What does פָּלָא (pālāʾ) mean in the Bible?
פָּלָא (pālāʾ): To separate or distinguish, hence God's miraculous acts that transcend ordinary human capacity and comprehension.
Hebrew · H6381
פָּלָא
Properly, perhaps to separate , i.e. distinguish (literally or figuratively); by implication, to be (causatively, make ) great , difficult , wonderful
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פָּלָא H6381
Pronunciation pālāʾ
What does פָּלָא (pālāʾ) mean in the Bible?
פָּלָא (pālāʾ): To separate or distinguish, hence God's miraculous acts that transcend ordinary human capacity and comprehension.
Full entry for פָּלָא (H6381) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6381?
The BSB source-word alignment has 71 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include wonders (7), His wonders (6), the wonders (6), and His wonders (5), too difficult (3).
Where does פָּלָא (pālāʾ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 18:14. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (30), Job (6), 1 Chronicles (3), Deuteronomy (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It wonders 7× Exodus 34:10, Joshua 3:5, Job 5:9, Psalms 86:10
His wonders 6× Judges 6:13, 1 Chronicles 16:9, 1 Chronicles 16:24, Psalms 96:3
the wonders 6× Exodus 3:20, 1 Chronicles 16:12, Nehemiah 9:17, Job 37:14
and His wonders 5× Psalms 107:8, Psalms 107:15, Psalms 107:21, Psalms 107:24
too difficult 3× Genesis 18:14, Deuteronomy 30:11, Jeremiah 32:27
is too difficult 2× Deuteronomy 17:8, Jeremiah 32:17
makes a special 2× Leviticus 27:2, Numbers 6:2
to fulfill 2× Leviticus 22:21, Numbers 15:8
Your wonders 2× Psalms 9:1, Psalms 106:7
. . . 1× Daniel 8:24
[is] marvelous 1× Psalms 118:23
[this] is impossible 1× Zechariah 8:6
[who] is wonderful 1× Isaiah 28:29
a marvelous thing 1× Judges 13:19
and the wonders 1× Psalms 78:4
and wonderful 1× 2 Chronicles 2:9
and wonders 1× Job 9:10
are the wonders 1× Psalms 40:5
be impossible 1× Zechariah 8:6
confound 1× Isaiah 29:14
display Your power 1× Job 10:16
extraordinary 1× Deuteronomy 28:59
for a special 1× Numbers 15:3
He has shown 1× Psalms 31:21
His past wonders 1× Jeremiah 21:2
His wonderful works 1× Psalms 78:32
implausible 1× 2 Samuel 13:2
Marvelous 1× Psalms 139:14
marvelous deeds 1× Psalms 72:18
monstrous things 1× Daniel 11:36
My wonders 1× Micah 7:15
on Your wonders 1× Psalms 119:27
on Your wondrous 1× Psalms 145:5
or matters too lofty 1× Psalms 131:1
things too wonderful 1× Job 42:3
too wonderful 1× Proverbs 30:18
tremendously 1× 2 Chronicles 26:15
was extraordinary 1× 2 Samuel 1:26
with wonder 1× Isaiah 29:14
wondrous things 1× Psalms 119:18
wondrous works 1× Psalms 106:22
wondrously 1× Job 37:5
Your marvelous deeds 1× Psalms 71:17
Your wonderful works 1× Psalms 26:7
Your wondrous works 1× Psalms 75:1
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 18:14 הֲיִפָּלֵ֥א to too difficult Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 3:20 נִפְלְאֹתַ֔י to the wonders Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine plural construct | first person common singular Exodus 34:10 נִפְלָאֹ֔ת to wonders Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine plural Leviticus 22:21 לְפַלֵּא־ to to fulfill Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct Leviticus 27:2 יַפְלִ֖א to makes a special Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Numbers 6:2 יַפְלִא֙ to makes a special Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Numbers 15:3 לְפַלֵּא־ to for a special Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct Numbers 15:8 לְפַלֵּא־ to to fulfill Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct Deuteronomy 17:8 יִפָּלֵא֩ to is too difficult Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Deuteronomy 28:59 וְהִפְלָ֤א to extraordinary Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 18:14
Aligned rows 71
Books represented 20
Genesis 1 Exodus 2 Leviticus 2 Numbers 3 Deuteronomy 3 Joshua 1 Judges 2 2 Samuel 2 1 Chronicles 3 2 Chronicles 2 Nehemiah 1 Job 6 Psalms 30 Proverbs 1 Isaiah 3 Jeremiah 3 Daniel 2 Joel 1 Micah 1 Zechariah 2
Source forms
וְ֝נִפְלְאוֹתָ֗יו 7x wə·nip̄·lə·’ō·w·ṯāw Psalms 78:4, Psalms 78:11, Psalms 107:8, Psalms 107:15
נִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ׃ 4x nip̄·lə·’ō·w·ṯe·ḵā Psalms 9:1, Psalms 26:7, Psalms 71:17, Psalms 75:1
לְפַלֵּא־ 3x lə·p̄al·lê- Leviticus 22:21, Numbers 15:3, Numbers 15:8
נִפְלָא֑וֹת 3x nip̄·lā·’ō·wṯ Job 37:5, Psalms 86:10, Daniel 11:36
נִפְלָא֣וֹת 3x nip̄·lā·’ō·wṯ Psalms 72:18, Psalms 98:1, Psalms 136:4
נִ֝פְלָא֗וֹת 2x nip̄·lā·’ō·wṯ Job 5:9, Psalms 119:18
נִפְלָאֽוֹת׃ 2x nip̄·lā·’ō·wṯ Joshua 3:5, Micah 7:15
נִפְלְאוֹתָֽיו׃ 2x nip̄·lə·’ō·w·ṯāw Psalms 96:3, Psalms 105:2
Parsing patterns
Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine plural 13x Exodus 34:10, Joshua 3:5, Job 5:9, Job 37:5
Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine plural construct | second person masculine singular 8x Nehemiah 9:17, Psalms 9:1, Psalms 26:7, Psalms 40:5
Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular 8x Judges 6:13, 1 Chronicles 16:9, 1 Chronicles 16:12, 1 Chronicles 16:24
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular 7x Psalms 78:4, Psalms 78:11, Psalms 107:8, Psalms 107:15
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 6x Genesis 18:14, Deuteronomy 17:8, Jeremiah 32:17, Jeremiah 32:27
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct 3x Leviticus 22:21, Numbers 15:3, Numbers 15:8
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular 3x 2 Chronicles 26:15, Psalms 31:21, Isaiah 28:29
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine plural 2x Job 9:10, Daniel 8:24
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. To separate or distinguish, hence God's miraculous acts that transcend ordinary human capacity and comprehension.
Strong's H6381
Lexical occurrences 71 verses Word forms 3 forms 31 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Isaiah 25:1-5 Source Gloss
properly, perhaps to separate , i.e. distinguish (literally or figuratively); by implication, to be (causatively, make ) great , difficult , wonderful
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 3 Aligned forms 31
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 24×
Participle active Dan 11:36 · Deut 30:11 · Exod 34:10 · Job 5:9 · Job 37:5 · Job 37:14 · Job 42:3 · Josh 3:5 · Mic 7:15 · Ps 72:18 · Ps 86:10 · Ps 98:1 · Ps 106:22 · Ps 118:23 · Ps 119:18 · Ps 136:4 17×
Imperfect Deut 17:8 · Jer 32:17 · Jer 32:27 · Zech 8:6 5×
Perfect 2Sam 1:26 · Prov 30:18 2×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 6×
Perfect 2Chr 26:15 · Isa 28:29 · Ps 31:22 3×
Imperfect Lev 27:2 · Num 6:2 2×
Infinitive absolute Isa 29:14 1×
Hithpael reflexive or reciprocal — the subject acts on itself or mutually with others 1×
Imperfect Job 10:16 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Extraordinary or marvelous act.
Extraordinary acts displaying divine power.
Your wonders; extraordinary or marvelous acts beyond human ability
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 71 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
פָּלָא is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
It connects future deliverance with the miraculous pattern of the Exodus. Isaiah 25:1-5
The term highlights the extraordinary nature of God’s fulfilled purposes. Micah 7:14-17
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain