Original Word: פְלַגָּה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: plaggah
Pronunciation: peh-LAG-gah
Phonetic Spelling: (pel-ag-gaw')
KJV: division, river
NASB: divisions, streams
Word Origin: [from H6385 (פָּלַג - divided)]

1. a runlet, i.e. gully

division, river

From palag; a runlet, i.e. Gully -- division, river.

see HEBREW palag

Word Origin
from palag
Definition
a stream, division
NASB Translation
divisions (2), streams (1).

[מְּלַגָּה] noun feminine 1. stream

2 division; — plural מְּלַגּוֺת:

1 streams Job 20:17.

2 divisions, sections of tribe, ׳פ construct Judges 5:15,16 (read perhaps מְּלֻגּוֺת, see following), > streams..

Biblical Usage

Pelaggah appears once in the Old Testament, in Job 20:17, where it is rendered “streams”. The single use gives it a sharply focused meaning: life-giving channels of flowing water that symbolize abundant, luxurious prosperity.

Literary Context in Job

Job 20 records Zophar’s second speech, a scathing denunciation of the wicked. Verse 17 forms the climax of Zophar’s imagery:

“He will no longer enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream” (Job 20:17).

Pelaggah stands parallel to “rivers,” underscoring abundance at two levels—physical refreshment (water) and sensuous delight (honey and cream). By declaring that the wicked will never taste such streams, Zophar announces divine retribution: earthly opulence is fleeting when severed from righteousness.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Justice. The forfeiture of pelaggah dramatizes the certainty that God balances the scales. What the wicked gain unlawfully, they ultimately lose (Job 20:19–22).
2. Illusory Prosperity. Throughout Scripture water often signifies blessing (Isaiah 44:3; John 4:14). Job 20:17 flips the motif: deprivation of the stream exposes the vanity of prosperity disconnected from God.
3. Moral Accountability. Pelaggah is not merely a geographic feature; it becomes a moral barometer. Access to the life-giving stream is contingent on integrity, anticipating Psalm 1:3, where the righteous “is like a tree planted by streams of water.”

Historical and Natural Imagery

In the Ancient Near East, seasonal wadis and irrigation canals were vital. A perennial stream implied stability, fertility, and wealth. Honey and cream, costly commodities, enhance the picture. Zophar’s audience would feel the weight of losing a secure water source in an arid land—an agricultural catastrophe amounting to social ruin.

Ministry and Practical Application

• Discipleship. Pelaggah warns believers not to anchor hope in material abundance. True refreshment flows from communion with God (Jeremiah 17:7–8).
• Counseling. Job’s narrative teaches caution against simplistic judgments. Zophar’s confident verdict misreads Job’s suffering, reminding counselors to balance divine justice with compassion.
• Preaching. The image offers a vivid contrast: the dried-up stream of the wicked versus the living water Christ provides (John 7:37–38). Sermons can press the invitation to drink deeply from divine grace rather than worldly success.

Christological and Eschatological Connections

Pelaggah’s forfeited stream foreshadows the ultimate antithesis fulfilled in Revelation 22:1, where the redeemed freely drink “the river of the water of life.” In Christ the curse implied in Job 20:17 is reversed; the repentant gain access to inexhaustible refreshment (John 4:14). The passage therefore points forward to the gospel’s promise that those who come to the Lamb will never thirst.

Related Hebrew Vocabulary

• Peleg (Genesis 10:25) – division or channel
• Nahar – river

Both amplify the concept of watercourses as either blessings or boundaries depending on covenant fidelity.

See Also

Psalm 1:3; Proverbs 5:15; Isaiah 55:1; Jeremiah 2:13; John 4:10; Revelation 22:17

בִפְלַגּ֑וֹת בפלגות ḇip̄·lag·gō·wṯ ḇip̄laggōwṯ viflagGotInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts