Lexical Summary
poal: Work, deed, act, labor
Original Word:פֹעַל
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:po`al
Pronunciation:poh-ahl
Phonetic Spelling:(po'-al)
KJV: act, deed, do, getting, maker, work
NASB:work, deeds, conduct, wages, acquisition, act, activity
Word Origin:[fromH6466 (פָּעַל - do)]
1. (concretely) an act or work
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
act, deed, do, getting, maker, work
Frompa'al; an act or work (concretely) -- act, deed, do, getting, maker, work.
see HEBREWpa'al
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
paalDefinitiondoing, deed, work
NASB Translationacquisition (1), act (1), activity (1), conduct (2), deeds (4), doings (1), something (1), thing you are making (1), wages (2), what you have done (1), work (22).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
37Proverbs 20:11 (in poetry and late, nearly = ); — absolute
Habakkuk 1:1;
Psalm 44:2, construct
Deuteronomy 33:11 +; suffix
Deuteronomy 32:4 +,
Isaiah 1:31 (Kö
ii.1,35,493 Ges
§ 93q, see below),
Jeremiah 22:13;
Isaiah 41:24, etc.; plural
2 Samuel 23:20;
1 Chronicles 11:22; —
deed, thing done:
, his work in providenceDeuteronomy 32:4;Isaiah 5:12;Job 36:24; in deliverancePsalm 44:2 (as accusative of congnate meaning with verb),Psalm 77:13 5t.; in judgmentPsalm 64:10;Psalm 95:9, as accusative of congnate meaning with verbHabakkuk 1:5.
Isaiah 41:24.
Job 24:5;Psalm 104:23; specific actRuth 2:12; of sacrificingDeuteronomy 33:11; plural ofachievements2 Samuel 23:20 =1 Chronicles 11:32; action as having moral qualityJob 34:11;Proverbs 20:11;Proverbs 24:12,29, evil impliedJeremiah 25:14;Jeremiah 50:29;Job 36:9;Psalm 28:4,Psalm 9:17;Isaiah 59:6; good actionProverbs 21:8.
work, thing made:
Isaiah 45:9,11 (of men).
Isaiah 1:31 (i.e. probably his idol Ges Checomm. Di and others; > read LagSemitic i. 5 StaZAW iii (1888), 12f.).
wages of workJeremiah 22:13;Job 7:2.
acquisition of treasuresProverbs 21:6.
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Scope of פֹעַלA deed, act, or accomplished work; the stress is on the exertion that produces an observable result.
Distribution in Scripture
Roughly thirty-eight occurrences, ranging from Deuteronomy through Habakkuk, with notable concentrations in Job and the Psalms.
The Works of the Lord
Deuteronomy 32:4 introduces the theme: “The Rock—His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice.” Job exhorts, “Remember to extol His work which men have praised in song” (Job 36:24). Psalms repeatedly celebrate these deeds:
•Psalm 28:5 — “Because they do not regard the works of the LORD or the labor of His hands, He will tear them down.”
•Psalm 111:3 — “Splendid and majestic is His work; His righteousness endures forever.”
•Psalm 77:12; 90:16; 143:5; 145:4 echo the refrain that God’s “poʽal” spans creation and redemptive history.
Human Works and Divine Retribution
Psalm 62:12 states the principle: “You will repay each man according to his deeds.”Job 34:11,Proverbs 21:8,Lamentations 3:64,Hosea 12:2, andIsaiah 59:6–18 all affirm that human “poʽal” is measured by a just God.
Wisdom Literature Emphasis
Job’s debate hinges on whether suffering corresponds to one’s “poʽal” (Job 7:2; 10:3; 34:11; 36:9). Proverbs warns that an evildoer’s work will snare him (12:14; 16:3; 21:8), urging disciples to weigh actions by their ultimate divine assessment.
Prophetic Warning and Hope
Isaiah 1:31 pictures the self-reliant “strong man” consumed with “his work.”Isaiah 45 contrasts worthless idols with the Creator’s work, while Habakkuk pleads, “LORD, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds. Revive them in our day” (Habakkuk 3:2). The prophets summon Israel to repentance by recalling both the terror and the mercy embedded in God’s “poʽal.”
Springs of Worship
Meditation on the Lord’s deeds fuels praise and intergenerational testimony. “One generation shall declare Your works to the next” (Psalm 145:4). Neglect of those works invites judgment; remembrance inspires confidence.
Ministry and Discipleship Applications
1. Preaching: Recount God’s acts to anchor faith.
2. Counseling: God’s just recompense comforts victims and warns wrongdoers.
3. Worship: Center songs on creation, exodus, cross, and resurrection.
4. Ethics: “Commit your works to the LORD” (Proverbs 16:3); reject self-righteous deeds (Isaiah 59:6).
5. Mission: Declare His works “among all peoples” (Psalm 96:3).
Christological Connections
The New Testament echoes the pattern: God “will repay each person according to what he has done” (Romans 2:6), yet Christ’s finished work secures justification and empowers “good works, which God prepared in advance” (Ephesians 2:10).
Summary
פֹעַל weaves together God’s mighty acts, human accountability, and a call to worshipful obedience. From Moses to Habakkuk, Scripture proclaims that the God whose work is perfect will bring every deed into judgment and will complete His salvation purposes.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּ֭פָעֳלָם בְּפָעֳלֶ֑ךָ בְּפֹ֣עַל בפעל בפעלך בפעלם וּפָעָלְךָ֖ וּפָעָלְכֶ֖ם וּפֹ֥עַל וּפֹעֲל֖וֹ ופעל ופעלו ופעלך ופעלכם כְּפָעֳלָ֔הּ כְּפָעֳלָ֖ם כְּפָעֳלָם֮ כְּפָעֳלֽוֹ׃ כפעלה כפעלו׃ כפעלם לְפָעֳל֑וֹ לְפָעֳלָ֑ם לפעלו לפעלם פְּעָלִ֖ים פָּֽעֳל֑וֹ פָּֽעָלְךָ֙ פָּעֳל֔וֹ פָּעֳלֵ֑ךְ פָּעֳלֶ֑ךָ פָּעֳלָ֑ם פָּעֳלֽוֹ׃ פָעֳל֑וֹ פָעֳלִֽי׃ פָעֳלֶ֑ךָ פָעֳלֽוֹ׃ פֹ֙עַל֙ פֹ֣עַל פֹּ֣עַל פֹּ֤עַל פֹּ֥עַל פעל פעלו פעלו׃ פעלי׃ פעלים פעלך פעלם bə·p̄ā·‘o·lām bə·p̄ā·‘o·le·ḵā bə·p̄ō·‘al beFoal befooLecha Befoolom bəp̄ā‘olām bəp̄ā‘oleḵā bəp̄ō‘al Foal fooLecha fooLi fooLo kə·p̄ā·‘o·lāh kə·p̄ā·‘o·lām kə·p̄ā·‘o·lōw kefooLah kefooLam kefooLo kəp̄ā‘olāh kəp̄ā‘olām kəp̄ā‘olōw lə·p̄ā·‘o·lām lə·p̄ā·‘o·lōw lefooLam lefooLo ləp̄ā‘olām ləp̄ā‘olōw pā‘āləḵā pā‘olām pā‘olêḵ pā‘oleḵā p̄ā‘oleḵā p̄ā‘olî pā‘olōw p̄ā‘olōw pā·‘ā·lə·ḵā pā·‘o·lām pā·‘o·le·ḵā p̄ā·‘o·le·ḵā pā·‘o·lêḵ p̄ā·‘o·lî pā·‘o·lōw p̄ā·‘o·lōw paaleCha pə‘ālîm pə·‘ā·lîm peaLim pō‘al p̄ō‘al pō·‘al p̄ō·‘al Poal pooLam pooLech pooLecha pooLo ū·p̄ā·‘ā·lə·ḵā ū·p̄ā·‘ā·lə·ḵem ū·p̄ō·‘ă·lōw ū·p̄ō·‘al ufaaleCha ufaaleChem uFoal ufoaLo ūp̄ā‘āləḵā ūp̄ā‘āləḵem ūp̄ō‘al ūp̄ō‘ălōw
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