What does פָּנָה (pānāh) mean in the Bible?
פָּנָה (pānāh): Physical turning becomes relational: to face implies attention, regard, and divine appearance or presence toward someone.
Hebrew · H6437
פָּנָה
To turn ; by implication, to face , i.e. appear , look , etc.
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
פָּנָה H6437
Pronunciation pānāh
What does פָּנָה (pānāh) mean in the Bible?
פָּנָה (pānāh): Physical turning becomes relational: to face implies attention, regard, and divine appearance or presence toward someone.
Full entry for פָּנָה (H6437) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6437?
The BSB source-word alignment has 135 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include turned (15), turn (12), facing (11), - (3), . . . (3).
Where does פָּנָה (pānāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 18:22. Its strongest book concentrations include Deuteronomy (16), Ezekiel (14), Jeremiah (10), 2 Chronicles (9).
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 turned 15× Genesis 18:22, Exodus 32:15, Numbers 12:10, Numbers 16:42
turn 12× Leviticus 19:4, Leviticus 19:31, Deuteronomy 2:3, 1 Kings 17:3
facing 11× 1 Kings 7:25, 2 Chronicles 4:4, Ezekiel 46:12, Ezekiel 46:19
- 3× Deuteronomy 16:7, 1 Samuel 13:18
. . . 3× Genesis 24:63, Deuteronomy 9:27, Joshua 15:2
Prepare 3× Isaiah 40:3, Isaiah 57:14, Isaiah 62:10
faces 2× Ezekiel 9:2, Ezekiel 43:1
has turned 2× Isaiah 53:6, Jeremiah 48:39
I will turn 2× Leviticus 26:9, Ezekiel 36:9
look 2× Job 6:28, Job 21:5
that faces 2× Ezekiel 11:1, Ezekiel 46:1
They have turned 2× Jeremiah 2:27, Jeremiah 32:33
they looked 2× Exodus 16:10, 2 Chronicles 20:24
turn back 2× Numbers 14:25, Jeremiah 47:3
turns 2× Leviticus 20:6, Job 24:18
turns away 2× Deuteronomy 29:18, Deuteronomy 30:17
Yet regard 2× 1 Kings 8:28, 2 Chronicles 6:19
[shall] face 1× Ezekiel 43:17
After looking 1× Exodus 2:12
and at daybreak 1× Exodus 14:27
and He turned 1× 2 Kings 13:23
and I went back 1× Deuteronomy 10:5
and looking 1× Isaiah 8:21
and Micah turned 1× Judges 18:26
approaches 1× Deuteronomy 23:11
are to turn back 1× Deuteronomy 1:40
As Saul turned 1× 1 Samuel 10:9
be cleared 1× Leviticus 14:36
by turning 1× Deuteronomy 31:18
considered 1× Ecclesiastes 2:11
dawns 1× Psalms 46:5
decline 1× Psalms 90:9
Early that morning 1× Judges 19:26
faced 1× Ezekiel 10:11
glanced 1× 2 Samuel 2:20
have prepared 1× Genesis 24:31
He has turned back 1× Zephaniah 3:15
he turned 1× 1 Samuel 14:47
he turns 1× Proverbs 17:8
He will turn 1× Psalms 102:17
headed 1× 1 Samuel 13:17
in turning 1× Ezekiel 29:16
is fading 1× Jeremiah 6:4
looked 1× Judges 20:40
looking back 1× Jeremiah 46:5
one turns back 1× Nahum 2:8
regard 1× Numbers 16:15
regards 1× Malachi 2:13
Resume 1× Deuteronomy 1:7
she has turned 1× Jeremiah 49:24
So he turned 1× 2 Kings 5:12
So I went back 1× Deuteronomy 9:15
so that I may go 1× Genesis 24:49
So they fled 1× Judges 20:42
that faced 1× Ezekiel 44:1
the Corner 1× 2 Chronicles 25:23
Then [Moses] turned 1× Exodus 10:6
Then he turned 1× 2 Kings 2:24
Then she left 1× 1 Kings 10:13
Then the Benjamites turned 1× Judges 20:45
Then they turned 1× Numbers 21:33
Then they will turn 1× Deuteronomy 31:20
Then we turned 1× Deuteronomy 3:1
Then we turned back 1× Deuteronomy 2:1
They left 1× Deuteronomy 1:24
they turned 1× Judges 18:21
They will turn 1× Joshua 7:12
to turn 1× Job 36:21
turned around 1× Exodus 7:23
turning 1× Joshua 15:7
vvv 1× Ezekiel 8:3
We turned away 1× Deuteronomy 2:8
When he turned around 1× 2 Samuel 1:7
who will prepare 1× Malachi 3:1
will return 1× Isaiah 13:14
will turn 1× Jeremiah 50:16
will turn back 1× Jeremiah 46:21
will you turn 1× Job 5:1
You cleared the ground 1× Psalms 80:9
You expected 1× Haggai 1:9
you may return 1× Joshua 22:4
you should show regard 1× 2 Samuel 9:8
you turn 1× 1 Kings 2:3
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 18:22 וַיִּפְנ֤וּ to turned Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Genesis 24:31 פִּנִּ֣יתִי to have prepared Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular Genesis 24:49 וְאֶפְנֶ֥ה to so that I may go Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular Genesis 24:63 לִפְנ֣וֹת to . . . Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Exodus 2:12 וַיִּ֤פֶן to After looking Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 7:23 וַיִּ֣פֶן to turned around Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 10:6 וַיִּ֥פֶן to Then [Moses] turned Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 14:27 לִפְנ֥וֹת to and at daybreak Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Exodus 16:10 וַיִּפְנ֖וּ to they looked Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Exodus 32:15 וַיִּ֜פֶן to turned Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 18:22
Aligned rows 135
Books represented 25
Genesis 4 Exodus 6 Leviticus 5 Numbers 5 Deuteronomy 16 Joshua 5 Judges 9 1 Samuel 5 2 Samuel 3 1 Kings 8 2 Kings 4 2 Chronicles 9 Job 5 Psalms 9 Proverbs 1 Ecclesiastes 2 Song Of Solomon 1 Isaiah 8 Jeremiah 10 Ezekiel 14 Hosea 1 Nahum 1 Zephaniah 1 Haggai 1 Malachi 2
Source forms
וַיִּ֤פֶן 5x way·yi·p̄en Exodus 2:12, Judges 6:14, Judges 20:40, 2 Samuel 2:20
וַיִּ֣פֶן 4x way·yi·p̄en Exodus 7:23, 2 Kings 13:23, 2 Kings 23:16, 2 Chronicles 26:20
וַיִּפְנוּ֙ 4x way·yip̄·nū Numbers 16:42, Numbers 21:33, Deuteronomy 1:24, 2 Chronicles 20:24
פֹּנִ֣ים 4x pō·nîm 1 Kings 7:25, 2 Chronicles 4:4
הַפּוֹנֶ֣ה 3x hap·pō·w·neh Ezekiel 8:3, Ezekiel 11:1, Ezekiel 47:2
וַיִּפְנ֞וּ 3x way·yip̄·nū Judges 20:42, Judges 20:45, Judges 20:47
הַפֹּנֶ֣ה 2x hap·pō·neh Ezekiel 46:1, Ezekiel 46:12
וָאֵ֗פֶן 2x wā·’ê·p̄en Deuteronomy 9:15, Deuteronomy 10:5
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 15x Exodus 2:12, Exodus 7:23, Exodus 10:6, Exodus 32:15
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 13x Genesis 18:22, Exodus 16:10, Numbers 16:42, Numbers 21:33
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural 9x 1 Kings 7:25, 2 Chronicles 4:4, Hosea 3:1
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural 8x Numbers 14:25, Deuteronomy 1:7, Deuteronomy 1:40, Deuteronomy 2:3
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 8x Deuteronomy 30:17, 1 Samuel 13:17, 1 Samuel 13:18, 1 Samuel 14:47
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 7x Joshua 15:2, Ezekiel 8:3, Ezekiel 11:1, Ezekiel 44:1
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct 6x Genesis 24:63, Exodus 14:27, Deuteronomy 23:11, Judges 19:26
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 5x Deuteronomy 31:18, Psalms 40:4, Psalms 102:17, Song Of Solomon 6:1
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Physical turning becomes relational: to face implies attention, regard, and divine appearance or presence toward someone.
Strong's H6437
Lexical occurrences 135 verses Word forms 4 forms 70 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Isaiah 45:20-25 Source Gloss
to turn ; by implication, to face , i.e. appear , look , etc.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 4 Aligned forms 70
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 56×
Imperfect 1Sam 13:17 · 1Sam 13:18 · 1Sam 14:47 · Deut 30:17 · Ezek 10:11 · Job 24:18 · Prov 17:8 · Isa 13:14 · Jer 50:16 · Josh 7:12 · 1Kgs 2:3 · Job 5:1 · Lev 20:6 14×
Participle active 1Kgs 7:25 · 2Chr 4:4 · Deut 29:17 · Ezek 43:1 · Hos 3:1 · Josh 15:7 12×
Sequential imperfect Deut 1:7 · Deut 1:40 · Deut 2:3 · Isa 45:22 · Job 6:28 · Job 21:5 · Josh 22:4 · Num 14:25 · Ps 25:16 · Ps 69:17 · Ps 86:16 · Ps 119:132 12×
Perfect Deut 31:18 · Jer 6:4 · Ps 40:5 · Ps 102:18 · Song 6:1 · Isa 56:11 · Jer 2:27 · Ps 90:9 · 2Sam 9:8 · Isa 53:6 10×
Jussive Deut 9:27 · Job 36:21 · Num 16:15 · Lev 19:4 · Lev 19:31 5×
Infinitive construct Ezek 43:17 · Mal 2:13 2×
Infinitive absolute Hag 1:9 1×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 6×
Sequential imperfect Isa 40:3 · Isa 57:14 · Isa 62:10 3×
Perfect Gen 24:31 · Ps 80:10 · Zeph 3:15 3×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 6×
Perfect Jer 46:5 · Jer 46:21 · Jer 47:3 · Jer 48:39 · Jer 49:24 5×
Participle active Nah 2:9 1×
Hophal causative passive — the subject is caused to perform the action 2×
Participle passive Ezek 9:2 1×
Sequential imperfect Jer 49:8 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
To turn toward or look to.
Showing 1 selected witness from 135 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
פָּנָה is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
Defines the response required for salvation. Isaiah 45:20-25
Canonical Themes
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