Word Study for H6505 (פֶּרֶד)

pered /peh'-red/ Ask about this word

Meaninga mule (perhaps from his lonely habits)

KJV usagemule.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of pered — 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 pered, represented by H6505, is the term for a mule. The base definition suggests this name may come from its lonely habits. It appears 15 times across 13 unique verses, making it a notable but not overly common term in the biblical text.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, the mule H6505 is consistently portrayed as a valuable animal used for transport and as a symbol of wealth. Mules are ridden by prominent figures, such as when the king's sons H1121 fled upon their mules 2 Samuel 13:29, and most famously when Absalom rode H7392 a mule under a great H1419 oak H424, leading to his death 2 Samuel 18:9. They were also listed alongside horses H5483, silver H3701, and gold H2091 as items of tribute brought to the king year H8141 by year H8141 1 Kings 10:25. Mules also served as beasts of burden, as when Naaman requested two mules' burden H4853 of earth H127 2 Kings 5:17.

Related Words & Concepts

Several other terms for animals are often found in context with the mule, highlighting its role among other beasts of burden and signs of wealth:

H5483 sus (horse): The horse is the most frequent companion to the mule in scripture, often listed together as assets 1 Kings 18:5 or as animals that lack understanding H995 Psalms 32:9.
H2543 chamowr (ass): This term for a male ass appears with mules in lists of provisions and livestock, such as the supplies brought for joy H8057 in Israel H3478 1 Chronicles 12:40 and in a prophecy of a future plague H4046 Zechariah 14:15.
H1581 gâmâl (camel): A camel is another significant animal for transport and wealth. Camels are mentioned with mules as part of a large caravan bringing bread H3899 and other food 1 Chronicles 12:40 and are also included in the plague described in Zechariah 14:15.

Theological Significance

The use of H6505 carries several distinct thematic implications in scripture.

Status and Wealth: Mules are counted as valuable assets alongside precious metals and spices, signifying their role in royal tribute and trade (1 Kings 10:25, 2 Chronicles 9:24). The inventories in Ezra and Nehemiah specifically count the number of mules, highlighting their importance to the community's wealth Ezra 2:66.
Metaphor for Stubbornness: In a direct moral lesson, the mule is used as an example of an animal with no understanding H995 that must be controlled by a bit H4964 and bridle H7448, warning against being similarly stubborn toward God Psalms 32:9.
Instrument of Divine Events: The mule is not merely a passive animal but is involved in significant events. It is the mule that went away H5674 from under Absalom, leaving him to be caught in the oak H424 and killed 2 Samuel 18:9. It is also among the animals specified to be struck by the plague H4046 of the LORD H3068 Zechariah 14:15.

Summary

In summary, the word pered H6505 designates the mule as an animal of considerable importance in the biblical world. It functions literally as a mount for royalty and a beast of burden for goods and trade. Figuratively, it serves as a powerful symbol of wealth, a key element in historical turning points, and a poignant metaphor for the human tendency toward stubbornness that requires divine control.

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 14 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.

פְּרָדִים
פֶּרֶד
פִּרְדֵי
פִּרְדּ

Related Words

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.

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 13 verses across 11 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 2 Samuel and 1 Kings (2 verses each); never once in the other 28.

2 Samuel

1 Kings

2 Kings

1 Chronicles

2 Chronicles

Ezra

Nehemiah

Psalms

Isaiah

Ezekiel

Zechariah

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.