6564. paraq

Lexical Summary

paraq: To tear away, break off, pluck, or remove

Original Word: פָרָק
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: paraq
Pronunciation: pah-RAHK
Phonetic Spelling: (paw-rawk')
KJV: broth See also H4832
Word Origin: [from H6561 (פָּרַק - tear off)]

1. soup (as full of crumbed meat)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

broth

From paraq; soup (as full of crumbed meat) -- broth. See also marpe'.

see HEBREW paraq

see HEBREW marpe'

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
another reading for maraq, q.v.

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[מָּרָק] noun [masculine] fragment; — construct מְּרַק מִּגֻּלִים Isaiah 65:4 Kt, but read מְרַק, see מָרָק.

Topical Lexicon

Meaning and Imagery

The verb פָרָק conveys the idea of breaking something apart, pulling it to pieces, or loosening what had been firmly fastened. In Isaiah 65:4 it functions substantively, pointing to the “pieces” or “fragments” of detestable food kept in the vessels of a people whose whole lifestyle had been fractured away from covenant loyalty. The picture is one of deliberate disjunction—life, worship, and diet torn loose from the holiness God requires.

Biblical Occurrence (Isaiah 65:4)

Isaiah indicts those who “sit among the graves and spend the night in secret places; who eat the flesh of pigs, and whose pots hold the broth of unclean meat”. The “pieces” (פָרָק) of abominable things stored for later consumption symbolize sustained, willful rebellion. The sin is not momentary; it is preserved, portioned, and cherished.

Historical and Cultural Background

1. Necromantic Rituals: Sitting among graves and lodging in tombs aligns with ancient Near-Eastern necromancy and spiritism.
2. Unclean Diet: Swine flesh and carrion broth violate Leviticus 11:7–8 and Deuteronomy 14:8. Israel was to be distinct, yet they preserved fragments of forbidden fare.
3. Fragmentation Motif: Isaiah’s era saw Judah politically and spiritually pulled apart—alliances with pagan nations, syncretistic worship, and social injustice. The noun drawn from פָרָק becomes a vivid emblem of that brokenness.

Theological Emphasis

• Covenant Rupture: The stored fragments highlight hearts already separated from God (compare Isaiah 29:13).
• Holiness and Wholeness: God’s law seeks an undivided life (Leviticus 19:2). Fragmented obedience is no obedience at all (James 2:10).
• Divine Response: Immediately following, the Lord declares, “These people are smoke in My nostrils” (Isaiah 65:5); judgment is certain, yet woven with future promise (Isaiah 65:8–10).

New Testament Resonance

While dietary regulations find fulfillment in Christ (Mark 7:19; Acts 10:15), the call to undivided loyalty remains. Paul warns against clinging to “works of darkness” (Romans 13:12) and storing sinful fragments in the heart (2 Corinthians 7:1). The imagery of breaking and removing burdens (akin to the root sense of פָרָק) is completed in Jesus, who breaks the yoke of sin (Matthew 11:28–30; Hebrews 2:14–15).

Ministry Applications

• Confront Cherished Sin: Like the vessels in Isaiah, believers may compartmentalize disobedience. Pastoral counsel must expose hidden “pieces” that defile.
• Pursue Integrated Holiness: Teaching should stress that holiness encompasses environment, habits, and worship, not isolated acts.
• Proclaim Deliverance: The same God who condemned Judah’s preserved wickedness now offers to “loose the bonds of wickedness” (Isaiah 58:6) through the gospel.
• Guard Corporate Worship: Liturgical or cultural practices that fracture the unity of faith and life must be removed lest the church mirror the divided vessels of Isaiah 65:4.

In a single occurrence, פָרָק supplies a compact but powerful portrait of rebellion and a reminder that God seeks hearts and lives kept intact for His glory.

Forms and Transliterations

וּמְרַ֥ק ומרק ū·mə·raq umeRak ūməraq

Englishman's Concordance

Isaiah 65:4
HEB: [וּפְרַק כ] (וּמְרַ֥ק ק) פִּגֻּלִ֖ים
INT: flesh swine's broth of unclean is their pots

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 6564
1 Occurrence

ū·mə·raq — 1 Occ.