🔼The name Pallu: Summary
- Meaning
- Distinguished, Wonderful
- Etymology
- From the verbs פלל (palal), to distinguish or discern, and פלא (pala'), to be wonderful.
🔼The name Pallu in the Bible
The name Pallu belongs to a son of Reuben, the first-born son of Jacob and Leah. He was among the sixty-six proto-Israelites to make it into Goshen (Genesis 46:9) and his progeny became known as the פלאי; Palluites (Numbers 26:5).
The authors of the Septuagint cheerfully transliterated the name Pallu as Φαλλος, which probably lead to muffled hilarity in some circles.
🔼Etymology of the name Pallu
The name Pallu relates to the verbs פלה (pala), meaning to be distinct, and פלא (pala') meaning to be wonderful:
פלל
Root פלל (palal) is all about distinguishing and discerning, and often emphasizes representation of something unseen or not present. It's frequently used in the sense of to entreat or pray on someone's behalf.
Noun תפלה (tepilla) means prayer. Noun פליל (palil) describes an inspector or umpire and noun פלילה (pelila) refers to the place at which an umpire operates; a judge's office. Adjective פלילי (pelili) means "for a judge" or "to be judged" and noun פליליה (peliliya) means verdict or assessment. Noun פול (pol) means beans (and was probably imported but fits right in).
Verb פלה (pala) means to be distinct or separated. Pronoun פלני (peloni) refers to "a certain person/place."
Verb פלא (pala') means to be extraordinary. Nouns פלא (pele') and מפלאה (mipla'a) refer to extraordinary things or deeds. Adjective פלאי (pil'i) means extraordinary.
Verb אפל ('pl) means to disappear, depart or set (of the sun). Nouns אפל ('opel), אפלה ('apela), מאפל (ma'apel) and מאפליה (ma'pelya) mean darkness. Adjective אפל ('apel) means gloomy. Adjective אפיל ('apil) means late or belated (i.e. long unseen).
Verb נפל (napal) means to fall (down, down to, into or upon). The plural form נפלים (napalim) literally means 'fallen ones' or 'settled ones'.
Noun נפל (nepel) refers to an abortion or untimely birth. Noun מפל (mappal) describes that what falls. Nouns מפלה (mappala) and מפלה (mappela) mean ruin, and noun מפלת (mapplet) refers to a ruined thing or a falling.
🔼Pallu meaning
For a meaning of the name Pallu, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads Distinguished and Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names has Separated, Distinguished.
BDB Theological Dictionary doesn't offer an interpretation of the name Pallu, but does list it under the verb פלא (pala'), meaning to be wonderful. Hence the name Pallu also means Wonder(ful).