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פְּקוֹד

𐤐𐤒𐤅𐤃

Peqod

H6489 noun

SILEX Entry

Root פקד to attend to, visit, muster, appoint, punish

Definition

Pᵉqôwd is a proper noun designating a people group mentioned in prophetic literature, specifically in oracles concerning Babylon. It likely refers to a group associated with the region of Babylonia, either as an ethnic sub-group or a district of Babylon. The word also holds the sense of 'Pekod' as a geographic or tribal designation rather than an abstract noun meaning 'punishment.' Its meaning in the context of the biblical text denotes a specific group involved in the region's judgment or downfall, rather than a general concept or symbolic term.

Semantic Range

proper noun for a nation or tribe in Babylonia (Pekod); possible ethnonym or toponym in Chaldea; not used in the abstract sense of 'punishment'

Root / Etymology

The term פְּקוֹד derives from the root פקד (p-q-d), which principally means 'to attend to, visit, appoint, muster,' or 'to punish.' The formation here is as a proper noun, likely borrowed or adapted as a foreign name (either ethnonym or toponym) into Hebrew, and thus the semantic connection between the noun and the root is less direct, representing the group rather than a verbal action or quality.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Pᵉqôwd is mentioned in Ezekiel 23:23 as one of the nations aligned with Babylon in the prophet's oracles against Jerusalem. In the historical and literary context, it seems to refer either to a specific Chaldean tribe or district within Babylonia, possibly corroborated by Assyrian inscriptions mentioning a people or district called 'Pukudu.' The interpretation of the word as symbolizing 'punishment' arises from the similarity with the Hebrew verb פקד, but in the scriptural context, it is better understood as a proper name. Later English translations, including the KJV, sometimes treat it symbolically, but this does not reflect its likely original referent as a proper noun. The identification with 'punishment' is not supported by usage in the Hebrew Bible. The reference to Pᵉqôwd in Ezekiel comes during the Babylonian and exilic period, and the term does not appear in pre-exilic Israelite literature. There is no evidence that the term refers to 'Jews' or any Israelite group; it is external to Israelite identity.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from פָּקַד; punishment; Pekod, a symbolic name for Babylon; Pekod.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

פקד (p-q-d) — attend to, visit, muster, appoint, punish

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4662 מִפְקָד at mustering-of
H4663 מִפְקָד the appointed-muster site
H6485 פָּקַד I will appoint
H6486 פְּקֻדָּה their appointed oversight
H6487 פִּקָּדוֹן in an entrusted deposit

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6489-01 פְּק֑וֹד peqod HNp Pekod Pekod 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6489-01 Jeremiah 50:21 פְּק֑וֹד peqod HNp Pekod Pekod
H6489-01 Ezekiel 23:23 פְּק֤וֹד peqod HNp Pekod Pekod
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