פּוּנִי (pu.ni)
pu.ni
Punite
N:N--PGQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--PG
Word Overview
The noun Puni refers to a descendant of Puah, one of the sons of Issachar. In the biblical record, this term functions as a gentilic, identifying members of a specific family line within the tribe. The name Puah itself carries the sense of being scattered or broken, which likely influenced the designation for his offspring.
This word appears only once in Scripture, in Numbers 26:23, where it lists the families of Issachar during the census in the wilderness. It corresponds to the mention of Puah in Genesis 46:13, though that earlier passage uses a slightly different form, Puvah. The single occurrence serves as a genealogical marker, preserving the memory of this branch of Issachar’s descendants as they prepared to enter the land of Canaan.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Names in Scripture often serve as anchors for memory, connecting us to a larger story than our own. The word Puni appears only once in the Bible, marking a specific family line within the tribe of Issachar. While it might seem like a minor detail in a long list of names, it reminds us that God knows each individual by name and value.
This single mention in Numbers 26:23 preserves the identity of the Punites as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. It shows that every branch of Israel, no matter how small, was counted and remembered. For you, this can be a comfort: your place in God’s family is just as intentional and recorded as these ancient names.
Even when we feel like a small part of a vast history, we are known personally by the Creator. The preservation of such specific names invites us to trust that nothing in our lives is overlooked or forgotten by Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ Punite[s]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/פּוּנִֽי\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Numbers 26:23
The sons of Issachar after their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the family of the Punites;
This verse explicitly lists the Punites as a distinct family unit within Issachar, confirming their identity during the wilderness census.