your hands” (Psalm 143:5).

Prophetic and Eschatological Vision

Prophets contrast God’s works with idols’ impotence (Isaiah 41:29). The climax awaits the new creation: “My chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands” (Isaiah 65:22). Human labor will finally resonate with divine perfection.

Christological Fulfillment

Isaiah’s Servant “brings forth justice” (Isaiah 42:1). Jesus echoes: “My Father is working until now, and I am working” (John 5:17). His finished work on the cross completes the pattern of redemptive paʿal and secures a people “created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (Ephesians 2:10).

Ministry Significance

1. Proclamation: preaching recounts God’s mighty works to evoke faith (Acts 2:11).
2. Discipleship: believers learn to “commit your works to the LORD” (Proverbs 16:3).
3. Accountability: because judgment is “according to what his hands have done” (Job 34:11), pastoral care must unite grace with a call to holiness.

Representative References

Numbers 23:23; Deuteronomy 32:4; 1 Samuel 12:24; Job 34:11; Psalm 28:4-5; Psalm 92:4; Psalm 145:4; Isaiah 32:17; Isaiah 44:12; Jeremiah 25:14; Lamentations 3:64; Micah 7:13; Habakkuk 3:2.

Summary

פָעַל gathers Scripture’s witness that deeds disclose identity. God’s flawless works invite trust and praise; human works are summoned to align with His, warning against iniquity and promising lasting blessing to those who live and labor in covenant faithfulness.

Forms and Transliterations
אֶפְעַ֖ל אֶפְעַ֨ל ׀ אפעל וַיִּפְעָלֵ֙הוּ֙ וּ֝לְפֹעֲלִ֗י וּפָעַל֙ וּפֹ֥עֲלֵי וּפֹעֵ֥ל ויפעלהו ולפעלי ופעל ופעלי יִּפְעַ֖ל יִפְעַל־ יִפְעָֽל׃ יפעל יפעל־ יפעל׃ לְפֹ֣עֲלֵי לפעלי מִפֹּ֣עֲלֵי מפעלי פָּ֖עַל פָּ֝עַ֗לְתִּי פָּ֭עַלְתָּ פָּעַ֖לְתָּ פָּעַ֣ל פָּעַ֥ל פָּעַ֥לְתָּ פָּעָ֑לוּ פָּעָֽל׃ פָעֲל֖וּ פָעֲל֣וּ פָעַ֣ל פָעַ֥לְתִּי פֹּ֣עֲלֵי פֹּ֤עֲלֵ֫י פֹּ֥עֲלֵי פֹּ֪עֲלֵ֫י פֹּֽעֲלֵי־ פֹּעֲלֵ֣י פֹּעֵ֣ל פֹּעֵ֥ל פעל פעל׃ פעלו פעלי פעלי־ פעלת פעלתי תִּפְעָ֑ל תִּפְעָ֫ל֥וּן תִּפְעָל־ תפעל תפעל־ תפעלון ’ep̄‘al ’ep̄·‘al efAl faAl faAlti faaLu lə·p̄ō·‘ă·lê leFoalei ləp̄ō‘ălê mip·pō·‘ă·lê mippō‘ălê mipPoalei pā‘al pā‘āl p̄ā‘al pā‘altā pā‘altî p̄ā‘altî pā‘ālū p̄ā‘ălū pā·‘ā·lū p̄ā·‘ă·lū pā·‘al pā·‘āl p̄ā·‘al pā·‘al·tā pā·‘al·tî p̄ā·‘al·tî Paal paAlta paAlti paAlu pō‘ălê pō‘ălê- pō‘êl pō·‘ă·lê pō·‘ă·lê- pō·‘êl Poalei poEl tifAl tifALun tifol tip̄‘āl tip̄‘āl- tip̄‘ālūn tip̄·‘ā·lūn tip̄·‘āl tip̄·‘āl- ū·lə·p̄ō·‘ă·lî ū·p̄ā·‘al ū·p̄ō·‘ă·lê ū·p̄ō·‘êl ufaAl uFoalei ufoEl ulefoaLi ūləp̄ō‘ălî ūp̄ā‘al ūp̄ō‘ălê ūp̄ō‘êl vaiyifaLehu way·yip̄·‘ā·lê·hū wayyip̄‘ālêhū yifAl yip̄‘al yip̄‘āl yip̄‘al- yip̄·‘al yip̄·‘āl yip̄·‘al-
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Englishman's Concordance
Exodus 15:17
HEB: מָכ֧וֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ֛ פָּעַ֖לְתָּ יְהוָ֑ה מִקְּדָ֕שׁ
NAS: O LORD, which You have made for Your dwelling,
KJV: O LORD, [which] thou hast made for thee to dwell in,
INT: the place your dwelling have made LORD the sanctuary

Numbers 23:23
HEB: וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מַה־ פָּ֖עַל אֵֽל׃
NAS: what God has done!
KJV: and of Israel, What hath God wrought!
INT: Israel what has done God

Deuteronomy 32:27
HEB: וְלֹ֥א יְהוָ֖ה פָּעַ֥ל כָּל־ זֹֽאת׃
NAS: And the LORD has not done all
KJV: and the LORD hath not done all this.
INT: not and the LORD done all likewise

Job 7:20
HEB: חָטָ֡אתִי מָ֤ה אֶפְעַ֨ל ׀ לָךְ֮ נֹצֵ֪ר
NAS: What have I done to You, O watcher
KJV: I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver
INT: have sinned have I done watcher man

Job 11:8
HEB: שָׁ֭מַיִם מַה־ תִּפְעָ֑ל עֲמֻקָּ֥ה מִ֝שְּׁא֗וֹל
NAS: what can you do? Deeper
KJV: as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper
INT: as the heavens what do deeper Sheol

Job 22:17
HEB: מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וּמַה־ יִּפְעַ֖ל שַׁדַּ֣י לָֽמוֹ׃
NAS: can the Almighty do to them?'
KJV: from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?
INT: us' and What do the Almighty

Job 31:3
HEB: לְעַוָּ֑ל וְ֝נֵ֗כֶר לְפֹ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃
NAS: And disaster to those who work iniquity?
KJV: and a strange [punishment] to the workers of iniquity?
INT: to the unjust and disaster work wickedness

Job 33:29
HEB: אֵ֭לֶּה יִפְעַל־ אֵ֑ל פַּעֲמַ֖יִם
NAS: Behold, God does all these
KJV: Lo, all these [things] worketh God
INT: these does God anvil

Job 34:8
HEB: לְ֭חֶבְרָה עִם־ פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָ֑וֶן וְ֝לָלֶ֗כֶת
NAS: in company with the workers of iniquity,
KJV: in company with the workers of iniquity,
INT: company with the workers of iniquity and walks

Job 34:22
HEB: לְהִסָּ֥תֶר שָׁ֝֗ם פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃
NAS: Where the workers of iniquity
KJV: nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity
INT: may hide Where the workers of iniquity

Job 34:32
HEB: אִֽם־ עָ֥וֶל פָּ֝עַ֗לְתִּי לֹ֣א אֹסִֽיף׃
NAS: If I have done iniquity,
KJV: teach thou me: if I have done iniquity,
INT: If iniquity have done I will not do

Job 35:6
HEB: חָ֭טָאתָ מַה־ תִּפְעָל־ בּ֑וֹ וְרַבּ֥וּ
NAS: what do you accomplish against Him? And if your transgressions
KJV: If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or [if] thy transgressions
INT: have sinned what accomplish are many your transgressions

Job 36:3
HEB: דֵ֭עִי לְמֵרָח֑וֹק וּ֝לְפֹעֲלִ֗י אֶֽתֵּֽן־ צֶֽדֶק׃
NAS: righteousness to my Maker.
KJV: righteousness to my Maker.
INT: my knowledge afar to my Maker will ascribe righteousness

Job 36:23
HEB: וּמִֽי־ אָ֝מַ֗ר פָּעַ֥לְתָּ עַוְלָֽה׃
NAS: has said, You have done wrong'?
KJV: or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?
INT: and who has said have done iniquity

Psalm 5:5
HEB: שָׂ֝נֵ֗אתָ כָּל־ פֹּ֥עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃
NAS: You hate all who do iniquity.
KJV: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
INT: hate all do iniquity

Psalm 6:8
HEB: מִ֭מֶּנִּי כָּל־ פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָ֑וֶן כִּֽי־
NAS: from me, all you who do iniquity,
KJV: Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity;
INT: at all do iniquity for

Psalm 7:13
HEB: חִ֝צָּ֗יו לְֽדֹלְקִ֥ים יִפְעָֽל׃
NAS: weapons; He makes His arrows
KJV: of death; he ordaineth his arrows
INT: his arrows fiery makes

Psalm 7:15
HEB: וַ֝יִּפֹּ֗ל בְּשַׁ֣חַת יִפְעָֽל׃
NAS: into the hole which he made.
KJV: into the ditch [which] he made.
INT: fallen the hole made

Psalm 11:3
HEB: צַ֝דִּ֗יק מַה־ פָּעָֽל׃
NAS: What can the righteous do?
KJV: what can the righteous do?
INT: the righteous What do

Psalm 14:4
HEB: יָדְעוּ֮ כָּל־ פֹּ֪עֲלֵ֫י אָ֥וֶן אֹכְלֵ֣י
NAS: Do all the workers of wickedness
KJV: Have all the workers of iniquity
INT: know all the workers of wickedness eat

Psalm 15:2
HEB: הוֹלֵ֣ךְ תָּ֭מִים וּפֹעֵ֥ל צֶ֑דֶק וְדֹבֵ֥ר
NAS: with integrity, and works righteousness,
KJV: uprightly, and worketh righteousness,
INT: walks integrity and works righteousness and speaks

Psalm 28:3
HEB: רְשָׁעִים֮ וְעִם־ פֹּ֪עֲלֵ֫י אָ֥וֶן דֹּבְרֵ֣י
NAS: with the wicked And with those who work iniquity,
KJV: with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity,
INT: the wicked who work iniquity speak

Psalm 31:19
HEB: צָפַ֪נְתָּ לִּֽירֵ֫אֶ֥יךָ פָּ֭עַלְתָּ לַחֹסִ֣ים בָּ֑ךְ
NAS: up for those who fear You, Which You have wrought for those who take refuge
KJV: for them that fear thee; [which] thou hast wrought for them that trust
INT: have stored fear have wrought take about

Psalm 36:12
HEB: שָׁ֣ם נָ֭פְלוּ פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָ֑וֶן דֹּ֝ח֗וּ
NAS: There the doers of iniquity
KJV: There are the workers of iniquity
INT: There have fallen the doers of iniquity have been thrust

Psalm 44:1
HEB: לָ֑נוּ פֹּ֥עַל פָּעַ֥לְתָּ בִֽ֝ימֵיהֶ֗ם בִּ֣ימֵי
NAS: us The work that You did in their days,
KJV: us, [what] work thou didst in their days,
INT: have told the work you did their days the days

56 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6466
56 Occurrences


’ep̄·‘al — 2 Occ.
p̄ā·‘al — 1 Occ.
p̄ā·‘al·tî — 1 Occ.
p̄ā·‘ă·lū — 2 Occ.
lə·p̄ō·‘ă·lê — 3 Occ.
mip·pō·‘ă·lê — 1 Occ.
pā·‘al — 4 Occ.
pā·‘al·tā — 6 Occ.
pā·‘al·tî — 1 Occ.
pā·‘ā·lū — 1 Occ.
pō·‘ă·lê — 19 Occ.
pō·‘êl — 2 Occ.
tip̄·‘āl — 1 Occ.
tip̄·‘ā·lūn — 1 Occ.
tip̄·‘āl- — 1 Occ.
ū·p̄ā·‘al — 1 Occ.
ū·p̄ō·‘ă·lê — 1 Occ.
ū·p̄ō·‘êl — 1 Occ.
ū·lə·p̄ō·‘ă·lî — 1 Occ.
way·yip̄·‘ā·lê·hū — 1 Occ.
yip̄·‘al — 5 Occ.

6465
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