Hebrew word · H6287

פְּאֵר

pe'er

headdress

An ornamental head-wrap or turban; from a root meaning 'to beautify, glorify'. Worn by priests (Exod 39:28; Ezek 44:18), by a bridegroom (here), and as festive dress in general (Ezek 24:17, 23 — Ezekiel is told to keep his pe'er on instead of mourning).

Appears 7 times in 7 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

head-dress, ornament, turban

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Isaiah 61:10

Range of meaning

An ornamental head-wrap or turban; from a root meaning 'to beautify, glorify'. Worn by priests (Exod 39:28; Ezek 44:18), by a bridegroom (here), and as festive dress in general (Ezek 24:17, 23 — Ezekiel is told to keep his pe'er on instead of mourning).

Against the English

KJV 'ornaments', WEB and some others 'garland' lose the specific image of a turban and its priestly overtones. BSB 'priestly headdress' and NIV/ESV keep it.

Used elsewhere in the period

Exodus 39:28 uses the plural for the priests' decorative caps. Ezekiel 44:18 for priests' linen turbans. Isaiah 3:20 lists pe'erim among the finery of Jerusalem's women. Isaiah 61:3 promises a pe'er 'instead of ashes'.

From the study of Isaiah 61:3

Range of meaning

A headdress or turban: a wrapped cloth head-covering worn on festive or official occasions. It comes from the root p-'-r, 'to be beautiful, to adorn, to glorify'. In the reflexive form (hitpā'ēr) the verb means 'to show oneself beautiful, to glory in', or of God 'to display his splendour'.

Against the English

KJV and YLT 'beauty' translate the root's general meaning and lose the object. BSB and NIV 'crown of beauty' keep the head but suggest a royal crown rather than a cloth headdress. WEB and NASB 'garland' suggest a wreath of flowers. ESV 'a beautiful headdress' is closest. The final 'that he may be glorified' (KJV, BSB, ESV) hides the fact that it is the same root as the headdress.

How it drifted

Early English translators (Tyndale and Coverdale tradition, then KJV) followed the root's abstract sense of 'beauty' and possibly the Greek 'glory' (doxa). Because 'beauty for ashes' became a well-loved phrase, the concrete picture of headgear was forgotten.

Used elsewhere in the period

Priests' linen turbans are pa'ărê hammigbā'ōt (Exod 39:28). In Isa 61:10 the bridegroom 'puts on a pə'ēr like a priest'. In Ezek 24:17, 23 Ezekiel is told not to mourn his wife: 'bind on your pə'ēr… do not cover your lip'. Keeping the headdress on meant not mourning. Ash or dust on the head was the opposite (2 Sam 13:19; Lam 2:10). The pə'ēr/'ēper pair is a deliberate sound-play: the same three consonants in a different order. Isa 60:21 ends with the same verb as here: 'the work of my hands, lə-hitpā'ēr'.

Where it appears

Exodus · 1

  1. Exodus 39:28 פַּאֲרֵ֥י [the] head-wrap of

    as well as the turban of fine linen, the ornate headbands and undergarments of finely spun linen,

Isaiah · 3

  1. Isaiah 3:20 הַפְּאֵרִ֤ים the head-dresses

    their headdresses, ankle chains, and sashes; their perfume bottles and charms;

  2. Isaiah 61:3 פְּאֵ֜ר a turban

    to console the mourners in Zion—to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

    Here: A festive wrapped headdress of the kind worn by priests and bridegrooms. It replaces the ashes on a mourner's head. Its consonants are the same as those of 'ashes' (ʾēper) rearranged, so the reversal is heard in the words themselves.

  3. Isaiah 61:10 פְּאֵ֔ר a turban

    I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom wears a priestly headdress, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

    Here: A splendid head-wrap, the word used for priests' turbans (Exod 39:28; Ezek 44:18). It echoes 61:3, where God gives a pe'er 'instead of ashes' ('epher), the head-dust of mourning.

Ezekiel · 3

  1. Ezekiel 24:17 פְאֵֽרְךָ֙ turban your

    Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.”

  2. Ezekiel 24:23 וּפְאֵרֵכֶ֣ם and turbans your

    Your turbans will remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away because of your sins, and you will groan among yourselves.

  3. Ezekiel 44:18 פַּאֲרֵ֤י head-dresses of

    They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.