---
title: פִּתְאֹם — suddenness · The Tanakh dictionary
description: פִּתְאֹם (6597), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 25 times: suddenness. BDB 1906: subst. suddenness adv.acc. suddenly. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# פִּתְאֹם

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«פִּתְאֹם» in the Tanakh dictionary: **suddenness** — 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:** 25 times · **Key:** 6597 · **BDB:** פִּתְאֹם²

### Glosses

suddenly (24); suddenness (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

suddenness [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1508/6597/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

subst. suddenness adv.acc. suddenly [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1508/6597/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** once ψ 64:8 (v. Baer) פִּתְאוֹם subst. suddenness, usually as adv.acc. suddenly (from פֶּתַע, with the term. -ם (cf. שִׁלְשֹׁם), and with ע weakened to א: Sta§ 295 Köii. 255 f. BaNB § 216 b);—Nu 12:4 ויאמר י׳ פ׳ אל־משׁה, Jos 10:9; 11:7; especially of calamity, invasion, etc., coming suddenly, Is 47:11; 48:3; Je 4:20 פ׳ שֻׁדְּדוּ אֹהָלַי, 6:26; 15:8; 18:22; 51:8 ψ 64:5 פ׳ יֹרֻהוּ וְלֹא יִירָ֑אוּ, v 8 Jb 5:3; 9:23; Ec 9:12; Pr 6:15; 24:22; also 7:22; Mal 3:1; thrice with פֶּתַע (q.v.). As a gen. †Pr 3:25 אל־תירא מִפַּחַד פ׳ of the terror of suddenness, i.e. the sudden terror, Jb 22:10; and with בְּ, in suddenness, †2 Ch 29:36 בפ׳ היה הדבר.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech not compared, 22 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (3 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech not compared, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (1 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «פִּתְאֹם» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1508/6597/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Job 9:23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.9.23/)

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אִם־שׁ֭וֹט יָמִ֣ית פִּתְאֹ֑ם לְמַסַּ֖ת נְקִיִּ֣ם יִלְעָֽג׃

*Word for word:* if a.scourge it.kills suddenly (to).\[the\] despair of.innocent.\[ones\] he.mocks

*JPS 1917:* If the scourge slay suddenly, He will mock at the calamity of the guiltless.

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[Job 5:3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.5.3/)

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אֲ‍ֽנִי־רָ֭אִיתִי אֱוִ֣יל מַשְׁרִ֑ישׁ וָאֶקּ֖וֹב נָוֵ֣הוּ פִתְאֹֽם׃

*Word for word:* I I.have.seen a.fool taking.root and I.cursed habitation his suddenly

*JPS 1917:* I have seen the foolish taking root; but suddenly I beheld his habitation cursed.

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