פְּתוּאֵל
𐤐𐤕𐤅𐤀𐤋
Petuel
H6602 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Pethuel is a personal name borne by an Israelite male, specifically the father of the prophet Joel. The lexical meaning of the name is interpreted as 'God opens' or 'God entices/persuades', depending on the nuance of the underlying root. The name itself contains an element referring to the deity (El), indicating the theophoric character typical of many ancient Israelite names.
Semantic Range
Pethuel (proper name), person whose name means 'God opens', 'God persuades', or 'God grants favor'; used solely as a personal name in the Hebrew Bible.
Root / Etymology
The name פְּתוּאֵל (Pethuel) is a theophoric compound comprised of the root פתה (p-t-h), generally meaning 'to open, to entice, to persuade', and אֵל (El), meaning 'God'. Thus, the name can be rendered as 'El opens' or 'El entices/persuades'. This follows a standard pattern in West Semitic onomastics of combining an action/root with a divine name to form personal names. Some subtleties exist in the nuance: while פתה in non-theophoric contexts can mean 'to open' or 'be easily persuaded', in anthroponymy it likely carries the nuance of 'God opens (the womb)' or 'God grants persuasion/favor'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name Pethuel occurs in the Hebrew Bible only in Joel 1:1, identifying the prophet Joel as the 'son of Pethuel.' There are no additional references, and thus no contextual evidence indicating more than its appearance as a proper name. In post-biblical traditions and English translations, the name is often simply transliterated. The root פתה is more commonly used in noun and verb forms in Hebrew texts, sometimes with negative connotations (enticing to deception), but within a personal name the connotation is probably positive—indicating divine favor, openness, or persuasion. The use of אֵל (El) reflects a standard Israelite theophoric naming convention. There is no evidence that Pethuel is a title or a non-Israelite; he is identified solely as an Israelite ancestor associated with the prophetic tradition. Later English and religious traditions sometimes refer to biblical Israelites as 'Jews,' but this is not historically precise for the First Temple period.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from פָּתָה and אֵל; enlarged of God; Pethuel, an Israelite; Pethuel.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
פתח (p-t-ḥ) — to open, to entice, to persuade
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3315 | יֶפֶת | to Yepheth |
| H3316 | יִפְתָּח | to He-Will-Open |
| H4668 | מַפְתֵּחַ | the opener |
| H4669 | מִפְתָּח | the opening |
| H5318 | נֶפְתּוֹחַ | Opening-Spring |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6602-01 |
פְּתוּאֵֽל | petuel | HNp |
Pethuel | God Opens | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6602-01 |
Joel 1:1 | פְּתוּאֵֽל | petuel | HNp |
Pethuel | God Opens |