Original Word: פֵרָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: perah
Pronunciation: peh'-rakh
Phonetic Spelling: (pay-raw')
KJV: + mole
Word Origin: [from H6331 (פּוּר - Lot)]

1. a hole (as broken, i.e. dug)

From puwr; a hole (as broken, i.e. Dug) -- + mole. Compare chaphor.

see HEBREW puwr

see HEBREW chaphor

Strong’s Hebrew 6512 פֵרָה (pêrah) belongs to the verb family פרה “to be fruitful.” Although 6512 itself does not appear in the Hebrew text, its conceptual field—“fruit, produce, offspring, yield”—pervades Scripture through cognate forms. The term embraces literal agricultural bounty, progeny, and the metaphorical outflow of righteousness.

Root Connections and Cognate Forms

• Verb פרה (H6509): “to bear fruit” (Genesis 1:22; Genesis 17:6).
• Noun פְּרִי (H6529): “fruit/produce” (Genesis 1:29; Deuteronomy 7:13).
• Participial and adjectival uses emphasize “fruitful” or “fruit-bearing” persons, land, or wombs (Genesis 49:22; Psalm 128:3).

Because פֵרָה shares this root, every occurrence of the broader family sheds light on its theological weight.

Theology of Fruitfulness in the Torah

Fruitfulness stands at the heart of creation and covenant. Genesis opens with the divine mandate, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). The same blessing, reiterated to Noah (Genesis 9:1) and the patriarchs (Genesis 17:6; Genesis 35:11), binds progeny and land to faith-obedience. Covenant obedience in Deuteronomy secures “the fruit of your womb, the fruit of your land” (Deuteronomy 28:4), whereas disobedience threatens barrenness (Deuteronomy 28:18). Consequently, פֵרָה signifies God’s faithful provision as well as His judicial restraint.

Historical-Cultural Background

In the agrarian economy of ancient Israel, literal fruit signaled security, prosperity, and divine favor. Firstfruits offerings (Exodus 23:19; Proverbs 3:9) confessed Yahweh as owner of the harvest and anticipated more to come. Thus the worshiping community experienced פֵרָה both as daily bread and liturgical symbol.

Wisdom Literature

Proverbs links fruit to moral outcome: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life” (Proverbs 11:30). Similarly, Psalm 1:3 compares the godly man to “a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season.” In wisdom contexts, פֵרָה transcends crops to denote the harvest of character.

Prophetic Imagery

Prophets cast Israel’s future in terms of budding and bearing: “In days to come Jacob will take root; Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole world with fruit” (Isaiah 27:6). Hosea closes with Yahweh’s assurance, “Your fruitfulness comes from Me” (Hosea 14:8). Judgment or restoration is visualized in withering vines or flourishing orchards, underscoring covenant dynamics.

Inter-Testamental and Second Temple Developments

Jewish literature between Malachi and Matthew sharpened the moral metaphor, so that acts of mercy, Torah study, and proselyte gain were all reckoned as “fruit.” This background illuminates New Testament language.

Christological Fulfillment

Jesus declares, “By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:20) and identifies Himself as the sustaining Vine: “The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit” (John 15:5). The Gospel message carries forward the Hebrew vision of פֵרָה—fruit as visible evidence of covenant life, now mediated through union with Christ.

Apostolic Expansion

Paul prays that believers be “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:11) and catalogs the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23). The writer to the Hebrews exhorts, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess His name” (Hebrews 13:15). Such passages demonstrate that the Old Testament imagery of פֵרָה matures into a comprehensive ethic of Spirit-empowered living.

Ministry Implications

1. Discipleship: Fruitfulness gauges genuine faith. Pastoral care tests profession by observing Spirit-produced character.
2. Mission: Evangelism seeks not mere decisions but lasting fruit (Colossians 1:6).
3. Worship and Stewardship: Firstfruits giving remains a pattern for honoring God with resources and anticipating greater harvests.
4. Counseling and Sanctification: Barrenness—whether literal or metaphorical—invites examination of covenant fidelity, repentance, and renewed dependence on the Vine.

Eschatological Outlook

Prophecy closes with images of healed creation bearing abundant fruit (Ezekiel 47:12; Revelation 22:2). The destiny of redeemed humanity is permanent, unhindered fruitfulness, fulfilling the original mandate.

Summary

Although פֵרָה (H6512) itself is not attested in the Hebrew canon, its root family saturates Scripture with the idea of fruit—agricultural, generational, moral, and spiritual. From Eden to New Jerusalem, fruitfulness marks divine blessing, covenant loyalty, and the redemptive purpose that culminates in Christ and manifests through the Spirit in the life of the Church.