פִּיתוֹן

𐤐𐤉𐤕𐤅𐤍

Piton

H6377 noun

SILEX Entry

Root פתת to crumble, break into pieces, distribute (uncertain for this personal name)

Definition

Pithon — a proper noun designating an individual identified as a descendant of Jacob (Israel) through Shimon (Simeon). The name is attested in genealogical lists and functions solely as a personal or clan name, rather than as an appellative with a standalone lexical meaning in the Hebrew Bible.

Semantic Range

personal name (Israelite descendant of Simeon), does not occur with an independent lexical meaning

Root / Etymology

Root likely פ-ת-ת (פתת) or related to פֹּת (pot, 'morsel'), but connection is uncertain. Most likely, the form follows a personal naming convention with the ֹון (-on) ending. Etymology uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

פִּיתוֹן (Pithon) appears only in genealogical contexts (1 Chronicles 4:37; Genesis 46:24, as Pithon/Puhtah in some traditions) as a personal or clan name among the descendants of Simeon. The term carries no lexical meaning outside of its use as a name, and there is no evidence that it was ever used to refer to a geographic location or group apart from this personal identification. English translations typically render the name 'Pithon', though some variation such as 'Puthon' (LXX) is attested. The late English term 'Jew' is irrelevant to this context, as the referent is an early Israelite from the tribal period. The name's formation with the -on ending is a common feature in Hebrew personal names, sometimes suggestive of augmentation or endearment, but its semantic motivation in this specific case remains obscured. No known shift or development in the meaning or usage of the term across biblical periods.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably from the same as פֹּת; expansive; Pithon, an Israelite; Pithon.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

פתת (p-t-t) — to crumble, break into pieces, distribute

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6595 פַּת broken piece of
H6626 פָּתַת to crumble

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6377-01 פִּית֥וֹן piton HNp Pithon Pithon 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6377-01 1 Chronicles 8:35 פִּית֥וֹן piton HNp Pithon Pithon
H6377-01 1 Chronicles 9:41 פִּית֥וֹן piton HNp Pithon Pithon