6503. parbar or parvar

Lexical Summary

parbar or parvar: Suburb, precinct

Original Word: פַרְבָּר
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Parbar
Pronunciation: par-bar or par-var
Phonetic Spelling: (par-bawr')
KJV: Parbar, suburb
NASB: Parbar, precincts
Word Origin: [of foreign origin]

1. Parbar or Parvar, a quarter of Jerusalem

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Parbar, suburb

Or Parvar {par-vawr'}; of foreign origin; Parbar or Parvar, a quarter of Jerusalem -- Parbar, suburb.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of foreign origin
Definition
probably a structure on the W. side of Solomon's temple
NASB Translation
Parbar (2), precincts (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[מַּרְוֶר] noun [masculine] structure (colonnade ?) attached to west side of Solomon's temple; plural מַּרְוָרִים 2 Kings 23:11; apparently same word in singular מַּרְבָּר 1 Chronicles 26:18 (twice in verse) (all with article) (Thes compare Persian open kiosk, summer-house (literally light-bearer). whence perhaps ׳פ as loan-word, compare Mishna מַּרְוָוד, מַּרְוָאר, ᵑ7 מַּרְוָורָא suburd (made up of villas, summer-houses Thes); ׳פ then post-exilic insertion in 2 Kings 23:11; compare further Dr in Hastings^DB).

Topical Lexicon

Entry Title: Parbar (Strong’s Hebrew 6503 פַרְבָּר)

Scriptural Occurrences

1. 2 Kings 23:11 – Context of King Josiah’s purge of idolatry.
2. 1 Chronicles 26:18 – Twice in the verse, describing the western side of the Temple complex guarded by Levites.

Probable Location and Architectural Function

Parbar denotes the outer colonnade, portico, or precinct on the western side of Solomon’s Temple. The term is associated with an “outside place,” suggesting a space that lay between the massive western retaining wall and the inner courts. Archaeological parallels from other Near-Eastern temples show such colonnades functioning as a buffer zone—part storeroom, part access corridor, and part security checkpoint. In Jerusalem, the Parbar appears to have connected the Temple with the causeway that led down to the royal quarter of the city, explaining the need for dedicated gatekeepers (1 Chronicles 26:18).

Parbar in Josiah’s Reformation (2 Kings 23:11)

“He removed from the entrance to the house of the LORD the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun… and he burned the chariots of the sun.”

Josiah’s removal of the horses “at the Parbar” underscores two truths:
• Idolatry had encroached right up to the verge of holy space.
• Genuine reform does not tolerate compromise even in peripheral zones.

By cleansing the Parbar, Josiah demonstrated that every part of the Temple environment—outer and inner alike—belongs to Yahweh alone.

Levitical Gatekeepers and the Parbar (1 Chronicles 26:18)

“At the Parbar on the west there were four at the highway and two at the Parbar.”

The Chronicler lists six Levites assigned to this area: four stationed by the approach road (“highway”) and two posted directly within the Parbar. Their ministry models vigilant stewardship:

1. Protecting sacred assets stored in the colonnade.
2. Regulating traffic between civic and sacred spheres.
3. Preserving ceremonial purity by screening entrants.

Historical Significance

• Western Orientation: Most worship traffic entered from the east; the Parbar’s western position made it a strategic yet less frequented zone, vulnerable to misuse (as in the earlier idolatrous stables).
• Post-Exilic Memory: Chronicles, written after the exile, recalls proper gatekeeping as a corrective to pre-exilic laxity. Mentioning the Parbar stresses that faithful administration includes even the least visible places.

Theological Implications

1. Holiness Extends to the Margins – Scripture does not treat outer precincts as disposable. The Lord’s concern for the Parbar warns against compartmentalized piety.
2. Gatekeeping as Worship – Standing watch is portrayed as a sacred duty. Ministry that seems merely custodial becomes an act of devotion when performed unto God (compare Psalm 84:10).
3. Reform Requires Totality – Josiah’s example foreshadows New-Covenant cleansing of the believer’s entire life (2 Corinthians 7:1).

Lessons for Contemporary Ministry

• Guard the “Parbars” of Church Life – Administrative offices, parking lots, digital platforms—modern equivalents of outer precincts—must uphold the same holiness expected in the sanctuary.
• Equip Faithful Gatekeepers – Ushers, deacons, security teams, and tech moderators parallel the six Levites. Their reliability protects worship and testimony.
• Address Hidden Idols – Idolatry can park itself in peripheral habits or programs. Periodic evaluation, patterned after Josiah, keeps ministry focused on Christ alone.

Summary

Parbar, though mentioned only three times, highlights the biblical theme that every square cubit connected to God’s house matters. Whether cleansing corrupted spaces or stationing devoted guardians, Scripture presents the Parbar as a call to comprehensive holiness and vigilant service for all who draw near to the living God.

Forms and Transliterations

בַּפַּרְוָרִ֑ים בפרורים לַפַּרְבָּ֖ר לַפַּרְבָּֽר׃ לפרבר לפרבר׃ bap·par·wā·rîm bapparvaRim bapparwārîm lap·par·bār lapparBar lapparbār

Englishman's Concordance

2 Kings 23:11
HEB: הַסָּרִ֔יס אֲשֶׁ֖ר בַּפַּרְוָרִ֑ים וְאֶת־ מַרְכְּב֥וֹת
NAS: which [was] in the precincts; and he burned
KJV: the chamberlain, which [was] in the suburbs, and burned
INT: the official which the precincts the chariots of the sun

1 Chronicles 26:18
HEB: לַפַּרְבָּ֖ר לַֽמַּעֲרָ֑ב אַרְבָּעָה֙
NAS: At the Parbar on the west
KJV: At Parbar westward, four
INT: the Parbar the west four

1 Chronicles 26:18
HEB: לַֽמְסִלָּ֔ה שְׁנַ֖יִם לַפַּרְבָּֽר׃
NAS: at the highway and two at the Parbar.
KJV: at the causeway, [and] two at Parbar.
INT: the highway and two the Parbar

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6503
3 Occurrences

bap·par·wā·rîm — 1 Occ.
lap·par·bār — 2 Occ.