The Hebrew verb paras (פָּרַשׂ) means to spread out, stretch forth, or extend — used of hands spread in prayer, wings spread in protection, nets spread to catch prey, and the earth spread out at creation. The word appears frequently in prayer contexts (Exodus 9:29; 1 Kings 8:22) and in descriptions of God's wing-like protection over His people.
The gesture of paras — spreading out the hands — is the classic posture of Old Testament prayer, combining vulnerability with openness before God. Moses spreads his hands to heaven and the thunder and hail cease (Exodus 9:29,33). Solomon spreads his hands toward heaven in the great temple dedication prayer (1 Kings 8:22). Isaiah says that when Israel "spreads out their hands" in prayer while continuing in sin, God hides His eyes (Isaiah 1:15) — prayer requires moral integrity, not just physical gesture. Yet God Himself "spreads out His hands" (paras) all day long to a rebellious people (Isaiah 65:2), an image Paul quotes in Romans 10:21 to describe divine patience.