Lexical Summary parash: To declare, to explain, to make distinct Original Word: פָרָשׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance scatter, declare, distinctly, show, sting A primitive root; to separate, literally (to disperse) or figuratively (to specify); also (by implication) to wound -- scatter, declare, distinctly, shew, sting. Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [מָּרַשׁ] verb make distinct, declare (Late Hebrew seperate oneself, Pi`el separate, explain, so Aramaic מְּרַשׁ especially Pa`el; Syriac Qal Infinitive construct ׳לִפְרשׁ לָהֶם עַלמִּֿי י Leviticus 24:12 (P) to declare distinctly to them. Niph`al Participle נִפְרָשׁוֺת Ezekiel 34:12 read probably שׂוֺת-, see פרשׂ. Pu`al Perfect3masculine singular מֹּרַשׁ Numbers 15:34 (P) what should be done to him had not been distinctly declared; Participle מְפֹרָשׁ Nehemiah 8:8 made distinct (compare B Aram Ezra 4:18), see BeRy KöEinl. 99, > interpreted, Ke and others, BerlinerT. Onk ii.74. II. [מָּרַשׁ] verb Hiph`il pierce, sting (?) (compare Assyrian paruššu, staff (which pierces); Aramaic פרשׁא, III. פרשׁ (√ of following; compare Aramaic מְּרַת Pa`el (rare) cause to break or burst forth (a serpent its brood), מַּרְתָּא dung; Syriac [מְּרַשׁ] verb make distinct (compare Biblical Hebrew (chiefly late)); — Pa`el Passive participle Ezra 4:18 made distinct (Biblical Hebrew Nehemiah 8:8; ᵑ7 Late Hebrew). Topical Lexicon פָרָשׁ (parash)Semantic Range and Literary Context Across its five canonical appearances פָרָשׁ functions in two primary ways: 1. To separate, distinguish, or clarify an issue or message. In both ideas—whether intellectual, judicial, or physical—the verb pictures something being set apart with unmistakable effect. Cultic and Legal Clarification (Leviticus 24:12; Numbers 15:34) In the wilderness narratives the word serves the community’s need for sure guidance when unprecedented cases arose. Concerning the blasphemer in Leviticus 24:12, “They placed him in custody until the will of the Lord should be made clear to them.” Likewise, the Sabbath-breaker in Numbers 15:34 awaited a decision “because it had not been decided what should be done to him.” In each instance פָרָשׁ highlights the covenantal principle that judgment must proceed from divine revelation, not human impulse. By withholding action until the Lord’s word distinguished the proper course, Israel modeled reverence for God’s law and protected the accused from arbitrary punishment. Didactic Exposition (Nehemiah 8:8) Post-exilic Jerusalem experienced a spiritual re-formation under Ezra’s public reading of Torah: “So they read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.” פָרָשׁ here underscores the ministry of exposition—unfolding, segmenting, and explaining the Scripture so that hearers grasp both content and significance. The verse provides a foundational precedent for systematic teaching and stands behind the church’s historic commitment to expository preaching, catechesis, and translation. Moral Warning Against Drunkenness (Proverbs 23:32) Turning from mental clarity to bodily pain, Solomon warns that wine, abused, “bites like a snake and stings like a viper.” The verb depicts the decisive, piercing strike that follows intoxicating allure. The same root that celebrates lucid explanation is used to portray the lethal clarity of sin’s consequences. A life blurred by excess will be “distinguished” after all—but by sharp regret instead of wise discernment. Pastoral Vigilance and Divine Rescue (Ezekiel 34:12) The Shepherd-oracle employs פָרָשׁ to describe scattered sheep: “so I will look for My flock and rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.” Here the verb conveys physical separation, yet in a redemptive frame. While false shepherds allowed the flock to be driven apart, the Lord pledges to reverse the dispersion, gathering each life that had been forcibly distinguished from the fold. The messianic overtones anticipate Jesus Christ’s self-identification as the Good Shepherd who seeks and saves the lost. Theological and Practical Implications 1. Revelation precedes resolution. Decisions regarding sin, justice, and worship must be *clarified* by the Word of God, never by majority sentiment or expediency. Ministerial Applications • In pastoral counseling, delay judgment until Scripture’s principles are thoroughly distinguished. Forms and Transliterations יַפְרִֽשׁ׃ יפרש׃ לִפְרֹ֥שׁ לפרש מְפֹרָ֑שׁ מפרש נִפְרָשׁ֔וֹת נפרשות פֹרַ֔שׁ פרש foRash lifRosh lip̄·rōš lip̄rōš mə·p̄ō·rāš mefoRash məp̄ōrāš nifraShot nip̄·rā·šō·wṯ nip̄rāšōwṯ p̄ō·raš p̄ōraš yafRish yap̄·riš yap̄rišLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 24:12 HEB: וַיַּנִּיחֻ֖הוּ בַּמִּשְׁמָ֑ר לִפְרֹ֥שׁ לָהֶ֖ם עַל־ NAS: of the LORD might be made clear to them. KJV: of the LORD might be shewed them. INT: put custody might be made like that Numbers 15:34 Nehemiah 8:8 Proverbs 23:32 Ezekiel 34:12 5 Occurrences |
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separate, distinguish, explain, compare Mandean, NöM 221); — 
(in Lexicons) ox-goad); — Imperfect3masculine singular יַפְרִשׁ 
Pa`el rip open, 
= 1. מֶּרֶשׁ; Arabic 
IV. rip open stomach, and scatter contents (compare VII), 
= I. מֶּרֶשׁ).