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פָּתַת

𐤐𐤕𐤕

pâthath

H6626 verb

SILEX Entry

Root פּתת to break, to crumble, to reduce to fragments

Definition

To break or crumble into pieces, primarily in the sense of crushing, pulverizing, or fragmenting an object; by extension, to cause something to be reduced to a powder or small fragments, as with grain or bread. The semantic range can also include the sense of 'to bruise' or 'to shatter.'

Semantic Range

to break into small pieces, to crush, to crumble, to pulverize, to fragment, to bruise (as a result of crumbling); breaking bread, fragmenting objects

Root / Etymology

Root פָּתַת (פתת), a verbal root whose core meaning concerns reduction, breaking, or crumbling. The derived noun form פִּתִּית (pitit) refers to crumbs or small fragments, especially of bread. The root is not widely attested outside Biblical Hebrew and has limited cognates in related Semitic languages, suggesting a Hebrew-specific development.

Historical & Contextual Notes

פָּתַת appears in a handful of texts (e.g., Judges 19:29; Ezekiel 13:19; Isaiah 58:7) where the context is literal breaking or crumbling—either of bread (to be shared among the needy) or other objects (bones, a concubine’s body). The action is physical and connotes the deliberate reduction of an object into smaller, distributable pieces. In later rabbinic Hebrew, the derived noun for crumbs (פִּתִּית) persists, but the verb itself is rare. English translations such as 'break' or 'crumble' are generally reliable, though 'break' may miss the nuance of reducing to fragments or crumbs. The root is distinct from שָׁבַר (shabar, 'to break'), which emphasizes breaking apart, often violently, but not necessarily to small pieces. פָּתַת specifically describes fragmentation or pulverization, often with the intent to distribute or consume the result. There is no evidence for a figurative or abstract use in the Hebrew Bible period.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to open, i.e. break; participle x

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

פתת (p-t-t) — breaking, crumbling, fragmenting, pulverizing

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6377 פִּיתוֹן Pithon
H6595 פַּת broken piece of

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6626-01 פָּת֤וֹת patot HVqa you shall break to crumble 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6626-01 Leviticus 2:6 פָּת֤וֹת patot HVqa you shall break to crumble
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