---
title: פָּתַל — twist · The Tanakh dictionary
description: פָּתַל (6617), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 5 times: twist. BDB 1906: vb. twist. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# פָּתַל

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«פָּתַל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **twist** — 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:** 5 times · **Key:** 6617 · **BDB:** פָּתַל

### Glosses

I.have.wrestled (1); a.tortuous.\[thing\] (1); of.tortuous.\[ones\] (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

twist [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1508/6617/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. twist [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1508/6617/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. twist (NH Pi. and deriv.; Arabic فَتَلَ; Ethiopic ፈተለ:; Aramaic פְּתַל, chiefly deriv., in fig. senses; Syriac ܦܬܰܠ );— Pf. 1 s. נִפְתַּלְתִּי עִם Gn 30:8 I have wrestled (lit. twisted myself) with; Pt. עֲצַת נִפְתָּלִים Jb 5:13 the plan of the tortuous; נִפְתָּל וְעִקֵּשׁ Pr 8:8 anything tortuous and twisted. Impf. 2 ms. עִם־עִקֵּשׁ תִּתְפַּתָּ֑ל ψ 18:27 with the twisted thou dost deal tortuously = 2 S 22:27 (so read for imposs. תִּתַּפָּ֑ל).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 5 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (2 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (2 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «פָּתַל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1508/6617/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[2 Samuel 22:27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/2SA.22.27/)

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עִם־נָבָ֖ר תִּתָּבָ֑ר וְעִם־עִקֵּ֖שׁ תִּתַּפָּֽל׃

*Word for word:* with \[one.who\].purifies.himself you.show.yourself.pure and with a.perverse.\[person\] you.show.yourself.twisted

*JPS 1917:* With the pure Thou dost show myself pure; and with the crooked Thou dost show Thyself subtle.

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[Psalms 18:27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.18.27/)

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עִם־נָבָ֥ר תִּתְבָּרָ֑ר וְעִם־עִ֝קֵּ֗שׁ תִּתְפַּתָּֽל׃

*Word for word:* with \[one.who\].purifies.himself you.show.yourself.pure and with a.perverse.\[person\] you.show.yourself.tortuous

*JPS 1917:* With the pure Thou dost show Thyself pure; and with the crooked Thou dost show Thyself subtle.

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