PHALEG (Heb. Pēlegh). - A descendant of Shem and son of Heber; brother of Joktan and father of Reu, one of the ancestors of Abraham. He was called P. "because in his time the world was divided" (Gen. 10:25).

The most varied interpretations have been given to this phrase. Two are the most important: Dillmann, Holzinger, and Hummelauer think that it concerns the division of the earth made by Noah among his grandsons: but of such a fact there is no mention whatsoever. The ancients, still followed by several recent scholars (Hetzenauer, Vaccari), hold that it alludes to the division that occurred after the confusion of tongues (Gen. 11:1-9): "the Lord confused the languages of the whole world and from there scattered them over all the earth." This took place in the fifth generation after the flood, according to the data known today. Some understand P. as an ethnographic or geographic name, but without sufficient reason. P. begot Reu at the age of 30, and "died at 230 years, leaving sons and daughters" (Gen. 11:18 ff.). He is mentioned in Lk. 3:35.

Vincenzo M. Jacono

@incollection{ec9_phaleg_ebr_pelegh, author = {Jacono, Vincenzo Maria}, title = {Phaleg (Ebr. Pélegh)}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {IX}, pages = {1312}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1952}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/phaleg-ebr-pelegh} }

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