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פְּתִי

𐤐𐤕𐤉

pᵉthîy

H6612 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A person who is inexperienced, naïve, or lacking discernment; one who is easily influenced or led astray due to lack of knowledge, maturity, or judgment. The term often refers not to someone innately unintelligent, but to an individual open, unformed, or uncommitted, lacking wisdom or acumen, though capable of learning or being swayed.

Semantic Range

inexperienced, naïve, unformed in judgment, easily influenced, susceptible (to persuasion or seduction), lacking wisdom, teachable, undecided between wisdom and folly, easily led astray

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root פתה (p-t-h), meaning 'to be open, to be naïve, to be enticed, to be simple.' The noun פְּתִי derives from this root, indicating a state of openness or vulnerability to persuasion (not necessarily negative, but often contextually associated with susceptibility to error or folly).

Historical & Contextual Notes

פְּתִי appears often in Wisdom Literature (especially Proverbs), where it designates not a willful fool (like כְּסִיל, kəsîl), but an undeveloped person—intellectually, experientially, or morally—at a crossroads between wisdom and folly. In Proverbs, the פְּתִי is frequently addressed directly and depicted as standing to gain or lose by accepting or rejecting instruction. The term does not primarily denote mental deficiency, but instead lack of experience or formed judgment. While typically negative in implication (easily seduced, gullible, lacking prudence), it also reflects the openness and teachability of youth or inexperience. English translations such as 'simple' or 'simpleton' can capture some meanings, but often miss the nuance of moral and intellectual malleability. In post-biblical Hebrew, the meaning remains similar but may become more pejorative ('foolish person'). Care should be taken not to equate פְּתִי with later terms like 'fool' in a fixed sense or with 'child' in a neutral sense. During different periods, especially in Wisdom contexts, the פְּתִי is depicted as one at risk—liable to be led either toward wisdom or destruction.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or פֶּתִי; or פְּתָאִי; from פָּתָה; silly (i.e. seducible); foolish, simple(-icity, one).

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

פתה (pᵉthîy) — to be open, to be naïve, to be enticed, to be simple

Root פתה to be open, to be naïve, to be enticed, to be simple
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6613 פְּתַי its broadness
H6615 פְּתַיּוּת naïve susceptibility

Word Forms

9 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6612-04 פְּתָיִם֮ petayim HNcmpa naive naive ones naive ones 5
H6612-01 פְתָאיִ֣ם fetayim HNcmpa the foolish naive ones naive ones 3
H6612-02 פֶ֥תִי feti HNcmsa being simple naïve one naïve one 3
H6612-05 פֶּ֭תִי peti HNcmsa the naive naïve one naïve one 3
H6612-03 לִ/פְתָאיִ֣ם lifetayim HR/Ncmpa to the simple naïve ones to the naïve 1
H6612-06 וּ֝/פְתָיִ֗ים ufetayim HC/Aampa but the simple naïve ones simple ones 1
H6612-07 וּ/פֶ֣תִי ufeti HC/Ncmsa and-the-simple naive one and naive one 1
H6612-08 וּ/מִ/פֶּ֑תִי umipeti HC/R/Ncmsa or who is naive and from a naive one and from a naive one 1
H6612-09 בַ/פְּתָאיִ֗ם vapetayim HRd/Ncmpa among the naive among naïve ones among the naïve ones 1

Occurrences in Scripture

19 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6612-08 Ezekiel 45:20 וּ/מִ/פֶּ֑תִי umipeti HC/R/Ncmsa or who is naive and from a naive one and from a naive one
H6612-05 Psalms 19:8 פֶּֽתִי peti HNcmsa the simple naïve one the naïve one
H6612-04 Psalms 116:6 פְּתָאיִ֣ם petayim HNcmpa the simple naive ones naive ones
H6612-04 Psalms 119:130 פְּתָיִֽים petayim HNcmpa to the simple naive ones to the simple
H6612-03 Proverbs 1:4 לִ/פְתָאיִ֣ם lifetayim HR/Ncmpa to the simple naïve ones to the naïve
H6612-04 Proverbs 1:22 פְּתָיִם֮ petayim HNcmpa O simple ones naive ones naive ones
H6612-02 Proverbs 1:22 פֶ֥תִי feti HNcmsa being simple naïve one naive one
H6612-04 Proverbs 1:32 פְּתָיִ֣ם petayim HNcmpa of the simple naive ones of the naive
H6612-09 Proverbs 7:7 בַ/פְּתָאיִ֗ם vapetayim HRd/Ncmpa among the naive among naïve ones among the naïve ones
H6612-01 Proverbs 8:5 פְתָאיִ֣ם fetayim HNcmpa naive ones naive ones naive ones
H6612-02 Proverbs 9:4 פֶ֭תִי feti HNcmsa is simple naïve one naïve one
H6612-01 Proverbs 9:6 פְתָאיִ֣ם fetayim HNcmpa the foolish naive ones naive ones
H6612-02 Proverbs 9:16 פֶ֭תִי feti HNcmsa is naive naïve one naïve one
H6612-05 Proverbs 14:15 פֶּ֭תִי peti HNcmsa the naive naïve one naïve one
H6612-01 Proverbs 14:18 פְתָאיִ֣ם fetayim HNcmpa the naive naive ones naive ones
H6612-07 Proverbs 19:25 וּ/פֶ֣תִי ufeti HC/Ncmsa and-the-simple naive one and naive one
H6612-05 Proverbs 21:11 פֶּ֑תִי peti HNcmsa the naive naïve one naïve one
H6612-06 Proverbs 22:3 וּ֝/פְתָיִ֗ים ufetayim HC/Aampa but the simple naïve ones simple ones
H6612-04 Proverbs 27:12 פְּ֝תָאיִ֗ם petayim HNcmpa naive naive ones naive ones
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