What does פֵּן (pēn) mean in the Bible?
פֵּן (pēn): Expresses cautionary negation: marks feared consequence or preventive intent to avoid undesired outcome.
Hebrew · H6435
פֵּן
Properly, removal ; used only (in the construction) adverb as conjunction, lest
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פֵּן H6435
Pronunciation pēn
What does פֵּן (pēn) mean in the Bible?
פֵּן (pēn): Expresses cautionary negation: marks feared consequence or preventive intent to avoid undesired outcome.
Full entry for פֵּן (H6435) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6435?
The BSB source-word alignment has 133 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include or (38), lest (21), Otherwise (19), not (8), . . . (6).
Where does פֵּן (pēn) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 3:3. Its strongest book concentrations include Deuteronomy (28), Proverbs (18), Genesis (17), Exodus (13).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It or 38× Genesis 19:15, Genesis 19:17, Exodus 1:10, Exodus 5:3
lest 21× Genesis 3:22, Exodus 23:33, Exodus 34:12, Deuteronomy 25:3
Otherwise 19× Genesis 38:23, Genesis 45:11, Exodus 23:29, Exodus 33:3
not 8× Genesis 31:24, Exodus 19:21, Exodus 34:12, Deuteronomy 6:12
. . . 6× Genesis 19:19, Genesis 31:31, Exodus 13:17, Deuteronomy 32:27
Do not 4× Exodus 34:15, Deuteronomy 4:23, Deuteronomy 12:30, Jeremiah 51:46
no 3× Deuteronomy 29:18, 2 Kings 10:23
may 2× Genesis 38:11, Numbers 16:34
that you do not 2× Genesis 24:6, Deuteronomy 4:16
[or] 1× Genesis 3:3
and not 1× Genesis 11:4
and so that they do not 1× Deuteronomy 4:9
do not be 1× Deuteronomy 4:19
Do not let 1× Isaiah 36:18
for [the Chaldeans] 1× Jeremiah 38:19
For if 1× Psalms 28:1
I am afraid that 1× Genesis 42:4
I could not bear 1× Genesis 44:34
I might 1× Genesis 26:9
if you do 1× Deuteronomy 22:9
if you ever 1× Joshua 24:27
Let them not 1× Psalms 38:16
must not be allowed 1× 1 Samuel 13:19
not to harbor 1× Deuteronomy 15:9
Perhaps 1× 2 Kings 2:16
She does not 1× Proverbs 5:6
since he thought to himself 1× Genesis 26:7
So do not 1× Job 32:13
so no one 1× Isaiah 27:3
so that you could not 1× Isaiah 48:5
so that you do not 1× Deuteronomy 4:9
so that you will not 1× Psalms 91:12
So you cannot 1× Isaiah 48:7
that 1× Judges 15:12
that no one 1× Job 36:18
that you are not 1× Deuteronomy 11:16
vvv 1× Genesis 32:11
will not 1× Joshua 2:16
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 3:3 פֶּן־ to [or] Conjunction Genesis 3:22 פֶּן־ to lest Conjunction Genesis 11:4 פֶּן־ to and not Conjunction Genesis 19:15 פֶּן־ to or Conjunction Genesis 19:17 פֶּן־ to or Conjunction Genesis 19:19 פֶּן־ to . . . Conjunction Genesis 24:6 פֶּן־ to that you do not Conjunction Genesis 26:7 פֶּן־ to since he thought to himself Conjunction Genesis 26:9 פֶּן־ to I might Conjunction Genesis 31:24 פֶּן־ to not Conjunction
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 3:3
Aligned rows 133
Books represented 20
Genesis 17 Exodus 13 Leviticus 1 Numbers 3 Deuteronomy 28 Joshua 3 Judges 5 Ruth 1 1 Samuel 7 2 Samuel 6 2 Kings 2 1 Chronicles 1 Job 2 Psalms 9 Proverbs 18 Isaiah 6 Jeremiah 8 Hosea 1 Amos 1 Malachi 1
Source forms
פֶּן־ 97x pen- Genesis 3:3, Genesis 3:22, Genesis 11:4, Genesis 19:15
פֶּֽן־ 19x pen- Exodus 13:17, Deuteronomy 4:23, Deuteronomy 12:13, Deuteronomy 12:19
פֶּ֚ן 6x pen Genesis 44:34, Deuteronomy 7:25, 1 Samuel 4:9, 1 Samuel 13:19
וּפֶן־ 4x ū·p̄en- Deuteronomy 4:9, Deuteronomy 4:19, Deuteronomy 12:30, Jeremiah 51:46
פֶּ֥ן 2x pen Deuteronomy 11:16, Proverbs 30:9
פֶּ֨ן־ 2x pen- Exodus 5:3, Deuteronomy 4:16
וּפֶֽן־ 1x ū·p̄en- Proverbs 30:9
פֶּ֖ן 1x pen Genesis 38:23
Parsing patterns
Conjunction 133x Genesis 3:3, Genesis 3:22, Genesis 11:4, Genesis 19:15
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Expresses cautionary negation: marks feared consequence or preventive intent to avoid undesired outcome.
Source Gloss
properly, removal ; used only (in the construction) adverb as conjunction, lest
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Expresses cautionary negation: marks feared consequence or preventive intent to avoid undesired outcome.
properly, removal; used only (in the construction) adverb as conjunction, lest BDB: lest Usage: (lest) (peradventure), that...not.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Conditional warning to prevent negative consequence from excess consumption
Cautionary conjunction preventing friendship from becoming burdensome through overvisitation
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 133 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
פֵּן is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain