פֶּ֫צַע (pe.tsa)
pe.tsa
wound
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Definition
Definition
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word pe.tsa describes a physical wound, whether from violence, accident, or illness. In Genesis, Lamech boasts about killing a man for wounding him, showing how injury can escalate into vengeance. Yet Scripture also presents wounds as places where healing and truth intersect.
Proverbs 27:6 offers a striking contrast: the wounds of a friend are faithful, while an enemy’s kisses are deceptive. This suggests that painful correction from those who love you is more trustworthy than comforting lies from those who do not. Your struggles may feel like open sores, but they can also be sites of genuine care and restoration.
Isaiah 1:6 paints a grim picture of total brokenness, yet this very imagery points to the need for divine healing. When you face pain, remember that God sees your wounds. He does not ignore them. Instead, He offers comfort and restoration through Christ, who bore our infirmities.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- bruise[s]2×
- bruise2×
- wounds/ my1×
- wounds1×
- for/ bruise/ my1×
- [the] wounds of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פָּ֑צַע1×
- פֶּ֭צַע1×
- פֶּ֥צַע1×
- פֶּ֖צַע1×
- פִּצְעֵ֣י1×
- פְּצָעִ֣ים1×
- פְצָעַ֣/י1×
- לְ/פִצְעִ֔/י1×
Key Verses
-
Proverbs 27:6
The wounds of a friend are faithful, although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.
This verse uniquely contrasts the faithfulness of a friend's corrective wounds with the deceptive flattery of an enemy.
-
Genesis 4:23
Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice. You wives of Lamech, listen to my speech, for I have slain a man for wounding me, a young man for bruising me.
Lamech uses this word to justify his violence, showing how injury can fuel cycles of revenge rather than justice.
-
Isaiah 1:6
From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds, welts, and open sores. They haven’t been closed, bandaged, or soothed with oil.
The prophet lists wounds alongside welts and sores to depict complete human brokenness without God's care.