Word Study for H6331 (פּוּר) | Strong's Concordance

pûwr /poor/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto crush

KJV usagebreak, bring to nought

Idioms & phrasesidiom utterly take.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of pûwr — 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 pûwr, represented by H6331, is a primitive root meaning to crush, break, or bring to nought. It appears 4 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible. The term carries a sense of complete nullification, whether by thwarting plans, violating an agreement, or idiomatically, to "utterly take" something away.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its scriptural usage, H6331 describes acts of definitive breaking or annulment. It is used to illustrate God's sovereignty over the nations, where He bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought Psalms 33:10. The word also denotes a severe transgression against a divine pact, as when the Lord GOD declares that the covenant that was broken will be recompensed Ezekiel 17:19. Conversely, it is used to describe an action God will not take, promising that His lovingkindness will not be utterly taken from His servant Psalms 89:33.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help contextualize the concept of breaking and faithfulness:

H1285 bᵉrîyth (a compact... covenant, league): This is the object that is broken H6331 in Ezekiel 17:19. It represents a sacred agreement, and God is one who keeps His covenant Deuteronomy 7:9.
H6098 ʻêtsâh (advice; by implication, plan; also prudence): In Psalms 33:10, it is the counsel of the heathen that God brings to nought. This contrasts with the enduring counsel of the LORD Proverbs 19:21.
H5106 nûwʼ (to refuse, forbid... make of none effect): This word is used in parallel with H6331 in Psalms 33:10, where God makes the devices of the people of none effect, reinforcing the idea of divine frustration of human plans.
H2617 chêçêd (kindness... (loving-) kindness, mercy): This is what God promises not to "utterly take" H6331. It underscores the enduring nature of God's mercy, a foundational aspect of His character Exodus 34:6.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H6331 is significant, highlighting key doctrines about God's power and character.

Divine Sovereignty: The word demonstrates God's ultimate authority to nullify human plans. He actively bringeth to nought the counsel of the heathen, establishing that no human device can stand against His will Psalms 33:10.
Covenantal Judgment: To break H6331 a covenant with God is a grave matter. Ezekiel 17:19 shows that such actions carry consequences, with God promising to recompense the broken oath and covenant upon the offender's head.
Immutable Faithfulness: The most profound use of the term is in what God promises not to do. He will not utterly take His lovingkindness or allow His faithfulness to fail, showing that His commitment to His promises is unbreakable, even when discipline is necessary Psalms 89:33.

Summary

In summary, H6331 is a potent verb that signifies nullification and violation. It serves to illustrate the contrast between the fallibility of human plans and the steadfastness of God's purposes. While it describes God's power to crush human opposition and the serious consequences of breaking His covenant, its use in Psalms 89:33 provides a powerful assurance of God's unwavering lovingkindness and faithfulness.

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 2 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.

הֵפִיר
אָפִיר

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 3 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (2 verses); never once in the other 37.

Psalms

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.