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פֶּסַח

𐤐𐤎𐤇

peçach

H6453 noun

SILEX Entry

Root פסח to pass over, to spare, to leap

Definition

The festival known as Passover, commemorating the Israelite exodus from Egypt and their deliverance from destruction, as well as the sacrificial lamb or goat (pesach sacrifice) associated with that event. The term refers primarily to the ritual observance involving the slaughter and consumption of a specific animal at a set time. In later periods, it also denotes the entire festival period.

Semantic Range

Passover sacrifice, Passover festival, ritual meal, commemoration of exodus, the animal offered for Passover, the period of the festival

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root פָּסַח (pasach), meaning 'to pass over,' 'to spare,' or 'to protect.' The nominal form פֶּסַח (pesach) refers to the rite or sacrifice associated with divine protection or passing over. Although the verbal root denotes the action of skipping or sparing, the noun specifically designates a ritual event and its associated offering.

Historical & Contextual Notes

פֶּסַח originally referred to both the sacrificial animal and the ritual itself instituted in Exodus 12, marking the deliverance of the Israelites in Egypt when destruction 'passed over' their houses. In the pre-monarchic and monarchic periods, pesach was centered on a family or, later, national sacrifice. In exilic and post-exilic periods, סמך broadened to encompass the festival week. The term became a central marker of Israelite and later Judahite identity. While the English term 'Passover' attempts to capture the idea of 'passing over,' it often obscures the specific reference to the sacrificial aspect; later translations and traditions (such as 'Easter' or 'Jewish Passover') may not fully encapsulate the biblical observance, which focused on both family and communal participation. פֶּסַח is distinct from חַג הַמַּצּוֹת ('Feast of Unleavened Bread') even though the two are closely linked in biblical texts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from פָּסַח; a pretermission, i.e. exemption; used only techically of the Jewish Passover (the festival or the victim); passover (offering).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

פסח (p-s-ḥ) — to pass over, to spare, to leap

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6452 פָּסַח he limped
H6454 פָּסֵחַ Limping-One
H6455 פִּסֵּחַ limping one

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6453-03 הַ/פֶּ֡סַח hapesach HTd/Ncmsa the Passover the Passover rite 19
H6453-02 הַ/פָּֽסַח hapasach HTd/Ncmsa the Passover the Passover rite 10
H6453-07 פֶּ֥סַח pesach HNcmsa Passover Passover sacrifice 9
H6453-01 פֶסַח֮ fesach HNcmsa the Passover Passover rite 5
H6453-06 לַ/פְּסָחִים֒ lapesachim HRd/Ncmpa for the Passover offerings to the Passover sacrifices 3
H6453-05 כַּ/פֶּ֣סַח kapesach HRd/Ncmsa like the Passover like the Passover-rite 2
H6453-04 הַ/פְּסָחִ֗ים hapesachim HTd/Ncmpa of the Passovers the Passover sacrifices 1

Occurrences in Scripture

49 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6453-07 Exodus 12:11 פֶּ֥סַח pesach HNcmsa Passover Passover sacrifice
H6453-02 Exodus 12:21 הַ/פָּֽסַח hapasach HTd/Ncmsa the Passover the Passover rite
H6453-07 Exodus 12:27 פֶּ֨סַח pesach HNcmsa Passover Passover sacrifice
H6453-02 Exodus 12:43 הַ/פָּ֑סַח hapasach HTd/Ncmsa of the Passover the Passover rite
H6453-01 Exodus 12:48 פֶסַח֮ fesach HNcmsa the Passover Passover rite
H6453-02 Exodus 34:25 הַ/פָּֽסַח hapasach HTd/Ncmsa of the Passover the Passover rite
H6453-07 Leviticus 23:5 פֶּ֖סַח pesach HNcmsa Passover Passover sacrifice
H6453-02 Numbers 9:2 הַ/פָּ֖סַח hapasach HTd/Ncmsa the Passover the Passover rite
H6453-02 Numbers 9:4 הַ/פָּֽסַח hapasach HTd/Ncmsa the Passover the Passover rite
H6453-03 Numbers 9:5 הַ/פֶּ֡סַח hapesach HTd/Ncmsa Passover the Passover rite
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