פִּקֵּחַ
𐤐𐤒𐤇
piqqêach
H6493 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
A person who is able to see; by extension, one who is perceptive, alert, or intelligent. The term primarily refers to someone physically 'seeing' as opposed to being blind, but can also denote mental acuity or discernment, especially in contrast to folly or ignorance.
Semantic Range
seeing (ability to see), sighted (not blind), perceptive, discerning, prudent, intelligent, sensible
Root / Etymology
From the root פקח, which fundamentally means 'to open' (typically of the eyes), hence 'to cause to see.' פִּקֵּחַ is the qal active participle, meaning 'one who sees,' and by extension, 'one who is perceptive or insightful.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, פִּקֵּחַ occurs in primarily two senses: literal (someone seeing, not blind—see e.g., Leviticus 21:18, contrasting the blind and the piqqêach) and figurative (someone discerning, sensible, or prudent—see Proverbs 17:24). In its literal meaning, the term often appears alongside blind persons (עִוֵּר) in legal or ritual contexts, stressing physical sight. In the figurative sense, it refers to intellectual insight, prudence, or acumen, in contrast to folly, particularly in wisdom literature. The KJV 'wise' or 'intelligent' reflects this figurative use but can obscure the core meaning of seeing or sighted. The semantic range thus moves from the physiological (seeing) to the intellectual (insightful). The term is less frequent in post-exilic texts, but its figurative use is well attested in Proverbs and prophetic material.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from פָּקַח; clear-sighted; figuratively, intelligent; seeing, wise.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
פקח (p-q-ḥ) — to open (especially the eyes), to cause to see, to perceive
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6491 | פָּקַח | I will open |
| H6492 | פֶּקַח | Pekach the Open-Eyed |
| H6494 | פְּקַחְיָה | Yah Has Opened-Eyes |
| H6495 | פְּקַח־קוֹחַ | Open! |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6493-02 |
פִּקְחִ֔ים | piqechim | HAampa |
the-clear-sighted | seeing ones | 1 |
H6493-01 |
פִקֵּ֖חַ | fiqecha | HAamsa |
seeing | sighted one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6493-01 |
Exodus 4:11 | פִקֵּ֖חַ | fiqecha | HAamsa |
seeing | sighted one |
H6493-02 |
Exodus 23:8 | פִּקְחִ֔ים | piqechim | HAampa |
the-clear-sighted | seeing ones |