פֶּחָם (pe.cham)
pe.cham
coal
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun peham refers to coal or charcoal, specifically in its burning state as an ember. It appears only three times in the Old Testament, primarily within poetic and prophetic literature like Isaiah and Proverbs. The word captures the physical reality of fuel that has been consumed by fire, leaving behind glowing heat rather than active flame.
In these texts, peham often serves as a vivid image for intensity or judgment. For instance, Isaiah uses the imagery of burning coals to describe the refining process or the consequences of divine action, such as in Isaiah 47:14 where enemies are consumed like stubble in a fire. The term emphasizes the lingering, dangerous heat that remains after the initial blaze, suggesting a persistent state rather than a fleeting event.
Translators typically render peham as "coal," "charcoal," or "ember" depending on the context. This distinction matters because it highlights the difference between raw fuel and the residual power of fire. The word grounds abstract concepts of judgment or purification in tangible, everyday materials known to ancient readers.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word peham describes the glowing embers left after a fire has burned down. It is not the roaring blaze, but the lingering heat that remains in the ashes. In ancient times, this was a practical reality for blacksmiths and cooks, representing stored energy and enduring warmth.
Scripture uses this image to show how conflict can be sustained by those who stir it up. Just as coals feed a fire, a contentious person keeps strife alive long after the initial argument has ended. This reminds us that peace requires more than just stopping the shouting; it needs the removal of the fuel that keeps the anger burning.
At the same time, this heat is also part of God's creative power. The blacksmith in Isaiah uses these coals to shape metal into tools and weapons. This shows that the same intensity used for destruction can be directed toward creation when it is under God's control. We are invited to let God refine our own hearts, using His fire to remove what is impure and leave us with something strong and useful.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- charcoal2×
- on the/ coal[s]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פֶּחָ֣ם1×
- פֶּחָ֔ם1×
- בַּ/פֶּחָ֔ם1×
Key Verses
-
Proverbs 26:21
As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindling strife.
This verse illustrates how a quarrelsome person acts as fuel, keeping the fire of conflict burning long after the initial spark.
-
Isaiah 44:12
The blacksmith takes an ax, works in the coals, fashions it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm. He is hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water, and is faint.
Here the term highlights the physical labor and sustained heat required by a blacksmith to shape metal, showing human effort within God's created order.
-
Isaiah 54:16
“Behold, I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame, and forges a weapon for his work; and I have created the destroyer to destroy.
This passage contrasts the destructive power of weapons forged with these coals against the protective power of God who creates both the tool and the destroyer.