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פֵּתַח

𐤐𐤕𐤇

pêthach

H6608 noun

SILEX Entry

Root פתח to open, to loosen, to release

Definition

An opening, entryway, or aperture in a physical barrier such as a door, gate, tent, or wall; by extension, the act or condition of being open, or the space which allows passage. Used in both literal and figurative contexts to indicate an accessible place or moment of entering.

Semantic Range

opening, entryway, entrance, aperture, doorway, place of access, moment of access (figurative); locus of interaction or transition

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root פתח (p-t-ch), which means 'to open, loosen, unfasten.' פֵּתַח is a noun form denoting the result or place of opening. The formation reflects a typical nominal derivation indicating locus or instrument of the verb's action.

Historical & Contextual Notes

פֵּתַח is attested throughout the Hebrew Bible with reference to architectural or constructed openings, such as the entry of a tent (Genesis 18:1), a house (Judges 19:27), or a city gate (Judges 9:35). It can denote the threshold or area at which entrance is possible, in contrast to דֶּלֶת (delet, 'door') and שַׁעַר (sha‘ar, 'gate'), which are the barriers themselves, not the opening. In narrative and legal materials, פֵּתַח marks the locus of social interaction, encounter, or access (especially in familial, cultic, or legal contexts). Figuratively, it can refer to opportunity or initiation of action (e.g., Genesis 4:7, 'sin is crouching at the opening'). Later developments in Hebrew preserved the sense of literal 'opening' as well as metaphorical expansions relating to beginnings or opportunity. Standard English translations usually render פֵּתַח as 'opening', 'entrance', or 'doorway', but these can obscure its broader function as the place, concept, or act of access.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from פָּתַח; opening (figuratively) i.e. disclosure; entrance.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

פתח (p-t-ḥ) — to open, to unbolt, to free passage

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
H6608-01 פֵּ֖תַח petach HNcmsc The unfolding opening of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6608-01 Psalms 119:130 פֵּ֖תַח petach HNcmsc The unfolding opening of
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