פִּסְגָּה
𐤐𐤎𐤂𐤄
Pisegah
H6449 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A geological feature denoting a summit, height, or peak—especially a prominent, elevated ridge or mountain. Most frequently refers to a specific mountain or elevated region east of the Jordan River named Pisgah. In a broader sense, can indicate a vantage-point, lookout, or high overlook, but in the Hebrew Bible almost exclusively used as a place name.
Semantic Range
summit, peak, cleft, ridge, lookout, prominent height; specific mountain east of Jordan (Pisgah)
Root / Etymology
From the root פָּסַג (pasag), meaning 'to divide, split, or cleave'. פִּסְגָּה (Pisgah) likely arose from the idea of a place that is cleft or separated, by extension denoting a peak or ridge standing out from its surroundings. The form is a feminine noun, with the place name function constructed from this root concept.
Historical & Contextual Notes
פִּסְגָּה appears in the Hebrew Bible as a proper noun, referring specifically to a prominent location in the Transjordan (east of the Jordan River), often in conjunction with Mount Nebo (see Deut 3:27; Deut 34:1; Num 21:20; Num 23:14). In its narrative contexts, Pisgah serves as a high vantage-point from which the land of Canaan can be viewed, especially by Moses. The meaning as a 'cleft' or 'peak' is rarely used generically outside these contexts; later translations sometimes treat it as a common noun ('summit,' 'height'), but the text primarily treats it as a proper place name. The term does not carry religious or political significance on its own, nor is it associated in biblical texts with later concepts tied to the region. The rendering 'Pisgah' became standard in English translations due to its place-name usage, though the underlying Hebrew can denote a general 'summit' or 'peak.' Distinct from terms like רֹאשׁ (rosh, 'head/top') and גִּבְעָה (giv‘ah, 'hill'), which have broader or different connotations.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from פָּסַג; a cleft; Pisgah, a Mountain East of Jordan; Pisgah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
פסג (p-s-g) — split, divide, cleave
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6448 | פָּסַג | Gaze out intently |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6449-01 |
הַ/פִּסְגָּ֑ה | hapisegah | HTd/Np |
of Pisgah | the Cleft Summit | 8 |
Occurrences in Scripture
8 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6449-01 |
Numbers 21:20 | הַ/פִּסְגָּ֑ה | hapisegah | HTd/Np |
of Pisgah | the Cleft Summit |
H6449-01 |
Numbers 23:14 | הַ/פִּסְגָּ֑ה | hapisegah | HTd/Np |
of Pisgah | the Cleft Summit |
H6449-01 |
Deuteronomy 3:17 | הַ/פִּסְגָּ֖ה | hapisegah | HTd/Np |
of Pisgah | the Cleft Summit |
H6449-01 |
Deuteronomy 3:27 | הַ/פִּסְגָּ֗ה | hapisegah | HTd/Np |
of Pisgah | the Cleft Summit |
H6449-01 |
Deuteronomy 4:49 | הַ/פִּסְגָּֽה | hapisegah | HTd/Np |
of Pisgah | the Cleft Summit |
H6449-01 |
Deuteronomy 34:1 | הַ/פִּסְגָּ֔ה | hapisegah | HTd/Np |
of Pisgah | the Cleft Summit |
H6449-01 |
Joshua 12:3 | הַ/פִּסְגָּֽה | hapisegah | HTd/Np |
of-Pisgah | the Cleft Summit |
H6449-01 |
Joshua 13:20 | הַ/פִּסְגָּ֖ה | hapisegah | HTd/Np |
of Pisgah | the Cleft Summit |