Lexical Summary pachath: Pit, trap, snare Original Word: פַחַת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance hole, pit, snare Probably from an unused root apparently meaning to dig; a pit, especially for catching animals -- hole, pit, snare. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition a pit NASB Translation caves (1), chasm (1), pit (7), pitfall (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מַּ֫חַת noun masculine2Samuel 18:17 (in 2 Samuel 17:9 read בְּאַחַד) pit; — ׳פ absolute Jeremiah 48:43 +, מָּ֑חַת Jeremiah 48:28; plural מְּחָתִים 2 Samuel 17:9; — pit, 2 Samuel 17:9; 2 Samuel 18:17; Jeremiah 48:28 (Gie question text); figurative of calamity וָפָ֑ח ׳מַּחַד וָפ Jeremiah 48:43 compare Jeremiah 48:44; Jeremiah 48:44 = Isaiah 24:17 compare Isaiah 24:18; Isaiah 24:18 and Lamentations 3:47. Topical Lexicon Meaning and ImageryThe noun פַחַת paints the picture of a concealed hollow in the ground—natural or man-made—waiting to swallow the unsuspecting. Scripture alternates between literal use (a real depression in terrain) and figurative use (a threatening circumstance engineered by divine judgment or human malice). In each case it communicates sudden danger that cannot be seen until one is already falling into it. Occurrences and Narrative Context 1. 2 Samuel 17:9 records Hushai’s strategic counsel to Absalom: “Surely by now he lies hidden in one of the caves or in some other place.” The “pit” evokes guerrilla warfare tactics; David is imagined crouching in an ambush point that could reverse Absalom’s fortunes. Prophetic Triad: Terror, Pit, and Snare Isaiah announces global judgment: “Terror and pit and snare await you, O dweller of the earth” (Isaiah 24:17). Jeremiah applies the same formula to Moab, and Lamentations laments its fulfillment for Judah. The sequence intensifies: terror pursues, the pit engulfs, the snare finalizes capture. The progression underlines the futility of human escape when divine wrath is loosed. Theology of Divine Retribution The pit illustrates the moral order of the universe. Those who reject God’s governance find themselves trapped by the very evils they embrace. When Jeremiah warns Moab, he highlights pride (Jeremiah 48:42) as the root sin; the pit is thus the logical end of self-exaltation. Likewise, Absalom’s rebellion leads to a literal pit, demonstrating that Old Testament narrative and prophecy share the same ethical logic. Echoes in Wisdom Literature and the New Testament Though פַחַת itself is absent, the motif recurs. Proverbs cautions that “whoever digs a pit will fall into it” (Proverbs 26:27), while Paul writes that sudden destruction will overtake the complacent (1 Thessalonians 5:3). Jesus employs similar imagery: “It will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth like a snare” (Luke 21:35). The pit therefore functions as a canonical metaphor for unanticipated judgment. Pastoral and Discipleship Applications • Vigilance: Believers are urged to remain watchful, lest spiritual complacency drop them into hidden pitfalls of sin (1 Corinthians 10:12). Eschatological Significance Isaiah’s global scope (“inhabitant of the earth”) projects the pit motif into final judgment. Revelation echoes the theme with the abyss that imprisons Satan (Revelation 20:3). Thus פַחַת foreshadows the ultimate confinement of evil and vindication of God’s righteousness. Summary פַחַת threads together history, prophecy, and eschatology. Whether as David’s covert hideout, Absalom’s grave, or the prophetic symbol of impending doom, the pit warns every generation that hidden dangers lie along the path of rebellion, yet also magnifies the grace that lifts the repentant out of the deepest hollow. Forms and Transliterations הַפְּחָתִ֔ים הַפַּ֔חַת הַפַּ֣חַת הפחת הפחתים וָפַ֖חַת וָפַ֛חַת ופחת פָֽחַת׃ פחת׃ Fachat hap·pa·ḥaṯ hap·pə·ḥā·ṯîm hapPachat happaḥaṯ happechaTim happəḥāṯîm p̄ā·ḥaṯ p̄āḥaṯ vaFachat wā·p̄a·ḥaṯ wāp̄aḥaṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Samuel 17:9 HEB: נֶחְבָּא֙ בְּאַחַ֣ת הַפְּחָתִ֔ים א֖וֹ בְּאַחַ֣ד NAS: in one of the caves or KJV: now in some pit, or in some INT: hidden one of the caves or another 2 Samuel 18:17 Isaiah 24:17 Isaiah 24:18 Isaiah 24:18 Jeremiah 48:28 Jeremiah 48:43 Jeremiah 48:44 Jeremiah 48:44 Lamentations 3:47 10 Occurrences |
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