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פִּתְגָּם

𐤐𐤕𐤂𐤌

pithgâm

H6600 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

An official communication, proclamation, message, or edict; a formal word or statement often with legal, administrative, or royal connotations. The term encompasses the nuanced meanings of a formally delivered 'word,' 'edict,' 'decree,' 'official message,' or 'letter,' particularly as issued by authority.

Semantic Range

official proclamation, royal edict, formal decree, official letter, authoritative message, public statement

Root / Etymology

Borrowed from Aramaic פִּתְגָּם (pithgām), where it refers to a spoken or written statement, pronouncement, or decree. Original Hebrew root is not attested; etymology uncertain beyond the borrowing from Aramaic, where its likely root pertains to 'to speak' or 'to say' but this is not clearly established in Hebrew.

Historical & Contextual Notes

פִּתְגָּם is rare in Biblical Hebrew and is notable for being a lexical borrowing from Imperial Aramaic. Its occurrences (primarily in the Book of Esther: 1:20, 3:14, 4:8) are clustered in texts reflecting Persian period administrative context, where formal edicts, letters, or official pronouncements are a cultural hallmark of the bureaucracy. In these settings, פִּתְגָּם specifically refers to authoritative communications—royal edicts or governmental orders—issued and disseminated within the imperial system. In post-exilic Hebrew, especially in late biblical books influenced by Aramaic and Persian culture, פִּתְגָּם thus contrasts with indigenous Hebrew terms like דָּבָר (davar, 'word, matter') or אִגֶּרֶת (iggeret, 'letter'), as פִּתְגָּם places greater emphasis on formality, the official channel, and the authoritative nature of the communication. In modern contexts, it can mean 'dictum' or 'public saying,' but in the biblical context it almost always suggests an official or legally binding statement from the Persian court or bureaucracy. English translations (e.g., 'decree,' 'edict,' 'letter,' 'word') often approximate but do not consistently render the full nuance of the term related to its administrative and formal usage.

Translation Consistency

primary "decree" 5 occurrences

Pithgâm denotes an authoritative, formal public statement—legal, royal, or administrative. “Decree” is a natural, widely used noun in English Bibles that covers proclamations, edicts, and official messages while remaining concise and consistent; it avoids the adjectival awkwardness of “official” and fits the typical usage across contexts.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"matter" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to פִּתְגָּם; a word, answer, letter or decree; answer, letter, matter, word.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

uncertain (Baleadan) — uncertain

Root uncertain to speak (as Aramaic root), proclaim, declare
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1002 בִּירָה the citadel
H105 אֲגַרְטָל bowls of
H1081 בַּלְאֲדָן Baladan
H1085 בִּלְדַּד Bildad
H1095 בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר Belteshatsar

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6600-03 פִּתְגָמָ֔/א pitegama ANcmsd/Td word the official decree the official decree 4
H6600-01 פִתְגָמָ֖/א fitegama ANcmsd/Td answer the official decree the official decree 1
H6600-02 פִּתְגָ֖ם pitegam ANcmsa matter official decree of matter 1

Occurrences in Scripture

6 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6600-02 Daniel 3:16 פִּתְגָ֖ם pitegam ANcmsa matter official decree of matter
H6600-03 Daniel 4:14 פִּתְגָמָ֔/א pitegama ANcmsd/Td the matter the official decree the official decree
H6600-03 Ezra 4:17 פִּתְגָמָ֞/א pitegama ANcmsd/Td word the official decree the official decree
H6600-03 Ezra 5:7 פִּתְגָמָ֖/א pitegama ANcmsd/Td the document the official decree the official decree
H6600-01 Ezra 5:11 פִתְגָמָ֖/א fitegama ANcmsd/Td answer the official decree the official decree
H6600-03 Ezra 6:11 פִּתְגָמָ֣/א pitegama ANcmsd/Td word the official decree the official decree
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