פֶּחָם
𐤐𐤇𐤌
pechâm
H6352 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A piece or fragment of charcoal or coal, typically used or produced as fuel. In biblical contexts, פֶּחָם refers to charcoal or coals, often associated with burning, heat, and fire for domestic or ritual uses. Its semantic range includes both live (burning) coals and the remains of thoroughly charred wood.
Semantic Range
charcoal, coal, burning coal, ember, piece of charred wood, material for fuel, metaphor for stirring up conflict or heat
Root / Etymology
Root: פָּחַם (p-ḥ-m), though this root is unattested as a verb in the Hebrew Bible. The nominal form פֶּחָם derives from the idea of blackness, likely linked to concepts of burning or charring wood to produce charcoal or soot. The etymology remains somewhat uncertain due to the absence of a verbal root in the biblical corpus, but comparative evidence from related Semitic languages suggests a development from the notion of blackening or becoming dark through burning.
Historical & Contextual Notes
פֶּחָם appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Proverbs 26:21; Isaiah 44:19). It denotes primarily fuel used for heating or cooking, pointing to common domestic practices in the ancient Israelite world, as well as metaphorical uses (e.g., stirring up strife like adding charcoal to embers). The term contrasts with גֶּחָלִים (geḥālîm), which refers specifically to burning coals or embers. פֶּחָם often indicates the physical substance (charcoal), whether still glowing or already cooled, rather than the more active state implied by גֶּחָלִים. Later translations sometimes use terms like "coal" or "charcoal," but in contemporary usage, the term may encompass a broader range of carbonized fuel substances. The concept of coal as mined fossil fuel is not present in the biblical period; פֶּחָם refers to vegetable charcoal produced from wood. Its rarity reflects the prevalence of firewood as the most common fuel in ancient Israel and neighboring regions. There are no significant theological or idiomatic usages, but references to כֶּתֶר (soot, blackness) and גֶּחָלִים help clarify nuance.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
perhaps from an unused root probably meaning to be black; a coal, whether charred or live; coals.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
פחם (p-ḥ-m) — to blacken, to burn black, to char
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6352-02 |
פֶּחָ֔ם | pecham | HNcmsa |
charcoal | charred coal | 2 |
H6352-01 |
בַּ/פֶּחָ֔ם | bapecham | HRd/Ncmsa |
in-the-coals | in the charcoal | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6352-01 |
Isaiah 44:12 | בַּ/פֶּחָ֔ם | bapecham | HRd/Ncmsa |
in-the-coals | in the charcoal |
H6352-02 |
Isaiah 54:16 | פֶּחָ֔ם | pecham | HNcmsa |
coals | charred coal |
H6352-02 |
Proverbs 26:21 | פֶּחָ֣ם | pecham | HNcmsa |
charcoal | charred coal |