פָּסַג
𐤐𐤎𐤂
pâçag
H6448 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To observe or look attentively, especially from a vantage point; by extension, to contemplate or thoughtfully regard. Primarily denotes the act of gazing or surveying a landscape or vista, often with connotations of careful observation or reflection rather than simple sight. In rare cases, may extend to a figurative sense of considering thoughtfully.
Semantic Range
to gaze out, to look attentively, to observe carefully (especially from a height), to contemplate thoughtfully (by extension)
Root / Etymology
Root: פסג. Likely related to the notion of 'dividing' or 'cleaving', as in cutting across or through, but in attested usage chiefly signals 'looking out' or 'gazing from above.' Derived usage emphasizes 'looking out over' (as from a height or summit), but the underlying etymology may suggest passage or separation. Actual lexical meaning focuses on perception and observation, not physical division.
Historical & Contextual Notes
פָּסַג occurs very rarely in the Hebrew Bible, notably in contexts describing visual survey from an elevated position. For example, it appears in Deuteronomy 3:27 and 32:49 in connection with Moses viewing the land from Mount Pisgah. Its usage is limited to poetic and narrative material from the early monarchic or pre-monarchic period, with no indication of later development or differing nuance in exilic or post-exilic sources. Modern translations sometimes render the term broadly (e.g., 'look,' 'see'), which can obscure its connotation of attentive or panoramic surveying from a height. The figurative use ('contemplate,' 'consider') is not attested independently but is an interpretive extension of the primary, literal sense. Distinct from רָאָה ('to see'), טָפַף ('to gaze'), and שָׁקַף ('to look out, look down'), פָּסַג is specialized for the act of surveying from a point above or apart from the main place of action.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to cut up, i.e. (figuratively) contemplate; consider.
Bantu Hebrew
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+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
פסג (p-s-g) — divide, cleave, gaze out from a height, observe attentively
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6449 | פִּסְגָּה | the Cleft Summit |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6448-01 |
פַּסְּג֥וּ | pasegu | HVpv2mp |
go around | Gaze out intently | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6448-01 |
Psalms 48:14 | פַּסְּג֥וּ | pasegu | HVpv2mp |
go around | Gaze out intently |