perakim

Perakim is the Hebrew term for chapters or sections within a text, most commonly used in reference to the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and related scholarly editions. The plural form perakim (singular: perek) designates the conventional divisions that help readers locate and cite passages. The word derives from the Hebrew root פרק, meaning to break up or divide, reflecting its function as a unit of text.

In usage, perakim serve as navigational and referential markers in modern editions of biblical texts and in academic works. The system of chapters is not part of the original biblical manuscripts, and the exact chapter divisions have varied over time and between traditions. Today’s widely used chapter divisions were developed in the medieval period and have been retained in most printed Hebrew and Christian Bibles. This system is distinct from, though often listed alongside, the traditional Jewish parashot, or weekly Torah portions, which are a separate scheme for dividing the text for liturgical study and reading.

Examples of perakim include Genesis, which has 50 chapters; Psalms, which contains 150 chapters; and Isaiah, which has 66 chapters. When scholars reference a passage, they typically cite it by book name and chapter number, for example, Genesis 1 or Psalms 23.

Perakim thus function as a standardized framework for organizing and discussing biblical material, supporting study, cross-referencing, and translation across languages. See also parasha, Tanakh, and biblical citation practices.