פָּצַח (pa.tsach)
pa.tsach
to break out
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 8 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb pa.tsach describes something breaking through a barrier or bursting forth suddenly. It carries the sense of an internal pressure forcing its way into the open, whether that is light piercing darkness or water springing from a rock. The word appears eight times in the Old Testament, with a significant concentration in the prophetic books of Isaiah and Micah, as well as in the Psalms.
In these texts, the imagery is often physical and vivid. For instance, Isaiah uses it to describe light breaking forth like dawn (Isaiah 58:8), while Psalm 74:15 speaks of springs bursting from dry ground. The action is dynamic and unstoppable, suggesting a release of energy or life that was previously contained. It is not a gentle emergence but a decisive rupture of the status quo.
This word provides a powerful metaphor for divine intervention. When God acts, it is often described using this language of breakthrough. The theological weight lies in the idea that new reality—whether salvation, justice, or provision—cannot be kept hidden; it must break out into the world. Translators typically render it as "break forth" or "burst," capturing the suddenness and force inherent in the original Hebrew.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word pa.tsach describes a sudden, powerful breakthrough. It is not a slow seepage but a decisive rupture of barriers, like light piercing darkness or water springing from dry rock. This imagery reminds us that God’s work in our lives often arrives with unexpected force and clarity. When we feel confined by circumstances, this word points to the reality that new life cannot be contained forever.
In Isaiah 54:1, the prophet invites the barren to break out into singing. This is a call to joy that defies current limitations. It suggests that God’s redemptive power is greater than our present emptiness. We can trust that He brings freedom and provision even when we cannot see how it will happen.
This divine intervention is both comforting and empowering. It assures us that hope is not passive but active, breaking through barriers to bring peace. As you face challenges, remember that God’s grace has the power to burst forth into your situation, bringing renewal and joy where there was once silence.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 8 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- break forth4×
- they will break forth1×
- they have broken in pieces1×
- people have broken forth1×
- and/ break forth1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פִּצְח֤וּ2×
- פָּצְח֖וּ1×
- פִּצֵּ֑חוּ1×
- פִּצְחִ֨י1×
- פִּצְח֖וּ1×
- יִפְצְח֤וּ1×
- וּ/פִצְח֥וּ1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 54:1
“Sing, barren, you who didn’t give birth! Break out into singing, and cry aloud, you who didn’t travail with child! For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife,” says Yahweh.
This verse uses pa.tsach to urge the barren to sing, showing that God’s promise of children surpasses current emptiness.
-
Psalms 98:4
Make a joyful noise to Yahweh, all the earth! Burst out and sing for joy, yes, sing praises!
Here the word commands the earth to burst out in joy, linking divine acts with an immediate, explosive response of praise.
-
Isaiah 52:9
Break out into joy! Sing together, you waste places of Jerusalem; for Yahweh has comforted his people. He has redeemed Jerusalem.
The waste places of Jerusalem are told to break out into joy because God has redeemed His people, highlighting restoration.