Lexical Summary
peullah: Work, deed, recompense, reward
Original Word:פְעֻלָּה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:p`ullah
Pronunciation:peh-ool-LAH
Phonetic Spelling:(peh-ool-law')
KJV: labour, reward, wages, work
NASB:recompense, work, reward, wages, deeds, labor, works
Word Origin:[feminine passive participle ofH6466 (פָּעַל - do)]
1. (abstractly) work
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
labor, reward, wages, work
Feminine passive participle ofpa'al; (abstractly) work -- labour, reward, wages, work.
see HEBREWpa'al
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
paalDefinitiona work, recompense
NASB Translationdeeds (1), labor (1), recompense (3), reward (2), wages (2), work (3), works (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] (in poetry and late); — construct
Leviticus 19:13 +, suffix
Isaiah 49:4, etc.; plural construct
Psalm 17:4, -
Psalm 28:5; —
work:
pluraldeeds ofPsalm 28:5.
,Psalm 17:4 (plural); toil, sufferingJeremiah 31:16; good action 2Chronicles 15:7, wickedIsaiah 65:7,Proverbs 11:18.
wages (as earned by work)Leviticus 19:13;Proverbs 10:16 ("" ),Ezekiel 29:20;reward (from )Isaiah 49:4;Isaiah 61:8; probably figurative of people won back by in warfareIsaiah 40:10;Isaiah 62:11 ("" ); of punishment,Psalm 109:20.
Topical Lexicon
SummaryThe Hebrew noun פְּעֻלָּה appears fourteen times in the Old Testament as a concrete term for “work done” and therefore the “wages,” “reward,” or “recompense” that justly follows. In Scripture it serves as a theological bridge between human ethics (fair payment) and divine justice (God’s perfect repayment), setting the stage for the New Testament’s doctrine of eternal reward.
Semitic Concept of Wages and Recompense
Ancient Near Eastern law codes already addressed prompt payment for hired laborers, but Israel’s Torah grounds the practice in Yahweh’s holiness. InLeviticus 19:13 Israel is forbidden to “oppress your neighbor or rob him” and commanded that “The wages you withhold overnight must not stay with you until morning”. Here פְּעֻלָּה stands for the lawful remuneration of daily workers; withholding it counts as robbery. Scripture therefore treats פְּעֻלָּה not merely as a commercial term but as a moral obligation, transgression of which desecrates covenant community life.
Human Labor and Ethical Obligation
Proverbs uses פְּעֻלָּה to contrast the destiny of the righteous and the wicked:
• “The wages of the righteous lead to life, but the gain of the wicked brings punishment” (Proverbs 10:16).
• “The wicked man earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward” (Proverbs 11:18).
Both proverbs shift attention from literal payment to the moral outcome of one’s actions. Righteous conduct ultimately yields life, highlighting how ethical labor has intrinsic spiritual dividend.
Righteousness and Divine Reward
Psalms and Isaiah elevate פְּעֻלָּה into the realm of divine recompense:
• “Because they disregard the works of the LORD and the work of His hands, He will tear them down” (Psalm 28:5).
• “See, the Lord GOD comes with power… His reward is with Him, and His recompense goes before Him” (Isaiah 40:10).
Divine “reward” or “wages” emphasize God’s unfailing memory of faithful service.Isaiah 49:4 voices the Servant’s seeming futility—“I have labored in vain… yet surely my just reward is with the LORD”—demonstrating that even when human recognition fails, God’s פְּעֻלָּה stands secure.
Divine Retribution upon the Wicked
Isaiah 65:7 deploys פְּעֻלָּה for punitive recompense: “I will repay them in full for their sins.”Ezekiel 29:20 similarly portrays Babylon receiving Egypt’s wealth as “its wages” for executing divine judgment. Thus the same noun that promises blessing also guarantees punishment, underscoring God’s impartial justice.
Eschatological Hope and Messianic Service
Isaiah 61:8 promises, “I will faithfully reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them.”Isaiah 62:11 then declares to Zion, “See, your salvation comes! Look, His reward is with Him, and His recompense goes before Him.” These prophecies merge the return from exile with Messianic hope, portraying the coming of salvation as the arrival of God’s “wages” for His people’s perseverance.
Comparative Usage Across Books
1. Torah: establishes ethical baseline (Leviticus 19:13).
2. Historical Books: motivates perseverance in reform (2 Chronicles 15:7).
3. Wisdom: contrasts outcomes of righteousness and wickedness (Proverbs 10:16; 11:18).
4. Psalms: integrates divine action and human deeds (Psalm 17:4; 28:5; 109:20).
5. Major Prophets: widens meaning to eschatological recompense, both salvific and punitive (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel).
Practical Ministry Applications
• Fair remuneration: Churches, missions, and Christian employers must honor workers promptly, reflecting God’s character and avoiding the sin of withheld פְּעֻלָּה.
• Encouragement for faithful service: Like Asa in2 Chronicles 15:7—“your work will be rewarded”—believers serving in obscure places can rest in God’s promise of unfailing recompense.
• Warning against deceptive gain: Pastoral teaching should expose “deceptive wages” (Proverbs 11:18) in modern forms—fraud, exploitation, or ministries built on manipulation.
• Hope in suffering:Isaiah 49:4 assures ministers who feel their labor is “in vain” that the LORD retains their “just reward.”
• Eschatological motivation:Isaiah 62:11 anchors evangelism and social action in the certainty that the coming King brings “His reward with Him.”
Intertestamental and New Testament Resonance
While פְּעֻלָּה is confined to the Old Testament, its theology echoes inMatthew 5:12, “Great is your reward in heaven,”1 Corinthians 3:8, “Each will receive his own reward according to his own labor,” andRevelation 22:12, “My reward is with Me to repay each one according to what he has done.” The New Testament thus universalizes the principle that the righteous will not labor in vain, and the wicked will not escape rightful recompense.
In every occurrence, פְּעֻלָּה urges God’s people to mirror His justice, trust His remembrance, and await His consummate reward.
Forms and Transliterations
וּפְעֻלָּת֖וֹ וּפְעֻלָּתִ֖י ופעלתו ופעלתי לִפְעֻלַּתְכֶֽם׃ לִפְעֻלָּתֵךְ֙ לִפְעֻלּ֣וֹת לפעלות לפעלתך לפעלתכם׃ פְּעֻלַּ֣ת פְּעֻלַּ֥ת פְּעֻלָּתוֹ֙ פְּעֻלֹּ֣ת פְעֻלַּת־ פְעֻלָּתָ֛ם פְעֻלָּתָם֙ פעלת פעלת־ פעלתו פעלתם feullat feullaTam lifullatChem lifullateCh lifulLot lip̄‘ullāṯêḵ lip̄‘ullaṯḵem lip̄‘ullōwṯ lip̄·‘ul·lā·ṯêḵ lip̄·‘ul·laṯ·ḵem lip̄·‘ul·lō·wṯ pə‘ullaṯ p̄ə‘ullaṯ- p̄ə‘ullāṯām pə‘ullāṯōw pə‘ullōṯ p̄ə·‘ul·lā·ṯām pə·‘ul·lā·ṯōw pə·‘ul·laṯ p̄ə·‘ul·laṯ- pə·‘ul·lōṯ peulLat peullaTo peulLot ū·p̄ə·‘ul·lā·ṯî ū·p̄ə·‘ul·lā·ṯōw ufeullaTi ufeullaTo ūp̄ə‘ullāṯî ūp̄ə‘ullāṯōw
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