Lexical Summary
peletah: Escape, deliverance, remnant
Original Word:פְלֵיטָה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:pleytah
Pronunciation:peh-lay-tah
Phonetic Spelling:(pel-ay-taw')
KJV: deliverance, (that is) escape(-d), remnant
NASB:escape, survivors, escaped remnant, deliverance, escaped, who escaped, escapes
Word Origin:[feminine ofH6412 (פָּלִיטּ פָּלֵיטּ פָּלֵט - Refugee)]
1. deliverance
2. (concretely) an escaped portion
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
deliverance, that is escaped, remnant
Or pletah {pel-ay-taw'}; feminine ofpaliyt; deliverance; concretely, an escaped portion -- deliverance, (that is) escape(-d), remnant.
see HEBREWpaliyt
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
palatDefinitionan escape
NASB Translationdeliverance (2), escape (7), escaped (2), escaped remnant (3), escapes (1), fugitives (1), survivors (5), what has escaped (1), who have escaped (1), who escape (1), who escaped (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(on form compare Ba
NB 144, 166); — absolute
Genesis 32:9 +,
Exodus 10:5 +; construct
2 Kings 19:30 +; —
escape, deliveranceGenesis 45:7 (E)Jeremiah 25:35.
elsewhere probably alwaysescaped remnant:
(from locusts)Exodus 10:5 (J)Joel 2:3.
of personGenesis 32:9 (J)Judges 21:17;Isaiah 15:9;Jeremiah 50:29;1 Chronicles 4:43; 2Chronicles 12:7; 20:24; 30:6;Ezra 9:8;Daniel 11:42; +2 Samuel 15:14.
specifically ofthose of Judahescaped from Assyrians2 Kings 19:30,31 (+ ) =Isaiah 37:31,32, compareIsaiah 10:20; from BabylonianNehemiah 1:2;Ezra 9:13,14,15, compareEzekiel 14:22; after 's future judgmentIsaiah 4:2; Obadiah 17;Joel 3:5.
Topical Lexicon
OverviewThe noun פְּלֵיטָה (pelitah) designates the act or state of escaping, surviving, or being delivered. Across its roughly twenty-eight occurrences it most commonly refers to a remnant spared from judgment, war, or exile. The term therefore carries deep theological weight: God’s unbroken purpose to preserve a people for Himself even amid catastrophe.
Earliest Canonical Setting
Genesis 45:7 provides the seminal usage. Joseph interprets his sufferings through the lens of divine providence: “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” The patriarchal family, threatened by famine, is rescued so that the covenant promises can continue. Pelitah here is inseparable from the Abrahamic covenant and anticipates the recurring pattern of God securing a remnant.
National Crises and Military Conflict
1. During Rehoboam’s chastening, the Lord relents after Judah humbles itself: “I will not destroy them, but will soon give them deliverance” (2 Chronicles 12:7). Pelitah becomes the concrete sign of mercy within judgment.
2. Hezekiah’s invitation to the northern tribes appeals to those “who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria” (2 Chronicles 30:6). The term gathers the survivors who are summoned back to covenant faithfulness.
3. In the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem, Isaiah prophesies that “out of Mount Zion a band of survivors” will emerge (2 Kings 19:31). The survival of Jerusalem proves that the Davidic promise cannot be annulled by foreign power.
4. Repeated battle scenes (such asJudges 21:17;2 Samuel 15:14;Jeremiah 44:28) employ pelitah for the few who elude the sword, reminding readers that human escape is finally governed by divine sovereignty.
Exile and Post-exilic Remnant
Ezra and Nehemiah give pelitah a renewed prominence.Ezra 9:8 rejoices that “for a brief moment the LORD our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant.” The word underscores God’s fidelity despite Israel’s unfaithfulness, and it motivates corporate repentance (Ezra 9:13–15). Nehemiah’s burden begins when he hears about “the Jews who had survived the exile” (Nehemiah 1:2-3). The survival of the community fuels the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls and re-establishment of covenant worship.
Prophetic Theology of Deliverance
Prophets regularly attach pelitah to eschatological hope.
•Joel 2:32: “For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has promised, among the remnant whom the LORD calls.”
•Obadiah 1:17: “But on Mount Zion there will be deliverance, and it will be holy, and the house of Jacob will reclaim their possession.”
•Isaiah 10:20-22 and 37:32 (parallel to2 Kings 19:31) present a remnant purified through judgment, safeguarded for future blessing.
•Ezekiel 6:8-10 pictures a handful of escapees whose repentance validates Yahweh’s righteous acts.
These prophecies widen pelitah from physical survival to spiritual renewal, anticipating the comprehensive salvation God will accomplish.
Covenant Continuity and Messianic Implications
The consistent preservation of a remnant protects the Messianic line. Without the pelitah from Assyria, Babylon, and later threats, the promise of a coming King would be nullified. The New Testament writers echo this theology (Romans 9:27; 11:5) by applying the remnant motif to those who believe in Jesus Christ. Therefore pelitah foreshadows the gospel’s assurance that judgment and tribulation cannot extinguish God’s redeemed people.
Pastoral and Ministry Significance
1. Assurance under Discipline: As with Judah under Shishak, divine chastening is tempered by deliverance (Hebrews 12:5-11).
2. Call to Repentance: Surviving judgment obligates renewed obedience, seen in Hezekiah’s letters and Ezra’s prayer.
3. Mission-Minded Hope: A remnant preserved in every age undergirds missionary confidence; God will always have “people for His name” (Acts 15:14).
4. Comfort amid Global Turmoil: Joel and Obadiah locate ultimate security not in political strongholds but in the Lord’s sovereign election and saving power.
Representative References
Genesis 45:7;Judges 21:17;2 Samuel 15:14;2 Kings 19:30-31;2 Chronicles 12:7;2 Chronicles 30:6;Ezra 9:8, 13-15;Nehemiah 1:2-3;Isaiah 4:2;Isaiah 10:20-22;Isaiah 37:32;Jeremiah 44:28;Lamentations 2:22;Ezekiel 6:8-9;Ezekiel 7:16;Joel 2:32;Obadiah 1:17, 20.
Key Themes for Teaching and Preaching
• God’s sovereignty preserves His purposes.
• Judgment and mercy coexist; pelitah embodies both.
• The remnant concept bridges Old and New Testaments.
• Physical rescue points to ultimate spiritual salvation in Christ.
Pelitah thus serves as a biblical thread weaving together history, prophecy, and pastoral comfort, testifying to the Lord’s unfailing commitment to secure a people for Himself.
Forms and Transliterations
הַפְּלֵטָ֖ה הַפְּלֵטָ֗ה הַפְּלֵיטָ֔ה הַפְּלֵיטָ֛ה הפלטה הפליטה וּפְלֵיטַ֣ת וּפְלֵיטָ֖ה וּפְלֵיטָֽה׃ ופליטה ופליטה׃ ופליטת לִפְלֵיטַ֖ת לִפְלֵיטַ֤ת לִפְלֵיטָ֔ה לִפְלֵיטָ֖ה לִפְלֵיטָֽה׃ לפליטה לפליטה׃ לפליטת פְּלֵטָ֔ה פְּלֵטָ֗ה פְּלֵיטַ֧ת פְּלֵיטָ֔ה פְּלֵיטָ֖ה פְּלֵיטָֽה׃ פְלֵיטָ֖ה פְלֵיטָ֗ה פלטה פליטה פליטה׃ פליטת feleiTah hap·pə·lê·ṭāh happeleiTah happeleTah happəlêṭāh lifleiTah lifleiTat lip̄·lê·ṭāh lip̄·lê·ṭaṯ lip̄lêṭāh lip̄lêṭaṯ pə·lê·ṭāh p̄ə·lê·ṭāh pə·lê·ṭaṯ peleiTah peleiTat peleTah pəlêṭāh p̄əlêṭāh pəlêṭaṯ ū·p̄ə·lê·ṭāh ū·p̄ə·lê·ṭaṯ ufeleiTah ufeleiTat ūp̄əlêṭāh ūp̄əlêṭaṯ
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