פִּקָּדוֹן
𐤐𐤒𐤃𐤅𐤍
piqqâdôwn
H6487 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An item or sum entrusted to another for safekeeping, typically as a pledge, security, or deposit; something temporarily entrusted to someone else with the expectation of its return. In legal and ritual contexts, denotes a deposit or entrusted property for which the recipient is responsible.
Semantic Range
deposit, thing entrusted for safekeeping, item held in trust, property entrusted as security, item left in another's keeping, pledge (with nuance of trust, not seizure)
Root / Etymology
פִּקָּדוֹן derives from the verb פָּקַד (pakad), meaning 'to appoint, oversee, attend to, entrust.' The noun signifies the object or property entrusted to someone's care, emphasizing a transaction of responsibility rather than just ownership.
Historical & Contextual Notes
פִּקָּדוֹן appears in legal contexts such as Exodus 22:6–14, where it refers specifically to property delivered to another person for safekeeping, making the recipient legally accountable for its return or condition. The term is technical and often involves economic or legal responsibility, distinct from gifts or inheritance. Unlike מַשְׁקוֹן (mashkon, 'pledge' or 'collateral'), פִּקָּדוֹן stresses the entrusting of an item rather than its seizure as surety. In Ezekiel 12:7, it describes baggage or goods, highlighting the nuance of items entrusted or left in one's care during travel or exile. Later in Hebrew, the term maintained its sense of 'deposit,' particularly in civil law, and modern usage includes the banking sense of 'deposit.' English translations such as 'deposit,' 'pledge,' and 'thing entrusted' all capture aspects of the word but may not convey the full legalistic and relational nuance of the biblical term, which centers on trust and responsibility rather than only on contractual obligation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from פָּקַד; a deposit; that which was delivered (to keep), store.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
פקד (p-q-d) — appoint, oversee, attend to, entrust, charge
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4662 | מִפְקָד | at mustering-of |
| H4663 | מִפְקָד | the appointed-muster site |
| H6485 | פָּקַד | I will appoint |
| H6486 | פְּקֻדָּה | their appointed oversight |
| H6488 | פְּקִדֻת | oversight |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6487-02 |
הַ/פִּקָּד֔וֹן | hapiqadon | HTd/Ncmsa |
the deposit | the entrusted deposit | 1 |
H6487-03 |
לְ/פִקָּדוֹן֙ | lefiqadon | HR/Ncmsa |
for a store | for an entrusted deposit | 1 |
H6487-01 |
בְּ/פִקָּד֗וֹן | befiqadon | HR/Ncmsa |
in-a-deposit | in an entrusted deposit | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6487-03 |
Genesis 41:36 | לְ/פִקָּדוֹן֙ | lefiqadon | HR/Ncmsa |
for a store | for an entrusted deposit |
H6487-01 |
Leviticus 5:21 | בְּ/פִקָּד֗וֹן | befiqadon | HR/Ncmsa |
in-a-deposit | in an entrusted deposit |
H6487-02 |
Leviticus 5:23 | הַ/פִּקָּד֔וֹן | hapiqadon | HTd/Ncmsa |
the deposit | the entrusted deposit |