פְּרוּדָא
Peruda or Perida, one of 'Solomon's servants'
Definition
פְּרוּדָא (Peruda or Perida) is a proper name referring to an individual listed among the 'sons of Solomon's servants' who returned from the Babylonian exile. The name appears in identical lists in Ezra 2:55 and Nehemiah 7:57, where it is recorded as either פְּרוּדָא or the variant פְּרִידָא. As a personal name, its meaning is derived from its etymological root, signifying 'separation' or 'dispersion.' It identifies a specific person within a post-exilic community group, with no other distinct meanings or applications in the biblical text.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively as a proper noun in two parallel post-exilic census lists. It appears in Ezra 2:55 and Nehemiah 7:57, identifying Peruda as a member of a group known as the 'sons of Solomon's servants.' These lists document the families who returned from Babylon to Judah. The usage is purely genealogical and administrative, with no narrative or descriptive context beyond this identification.
Etymology
The name פְּרוּדָא (or פְּרִידָא) is derived from the Hebrew root פָּרַד (pārad, H6504), meaning 'to separate, divide, or disperse.' It is a participle or nominal form related to this root. As a personal name, it likely carried a sense of 'separated one' or 'scattered one,' possibly reflecting the experience of the exile. It is cognate with words expressing division and isolation.
Semantic Range
The name appears in the context of the return from the Babylonian exile (6th century BC). Being listed among the 'sons of Solomon's servants' likely indicates Peruda belonged to a guild or class of temple servants (Nethinim) with duties tracing back to the time of Solomon. These individuals were not of the priestly tribe of Levi but were dedicated to assisting in the temple work. Their inclusion in the return lists underscores the importance of re-establishing the temple worship community.
פָּרַד (pārad, H6504) — The root verb meaning 'to separate or divide,' from which the name is derived.
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.
Full methodology & sources →