Word Study for H6297 (פֶּגֶר)

peger /peh'gher/ Ask about this word

Meaninga carcase (as limp), whether of man or beast; figuratively, an idolatrous image

KJV usagecarcase, corpse, dead body.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of peger — 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 peger, represented by H6297, refers to a carcase, corpse, or dead body. It appears 22 times across 21 unique verses, consistently describing the limp, lifeless forms of men or beasts. Figuratively, it is also used to denote an idolatrous image, connecting the idea of spiritual death with physical decay.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H6297 is primarily used to depict the aftermath of divine judgment. It describes the physical evidence of God's wrath against both Israel's enemies and His disobedient people. For example, when the angel of the LORD struck the Assyrian army, the result was a camp full of "dead corpses" (Isaiah 37:36; 2 Kings 19:35). This word also appears in prophecies of future judgment, where the "carcases" of transgressors will be a sign of God's power Isaiah 66:24. The term is also used to describe the consequences of Israel's unfaithfulness, as their "carcases" were destined to fall in the wilderness as a result of their murmuring (Numbers 14:29, 14:32).

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide a broader context for the meaning of H6297:

H1472 gᵉvîyâh (corpse): A direct synonym for a dead body. In Nahum's prophecy, it is used alongside peger to emphasize the overwhelming number of casualties: "there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses" Nahum 3:3.
H4191 mûwth (to die, kill): This word describes the action that results in a peger. In the account of the Assyrian army, the men were all found "dead" (mûwth) corpses (peger) Isaiah 37:36.
H2491 châlâl (slain): This term often specifies the cause of death for the bodies described as peger. Isaiah prophesied that the "slain" would be cast out and a stink would come up from their "carcases" Isaiah 34:3.
H1544 gillûwl (idol): This word is linked to the figurative use of peger. God warns that He will cast the "carcases" of the Israelites upon the "carcases" of their "idols" Leviticus 26:30, connecting physical death with spiritual defilement.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H6297 is tied to its powerful imagery of finality and defilement.

Symbol of Divine Judgment: The presence of a peger, whether of an individual or a multitude, serves as a stark visual representation of God's judgment against sin and rebellion. This is seen in the fate of the Philistines 1 Samuel 17:46 and the Chaldeans Jeremiah 33:5.
The Consequence of Unbelief: The generation of Israelites who refused to enter the promised land were told their "carcases" would fall in the wilderness Numbers 14:29. This establishes a direct link between a lack of faith and physical destruction.
Idolatry as Spiritual Death: The word is used to illustrate the ultimate defilement of idolatry. God equates false gods to lifeless "carcases" and threatens to place the "dead carcases" of the children of Israel before their idols Ezekiel 6:5. This connection highlights that worshipping lifeless images leads to death.

Summary

In summary, H6297 peger is more than a simple term for a corpse. It functions as a potent biblical symbol for the tangible consequences of sin, whether it is the rebellion of a nation, the idolatry of a king, or the unbelief of God's own people. Its use consistently points to the severe finality of divine judgment and the physical corruption that follows spiritual death.

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 22 occurrences, inflected in 4 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.

פִּגְרֵי
פְּגָרִים
פֶגֶר
פֶּגֶר

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 21 verses across 11 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Isaiah (4 verses); never once in the other 28.

Genesis

Leviticus

Numbers

1 Samuel

2 Kings

2 Chronicles

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Ezekiel

Amos

Nahum

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.