← H6606 H6608 →

פֶּתַח

𐤐𐤕𐤇

pethach

H6607 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

An opening or entrance, typically a physical space in a wall, door, gate, tent, or other barrier that allows passage from one place to another. Frequently denotes the literal threshold or entry point but can, in context, refer to the location immediately inside or outside such an opening. The term encompasses entrances of tents, houses, city gates, temples, as well as figurative openings (e.g., to the mouth or to opportunity or threat).

Semantic Range

entrance, doorway, opening, threshold, gate entrance, tent opening, place of entry, figurative opening (e.g., opportunity, danger waiting), threshold area

Root / Etymology

From the root פ-ת-ח (פתח), which fundamentally means 'to open.' The noun פֶּתַח is derived as the result or product of the action 'to open'—that is, 'an opening' or 'entryway.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

פֶּתַח occurs throughout the Hebrew Bible, most commonly to denote the doorway or entrance to a tent, house, or city gate. In patriarchal and wilderness settings, it typically refers to a tent opening (e.g., Genesis 18:1). In the monarchic and later periods, it is frequently used for city gates or the entrances to sanctuaries and temples (e.g., 1 Kings 6:8). The term is functionally distinct from דֶּלֶת (delet, 'door'; H1817), which refers more specifically to the door or barrier itself, and from שַׁעַר (shaʿar, 'gate'; H8179), which more frequently means the large gate structure of a city or compound. פֶּתַח can also be used in proximal spatial references—at or near the entrance—and rarely in a figurative sense (e.g., Genesis 4:7: 'sin crouches at the entrance'). English translations often blur the distinctions among פתח, delet, and shaʿar, sometimes rendering פֶּתַח as 'door,' 'gate,' or 'opening' without reference to the original's specific imagery of the open space. Later Jewish tradition’s use of the term may include metaphorical applications, but these are generally absent in biblical usage.

Translation Consistency

primary "entrance" 15 occurrences

'Entrance' is the most natural single-word rendering for פֶּתַח, covering literal doorways, gates, tent openings and the immediate threshold area while also working for figurative openings (opportunity, danger). It is the most frequent P2 choice and fits typical usage better than more specialized alternatives like 'threshold'.

Alternatives (35 occurrences):
"entrance-of" (33x) "opening" (2x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from פָּתַח; an opening (literally), i.e. door (gate) or entrance way; door, entering (in), entrance (-ry), gate, opening, place.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

פתח (Yefet) — to open, be spacious, make wide, expand

Root פתח 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

30 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6607-16 פֶּ֖תַח petach HNcmsa entrance opening-of entrance-of 106
H6607-09 הַ/פֶּ֔תַח hapetach HTd/Ncmsa of the entrance the opening the entrance 10
H6607-13 לְ/פֶ֥תַח lefetach HR/Ncmsc for the entrance to the opening of to the entrance of 8
H6607-22 וּ/פֶ֣תַח ufetach HC/Ncmsc and-opening and opening-of and entrance-of 5
H6607-02 בְּ/פֶ֣תַח befetach HR/Ncmsc at the entrance at the opening of in the entrance of 4
H6607-20 פִּתְחֵ֥י pitechey HNcmpc gates openings of entrances of 4
H6607-14 מִ/פֶּֽתַח mipetach HR/Ncmsc from the door from the opening of from the entrance of 3
H6607-27 וּ/מִ/פֶּתַח֩ umipetach HC/R/Ncmsc and from entrance and from opening and from entrance 2
H6607-01 בַּ/פָּֽתַח bapatach HRd/Ncmsa in the doorway in the opening in the opening 1
H6607-03 בְּ/פִתְחֵ֖י befitechey HR/Ncmpc at the entrances of in openings of at the entrances of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

164 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6607-12 Genesis 4:7 לַ/פֶּ֖תַח lapetach HRd/Ncmsa at the door to the opening at the opening
H6607-22 Genesis 6:16 וּ/פֶ֥תַח ufetach HC/Ncmsc and the door and opening-of and entrance-of
H6607-16 Genesis 18:1 פֶּֽתַח petach HNcmsc at the entrance opening-of at the entrance of
H6607-14 Genesis 18:2 מִ/פֶּ֣תַח mipetach HR/Ncmsc from the entrance from the opening of from the entrance of
H6607-16 Genesis 18:10 פֶּ֥תַח petach HNcmsc at the entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-11 Genesis 19:6 הַ/פֶּ֑תְחָ/ה hapetechah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd to the doorway toward the opening toward the opening
H6607-16 Genesis 19:11 פֶּ֣תַח petach HNcmsc at the entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-08 Genesis 19:11 הַ/פָּֽתַח hapatach HTd/Ncmsa the door the opening the entrance
H6607-02 Genesis 38:14 בְּ/פֶ֣תַח befetach HR/Ncmsc at the entrance of at the opening of in the entrance of
H6607-16 Genesis 43:19 פֶּ֥תַח petach HNcmsc at the entrance opening-of at the entrance of
H6607-14 Exodus 12:22 מִ/פֶּֽתַח mipetach HR/Ncmsc from the door from the opening of from the entrance of
H6607-09 Exodus 12:23 הַ/פֶּ֔תַח hapetach HTd/Ncmsa the door the opening the entrance
H6607-13 Exodus 26:36 לְ/פֶ֣תַח lefetach HR/Ncmsc for the entrance to the opening of to the entrance of
H6607-16 Exodus 29:4 פֶּ֖תַח petach HNcmsc the doorway opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Exodus 29:11 פֶּ֖תַח petach HNcmsc entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Exodus 29:32 פֶּ֖תַח petach HNcmsc entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Exodus 29:42 פֶּ֥תַח petach HNcmsc at the entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Exodus 33:8 פֶּ֣תַח petach HNcmsc at the entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Exodus 33:9 פֶּ֣תַח petach HNcmsc at the entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Exodus 33:10 פֶּ֣תַח petach HNcmsc at the entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Exodus 33:10 פֶּ֥תַח petach-2 HNcmsc at the entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-09 Exodus 35:15 הַ/פֶּ֖תַח hapetach HTd/Ncmsa of the door the opening the entrance
H6607-13 Exodus 35:15 לְ/פֶ֥תַח lefetach HR/Ncmsc at the entrance to the opening of to the entrance of
H6607-13 Exodus 36:37 לְ/פֶ֣תַח lefetach HR/Ncmsc for the entrance to the opening of to the entrance of
H6607-16 Exodus 38:8 פֶּ֖תַח petach HNcmsc at the entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Exodus 38:30 פֶּ֚תַח petach HNcmsc entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Exodus 39:38 פֶּ֥תַח petach HNcmsc for the entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-09 Exodus 40:5 הַ/פֶּ֖תַח hapetach HTd/Ncmsa of the entrance the opening the entrance
H6607-16 Exodus 40:6 פֶּ֖תַח petach HNcmsc the entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Exodus 40:12 פֶּ֖תַח petach HNcmsc the doorway opening-of entrance-of
H6607-09 Exodus 40:28 הַ/פֶּ֖תַח hapetach HTd/Ncmsa of the entrance the opening the entrance
H6607-16 Exodus 40:29 פֶּ֖תַח petach HNcmsc at the entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Leviticus 1:3 פֶּ֝תַח petach HNcmsc the entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Leviticus 1:5 פֶּ֖תַח petach HNcmsc entrance of opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Leviticus 3:2 פֶּ֖תַח petach HNcmsc at the entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Leviticus 4:4 פֶּ֛תַח petach HNcmsc entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Leviticus 4:7 פֶּ֖תַח petach HNcmsc at the entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Leviticus 4:18 פֶּ֖תַח petach HNcmsc entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Leviticus 8:3 פֶּ֖תַח petach HNcmsc the door/entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Leviticus 8:4 פֶּ֖תַח petach HNcmsc the entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Leviticus 8:31 פֶּ֣תַח petach HNcmsc at the entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-27 Leviticus 8:33 וּ/מִ/פֶּתַח֩ umipetach HC/R/Ncmsc and-from entrance and from opening and from entrance
H6607-22 Leviticus 8:35 וּ/פֶתַח֩ ufetach HC/Ncmsc at the entrance and opening-of and entrance-of
H6607-27 Leviticus 10:7 וּ/מִ/פֶּתַח֩ umipetach HC/R/Ncmsc and from entrance and from opening and from entrance
H6607-16 Leviticus 12:6 פֶּ֥תַח petach HNcmsc entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Leviticus 14:11 פֶּ֖תַח petach HNcmsc entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Leviticus 14:23 פֶּ֥תַח petach HNcmsc entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Leviticus 14:38 פֶּ֣תַח petach HNcmsc the doorway opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Leviticus 15:14 פֶּ֨תַח֙ petach HNcmsc entrance opening-of entrance-of
H6607-16 Leviticus 15:29 פֶּ֖תַח petach HNcmsc the entrance opening-of entrance-of
← H6606 Hebrew Lexicon H6608 →