6501. pere

Lexicon

pere: Wild donkey

Original Word: פֶרֶא
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: pere'
Pronunciation: PEH-reh
Phonetic Spelling: (peh'-reh)
Definition: Wild donkey
Meaning: the onager

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

wild ass

Or pereh (Jeremiah 2:24) {peh'-reh}; from para' in the secondary sense of running wild; the onager -- wild (ass).

see HEBREW para'

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
a wild donkey
NASB Translation
wild donkey (6), wild donkeys (4).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

מֶּ֫רֶא noun masculine^{Job 39:5} (masculine and feminine Jeremiah 2:24, but feminine probably erroneous, compare Kö^{Synt. 157} Albr^{ZAW xvi (1896), 68}) wild ass (probably from swiftness); — ׳פ absolute Hosea 8:9 + (so Jeremiah 2:24 Gi; van d. H. Baer מֶּרֶךְ), construct Genesis 16:12; plural מְּרָאִים Jeremiah 14:6 +; — wild ass Jeremiah 14:6; Job 6:5; Job 39:5; Isaiah 32:14; Psalm 104:11; ׳עַיִר פ Job 11:12 wild ass's colt; אָדָם ׳פ Genesis 16:12 (J) a wild ass of a man (Ishmael as a free nomad); figurative of wilfulness Hosea 8:9 (see I. בָּדַד); of lust Jeremiah 2:24 (i.e. Israel's love of idolatry); of poor desert-dwellers Job 24:5.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from an unused root meaning to run wild.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • G66: ἄγριος (agrios) • meaning "wild," often used to describe wild animals or plants.
• G3688: ὄνος (onos) • meaning "donkey," used in the New Testament to refer to both domesticated and wild donkeys.

These Greek terms, while not direct translations of פֶרֶא, relate to the broader concept of wildness and the specific animal, the donkey, within the biblical context.

Usage: The word "pere'" is used in the Hebrew Bible to describe a wild donkey, often symbolizing untamed freedom and independence. It appears in contexts that highlight the creature's natural habitat and behavior, emphasizing its wild and unrestrained existence.

Context: The Hebrew word פֶרֶא (pere') is used in the Old Testament to denote the onager, a species of wild donkey native to the arid regions of the Near East. This animal is characterized by its swift and untamed nature, often inhabiting desert landscapes. The onager is mentioned in several biblical passages, illustrating its symbolic representation of freedom and untamed spirit.

In Job 39:5-8, the onager is depicted as a creature that roams the wilderness, free from the constraints of human habitation: "Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from the harness? I made the wilderness his home and the salt flats his dwelling. He scorns the tumult of the city and never hears the shouts of a driver. He roams the mountains for pasture, searching for any green thing."

The onager's depiction in the Bible serves as a metaphor for independence and the natural order, contrasting with domesticated animals that live under human control. The wild donkey's ability to thrive in harsh environments without human intervention underscores its resilience and adaptability.

In Jeremiah 2:24, the onager is used metaphorically to describe Israel's unrestrained pursuit of idolatry: "A wild donkey at home in the wilderness, sniffing the wind in the heat of her desire. Who can restrain her lust? None who seek her need weary themselves; in her month they will find her."

The onager's portrayal in these passages reflects its symbolic role in biblical literature as an emblem of untamed nature and the inherent freedom found in God's creation.

Forms and Transliterations

וּפְרָאִים֙ ופראים פְּרָאִ֖ים פְּרָאִ֨ים ׀ פְרָאִ֣ים פֶּ֖רֶא פֶּ֝֗רֶא פֶּ֣רֶא פֶּ֣רֶה ׀ פֶּ֥רֶא פרא פראים פרה feraIm pə·rā·’îm p̄ə·rā·’îm pe·re pe·reh pərā’îm p̄ərā’îm peraIm pere pereh ū·p̄ə·rā·’îm uferaIm ūp̄ərā’îm

Englishman's Concordance

Genesis 16:12
HEB: וְה֤וּא יִהְיֶה֙ פֶּ֣רֶא אָדָ֔ם יָד֣וֹ
NAS: He will be a wild donkey of a man,
KJV: And he will be a wild man; his hand
INT: he will be a wild of a man his hand

Job 6:5
HEB: הֲיִֽנְהַק־ פֶּ֥רֶא עֲלֵי־ דֶ֑שֶׁא
NAS: Does the wild donkey bray over
KJV: Doth the wild ass bray
INT: bray the wild over grass

Job 11:12
HEB: יִלָּבֵ֑ב וְעַ֥יִר פֶּ֝֗רֶא אָדָ֥ם יִוָּלֵֽד׃
NAS: When the foal of a wild donkey is born
KJV: be born [like] a wild ass's colt.
INT: will become the foal of a wild A man is born

Job 24:5
HEB: הֵ֤ן פְּרָאִ֨ים ׀ בַּֽמִּדְבָּ֗ר יָצְא֣וּ
NAS: Behold, as wild donkeys in the wilderness
KJV: Behold, [as] wild asses in the desert,
INT: Behold wild the wilderness go

Job 39:5
HEB: מִֽי־ שִׁלַּ֣ח פֶּ֣רֶא חָפְשִׁ֑י וּמֹסְר֥וֹת
NAS: sent out the wild donkey free?
KJV: Who hath sent out the wild ass free?
INT: Who sent the wild free the bonds

Psalm 104:11
HEB: שָׂדָ֑י יִשְׁבְּר֖וּ פְרָאִ֣ים צְמָאָֽם׃
NAS: of the field; The wild donkeys quench
KJV: of the field: the wild asses quench
INT: of the field quench the wild their thirst

Isaiah 32:14
HEB: עוֹלָ֔ם מְשׂ֥וֹשׂ פְּרָאִ֖ים מִרְעֵ֥ה עֲדָרִֽים׃
NAS: A delight for wild donkeys, a pasture
KJV: a joy of wild asses, a pasture
INT: ever A delight wild A pasture flocks

Jeremiah 2:24
HEB: פֶּ֣רֶה ׀ לִמֻּ֣ד מִדְבָּ֗ר
NAS: A wild donkey accustomed
KJV: A wild ass used to the wilderness,
INT: A wild accustomed to the wilderness

Jeremiah 14:6
HEB: וּפְרָאִים֙ עָמְד֣וּ עַל־
NAS: The wild donkeys stand
KJV: And the wild asses did stand
INT: the wild stand on

Hosea 8:9
HEB: עָל֣וּ אַשּׁ֔וּר פֶּ֖רֶא בּוֹדֵ֣ד ל֑וֹ
NAS: up to Assyria, [Like] a wild donkey all alone;
KJV: to Assyria, a wild ass alone
INT: have gone to Assyria a wild alone Ephraim

10 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6501
10 Occurrences

p̄ə·rā·’îm — 1 Occ.
pə·rā·’îm — 2 Occ.
pe·re — 5 Occ.
pe·reh — 1 Occ.
ū·p̄ə·rā·’îm — 1 Occ.