Original Word: פָעוּ
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Pa`uw
Pronunciation: pow or pah-ee
Phonetic Spelling: (paw-oo')
KJV: Pai, Pau
NASB: Pai, Pau
Word Origin: [from H6463 (פָּעָה - groan)]

1. screaming
2. Pau or Pai, a place in Edom

Pai, Pau

Or Pamiy {paw-ee'}; from pa'ah; screaming; Pau or Pai, a place in Edom -- Pai, Pau.

see HEBREW pa'ah

Word Origin
from paah
Definition
a place in Edom
NASB Translation
Pai (1), Pau (1). , , Genesis 36:39 = 1 Chronicles 1:50; , ^L Chronicles .

Biblical Occurrences

Paʾu (also written Pai) is named twice, both times in the record of the early kings of Edom—Genesis 36:39 and 1 Chronicles 1:49. In each passage it is the royal seat of Hadad son of Bedad (called Hadar in some English translations). Genesis states, “The name of his city was Pau” (Genesis 36:39); Chronicles preserves the variant spelling “Pai.” No other towns share the name, making Paʾu unique to these two verses.

Historical Context within Edom

The Edomite king‐list (Genesis 36:31–39; 1 Chronicles 1:43–50) presents eight successive rulers who reigned “before any king ruled over the Israelites.” This chronology reveals that Esau’s descendants organized into centralized leadership generations before Saul arose in Israel. Paʾu therefore represents an early political center in Edom, contemporary with the patriarchal or pre-exodus eras. Hadad’s victory “over Midian in the field of Moab” (Genesis 36:35) precedes him; Paʾu becomes his capital after that triumph, suggesting a period of Edomite expansion east of the Arabah.

Geographical Considerations

Although Paʾu’s exact location has not been identified, three clues help place it:

1. The city belongs to Hadad, an Edomite monarch, situating it within Edom’s traditional borders south of the Dead Sea.
2. Its appearance alongside Masrekah, Rehoboth on the River, and Avith hints that it lay among Edom’s northern towns bordering Moab and Midian.
3. Many scholars situate it near modern‐day Tafileh or in the region of the Wadi al-Ḥasa, yet absence of archaeological confirmation keeps the site uncertain.

Textual Variants and Scriptural Harmony

Genesis reads פָּו (Pau); Chronicles, פַּי (Pai). The consonantal difference of waw vs. yod is minor and common in Hebrew orthography. Both spellings point to the same town, and the narrative details (king, wife, lineage) coincide, displaying the consistency of the two accounts rather than a contradiction. Chronicles, written centuries later, preserves the earlier tradition while updating orthography for its post-exilic audience.

Theological Significance

1. God’s Providential Oversight of Nations

The Edomite list, including Paʾu, demonstrates that the Lord governs all peoples, not merely Israel (see Deuteronomy 2:5). He grants Esau’s line a territory and kings, fulfilling the promise to Abraham regarding nations descending from him (Genesis 17:6).
2. Covenant Priority

While Edom enjoys early sovereignty, Scripture later records its downfall (Obadiah 1:1–9). Paʾu’s fleeting fame thus contrasts with the enduring kingdom promises given to Jacob’s line, underscoring the permanence of God’s covenant with Israel.
3. Anticipation of Israel’s Monarchy

The notice that these kings reigned “before any king ruled over the Israelites” (Genesis 36:31) prepares readers for Israel’s eventual request for a king (1 Samuel 8). Paʾu therefore functions as a historical marker illustrating that human monarchy precedes, but never outshines, divine kingship.

Lessons for Ministry Today

• The rise and disappearance of cities like Paʾu remind believers to seek a “city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10).
• Leadership and influence, even when established early and celebrated, are temporary apart from submission to God’s overarching redemptive plan.
• God records even obscure places and people, assuring servants in hidden roles that their labor and faithfulness are noted by Him.

Related Passages for Further Study

Deuteronomy 2:12; 1 Samuel 8:5–7; Psalm 22:28; Proverbs 21:1; Isaiah 34:5–6; Obadiah 1:1–4; Malachi 1:2–4.

פָּ֑עִי פָּ֑עוּ פעו פעי pā‘î pā‘ū pā·‘î pā·‘ū Pai PauInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts

Genesis 36:39
HEB: וְשֵׁ֥ם עִיר֖וֹ פָּ֑עוּ וְשֵׁ֨ם אִשְׁתּ֤וֹ
NAS: of his city was Pau; and his wife's
KJV: of his city [was] Pau; and his wife's
INT: and the name of his city was Pau name and his wife's

1 Chronicles 1:50
HEB: וְשֵׁ֥ם עִיר֖וֹ פָּ֑עִי וְשֵׁ֨ם אִשְׁתּ֤וֹ
NAS: of his city was Pai, and his wife's
KJV: of his city [was] Pai; and his wife's
INT: and the name of his city was Pai name and his wife's

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6464
2 Occurrences

pā·‘î — 1 Occ.
pā·‘ū — 1 Occ.