פֶּן־ (pen)
pen
lest
H:ConjQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 116 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:Conj
Word Overview
The Hebrew conjunction pen serves as a warning against a feared outcome, typically translated as "lest." It appears frequently in Deuteronomy and Proverbs, where it links a command or action to the negative consequence that might follow if the instruction is ignored. The word introduces a clause describing a situation that the speaker wishes to avoid, often using the imperfect verb form to express potentiality.
Etymologically, pen derives from the root panah, meaning "to turn." This connection suggests a vivid image of turning away from danger or averting one's face from a threat. By grounding the abstract concept of prevention in physical movement, the language emphasizes active avoidance rather than passive hope.
Translators sometimes render pen as "that... not" or "peradventure," depending on context. In Genesis 3:3, for instance, it clarifies the boundary set by God regarding the tree of knowledge. The term carries significant theological weight in wisdom literature, reminding readers that obedience is the primary means of turning away from harm.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we read about 'lest' in Scripture, we are encountering a word that guards our steps. It is not merely a negative command but a protective boundary set by God to keep us from harm. The Hebrew root behind this term carries the image of turning away from danger, suggesting that obedience is an active choice to avert what we fear most.
This perspective shifts how we view divine instructions. Rather than seeing rules as restrictions, we can see them as safeguards against consequences we wish to avoid. When God warns us, He is offering wisdom to help us turn away from trouble and stay in the path of life.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 116 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- lest118×
- and/ lest5×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פֶּן\־88×
- פֶּֽן\־18×
- פֶּ֚ן6×
- וּ/פֶן\־4×
- פֶּ֨ן\־2×
- פֶּ֥ן2×
- פֶּ֣ן1×
- פֶּ֖ן1×
- וּ/פֶֽן\־1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 3:3
but not the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it. You shall not touch it, lest you die.’”
This verse shows the word marking a clear boundary where disobedience leads directly to death, highlighting the seriousness of God's warning.
-
Exodus 19:21
Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down, warn the people, lest they break through to Yahweh to gaze, and many of them perish.
Here the term warns Moses that approaching God without proper preparation results in peril, emphasizing the need for reverence.
-
Genesis 38:11
Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, until Shelah, my son, is grown up;” for he said, “Lest he also die, like his brothers.” Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
Judah uses this conjunction to express his fear that delaying Shelah’s marriage will result in another tragic death within the family.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word pen mean?
How is pen different from other Hebrew warnings?
Where does this word appear most often?
Every Occurrence (116 verses across 18 books)
Genesis 16 verses
but not the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it. You shall…
Genesis 3:22Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand,…
Genesis 11:4They said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let’s make a name for…
Genesis 19:15When the morning came, then the angels hurried Lot, saying, “Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are…
Genesis 19:17It came to pass, when they had taken them out, that he said, “Escape for your life! Don’t look behind you, and don’t…
Genesis 19:19See now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your loving kindness, which you have shown…
Genesis 24:6Abraham said to him, “Beware that you don’t bring my son there again.
Genesis 26:7The men of the place asked him about his wife. He said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say, “My wife”, lest,…
Genesis 26:9Abimelech called Isaac, and said, “Behold, surely she is your wife. Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to…
Genesis 31:24God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either…
Genesis 31:31Jacob answered Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Lest you should take your daughters from me by force.’
Genesis 38:11Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, until Shelah, my son, is grown…
Genesis 38:23Judah said, “Let her keep it, lest we be shamed. Behold, I sent this young goat, and you haven’t found her.”
Genesis 42:4But Jacob didn’t send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers; for he said, “Lest perhaps harm happen to him.”
Genesis 44:34For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn’t with me?—lest I see the evil that will come on my father.”
Genesis 45:11There I will provide for you; for there are yet five years of famine; lest you come to poverty, you, and your…