English · KJV
H6288

פְּאֹרָה

pᵉʼôrâh /peh-o-raw'/ Ask about this word
Rootor פֹּרָאה · or פֻּארָה · from פָּאַר
Meaningproperly, ornamentation, i.e. (plural) foliage (including the limbs) as bright green
KJV usagebough, branch, sprig.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of pᵉʼôrâh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word pᵉʼôrâh, represented by H6288, describes the foliage or ornamentation of a tree, translated as bough, branch, or sprig. Rooted in a word meaning "ornamentation," it evokes a sense of beautiful, bright green foliage. It appears 7 times across 7 unique verses, primarily in the prophetic books of Isaiah and Ezekiel.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H6288 is consistently used in metaphors for nations and their rulers, often depicted as great trees. In Ezekiel's elaborate allegory of a magnificent tree, its long branches H6288 are a result of abundant water, and they provide shelter for the beasts of the field (Ezekiel 31:5, Ezekiel 31:6). The beauty of this tree, with its impressive branches H6288, is said to be unrivaled by even the trees in the garden of God Ezekiel 31:8. However, this imagery is also used to describe judgment; the Lord of hosts will "lop the bough" H6288 to humble the haughty Isaiah 10:33, and the great tree's broken boughs H6288 signify its downfall Ezekiel 31:12.

Related Words & Concepts

Several other Hebrew words for branches and boughs appear alongside H6288, creating a rich botanical vocabulary:

  • H1808 dâlîyâh (branch): Defined as something dangling, like a bough. It is used in parallel with H6288 to describe both the growth of a vine and the felling of a great tree's limbs (Ezekiel 17:6, Ezekiel 31:12).
  • H5589 çᵉʻappâh (bough): This word for a twig or bough is paired with H6288 in Ezekiel's depiction of a great tree, where fowls nest in its boughs H5589 and beasts live under its branches H6288 Ezekiel 31:6.
  • H5634 çarʻappâh (bough): Also meaning a twig or bough, this term is used to describe how the tree's boughs H5634 multiplied while its branches H6288 grew long Ezekiel 31:5.
  • H905 bad (branch): This word, with a core meaning of separation or a part of something, is used to describe the primary branches H905 from which a vine shoots forth sprigs H6288 Ezekiel 17:6.

Theological Significance

The symbolic weight of H6288 is significant in prophetic warnings. It serves to illustrate key themes of power and judgment.

  • National Glory and Pride: The long and beautiful branches H6288 of the allegorical tree in Ezekiel 31 symbolize the expansive power, wealth, and influence of a mighty empire that provides for other nations (Ezekiel 31:6, Ezekiel 31:8).
  • Divine Judgment: The splendor of the foliage becomes a symbol of arrogance that invites divine retribution. The Lord's act of lopping the bough H6288 is a direct metaphor for humbling the proud and mighty Isaiah 10:33. The breaking of the boughs and the felling of the tree represents the complete destruction of the prideful nation Ezekiel 31:12.
  • Humble Growth: In contrast to the towering, prideful tree, the use of H6288 as sprigs on a low-stature vine illustrates the concept of more humble, yet productive, growth Ezekiel 17:6.

Summary

In summary, H6288 is more than a simple descriptor for a tree's limb. It functions as a powerful and specific prophetic symbol. Used almost exclusively in Isaiah and Ezekiel, pᵉʼôrâh represents the ornamental glory and visible strength of nations. This splendor can signify prosperity, but it also serves as a potent image of the pride that precedes a fall, making its beautiful branches a target for the humbling judgment of God.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 6 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • פֹּארֹתָי
  • פֹּארוֹת
  • פֻּארָה

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H1808 דָּלִיָּה from דָּלָה; something dangling, i.e. a bough; branch. H5589 סְעַפָּה feminine of סָעִיף; a twig; bough, branch. Compare סַרְעַפָּה. H5634 סַרְעַפָּה for סְעַפָּה; a twig; bough. H905 בַּד from בָּדַד; properly, separation; by implication, a part of the body, branch of atree, bar forcarrying; figuratively, c

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 7 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Ezekiel (6 verses); never once in the other 37.

1
Isaiah
6
Ezekiel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.