Lexical Summary paam: Time, occurrence, foot, step, beat Original Word: פַעַם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance anvil, corner, footstep, going, hundredfold, now, this once, order, Or (feminine) pa;amah {pah-am-aw'}; from pa'am; a stroke, literally or figuratively (in various applications, as follow) -- anvil, corner, foot(-step), going, (hundred-)fold, X now, (this) + once, order, rank, step, + thrice, ((often-)), second, this, two) time(-s), twice, wheel. see HEBREW pa'am NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom paam Definition a beat, foot, anvil, occurrence NASB Translation all (1), annual* (1), anvil (1), each story (1), feet (9), footsteps (3), hoofbeats (1), now (5), oftentimes* (1), once (1), once more (3), once* (4), other times (5), ranks (2), steps (3), stroke (1), this once (2), this time (4), thousand-fold* (1), time (13), times (42), twice (7), two times (1), usual (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מַּ֫עַם118 noun feminineEx 8:28 (masculine only Judges 16:23 [text suspicious, see GFM AlbrZAW xvi (1896), 76 Kösynt. § 248m], 2 Samuel 23:8 [Qr feminine], 1 Kings 7:30 [corrupt, see below]) beat, foot, anvil, occurrence; — absolute ׳מ Genesis 2:23 +; מָּ֑עַם Genesis 46:30 +; dual מַּעֲמַיִם Genesis 27:36 +, etc.; plural מְּעָמִים Genesis 33:3 +; also (concrete) construct מַּעֲמֵי Judges 5:28 +; suffix מְּעָמַי Psalm 57:7; Psalm 119:133, etc.; מַּעֲמֹתָיו (only 1c) Exodus 25:12 2t.; — 1. a. in poetry, hoof-beat Judges 5:28; late, of human footfall, footstep, figurative Psalm 17:5 ("" אֲשׁוּרַי), Psalm 119:113; וְיָשֵׂם לְדֶרֶךְ מְּעָמָיו Psalm 85:14. b. foot, figurative, Psalm 57:7; Psalm 58:11; Psalm 74:3; Psalm 140:5; Proverbs 29:5; literal Isaiah 26:6 ("" רֶגֶל), Cant 7:2; ׳בְּכַף פ 2 Kings 19:24 = Isaiah 37:25. c. foot, of ark Exodus 25:12; Exodus 37:3 (P). — מַּעֲמֹתָיו 1 Kings 7:30 read מִּנּוֺתָיו (compare 1 Kings 7:34). 2 = anvil (struck by hammer) Isaiah 41:7. 3 occurrence, time (originally stroke, beat): a. אֶחָ֑ת ׳מ [אַחַת] one time, once Joshua 6:3,11,14 (JE), Joshua 10:42 (D) + 3 t. +2 Samuel 23:8 Qr (>Kt אחד); מַּעֲמָ֑יִם twice Genesis 41:32 6t.; ׳פ Nahum 1:9 second time; ׳אַרְבַּע פ Nehemiah 6:4 four times; ׳חָמֵשׁ אוֺ שֵׁשׁ פ 2 Kings 13:19, compare ׳מ חֲמִישִׁית Nehemiah 6:5; also with שָׁלשׁ, שֶׁבַע, q. v.; ׳עֶשֶׂר פ (וֶה) Numbers 14:22 (JE) Nehemiah 4:6; Job 19:3, all indefinite = over and over; indefinite also מַּעַם וּשְׁתָּ֑יִם Nehemiah 13:20 once and [i.e. or] twice; מַּעֲמַיִם שָׁלוֺשׁ Job 33:29 twice (or) thrice; מֵאָה פְעָמִים 2 Samuel 24:3 = 1 Chronicles 21:3, ׳אֶלֶף פ Deuteronomy 1:11; רַבּוֺת ׳פ Psalm 106:43; Ecclesiastes 7:22; עַדכַּֿמֶּה פְעָמִים 1 Kings 22:16 2Chronicles 18:15. b. כְּפַעַםבְּֿפַעַם as time on time, i.e. as formerly, as usual, Numbers 24:1 (E) Judges 16:20; Judges 20:30,31; 1 Samuel 3:10 (compare Dr) 1 Samuel 20:25. c. הַוּאֹת (גַּם) בַּמַּעַם at this repetition (this time) also Exodus 8:28; Exodus 9:14 (J) + 3 t.; הַהִוא ׳גַּם בַּמּ Deuteronomy 9:19; Deuteronomy 10:10. d. הַמַּעַם (Hexateuch only J): (1) = this once Genesis 18:32, ׳אַךְ הַמּ Exodus 10:17; Judges 6:39, ׳רַקהַֿמּ Judges 6:39, הַזֶּה ׳אַךְ הַמּ Judges 16:28 (הַזֶּה dubious, see above); (2) = now at lenth Genesis 2:23; Genesis 29:34,35; Genesis 30:20; Genesis 46:30; Judges 15:3; Judges 16:18, compare also Exodus 9:27 now at length (it is clear that) I have sinned. e. מַּעַם ֗֗֗ מָּ֑עַם Proverbs 7:12 now ... now, at one time ... at another. Topical Lexicon Scope of Meaning and Usage פַעַם (paʿam) moves between two principal ideas: (1) the rhythmic “beat” or “step,” and (2) the numeric “time, occasion, once, twice, three times.” In Scripture the noun and its dual/plural forms form a bridge between movement and chronology, portraying life as a series of ordered steps within divinely appointed times. Distribution in the Old Testament Approximately 118 occurrences span every major division of the canon. The Pentateuch and Historical Books favor the “time/occasion” nuance, the Psalms and Wisdom Books highlight “steps/footsteps,” and Prophetic literature employs both senses in oracles of judgment and hope. Theology of Ordered Times 1. Covenant Feasts. “Three times a year you are to celebrate a feast to Me” (Exodus 23:14). Paʿam underlines the set rhythm of Israel’s worship calendar—Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot—binding national history to God’s redemptive timetable. Theology of Directed Steps 1. Personal Integrity. “My steps have held to Your paths; my feet have not slipped” (Psalm 17:5). Paʿam pictures a life whose every footfall is aligned with covenant truth. Representative Passages • Genesis 27:36 – “He has deceived me these two times.” Patterns in Narrative and Liturgy • Repetition affirms certainty (Genesis 41:32—dream given twice). Wisdom and Prophetic Reflection Proverbs contrasts steady steps of wisdom with the unstable pacing of folly. Isaiah and Jeremiah apply paʿam metaphorically to nations whose “footsteps” march toward destruction, while Habakkuk 3:16 turns trembling paʿam into reverent awe before divine judgment. Ministry Application 1. Disciple-Making: Encourage intentional rhythms—daily Scripture, weekly Lord’s Day, seasonal fasting—mirroring the biblical triannual feasts. Christological Foreshadowing Paʿam’s dual motif converges in the Messiah: His earthly walk was sinless (“He committed no sin,” 1 Peter 2:22), and His atoning work occurred “once for all” (Greek hapax, Hebrews 10:10). The orderly footsteps of the perfect Servant fulfilled the appointed time of redemption, inviting believers to “follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21) until the final feast when time itself is consummated. Forms and Transliterations בְּפַ֖עַם בְּפַ֗עַם בְּפַ֙עַם֙ בְּפַ֥עַם בְּפָֽעַם׃ בַּפַּ֣עַם בַּפַּ֥עַם בפעם בפעם׃ הַפַּ֔עַם הַפַּ֖עַם הַפַּ֗עַם הַפַּ֙עַם֙ הַפַּ֤עַם הַפָּ֑עַם הפעם כְּפַ֣עַם ׀ כְּפַ֤עַם כְּפַ֥עַם כְּפַֽעַם־ כְפַֽעַם־ כפעם כפעם־ לִפְעָמַי֮ לפעמי פְ֭עָמֶיךָ פְּ֭עָמִים פְּ֭עָמַי פְּעָמִ֑ים פְּעָמִ֔ים פְּעָמִ֖ים פְּעָמִ֗ים פְּעָמִ֛ים פְּעָמִ֣ים ׀ פְּעָמִ֥ים פְּעָמִ֨ים פְּעָמִֽים׃ פְּעָמִים֙ פְּעָמַ֔י פְּעָמָ֥יו פְּעָמָֽי׃ פְּעָמָֽיו׃ פְעָמִ֔ים פְעָמִ֖ים פְעָמַ֛יִךְ פְעָמָֽי׃ פַּ֣עַם פַּ֤עַם ׀ פַּ֥עַם פַּעֲמֵ֖י פַּעֲמֵ֥י פַּעֲמַ֔יִם פַּעֲמַ֖יִם פַּעֲמָ֑יִם פַּעֲמָֽיִם׃ פַּעֲמֹתָ֑יו פַעֲמַ֔יִם פַעֲמָֽיִם׃ פַעֲמֹתָ֖יו פָּ֑עַם פעם פעמי פעמי׃ פעמיו פעמיו׃ פעמיך פעמים פעמים׃ פעמתיו bap·pa·‘am bappa‘am bapPaam bə·p̄a·‘am bə·p̄ā·‘am beFaam bəp̄a‘am bəp̄ā‘am chefaam faaMayim faamoTav feaMai feaMayich Feameicha feaMim hap·pa·‘am hap·pā·‘am happa‘am happā‘am hapPaam kə·p̄a·‘am kə·p̄a·‘am- ḵə·p̄a·‘am- kefaam kəp̄a‘am kəp̄a‘am- ḵəp̄a‘am- lifaMai lip̄‘āmay lip̄·‘ā·may pa‘am pā‘am pa‘ămayim pa‘ămāyim p̄a‘ămayim p̄a‘ămāyim pa‘ămê pa‘ămōṯāw p̄a‘ămōṯāw pa·‘ă·ma·yim pa·‘ă·mā·yim p̄a·‘ă·ma·yim p̄a·‘ă·mā·yim pa·‘ă·mê pa·‘ă·mō·ṯāw p̄a·‘ă·mō·ṯāw pa·‘am pā·‘am Paam paaMayim paaMei paamoTav pə‘āmāw pə‘āmay pə‘āmāy p̄ə‘āmāy p̄ə‘āmayiḵ p̄ə‘āmeḵā pə‘āmîm p̄ə‘āmîm p̄ə·‘ā·ma·yiḵ pə·‘ā·māw pə·‘ā·may pə·‘ā·māy p̄ə·‘ā·māy p̄ə·‘ā·me·ḵā pə·‘ā·mîm p̄ə·‘ā·mîm peaMai peaMav peaMimLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 2:23 HEB: הָֽאָדָם֒ זֹ֣את הַפַּ֗עַם עֶ֚צֶם מֵֽעֲצָמַ֔י NAS: said, This is now bone of my bones, KJV: said, This [is] now bone of my bones, INT: the man This is now bone of my bones Genesis 18:32 Genesis 27:36 Genesis 29:34 Genesis 29:35 Genesis 30:20 Genesis 33:3 Genesis 41:32 Genesis 43:10 Genesis 46:30 Exodus 8:32 Exodus 9:14 Exodus 9:27 Exodus 10:17 Exodus 23:17 Exodus 25:12 Exodus 34:23 Exodus 34:24 Exodus 37:3 Leviticus 4:6 Leviticus 4:17 Leviticus 8:11 Leviticus 14:7 Leviticus 14:16 Leviticus 14:27 118 Occurrences |
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