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פֶּחָה

𐤐𐤇𐤄

pechâh

H6346 noun

SILEX Entry

Root פחא to oversee, to govern (by extension, from Akkadian root: to appoint or set over a province)

Definition

An appointed official or governor with administrative authority over a province, district, or territory, especially under foreign or imperial rule. The term refers to a ruler or overseer acting as a representative of a higher sovereign, often tasked with taxation, military conscription, and general governance within a defined jurisdiction. In the Hebrew Bible, it is most commonly used for provincial governors in the context of foreign (Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian) empires.

Semantic Range

provincial governor, imperial official, overseer of a province or district, appointed administrator, official responsible for taxation and order; rarely, commander or captain in administrative or military contexts

Root / Etymology

Of foreign, likely Akkadian origin (compare Akkadian 'pāḫātu', meaning 'province' and 'pāḫātu', 'governor'). Hebrew פֶּחָה is a loanword reflecting administrative terminology introduced through imperial contacts, especially from the Neo-Assyrian and later the Persian imperial systems.

Historical & Contextual Notes

פֶּחָה appears primarily in texts from and about the later monarchic and post-exilic periods, when Israelite and Judahite territories were provinces or districts within larger imperial frameworks. Its usage reflects the imperial administrative structure imposed by the Assyrians, Babylonians, and most prominently by the Persians. In Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel, פֶּחָה refers specifically to imperial governors—officials responsible to the central authority, not hereditary or independent local rulers. Earlier Israelite governance terms like שֹׁפֵט (shophet, 'judge') or נָשִׂיא (nasi', 'chieftain') reflect internal native structures, while פֶּחָה represents an external or imposed office. English translations often use 'governor', 'deputy', or 'official', but these sometimes obscure the foreign, bureaucratic connotation strongly associated with פֶּחָה in the biblical context. In Persian period texts, the פֶּחָה usually acts as an intermediary between the imperial center and local populations, responsible for enforcing the overlord’s policies. In later Greek/English translations, parallels are sometimes drawn to 'satrap', although the terms are not strictly synonymous—satrap denoting a higher administrative echelon.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of foreign origin; a prefect (of a city or small district); captain, deputy, governor.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

פחא (p-ḥ-ʾ) — to oversee, to govern; appointed provincial administration

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6355 פַּחַת מוֹאָב provincial governor of

Word Forms

12 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6346-05 פַּחַ֣ת pachat HNcmsc governor provincial governor of 5
H6346-07 פַּח֖וֹת pachot HNcmpa governors provincial governors 5
H6346-12 וְ/הַ/פַּחוֹת֩ vehapachot HC/Td/Ncmpa and the governors and the provincial governors 3
H6346-03 הַ/פֶּ֖חָה hapechah HTd/Ncmsa the governor the provincial governor 3
H6346-06 פַּחֲו֖וֹת pachavot HNcmpc governors provincial governors of 2
H6346-01 פַחַ֥ת fachat HNcmsc a captain provincial governor of 2
H6346-11 וּ/פַח֥וֹת ufachot HC/Ncmpc and governors and provincial governors of 2
H6346-08 פַּחוֹתֶ֖י/הָ pachoteyha HNcmpc/Sp3fs governors of her her provincial governors 2
H6346-02 הַ/פַּח֞וֹת hapachot HTd/Ncmpa governors the provincial governors 1
H6346-04 לְ/פֶחָתֶ֗/ךָ lefechatekha HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms to your governor to your provincial governor 1

Occurrences in Scripture

28 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6346-11 1 Kings 10:15 וּ/פַח֥וֹת ufachot HC/Ncmpc and governors of and provincial governors of
H6346-07 1 Kings 20:24 פַּח֖וֹת pachot HNcmpa governors provincial governors
H6346-01 2 Kings 18:24 פַחַ֥ת fachat HNcmsc governor provincial governor of
H6346-01 Isaiah 36:9 פַחַ֥ת fachat HNcmsc a captain provincial governor of
H6346-07 Jeremiah 51:23 פַּח֖וֹת pachot HNcmpa governors provincial governors
H6346-08 Jeremiah 51:28 פַּחוֹתֶ֖י/הָ pachoteyha HNcmpc/Sp3fs governors of her her provincial governors
H6346-08 Jeremiah 51:57 פַּחוֹתֶ֤י/הָ pachoteyha HNcmpc/Sp3fs governors-of-her her provincial governors
H6346-07 Ezekiel 23:6 פַּח֣וֹת pachot HNcmpa governors provincial governors
H6346-07 Ezekiel 23:12 פַּח֨וֹת pachot HNcmpa governors provincial governors
H6346-07 Ezekiel 23:23 פַּח֤וֹת pachot HNcmpa governors provincial governors
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