← H6598 H6600 →

פִּתְגָּם

𐤐𐤕𐤂𐤌

pithgâm

H6599 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain to issue a decree, to announce officially, command

Definition

An official proclamation, command, or legally binding statement, often issued by a royal authority or governing power; also, in some contexts, a word, message, or dispatch carrying formal, authoritative weight. The term is used specifically in bureaucratic or governmental contexts where the communication carries juridical or administrative force.

Semantic Range

official order, royal command, legal decree, judicial sentence, formal proclamation, authoritative message

Root / Etymology

Borrowed from Old Persian (cf. Old Persian patigama-, 'order, command'), indicating a linguistic connection to imperial administrative vocabulary. The word was adopted into Aramaic and then Hebrew during the Persian period, reflecting the prominence of Persian legal-administrative practices in the region. The Hebrew term פִּתְגָּם is not derived from a native Hebrew root but is a loanword reflecting the influence of Persian administration.

Historical & Contextual Notes

פִּתְגָּם is found only in the later books of the Hebrew Bible, such as Daniel, Esther, and Ecclesiastes, all composed or finalized in the Persian or Hellenistic periods. Its usage is confined to formal, bureaucratic communication, such as royal decrees, judicial responses, or official edicts. It functions distinctively from more native Hebrew words for 'word' or 'speech,' such as דָּבָר (davar), in that פִּתְגָּם carries a specifically institutional or government-related legal force. English translations often render it as 'decree' or 'edict,' but in context it reflects an imported concept of bureaucratic governance. In later Aramaic and rabbinic literature, the term sometimes broadens to 'reply' or 'answer,' though this is not evident within the Hebrew Bible. Usage in Esther (e.g. Est 1:20) and Daniel (e.g. Dan 3:16) demonstrates the term’s association with Persian court procedures, orders issued to provinces, and legally binding statements. The shift to use פִּתְגָּם coincides with increased Persian administrative influence and signals a transition from Israelite tribal/judicial society to one integrated into imperial bureaucratic practice.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Persian origin; a (judicial) sentence; decree, sentence.

Bantu Hebrew

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

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

פתגם (p-t-g-m) — official decree, authoritative command, formal proclamation

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6600 פִּתְגָּם the official decree

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6599-02 פִּתְגָ֨ם pitegam HNcmsc decree official decree of 1
H6599-01 פִתְגָ֔ם fitegam HNcmsc official decree of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6599-01 Ecclesiastes 8:11 פִתְגָ֔ם fitegam HNcmsc official decree of
H6599-02 Esther 1:20 פִּתְגָ֨ם pitegam HNcmsc decree official decree of
← H6598 Hebrew Lexicon H6600 →