← H6334 H6336 →

פּוּשׁ

𐤐𐤅𐤔

pûwsh

H6335 verb

SILEX Entry

Root פּוּשׁ to scatter, to spread, to swell, to grow luxuriant

Definition

To disperse or scatter in a literal, physical sense (e.g., people, groups, or things being driven abroad); figuratively, to act in a self-exalting, haughty, or insolent way. The term also encompasses a sense of flourishing or growing luxuriant (e.g., in reference to animals becoming fat or people being prosperous), and may connote unruly, expansive behavior.

Semantic Range

to be scattered/dispersed, to spread abroad, to act insolently/proudly, to grow luxuriant or fat, to break forth unruly

Root / Etymology

Root פּוּשׁ (p-w-sh), meaning 'to scatter' or 'to spread.' The root is attested only in a limited set of Semitic languages. In Biblical Hebrew, the lexical evolution focuses both on spatial dispersion and the metaphor of swelling, promoting a sense of physical or social expansion.

Historical & Contextual Notes

פּוּשׁ is relatively rare in biblical texts, with usages in poetic and prophetic literature (e.g., Isaiah 24:1; Ezekiel 34:5-6). The primary sense is dispersal or scattering, often referring to displacement of people through catastrophe (Isaiah 24:1) or disarray (Ezekiel 34:5-6). In some contexts, especially in poetry, it can denote unruly growth or lavish increase (often applied metaphorically to prosperity or fatness). The figurative sense 'to act proudly' is a later, contextual semantic development, likely drawing on the imagery of being 'swollen' or spreading out arrogantly; English translations sometimes render this as 'grow up' or 'grow fat,' though the latter may obscure the more abstract sense of unruliness or self-exaltation. The word is distinct from other verbs of scattering (e.g., פָּרַד, 'to separate/divide,' or זָרָה, 'to winnow/scatter'), emphasizing disorderly or involuntary dispersal. In post-exilic literature, derivatives emphasize a negative connotation of disorder resulting from exile or divine judgment. The term is not used for voluntary migration or constructive spreading.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to spread; figuratively, act proudly; grow up, be grown fat, spread selves, be scattered.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

פוש (p-w-sh) — to scatter, to spread, to swell, to grow luxuriant

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6335-02 תָפ֨וּשׁוּ֙ tafushu HVqi2mp you frolic you spread out 1
H6335-04 וּ/פָ֖שׁוּ ufashu HC/Vqp3cp and they charge and they spread abroad 1
H6335-05 וּ/פִשְׁתֶּ֖ם ufishetem HC/Vqq2mp and-leap and you spread abroad 1
H6335-03 תפושי tfvshy HVqi2fs you frolic you spread out 1
H6335-01 נָפֹ֧שׁוּ nafoshu HVNp3cp are scattered they were scattered 1

Occurrences in Scripture

5 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6335-03 Jeremiah 50:11 תפושי tfvshy HVqi2fs you frolic you spread out
H6335-02 Jeremiah 50:11 תָפ֨וּשׁוּ֙ tafushu HVqi2mp you frolic you spread out
H6335-01 Nahum 3:18 נָפֹ֧שׁוּ nafoshu HVNp3cp are scattered they were scattered
H6335-04 Habakkuk 1:8 וּ/פָ֖שׁוּ ufashu HC/Vqp3cp and they charge and they spread abroad
H6335-05 Malachi 3:20 וּ/פִשְׁתֶּ֖ם ufishetem HC/Vqq2mp and-leap and you spread abroad
← H6334 Hebrew Lexicon H6336 →