פָּטַר (pa.tar)
pa.tar
to separate
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 8 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb patar carries the core sense of setting something free or causing it to separate from a constraint. In the Old Testament, it describes physical acts of release, such as opening an enclosure or allowing an animal to escape. The word appears in contexts where a barrier is removed, enabling movement that was previously blocked.
Its usage often involves a sudden or forceful action, such as bursting through a gate or freeing oneself from captivity. For instance, it describes the act of letting livestock out into a pasture or releasing prisoners. This distinguishes it from gentler terms for departure; patar implies a decisive breaking of ties or physical barriers.
The term’s theological weight lies in its depiction of liberation. When used metaphorically, it points to God’s power to free His people from oppression. The sources note its occurrence in historical and wisdom literature, highlighting moments where freedom is enacted through divine intervention or royal decree. Translators typically render it as "set free," "let go," or "escape," capturing the dynamic nature of the release.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word patar describes a decisive act of separation or release. It is not a gentle parting but a forceful breaking of barriers, like an animal bursting from an enclosure or a prisoner escaping confinement. This imagery captures the sudden and complete nature of freedom when constraints are removed.
In our lives, we often feel trapped by circumstances that seem immovable. This word reminds us that God is able to break through those barriers with power. Whether it is physical danger or spiritual oppression, His intervention can create a way out where none seemed possible.
Consider the moment in Proverbs 17:14, where strife is compared to breaching a dam. Just as water rushes forth when a barrier fails, conflict spreads rapidly once released. Understanding this word helps us see the value of early restraint and the peace that comes from avoiding unnecessary entanglements.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 8 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ spread out [things] of4×
- set free1×
- he dismissed1×
- and/ he escaped1×
- [is one who] lets out1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וּ/פְטוּרֵ֖י2×
- פְּטוּרִ֑ים1×
- פּ֣וֹטֵֽר1×
- פָטַ֛ר1×
- וּ/פְטוּרֵ֥י1×
- וּ/פְטֻרֵ֖י1×
- וַ/יִּפְטַר֙1×
Key Verses
-
I Samuel 19:10
Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence; and he stuck the spear into the wall. David fled and escaped that night.
This verse illustrates the physical sense of escaping a life-threatening situation by slipping away from an attacker's reach.
-
Proverbs 17:14
The beginning of strife is like breaching a dam, therefore stop contention before quarreling breaks out.
The metaphor of breaching a dam shows how quickly conflict spreads when the barrier of patience is broken.
-
I Chronicles 9:33
These are the singers, heads of fathers’ households of the Levites, who lived in the rooms and were free from other service, for they were employed in their work day and night.
Here the term describes Levites who were set free from other duties to focus entirely on their sacred work.