What does פָּקַח (pāqaḥ) mean in the Bible?
פָּקַח (pāqaḥ): Opening eyes moves from physical sight to spiritual perception and discernment of truth
Hebrew · H6491
פָּקַח
To open (the senses, especially the eyes); figuratively, to be observant
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פָּקַח H6491
Pronunciation pāqaḥ
What does פָּקַח (pāqaḥ) mean in the Bible?
פָּקַח (pāqaḥ): Opening eyes moves from physical sight to spiritual perception and discernment of truth
Full entry for פָּקַח (H6491) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6491?
The BSB source-word alignment has 20 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include open (6), opened (4), . . . (1), and opened (1), are open (1).
Where does פָּקַח (pāqaḥ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 3:5. Its strongest book concentrations include 2 Kings (6), Isaiah (4), Genesis (3), Job (2).
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 open 6× 2 Kings 6:17, 2 Kings 6:20, 2 Kings 19:16, Proverbs 20:13
opened 4× Genesis 3:5, Genesis 21:19, 2 Kings 6:17, 2 Kings 6:20
. . . 1× Jeremiah 32:19
and opened 1× 2 Kings 4:35
are open 1× Isaiah 42:20
Do You open 1× Job 14:3
I will keep a watchful 1× Zechariah 12:4
opens [the eyes of] 1× Psalms 146:8
to open 1× Isaiah 42:7
were opened 1× Genesis 3:7
when he opens 1× Job 27:19
will be opened 1× Isaiah 35:5
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 3:5 וְנִפְקְח֖וּ to opened Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Genesis 3:7 וַתִּפָּקַ֙חְנָה֙ to were opened Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural Genesis 21:19 וַיִּפְקַ֤ח to opened Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 2 Kings 4:35 וַיִּפְקַ֥ח to and opened Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 2 Kings 6:17 פְּקַח־ to open Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular 2 Kings 6:17 וַיִּפְקַ֤ח to opened Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 2 Kings 6:20 פְּקַ֥ח to open Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular 2 Kings 6:20 וַיִּפְקַ֤ח to opened Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 2 Kings 19:16 פְּקַ֧ח to open Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular Job 14:3 פָּקַ֣חְתָּ to Do You open Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 3:5
Aligned rows 20
Books represented 9
Genesis 3 2 Kings 6 Job 2 Psalms 1 Proverbs 1 Isaiah 4 Jeremiah 1 Daniel 1 Zechariah 1
Source forms
וַיִּפְקַ֤ח 3x way·yip̄·qaḥ Genesis 21:19, 2 Kings 6:17, 2 Kings 6:20
פְּקַ֧ח 2x pə·qaḥ 2 Kings 19:16, Isaiah 37:17
אֶפְקַ֣ח 1x ’ep̄·qaḥ Zechariah 12:4
וַיִּפְקַ֥ח 1x way·yip̄·qaḥ 2 Kings 4:35
וְנִפְקְח֖וּ 1x wə·nip̄·qə·ḥū Genesis 3:5
וַתִּפָּקַ֙חְנָה֙ 1x wat·tip·pā·qaḥ·nāh Genesis 3:7
לִפְקֹ֖חַ 1x lip̄·qō·aḥ Isaiah 42:7
פָּק֥וֹחַ 1x pā·qō·w·aḥ Isaiah 42:20
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular 6x 2 Kings 6:17, 2 Kings 6:20, 2 Kings 19:16, Proverbs 20:13
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 4x Genesis 21:19, 2 Kings 4:35, 2 Kings 6:17, 2 Kings 6:20
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 1x Genesis 3:5
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural 1x Genesis 3:7
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct 1x Isaiah 42:7
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural 1x Isaiah 35:5
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular 1x Zechariah 12:4
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute 1x Isaiah 42:20
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Opening eyes moves from physical sight to spiritual perception and discernment of truth
Strong's H6491
Lexical occurrences 21 verses Word forms 2 forms 13 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Genesis 3:1-7 Source Gloss
to open (the senses, especially the eyes); figuratively, to be observant
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Opening eyes moves from physical sight to spiritual perception and discernment of truth
to open (the senses, especially the eyes); figuratively, to be observant BDB: open Usage: open.
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 2 Aligned forms 13
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 12×
Sequential imperfect 2Kgs 6:17 · 2Kgs 6:20 · 2Kgs 19:16 · Dan 9:18 · Isa 37:17 · Prov 20:13 6×
Perfect Job 14:3 · Job 27:19 2×
Infinitive absolute Isa 42:20 1×
Participle passive Jer 32:19 1×
Participle active Ps 146:8 1×
Imperfect Zech 12:4 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 1×
Imperfect Isa 35:5 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Physical opening of eyes upon eating forbidden fruit, gaining awareness
God opening eyes to perceive water source in wilderness, divine revelation
Figurative opening of eyes related to observance and wakefulness, moral alertness
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 21 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
פָּקַח is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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