פַּקֻּעֹת (paq.qu.ah)
paq.qu.ah
gourd
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun paqqu’ah refers specifically to gourds, or wild cucumbers. In the Old Testament, this term appears only once, in 2 Kings 4:39, where it identifies a dangerous ingredient in a stew prepared by the sons of the prophets.
Contextually, these plants are distinct from cultivated vegetables. They grow wild and produce fruit that can be toxic if eaten unripe or improperly prepared. The narrative highlights how Elisha saves the men from poisoning by adding flour to the pot, demonstrating divine provision in a moment of potential crisis.
This rare usage anchors the word in a specific historical event rather than general agricultural practice. Translators consistently render it as "gourds" or "wild gourds," preserving the sense of an unrefined, potentially hazardous plant found in the wild landscape of ancient Israel.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word paqqu’ah appears in Scripture to describe wild gourds that grew along the paths of ancient Israel. In 2 Kings 4, a group of prophets gathered these plants for a meal, unaware that some were poisonous. This story reminds us that not everything that looks edible is safe to consume. The physical landscape held hidden dangers that required discernment and care.
God’s provision often meets us in moments of unexpected crisis. When the stew turned bitter and dangerous, Elisha did not let the situation destroy the community. He added flour to the pot, making it safe to eat. This act shows how God can turn a potential tragedy into a moment of sustenance and survival.
For your faith life, this word invites you to trust in God’s guidance when you encounter things that seem harmless but may be harmful. It encourages you to seek wisdom and to rely on divine intervention when human knowledge falls short. You are never alone in navigating the unknown paths of life.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- gourds of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פַּקֻּעֹ֥ת1×
Key Verses
-
II Kings 4:39
One went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered a lap full of wild gourds from it, and came and cut them up into the pot of stew; for they didn’t recognize them.
This is the only occurrence of paqqu’ah, where it identifies the wild gourds that accidentally poisoned the stew of the sons of the prophets.