פּוּעָה
𐤐𐤅𐤏𐤄
Puah
H6326 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name 'Puʽah,' likely meaning 'splendid' or 'brilliant.' Used specifically for women in genealogical contexts, referring primarily to a prominent Israelite woman (an ancestress within the tribe of Issachar) and in variant form to one of the Hebrew midwives in Egypt (Exod 1:15).
Semantic Range
personal name for an Israelite woman; possibly 'splendid' or 'brilliant'; applied to tribal ancestress and midwife
Root / Etymology
Root/etymology uncertain; possibly related to a root meaning 'to glitter, to shine' or 'to call out,' but no direct attestation of this verbal root in Biblical Hebrew. Thus, the etymology remains uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
פּוּעָה serves as a feminine personal name in the Hebrew Bible, with two principal occurrences: a descendant of Issachar (Gen 46:13; Num 26:23; 1 Chr 7:1), representing an ancestral clan within the Israelite tribal system, and as one of the named Hebrew midwives in Egypt (Exod 1:15). The meaning 'brilliant' or 'splendid' is likely inferred from comparison to similar Northwest Semitic lexemes, but it is not assured. Standard English translations often render the name as 'Puah' without indicating its meaning; in some translations, when used as a personal name, there is no attempt to translate. Later traditions sometimes treat פּוּעָה as beginning Jewish resistance in Egypt, but this is anachronistic for the biblical context. The secondary form פֻּאָה (Pua) appears in parallel lists (e.g., Num 26:23). The name was given to women and is not found outside the context of genealogies and narrative roles.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to glitter; brilliancy; Puah, an Israelitess; Puah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
פוע (p-w-ʿ) — to glitter, to shine, to call out (uncertain)
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6326-01 |
פּוּעָֽה | puah | HNp |
Puah. | Shining-One | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6326-01 |
Exodus 1:15 | פּוּעָֽה | puah | HNp |
Puah. | Shining-One |