Word Study for H6428 (פָּלַשׁ)

pâlash /paw-lash'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto roll (in dust)

KJV usageroll (wallow) self.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of pâlash — 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 pâlash, represented by H6428, is a primitive root defined as to roll (in dust); roll (wallow) self. It appears only 5 times across 4 unique verses, yet it consistently depicts a profound physical act of extreme grief or abasement.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H6428 is an action commanded or described in contexts of immense sorrow and impending judgment. The prophets use it to illustrate the proper response to catastrophic news. Jeremiah commands the "daughter of my people" to wallow thyself in ashes in the face of a coming spoiler Jeremiah 6:26. He later calls for the shepherds of the flock to wallow themselves in the ashes as their time of slaughter has arrived Jeremiah 25:34. Similarly, Ezekiel prophesies that men will cry bitterly and wallow themselves in the ashes Ezekiel 27:30. The prophet Micah uses the word twice for emphasis, commanding the house of Aphrah to roll thyself in the dust as a sign of mourning and shame Micah 1:10.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words are consistently paired with H6428 to paint a vivid picture of lamentation:

H665 ʼêpher (ashes): This substance is the most common material in which one is to wallow or roll, appearing in three of the four verses where H6428 is used (Jeremiah 6:26, Jeremiah 25:34, Ezekiel 27:30). It is a key symbol of mourning and repentance.
H6083 ʻâphâr (dust): In Micah 1:10, the command is to roll in the dust. Dust signifies humility, mortality, and the earth from which man was formed Genesis 2:7.
H8242 saq (sackcloth): This coarse loose cloth used in mourning is directly associated with wallowing in ashes as part of a complete act of grief Jeremiah 6:26.
H2199 zâʻaq (to shriek): This word for crying out from anguish is used alongside wallowing, indicating that the physical act is accompanied by audible cries of distress (Jeremiah 25:34, Ezekiel 27:30).

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H6428 lies in its raw, physical depiction of human response to divine judgment and sorrow.

Visceral Mourning: The act of wallowing is not a passive or internal state of sadness but an extreme, physical demonstration of grief. It is commanded in response to bitter lamentation, such as mourning for an only son Jeremiah 6:26.
Profound Humility: To cover oneself in dust H6083 or ashes H665 is a symbolic act of self-abasement. It is an acknowledgment of one's lowly state before God, often in the face of impending doom or destruction Jeremiah 25:34.
Expression of Desperation: Paired with acts like putting on sackcloth H8242 and crying out H2199, wallowing communicates a state of utter hopelessness and desperation. It is the final, physical plea of those facing judgment Ezekiel 27:30.

Summary

In summary, H6428 pâlash is a deeply expressive term that goes far beyond its simple definition of "to roll." Though used rarely, it provides a powerful and graphic image of biblical lament. It signifies a complete surrender to sorrow and an external manifestation of internal anguish, humility, and desperation, almost always performed in dust or ashes in response to overwhelming tragedy or divine reckoning.

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 verb across 3 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.

הִתְפַּלְּשׁוּ
הִתְפַּלְּשִׁי
יִתְפַּלָּשׁוּ

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 4 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Jeremiah (2 verses); never once in the other 36.

Jeremiah

Ezekiel

Micah

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.