פִּשְׁתָּה (pish.tah)
pish.tah
flax
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun pish.tah refers to flax, the plant used to produce linen. It appears only three times in the Old Testament, linking the raw material directly to its function. In Exodus 27:16 and 35:15, it describes the fine fabric for the tabernacle curtains, highlighting the craftsmanship required for sacred space.
A more specific usage occurs in Isaiah 19:6, where the prophet describes the drying up of Egypt’s Nile-based resources. Here, pish.tah is identified as a wick for lamps. This detail underscores the vulnerability of a nation dependent on the river; when the water fails, even the simple flax needed for light withers and burns out.
The word captures both the agricultural reality of ancient Egypt and its theological significance. Flax was not just a crop but a symbol of stability and industry. Its mention in Isaiah serves as a vivid image of divine judgment, where the tools of daily life and worship are rendered useless by the absence of water.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word for flax appears in the Bible not just as a crop, but as a material for sacred worship and a symbol of fragile human stability. In Exodus, this plant is woven into the curtains of the tabernacle, showing that ordinary agricultural products can be transformed into something holy when offered to God. It reminds us that our daily work and resources have value in His sight.
Yet Isaiah uses the image differently to describe judgment. When the Nile dries up, the flax withers, leaving no wicks for lamps. This vivid picture shows how quickly human security can vanish without God’s provision. It challenges us to look beyond our own industries and find our true light in Him.
Even in Isaiah 42, the metaphor of a dimly burning wick appears. Here, it is not about judgment but mercy. God does not extinguish this faint flame but protects it. This offers comfort: He values even the smallest signs of faith and sustains us when our strength is nearly gone.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ the/ flax2×
- like <the>/ wick1×
- and/ a wick1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- כַּ/פִּשְׁתָּ֥ה1×
- וּ/פִשְׁתָּ֥ה1×
- וְ/הַ/פִּשְׁתָּ֥ה1×
- וְ/הַ/פִּשְׁתָּ֖ה1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 9:31
The flax and the barley were struck, for the barley had ripened and the flax was blooming.
This verse highlights the timing of judgment, noting that flax was blooming at the moment it was struck, emphasizing the sudden loss of agricultural potential.
-
Isaiah 42:3
He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a dimly burning wick. He will faithfully bring justice.
The wick here represents a fragile state of faith or life that God chooses to protect rather than extinguish, showing His gentle care.
-
Isaiah 43:17
who brings out the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty man (they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched like a wick) says:
The enemy’s power is compared to a quenched wick, illustrating how completely God can render opposing forces useless and extinct.