Lexical Summary
pere: Wild donkey
Original Word: פֶרֶא
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: pere'
Pronunciation: PEH-reh
Phonetic Spelling: (peh'-reh)
KJV: wild (ass)
NASB: wild donkey, wild donkeys
Word Origin: [from H6500 (פָּרָא - To bear fruit) in the secondary sense of running wild]
1. the onager
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
wild ass
Or pereh (Jeremiah 2:24) {peh'-reh}; from para' in the secondary sense of running wild; the onager -- wild (ass).
see HEBREW para'
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitiona wild donkey
NASB Translationwild donkey (6), wild donkeys (4).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Job 39:5 ( and
Jeremiah 2:24, but probably erroneous, compare Kö
Synt. 157 Albr
ZAW xvi (1896), 68) (probably from swiftness); — absolute
Hosea 8:9 + (so
Jeremiah 2:24 Gi; van d. H. Baer ), construct
Genesis 16:12; plural
Jeremiah 14:6 +; —
wild ass Jeremiah 14:6;
Job 6:5;
Job 39:5;
Isaiah 32:14;
Psalm 104:11;
Job 11:12 wild ass's colt;
Genesis 16:12 (J)
a wild ass of a man (Ishmael as a free nomad); figurative of wilfulness
Hosea 8:9 (see I. ); of lust
Jeremiah 2:24 (i.e. Israel's love of idolatry); of poor desert-dwellers
Job 24:5.
Topical Lexicon
Natural and Cultural Background פֶרֶא denotes the wild donkey that roams the Middle Eastern deserts in small, loosely organized bands. Agile, swift, and fiercely independent, the animal thrives where domesticated beasts cannot, subsisting on sparse vegetation and finding water in hidden places. In biblical times it was renowned for its refusal to accept a yoke, becoming a living metaphor for unbridled freedom and unwillingness to submit to restraint (cf. Job 39:5–8).
Occurrences in Scripture
1. Genesis 16:12 – the prophetic description of Ishmael.
2. Job 6:5; 11:12; 24:5; 39:5 – four distinct uses in Job’s dialogues and God’s discourse.
3. Psalm 104:11 – part of the Psalmist’s hymn celebrating God’s care for creation.
4. Isaiah 32:14 – imagery of a desolated palace overrun by wild donkeys.
5. Jeremiah 2:24; 14:6 – Jeremiah employs the animal as a figure of Judah’s stubbornness and desperation.
6. Hosea 8:9 – Israel likened to a solitary wild donkey hiring lovers among the nations.
Themes of Independence and Untamed Spirit
• Genesis 16:12: “He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” Ishmael’s descendants would mirror the animal’s independence and resilience, living on the margins yet surviving by God’s providence.
• Job 11:12 contrasts the “wild donkey colt” with a man lacking understanding, implying that without divine wisdom humanity remains as untamed as the creature.
• Jeremiah 2:24 portrays Judah pursuing sin “in her craving, snuffing the wind in her desire,” a graphic picture of uncontrolled passion.
Divine Care for the Wild and Forsaken
Job 39:5–8 reminds Job that it is the LORD who set the wild donkey free and allotted its desert home—evidence that even the most untamable life is under divine governance. Psalm 104:11 echoes the same: “They give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.” These texts balance the motif of rebellion with assurance that God sustains the unmastered, highlighting His universal providence.
Warnings and Judgment Imagery
Isaiah 32:14 foretells Jerusalem’s devastation: “The citadel will be forsaken… a haunt for wild donkeys,” signaling social collapse so complete that only desert animals remain. Jeremiah 14:6 depicts drought-stricken Judah where the wild donkey gasps for air on barren heights—an emblem of covenant curse. Hosea 8:9 uses the solitary donkey wandering to Assyria to portray Israel’s reckless alliances.
Pastoral and Homiletical Insights
• Human autonomy apart from God quickly degenerates into spiritual wildness (Job 11:12; Jeremiah 2:24).
• True freedom is not the absence of yoke but willingness to bear Christ’s yoke, which is easy and light (cf. Matthew 11:28-30).
• The Lord’s care for the untamed creature assures believers that no one is beyond His reach; even the most wayward can be redeemed (Job 39:5).
• Prophetic warnings that cities may become habitats of wild donkeys sober modern readers about societal consequences of persistent sin (Isaiah 32:14).
Summary
פֶרֶא functions in Scripture as a vivid emblem of unrestrained independence—sometimes admirable, often perilous. It illustrates Ishmael’s destiny, humanity’s need for divine wisdom, God’s universal provision, and the frightening results of covenant infidelity. Recognizing these layers deepens appreciation for God’s sovereignty, the seriousness of rebellion, and the grace that calls the wildest heart to willing obedience in Christ.
Forms and Transliterations
וּפְרָאִים֙ ופראים פְּרָאִ֖ים פְּרָאִ֨ים ׀ פְרָאִ֣ים פֶּ֖רֶא פֶּ֝֗רֶא פֶּ֣רֶא פֶּ֣רֶה ׀ פֶּ֥רֶא פרא פראים פרה feraIm pə·rā·’îm p̄ə·rā·’îm pe·re pe·reh pərā’îm p̄ərā’îm peraIm pere pereh ū·p̄ə·rā·’îm uferaIm ūp̄ərā’îm
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