פְּלִילִי
judicial
Definition
The Hebrew word פְּלִילִי (pᵉlîylîy) is an adjective meaning 'judicial' or 'pertaining to a judge or judgment.' It describes something that is of a legal, judicial, or official nature, often relating to the formal process of rendering a verdict. Its sole biblical occurrence is in Job 31:28, where Job uses it to describe a 'judicial iniquity' or a crime worthy of formal legal judgment. This specific usage highlights an offense so severe it falls under the purview of a court or divine tribunal.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in the book of Job. In Job 31:28, Job is listing potential sins he has avoided, stating that to secretly worship the sun or moon would be an iniquity for the judge (אָוֶן לַפְּלִילִי). The context is a legal self-defense, where Job asserts his integrity by declaring that even hidden idolatry would constitute a crime liable for formal judicial punishment. Its singular use in this poetic, wisdom context emphasizes the gravity of the sin as a matter for official judgment.
Etymology
The word פְּלִילִי (pᵉlîylîy) is directly derived from the root פלל (p-l-l), which is associated with the concept of judging or intervening. It is formed from the noun פָּלִיל (pālîl, H6414), meaning 'judge' or 'arbiter.' This root family is also seen in the common verb פָּלַל (pālaḷ, H6419), meaning 'to pray' or 'to intercede,' suggesting an original sense of mediating or making a judgment. Thus, פְּלִילִי carries the sense of something pertaining to the office or action of a judge.
Semantic Range
Though used only once, this word is theologically significant as it connects human moral failure directly to the concept of divine justice. In Job 31:28, Job acknowledges that certain sins are not merely personal faults but are 'judicial' offenses—crimes that demand a verdict from a higher authority, ultimately God. This reinforces the biblical view of God as the supreme Judge (e.g., Genesis 18:25) and that human actions have legal standing before His court. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of Job by highlighting the profound seriousness with which Job views his own potential sin, framing it as a capital case before the divine tribunal.
In ancient Israelite culture, the judicial system was integral to community life, with elders and appointed judges resolving disputes (Deuteronomy 16:18). The term פְּלִילִי evokes this formal legal framework. Job's use of the word implies that certain actions were universally recognized as transgressions not just against social custom, but against the established legal and moral order that reflected God's justice. This differs from a modern, purely secular understanding of law, as it inherently ties civil judgment to divine accountability.
שֹׁפֵט (shōphēṭ, H8199) — A more common term for 'judge,' referring to the person in the role, whereas פְּלִילִי describes the judicial nature of something. דִּין (dîn, H1779) — Refers to the act of judgment, a legal case, or the justice itself, rather than the adjectival quality of being 'judicial.'
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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