פֵּ֫שֶׁר (pe.sher)
pe.sher
interpretation
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun pešer means an explanation or a way to resolve something complex. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Ecclesiastes 8:1, where it describes the ability to interpret difficult matters. The word suggests bringing clarity to confusion, turning a tangled situation into something understandable.
Its root relates to breaking or loosening, implying that understanding comes from untangling knots of meaning. In its single occurrence, it highlights wisdom’s power to reveal what is hidden. Translators often render it as "interpretation" or "explanation," capturing the act of making sense of life’s ambiguities.
This rare word underscores a key theme in Ecclesiastes: that true insight involves deciphering the world’s complexities. It points not to abstract theory but to practical wisdom, showing how clarity emerges when we seek understanding rather than remaining stuck in confusion.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word pešer appears only once in the Old Testament, in Ecclesiastes 8:1. It describes the ability to interpret or explain something complex. The root idea involves loosening a knot, suggesting that wisdom untangles confusion into clarity. When life feels tangled or unclear, this rare word points to the gift of understanding.
In Ecclesiastes, the wise person is praised not for knowing everything, but for having the insight to make sense of difficult matters. This interpretation brings light to shadows. It changes a hardened face to one that shines. We can trust that God grants wisdom to those who seek it, helping us navigate the unknowns of daily life with peace and clarity.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] interpretation of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פֵּ֣שֶׁר1×
Key Verses
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Ecclesiastes 8:1
Who is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.
This is the only occurrence of pešer in the Hebrew Bible, linking wisdom directly to the power to interpret complex situations.