---
title: פָּנָה — turn · The Tanakh dictionary
description: פָּנָה (6437), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 134 times: turn. BDB 1906: vb. Qal. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# פָּנָה

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«פָּנָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **turn** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 134 times · **Key:** 6437 · **BDB:** פָּנָה

### Glosses

turn (18); he.turned (16); they.turned (12)

### Meaning (OSHB)

turn [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1508/6437/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. Qal [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1508/6437/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. turn (NH id.; Syriac ܦܢܳܐ, 𝔗 פְּנָא; Ethiopic ፈነወ: Arabic فَنِى pass away, banish; cf.Sab. פנה (variously) e.g. CIS iv. Nos. 1, 37, 40; Assyrian pânu, face, Ph. פנם, MI 13, 18 לפני, sf. מפני l 19);— Pf. 3 ms. פ׳ Je 6:4 +, 2 ms. פָּנִיתָ 2 S 9:8, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִפְנֶה 1 S 13:17 +, וַיִּ֫פֶן Ex 2:12 +, 3 fs. וַתֵּ֫פֶן 1 K 10:13, 1 s. וָאֵ֫פֶן Dt 9:15; 10:5, 1 pl. וַנֵּ֫פֶן 2:1 +, etc.; Imv. ms. פְּנֵה ψ 25:16 +, etc.; Inf. abs. פָּנֹה Hg 1:9; cstr. לִפְנוֹת Gn 24:63 +, etc.; Pt. פֹּנֶה Dt 29:17 +, etc.;— turn toward, אֶל pers., lit., Ju 6:14; Is 13:14 = Je 50:16; Jb 21:5 (i.e. attentively); cf. of branches Ez 17:6 (in allegory); c. עַל of direction Gn 24:49; fig. c.\> אֶל־י׳ (in worship), Is 45:22, other gods Ho 3:1; Dt 31:18, 20; Lv 19:4; for help Lv 19:31; 20:6; Jb 5:1; אֶל־אָוֶן 36:21; c. acc. הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִפְנֶה Ez 10:11; c. ה loc. 1 K 17:3; Dt 2:3 (+ לָכֶם dat. eth.), Ct 6:1; c. דֶּרֶךְ 1 S 13:18;(×2) Jb 24:18, אֶל־ד׳ Ju 20:42; 1 S 13:17; fig. לְדֶרֶךְ Is 53:6; 56:11; c. acc. כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־יִפְנֶה 1 S 14:47, so, + שָׁם, fig. 1 K 2:3, i.e. whatever thou undertakest, אֶל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר יִפְנֶה Pr 17:8. turn from, מִן loc. Gn 18:22, fig., of heart, c.מֵעִם י׳ Dt 29:17, abs. = turn away 30:17; in phr. פ׳ עֹרֶף turn (with the back (cf. ראה עֹרֶף Je 18:17), + לִפְנֵי, Jos 7:12 (of flight), fig., + אֶל־י׳, Je 2:27; 32:33. turn and do a thing, Ex 7:23; 32:15; Nu 14:25 (E) 21:33 (JE) Dt 1:7, 24; Ju 18:21;s 1 K 10:13 + 17 times; to do a thing (inf.) †Ec 2:12. turn, decline, of day Je 6:4, days of life ψ 90:9. turn toward, approach, of evening, לִפְנוֹת עָ֑רֶב Gn 24:63; Dt 23:12; of morning, לִפ׳ (הַ)בֹּקֶר Ex 14:27; Ju 19:26 ψ 46:6 (fig.). turn and look, look, lit., אֶל pers. Nu 12:10; 2 Ch 20:24; 26:20, וַיִּפֶן כֹּה וָכֹה Ex 2:12; c. לְמָ֑עְלָה Is 8:21; abs. look (back) 2 Ch 13:14; c. אַחֲרֵי look behind one (and see, or say), Jos 8:20; Ju 20:40; 2 S 1:7; 2:20; 2 K 2:24, look after another Ez 29:16 (fig. for seek alliance with); c. אֶל of direction Ex 16:10; Nu 17:7. of inanimate things, face, c. אֶל loc. Jos 15:7, usually of facing points of compass, c. ה loc. 1 K 7:25(×4) = 2 Ch 4:4;(×4), Jos 15:2; Ez 8:3; 46:19, but also c. קָדִים 43:17; 44:1; 46:1, 2; 47:9, cf. 43:1. especially fig. look at, אֶל־ pers., regard, (1) graciously 2 S 9:8; of י׳ Ez 36:9; Lv 26:9; 2 K 13:23 ψ 40:5, + חָנַן 25:16; 69:17; 86:16; 119:132; c. אֶל־תְּפִלָּה 1 K 8:28 = 2 Ch 6:19, ψ 102:18, אֶל־מִנְחָה Nu 16:15; Mal 2:13; (2) sternly, אֶל־קְשִׁי הָעָם Dt 9:27. look for (אֶל rei) = except Hg 1:9. fig. look at, consider (+ ב) Jb 6:28; Ec 2:11.—2 Ch 25:23 v. פִּנָּה. Pf. 3 ms. פִּנָּה Zp 3:15, etc.; Imv. mpl. פַּנּוּ Is 40:3 + 2 times;—turn away, put out of the way, c. acc. pers. Zp 3:15 (‖ הֵסִיר); hence make clear, c. acc. הַבַּיִת, i.e. clear away things scattered about, make orderly, Germ. ‘aufräumen,’ Gn 24:31; empty it Lv 14:36; fig., c. acc. דֶּרֶךְ make clear, free from obstacles, Is 40:3; 57:14; 62:10 Mal 3:1; acc. om. clear away (ground) before it, i.e. to plant it ψ 80:10 (fig.). (especially Je) Pf. 3 ms. הִפְנָה Je 48:39, 3 fs. הִפְנְתָה 49:24, etc.; Impf. וַיֶּ֫פֶן Ju 15:4; Inf. cstr. sf. הַפְנֹתוֹ 1 S 10:9; Pt. מַפְנֶה Na 2:9;— turn, c. acc. וַיֶּפֶן זָנָב אֶל־זָנָב Ju 15:4, עֹרֶף Je 48:39 (cf.\> הפך Jos 7:8), שִׁכְמוֹ לָלֶכֶת 1 S 10:9. make a turn, shew (signs of) turning, + נָסוּ Je 46:21, לָנוּס 49:24; opp. נָסוּ 46:5, cf. Na 2:9; + אֶל pers. 47:3. Imv. mpl. הָפְנוּ Je 49:8 (Ges§ 46 a, N.) be ye turned back! (in flight, + נֻסוּ); Pt. מָפְנֶה צָפ֫וֹנָה Ez 9:2 the gate … which is faced northward (cf. Qal 2 b).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 113 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (6 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (4 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «פָּנָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1508/6437/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Job 21:5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.21.5/)

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פְּנוּ־אֵלַ֥י וְהָשַׁ֑מּוּ וְשִׂ֖ימוּ יָ֣ד עַל־פֶּֽה׃

*Word for word:* turn to me and be.appalled and put a.hand over a.mouth

*JPS 1917:* Turn unto me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth.

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[Job 36:21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.36.21/)

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הִ֭שָּׁמֶר אַל־תֵּ֣פֶן אֶל־אָ֑וֶן כִּֽי־עַל־זֶ֝֗ה בָּחַ֥רְתָּ מֵעֹֽנִי׃

*Word for word:* take.heed do.not turn to wickedness (dm) (on) this you.have.chosen more than.affliction

*JPS 1917:* Take heed, regard not iniquity; for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

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