Bible Word Study
פַּרְנַךְ
Parnak · Parnak, an Israelite
פַּרְנַךְ
Parnak, an Israelite
Definition
Parnak is a proper name referring to an Israelite leader from the tribe of Zebulun. He is mentioned specifically as the father of Elizaphan, who was appointed as a tribal leader to assist in the distribution of the land of Canaan. The name appears only in the context of the land allotment described in Numbers 34:25. As a proper noun, it carries no additional semantic senses beyond identifying this individual.
Biblical Usage
The word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Numbers 34:25. Its usage is strictly as a patronymic (a father's name) to identify Elizaphan, the leader chosen from the tribe of Zebulun. The context is the formal appointment of leaders who will oversee the division of the Promised Land west of the Jordan River.
Etymology
The etymology of פַּרְנַךְ (Parnak) is uncertain. Scholars have not identified a clear Hebrew root or reliable cognates in related Semitic languages. The name's meaning and derivation remain obscure, which is not uncommon for some biblical personal names.
Semantic Range
While the name Parnak itself is not theologically loaded, its inclusion highlights the theme of God's orderly provision and governance. The appointment of Elizaphan, son of Parnak, as a tribal representative for land distribution (Numbers 34:25) underscores that the allocation of the Promised Land was a deliberate, tribal act involving specific families, fulfilling God's covenantal promises to the patriarchs. In ancient Israelite culture, a person was often identified by their lineage ('son of...'). Parnak's primary significance is as a patronym, anchoring his son Elizaphan within the tribe of Zebulun. The name itself may have held a meaning now lost to us, as was common with many personal names.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]