---
title: פֶּתִי — simple · The Tanakh dictionary
description: פֶּתִי (6612), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 16 times: simple. BDB 1906: adj. simple open-minded. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# פֶּתִי

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«פֶּתִי» in the Tanakh dictionary: **simple** — 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:** 16 times · **Key:** 6612 · **BDB:** פֶּ֫תִי

### Glosses

naive.people (4); a.naive.person (3); O.naive.people (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

simple [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1508/6612/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

adj. simple open-minded [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1508/6612/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** \[for פָּתַי LagBN 52 BaZMG xiii (1888), 353; NB 320\] adj. simple, poss. as open-minded;—פֶּ֫תִי Pr 9:4 +, פֶּ֑תִי ψ 19:8 +; pl. פְּתָאיִם (Ges§ 93 x) 116:6 + 6 times Pr; פְּתָיִים 119:130 Pr 22:3; פְּתָיִם 1:22, 32;—simple, as subst. concr.: open to the instruction of wisdom or folly, Pr 9:4, 16; believing every word 14:15; lacking עָרְמָה 1:4; 8:5; 19:25; needing בין ψ 119:130, חכמה 19:8 Pr 21:11; in good sense, שׁנר פתאים י׳ ψ 116:6 י׳ preserveth the simple-minded; but usually tendency to bad sense; פתאים love פתי Pr 1:22; inherit אִוֶּלֶת 14:18, are easily enticed, misled and go back 1:32; 7:7; 9:6; 22:3 = 27:12; causing temple to need atonement Ez 45:20 (‖ שׁגה).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 16 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (10 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (6 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «פֶּתִי» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1508/6612/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 119:130](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.119.130/)

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פֵּ֖תַח דְּבָרֶ֥יךָ יָאִ֗יר מֵבִ֥ין פְּתָיִֽים׃

*Word for word:* the.opening your.words your it.gives.light \[it.is\].giving.understanding.to simple.people

*JPS 1917:* The opening of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

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[Proverbs 8:5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.8.5/)

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הָבִ֣ינוּ פְתָאיִ֣ם עָרְמָ֑ה וּ֝כְסִילִ֗ים הָבִ֥ינוּ לֵֽב׃

*Word for word:* understand O.naive.people prudence and O.fools understand heart

*JPS 1917:* O ye thoughtless, understand prudence, and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

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