Parshan
/parˈʃan/noun
A Jewish commentator or interpreter, especially one who explains biblical or rabbinic texts.
Did you know?Parshan belongs to the same Hebrew word-family as midrash, the interpretive tradition that searches beneath the surface of scripture for legal, ethical, and symbolic meanings.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*p-r-š
“A root associated with separating, distinguishing, and making something clear or explicit.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
פָּרַשׁ (pāraš)
“To explain, clarify, or make a matter explicit; the root also carried the sense of separating or distinguishing.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
מְפֹרָשׁ (meforash)
“Explicit, clearly explained, or plainly stated.”
Rabbinic Hebrew
Hebrew
פַּרְשָׁן (parshan)
“An interpreter or commentator who explains a text.”
Medieval Jewish scholarship
Hebrew
פַּרְשָׁן (parshan)
“A commentator, particularly an exegete of the Bible or rabbinic literature.”
Modern English
English
parshan
“A loanword used in Jewish studies and religious writing for a Jewish textual commentator.”