Lexical Summary pen: Lest, otherwise, for fear that Original Word: פֵן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance corner From an unused root meaning to turn; an angle (of a street or wall) -- corner. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originthe same as pinnah, q.v. Brown-Driver-Briggs מִּנָּה28 noun feminine corner; — absolute ׳פ 2 Kings 14:13 +, construct מִּנַּת Jeremiah 31:40 +; suffix מִּנָּתָהּ Job 38:9, מִּנָּהּ Proverbs 7:8 (Ges§ 91e); plural מִּנּוֺת absolute Zephaniah 1:16; 2Chronicles 26:15, מִּנִּים Zechariah 14:10; construct מִּנּוֺת 1 Kings 7:34 +, etc.; — 1. a. corner, of square objects 1 Kings 7:34 + 1 Kings 7:30 (read מִּנּוֺתָיו for מַּעֲמֹתָיו, compare Kit), Exodus 27:2; Exodus 38:2; Ezekiel 43:19; of house Job 1:19, roof Proverbs 7:12; Proverbs 21:9 = Proverbs 25:24; ׳אֶבֶן לְפ Jeremiah 51:26 i.e. a corner-stone; ׳אֶבֶן פ of earth Job 38:9; compare (figurative) Psalm 118:22, and (אבן omitted) Isaiah 28:16; ׳פ = street-corner2Chronicles 28:24. b. specifically of wall of Jerusalem, Nehemiah 3:24 (in southeast), Nehemiah 3:31; Nehemiah 3:32 (northeast); ׳שַׁעַד הַמּ 2 Kings 14:13 + "" 2 Chronicles 25:23 ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ᵑ7 and most (for ᵑ0 הַמּוֺנֶה ׳שׁ), + (see שַׁעַר); apparently with battlements 2 Chronicles 26:15; of cities in General הַנְּבֹהוֺת ׳הַמּ Zephaniah 1:16; of the nations Zephaniah 3:6. 2 figurative of chief, ruler as corner (support or defence), Judges 20:2; 1 Samuel 14:38; Isaiah 19:13 (read perhaps plural); Zechariah 10:4 (+יָתֵד q. v.). Topical Lexicon Meaning and Literary Function פֵן (Strong’s 6434) appears as a noun in Zechariah 14:10 within the phrase “Corner Gate.” Even though the root ideas of turning, facing, or a corner occur frequently in Scripture, this particular spelling is found only here, making it a hapax legomenon. Its employment as a boundary marker gives a concrete, topographical anchor to the larger prophetic vision. Biblical Context Zechariah 14 describes the climactic “Day of the LORD,” when the Lord Himself intervenes for Jerusalem. Verse 10 sets out the new elevation and security of the city by listing fixed points on every side—“from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses” (Zechariah 14:10). פֵן (“Corner Gate”) thus functions as the north-western limit of the city, framing the scene of millennial restoration. Historical and Geographical Significance The Corner Gate is mentioned earlier under a slightly different Hebrew form (e.g., 2 Kings 14:13; 2 Chronicles 26:9; Jeremiah 31:38). These earlier notices place it on Jerusalem’s northern wall, a strategic location often associated with vulnerability to attack. By re-introducing the gate in Zechariah’s eschatological passage, Scripture signals that the very point once exposed to enemy assault will stand secure when the Lord reigns. The unique spelling פֵן in Zechariah may draw attention to the thoroughly renewed character of the city—same landmark, but now transformed under divine sovereignty. Theological Emphasis 1. Unbroken continuity of God’s promises: The Corner Gate links post-exilic Jerusalem to its former glory days, underscoring that the Lord’s plan has never been thwarted. Prophetic and Messianic Outlook Zechariah’s description anticipates Messiah’s earthly rule (Zechariah 14:9, 16). The stabilizing of the Corner Gate foreshadows the “Chief Cornerstone” (Psalm 118:22; Acts 4:11) who secures God’s people. The Lord Jesus Christ, rejected by builders yet chosen by God, guarantees the permanence of His city and His redeemed community (Ephesians 2:19–22). Ministry Applications • Confidence in fulfilled prophecy: A single gate, fixed by name and location, reminds believers that God’s Word is precise and reliable. Related Passages for Study 2 Kings 14:13; 2 Chronicles 26:9; Jeremiah 31:38 — early references to the Corner Gate Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 28:16; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:6–7 — cornerstone imagery fulfilled in Christ Revelation 21:12–14 — perfected gates in the New Jerusalem Summary פֵן, though occurring only once, serves as a strategic signpost in Zechariah’s vision. It marks the boundary of a renewed Jerusalem, testifies to God’s faithfulness across Israel’s history, and prefigures the unshakable kingdom established by the Lord Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations הַפִּנִּ֔ים הפנים hap·pin·nîm happinNim happinnîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Zechariah 14:10 HEB: עַד־ שַׁ֣עַר הַפִּנִּ֔ים וּמִגְדַּ֣ל חֲנַנְאֵ֔ל KJV: gate, unto the corner gate, INT: far Gate the corner the Tower of Hananel 1 Occurrence |
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