בְּ/פֶ֣תַע

𐤁/𐤐𐤕𐤏

befeta

suddenly

from an unused root meaning to open (the eyes); (compare פִּתְאוֹם); a wink, i.e. moment(used only (with or without preposition) adverbially, quickly or unexpectedly; at an instant, suddenly, [idiom] very.

H6621

Numbers 6:9 · Word #5

Lexicon H6621

Lemmaפֶּתַע
Lemma (Paleo)𐤐𐤕𐤏
Transliterationpethaʻ
Strong'sH6621
In-contextsuddenly

Morphology HR/Ncmsa All morphology codes

Part of Speech N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea
Subtype c — Common — Common noun
Gender m — Masculine — Masculine
Number s — Singular — Singular
State a — Absolute — The noun stands independently

SIBI-P1 H6621-01

in an eye-opening instant

Rootפתע (p-t-ʿ)
Core Meaningsopening, suddenness, unexpectedness, instantaneity
Semantic Rangesuddenness, instantly, unexpectedly, in a moment, abruptly
Conceptual SignificanceThe term emphasizes the swiftness and unpredictability of an event, often highlighting divine intervention or abrupt change. Its imagery of the eyes opening underscores the startling, attention-commanding nature of the moment.
Morphological NotesMasculine singular noun in the absolute state (Ncmsa) with prefixed preposition בְּ ("in"). Though a noun, it functions adverbially to describe the manner or timing of an action.
Rendering RationaleThe noun פֶּתַע derives from a root meaning "to open," likely referring to the sudden opening of the eyes (a blink). Rendering it as "eye-opening instant" preserves this concrete root imagery while conveying the adverbial sense of suddenness. The prefixed בְּ is reflected by "in," and the masculine singular absolute form is preserved with the singular "instant."

AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)

Words from Root פתע (opening, suddenness, unexpectedness, instantaneity)

SILEX Code Transliteration SIBI-P1
H6597-01 befiteom in suddenness
H6621-02 feta in an eye-opening instant
H6597-02 fiteom in suddenness

Word Usage (7 occurrences of H6621)

Location Form Transliteration Meaning
Numbers 6:9 בְּ/פֶ֣תַע befeta suddenly
Numbers 35:22 בְּ/פֶ֥תַע befeta suddenly
Isaiah 29:5 לְ/פֶ֥תַע lefeta in a moment