Lexical Summary
Pur: Purim, Pur
Original Word:פוּר
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:Puwr
Pronunciation:poor
Phonetic Spelling:(poor)
KJV: Pur, Purim
NASB:Purim, Pur
Word Origin:[fromH6331 (פּוּר - Lot)]
1. a lot (as by means of a broken piece)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Pur, Purim
Also (plural) Puwriym {poo-reem'}; or Puriym {poo-reem'}; frompuwr; a lot (as by means of a broken piece) -- Pur, Purim.
see HEBREWpuwr
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originof uncertain derivation
Definition"a lot," a Jewish feast
NASB TranslationPur (3), Purim (5).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; perhaps Assyrian loanword from
puru, buru, stone Jen
ZA x. 339 f. and in Wild
Est p. 173 f.); Scheft
49f. compare Old Iranian
fravi, etc.,
progress, fortune, fate, lot. — explained by
Esther 3:7;
Esther 9:24;
Esther 9:26 explains name of feast
Esther 9:26;
days of PurimEsther 9:28;
Esther 9:31;
Esther 9:29,
Esther 9:32. — See on
Purim especially Now
Archaeology ii. 194 ff and references.
I. (check of following; possiblyfoam, compare Arabic (
),
,boil, ferment; Syriac
, Ethpe`el, of anger).
Topical Lexicon
OverviewPur is the term used in the Book of Esther for the lot that Haman cast to determine the day on which he planned to annihilate the Jews of the Persian Empire. Although the lot fell on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (Adar), God overturned the decree and brought about Israel’s deliverance, giving rise to the annual celebration called Purim.
Occurrences in Scripture
1.Esther 3:7
2.Esther 9:24
3.Esther 9:26 (twice)
4.Esther 9:28
5.Esther 9:29
6.Esther 9:31
7.Esther 9:32
Historical Setting
The account unfolds during the reign of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I, 486–465 BC). Haman the Agagite, elevated to the highest official post in Persia, sought revenge when Mordecai refused to bow before him. “They cast the Pur (that is, the lot) before Haman day after day” (Esther 3:7) until the chosen date emerged. What seemed random was used by God to reveal His providence, for “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD” (Proverbs 16:33).
Role of Pur in the Narrative
• Instrument of Wicked Design: Haman used the lot not merely for scheduling but to cloak his murderous intent with an aura of destiny and religious sanction.
• Marker of Providential Reversal: The long interval—eleven months—between the casting of the lot and its appointed day provided time for Esther’s courageous intervention and the king’s second edict, turning the date of planned destruction into a day of victory.
• Memorial Name: “Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word Pur” (Esther 9:26). The very name of the festival immortalizes how God overruled what was meant for evil.
Institution of the Feast of Purim
Mordecai and Queen Esther issued letters “to establish these days of Purim at their designated times” (Esther 9:31). The celebration was to be observed annually “by every family… so that these days of Purim would not fail from among the Jews, nor their remembrance perish from their descendants” (Esther 9:28). Purim includes fasting beforehand (recallingEsther 4:16), reading the Megillah (Scroll of Esther), giving gifts to the poor, and mutual feasting—acts that combine repentance, thanksgiving, and communal joy.
Theological Themes
Sovereignty of God: The casting of Pur underscores that no human scheme escapes divine governance.
Covenant Preservation: Though God’s name is absent in Esther, His steadfast commitment to His people is unmistakable.
Reversal and Redemption: The lot that signified doom becomes the emblem of deliverance, prefiguring the ultimate reversal accomplished at Calvary when the cross, an instrument of death, became the means of salvation.
Ministry Applications
• Encouragement in Peril: Believers facing hostility can remember that God’s hidden hand guides events for their good.
• Spiritual Vigilance: Like Mordecai, Christians are called to discern and expose plots against God’s people.
• Celebratory Witness: Observances of Purim, whether directly by Jewish Christians or by gentile believers drawing lessons from it, testify to the faithfulness of God and foster intergenerational teaching.
Typological Insights
Haman represents the perennial adversary who seeks to destroy the people of God; Esther, entering the king’s presence at risk of her life, foreshadows the mediatorial work of Christ; the unseen yet decisive sovereignty of God anticipates His ultimate victory over Satan. Thus Pur points beyond itself to the greater deliverance secured through the gospel.
Key Takeaways for Teaching and Preaching
1. Human plans, even when cast by “lot,” cannot override divine purpose.
2. Faithfulness and courage in seemingly ordinary roles (Esther, Mordecai) become pivotal in God’s redemptive history.
3. Memorializing God’s past acts fortifies present faith and fosters communal identity.
Pur, though a small word appearing only eight times, encapsulates the monumental truth that God turns chance into providence, threats into triumph, and mourning into rejoicing for all who trust in Him.
Forms and Transliterations
הַפֻּרִ֖ים הַפֻּרִ֨ים הַפּ֔וּר הַפּוּרִ֛ים הַפּוּרִ֣ים הפור הפורים הפרים פּוּר֙ פּוּר֩ פוּרִים֙ פור פורים fuRim hap·pu·rîm hap·pū·rîm hap·pūr hapPur happūr happuRim happurîm happūrîm p̄ū·rîm pur pūr p̄ūrîm
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