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פֶּקַח

𐤐𐤒𐤇

Peqach

H6492 noun

SILEX Entry

Root פּקח to open (the eyes), be alert, be watchful

Definition

A proper noun designating 'Pekach,' an Israelite military officer who became king of the northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria) during the 8th century BCE; also retains the lexical sense from the root of 'open-eyed' or 'watchful.' The word, used exclusively as a personal name in the Hebrew Bible, denotes the historical figure 'Pekach,' whose reign is described in narrative historical texts.

Semantic Range

Pekach (personal name), an Israelite military leader and king; by root, implies 'open-eyed,' 'watchful,' 'vigilant,' but attested only as a proper name in the Hebrew Bible

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root פָּקַח (p-q-ḥ), meaning 'to open (especially the eyes),' 'to be alert,' or 'to be watchful.' The formation פֶּקַח likely carries the sense of 'one who is open-eyed,' 'observant,' or 'vigilant,' which was a desirable trait reflected in personal names.

Historical & Contextual Notes

פֶּקַח appears exclusively as a personal name in the Hebrew Bible (2 Kings 15; Isaiah 7). He was a prominent military leader before leading a coup against King Pekahiah and ruling the kingdom of Israel (also known as Samaria) for about 20 years (c. 737–732 BCE). In context, the name may have evoked the idea of someone alert, vigilant, or insightful—a quality perhaps valued in leaders or warriors. The translation 'Pekah' is a direct transliteration; English Bibles occasionally render the name without further comment, but the KJV and most modern translations consistently use the form 'Pekah.' There is no evidence the name was used outside this historical context in the Hebrew Bible, and it is not associated with later ethnic or religious identities such as Judeans or practitioners of Judaism. The Semitic naming pattern (given names reflecting valued traits) is common; compare names like פִּנְחָס (Pinchas) or זְכַרְיָה (Zekharyah). The root sense of 'open-eyed' or 'alert' is retained in various Hebrew words, but as a name, פֶּקַח is specific to this Israelite king and possibly reflects the Israelite tradition of embedding character traits in personal names.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from פָּקַח; watch; Pekach, an Israelite king; Pekah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

פקח (p-q-ḥ) — to open (the eyes), be alert, be watchful

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6491 פָּקַח I will open
H6493 פִּקֵּחַ sighted one
H6494 פְּקַחְיָה Yah Has Opened-Eyes
H6495 פְּקַח־קוֹחַ Open!

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6492-03 פֶּ֨קַח peqach HNp Pekah Open your eyes! 6
H6492-02 לְ/פֶ֥קַח lefeqach HR/Np of Pekah to Pekach 2
H6492-04 וּ/פֶ֨קַח ufeqach HC/Np and Pekah and Open-eyed-one 2
H6492-01 פֶ֖קַח feqach HNp of Pekah Pekach the Open-Eyed 1

Occurrences in Scripture

11 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6492-03 2 Kings 15:25 פֶּ֨קַח peqach HNp Pekah Open your eyes!
H6492-03 2 Kings 15:27 פֶּ֣קַח peqach HNp Pekah Open your eyes!
H6492-03 2 Kings 15:29 פֶּ֣קַח peqach HNp Pekah Open your eyes!
H6492-03 2 Kings 15:30 פֶּ֨קַח֙ peqach HNp Pekah Open your eyes!
H6492-01 2 Kings 15:31 פֶ֖קַח feqach HNp of Pekah Pekach the Open-Eyed
H6492-02 2 Kings 15:32 לְ/פֶ֥קַח lefeqach HR/Np of Pekah to Pekach
H6492-03 2 Kings 15:37 פֶּ֥קַח peqach HNp Pekah Open your eyes!
H6492-02 2 Kings 16:1 לְ/פֶ֖קַח lefeqach HR/Np to Pekah to Pekach
H6492-04 2 Kings 16:5 וּ/פֶ֨קַח ufeqach HC/Np and Pekah and Open-eyed-one
H6492-04 Isaiah 7:1 וּ/פֶ֨קַח ufeqach HC/Np and Pekah and Open-eyed-one
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