פֶּ֫תַח (pe.tach)
pe.tach
entrance
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 127 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun peṯaḥ refers to an opening, doorway, or entrance. Derived from the verb "to open," it describes the physical threshold where one structure meets another. In the Old Testament, this word appears frequently in legal and ritual texts, particularly in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, where it marks the specific location for sacrificial rites and priestly duties.
Its usage spans various scales of architecture. It can denote the simple flap of a tent, as seen when Abraham stands at the entrance to greet his visitors (Genesis 18:1), or the heavy doors of Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 6:8). The sources also note its application to city gates, such as in Judges 9:35, where events unfold at the urban entrance. This versatility highlights its role as a boundary marker between the private interior and the public exterior.
A distinctive feature of peṯaḥ is its association with divine presence and judgment. In Exodus 33:9, Moses stands at the tent’s entrance when the pillar of cloud descends, signaling God’s communication. Similarly, in ritual law, blood is often applied to the doorposts or thresholds (Exodus 12:22; Leviticus 4:7), establishing the entrance as a sacred zone of protection and consecration.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word peṯaḥ describes an entrance or doorway, marking the boundary between what is inside and what lies outside. In Scripture, these thresholds are not merely architectural features but places of significant encounter. They represent the point where privacy meets public life, or where the human realm intersects with the divine.
For your faith, this word invites you to consider where you place your attention. Just as Moses stood at the tent door to meet God (Exodus 33:9), and Lot stepped out to engage with his guests (Genesis 19:6), these entrances are moments of decision and connection. They remind us that we do not live in isolation; our lives open outward toward others and toward God.
Whether in the simple flap of a tent or the heavy gates of a city, peṯaḥ calls for readiness. It suggests that the most meaningful interactions often happen at these margins. By staying alert to the 'doors' in your daily routine, you may find unexpected opportunities for grace, protection, and conversation with those around you.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 127 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] entrance of77×
- [the] opening of8×
- the/ entrance4×
- for/ [the] entrance of4×
- and/ [the] entrance of3×
- [is] [the] entrance of3×
- at/ [the] entrance of2×
- and/ from/ [the] entrance of2×
- O doors of2×
- to/ [the] entrance of1×
- to/ [the] doorway of1×
- to the/ door1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פֶּ֖תַח36×
- פֶּ֣תַח20×
- פֶּ֥תַח15×
- פֶּ֛תַח4×
- פֶּ֚תַח4×
- פֶּ֙תַח֙4×
- לְ/פֶ֣תַח4×
- פֶּ֜תַח3×
- הַ/פֶּ֖תַח3×
- פֶּֽתַח\־2×
- פֶּ֣תַח\׀2×
- פִּתְחֵ֣י2×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 4:7
If you do well, won’t it be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.”
This verse uses peṯaḥ metaphorically to show sin waiting at the threshold, highlighting the entrance as a place of moral choice and spiritual vigilance.
-
Exodus 33:9
When Moses entered into the Tent, the pillar of cloud descended, stood at the door of the Tent, and Yahweh spoke with Moses.
Here the pillar of cloud stands at the door, marking peṯaḥ as the specific location where God chooses to speak with Moses and reveal His presence.
-
Genesis 18:2
He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood near him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,
Abraham runs from the tent door to greet the visitors, illustrating how this entrance serves as a point of hospitality and immediate response to divine visitation.
-
Exodus 12:23
For Yahweh will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood on the lintel, and on the two door posts, Yahweh will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to strike you.
The blood on the doorposts causes Yahweh to pass over the peṯaḥ, establishing the entrance as a sacred boundary of protection and deliverance during judgment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does peṯaḥ mean in the Bible?
Why is peṯaḥ significant in Exodus?
How is peṯaḥ used metaphorically?
Every Occurrence (127 verses across 21 books)
Genesis 9 verses
If you do well, won’t it be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you…
Genesis 6:16You shall make a roof in the ship, and you shall finish it to a cubit upward. You shall set the door of the ship in its…
Genesis 18:1Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.
Genesis 18:2He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood near him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the…
Genesis 18:10He said, “I will certainly return to you at about this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.”…
Genesis 19:6Lot went out to them through the door, and shut the door after himself.
Genesis 19:11They struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied…
Genesis 38:14She took off the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate…
Genesis 43:19They came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,