פִּיכֹל
𐤐𐤉𐤊𐤋
Pikhol
H6369 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Pîykôl: Proper name, referring to a Philistine leader, specifically the chief of the army (commander or general) under the Philistine king Abimelech during the patriarchal narratives. The name likely means 'mouth of all' or 'the spokesman of all,' although the precise nuance as a name is uncertain. In practice, it serves as a personal name and does not appear outside narrative references to this figure.
Semantic Range
proper name of a Philistine commander, 'mouth of all' (literal), chief spokesman or leading figure (figurative, possible but unconfirmed)
Root / Etymology
Likely a compound of פֶּה (peh, 'mouth') and כֹּל (kol, 'all'), thus literally 'mouth of all.' The name form and its use as a Philistine name suggest it may be a transliteration or adaptation of a non-Hebrew (perhaps Philistine or Northwest Semitic) name. The etymology is uncertain; the literal rendering does not necessarily reflect the intended meaning as a personal name.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Pîykôl appears only in the patriarchal narratives (Genesis 21:22, 26:26), consistently as the general or chief of the army (sar-tzava) of Abimelech, king of Gerar, a southern Philistine ruler. The name functions solely as a proper noun in these contexts, with no attested common noun usage. There is no evidence that later Israelite or Judahite tradition used this name for anyone other than this Philistine official. Translation traditions sometimes anglicize it as 'Phichol,' but this obscures its non-Israelite, non-Judean contextual setting. The Philistine presence in the Genesis narratives may reflect anachronistic projection of later realities onto patriarchal times, but the name itself is presented as genuine within the text. Unlike many other biblical names, there is no record of this term being repurposed or developing further significance in Israelite history. Thus, its exegetical significance is limited to its narrative function as a marker of Philistine authority or mediation in relation to Abraham and Isaac.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
apparently from פֶּה and כֹּל; mouth of all; Picol, a Philistine; Phichol.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
פה, כל (p-h, k-l) — mouth, all
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6369-01 |
וּ/פִיכֹל֙ | ufikhol | HC/Np |
and Phicol | and Mouth-of-All | and Pikhol | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6369-01 |
Genesis 21:22 | וּ/פִיכֹל֙ | ufikhol | HC/Np |
and Phicol | and Mouth-of-All | and Pikhol |
H6369-01 |
Genesis 21:32 | וּ/פִיכֹל֙ | ufikhol | HC/Np |
and Phicol | and Mouth-of-All | and Pikhol |
H6369-01 |
Genesis 26:26 | וּ/פִיכֹ֖ל | ufikhol | HC/Np |
and Phichol | and Mouth-of-All | and Pikhol |