פּוּשׁ
𐤐𐤅𐤔
pûwsh
H6335 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To disperse or scatter in a literal, physical sense (e.g., people, groups, or things being driven abroad); figuratively, to act in a self-exalting, haughty, or insolent way. The term also encompasses a sense of flourishing or growing luxuriant (e.g., in reference to animals becoming fat or people being prosperous), and may connote unruly, expansive behavior.
Semantic Range
to be scattered/dispersed, to spread abroad, to act insolently/proudly, to grow luxuriant or fat, to break forth unruly
Root / Etymology
Root פּוּשׁ (p-w-sh), meaning 'to scatter' or 'to spread.' The root is attested only in a limited set of Semitic languages. In Biblical Hebrew, the lexical evolution focuses both on spatial dispersion and the metaphor of swelling, promoting a sense of physical or social expansion.
Historical & Contextual Notes
פּוּשׁ is relatively rare in biblical texts, with usages in poetic and prophetic literature (e.g., Isaiah 24:1; Ezekiel 34:5-6). The primary sense is dispersal or scattering, often referring to displacement of people through catastrophe (Isaiah 24:1) or disarray (Ezekiel 34:5-6). In some contexts, especially in poetry, it can denote unruly growth or lavish increase (often applied metaphorically to prosperity or fatness). The figurative sense 'to act proudly' is a later, contextual semantic development, likely drawing on the imagery of being 'swollen' or spreading out arrogantly; English translations sometimes render this as 'grow up' or 'grow fat,' though the latter may obscure the more abstract sense of unruliness or self-exaltation. The word is distinct from other verbs of scattering (e.g., פָּרַד, 'to separate/divide,' or זָרָה, 'to winnow/scatter'), emphasizing disorderly or involuntary dispersal. In post-exilic literature, derivatives emphasize a negative connotation of disorder resulting from exile or divine judgment. The term is not used for voluntary migration or constructive spreading.
Translation Consistency
The primary and most natural sense across the SILEX range is expansion or dispersal — physical scattering, spreading abroad, or bursting forth — and “spread” covers these senses in plain English. It also naturally extends to luxuriant growth (things that spread or expand) and can carry figurative senses of becoming widespread or expansive; rarer senses (insolent behavior, leaping) are less common and will be handled by context-specific choices, while “spread” gives a consistent, natural base verb for all forms.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to spread; figuratively, act proudly; grow up, be grown fat, spread selves, be scattered.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
פוש (p-w-sh) — to scatter, to spread, to swell, to grow luxuriant
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6335-02 |
תָפ֨וּשׁוּ֙ | tafushu | HVqi2mp |
you frolic | you spread out | you all become luxuriant | 1 |
H6335-04 |
וּ/פָ֖שׁוּ | ufashu | HC/Vqp3cp |
and they charge | and they spread abroad | and they charge | 1 |
H6335-05 |
וּ/פִשְׁתֶּ֖ם | ufishetem | HC/Vqq2mp |
and-leap | and you spread abroad | and you will leap | 1 |
H6335-03 |
תפושי | tfvshy | HVqi2fs |
you frolic | you spread out | you become luxuriant | 1 |
H6335-01 |
נָפֹ֧שׁוּ | nafoshu | HVNp3cp |
are scattered | they were scattered | they were scattered | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6335-03 |
Jeremiah 50:11 | תפושי | tfvshy | HVqi2fs |
you frolic | you spread out | you become luxuriant |
H6335-02 |
Jeremiah 50:11 | תָפ֨וּשׁוּ֙ | tafushu | HVqi2mp |
you frolic | you spread out | you all become luxuriant |
H6335-01 |
Nahum 3:18 | נָפֹ֧שׁוּ | nafoshu | HVNp3cp |
are scattered | they were scattered | they were scattered |
H6335-04 |
Habakkuk 1:8 | וּ/פָ֖שׁוּ | ufashu | HC/Vqp3cp |
and they charge | and they spread abroad | and they charge |
H6335-05 |
Malachi 3:20 | וּ/פִשְׁתֶּ֖ם | ufishetem | HC/Vqq2mp |
and-leap | and you spread abroad | and you will leap |