Lexical Summary peqach-qoach: Opening of the eyes, sight Original Word: פְקַח־קוֹחַ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance opening of the prison From paqach redoubled; opening (of a dungeon), i.e. Jail-delivery (figuratively, salvation for sin) -- opening of the prison. see HEBREW paqach NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom paqach Definition an opening NASB Translation freedom (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מְּקַחקֿוֺחַ, read מְּקַחְקוֺחַ noun [masculine] opening (of eyes; compare Comm., Ges§ 85n, proposes wide, or complete, opening); — לַאֲסוּרִים Isaiah 61:1, figurative of freeing from dark prison; but ᵐ5 cheHpt read לְעִוְרִים, compare Di-Kit. Topical Lexicon Biblical occurrence The compound expression פְקַח־קוֹחַ appears once, in Isaiah 61:1. The prophet, speaking under the Spirit’s inspiration, lists it among the Messiah’s Spirit-empowered ministries: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound” (Berean Standard Bible). Meaning and imagery Though formed from two nouns, the phrase functions as a single concept: an emphatic “opening,” “release,” or “opening of the bonds.” The imagery is concrete—doors flung wide, shackles falling, light streaming into a dark cell—yet it also carries spiritual depth. Isaiah pairs it with “liberty to the captives,” framing a liberation that addresses both external chains and internal blindness or oppression. Throughout Scripture, opening barred places often symbolizes the Lord’s saving intervention (Acts 5:19; Acts 12:10; Revelation 3:7). Redemptive-historical setting Isaiah 61 derives its backdrop from the Year of Jubilee legislation (Leviticus 25). In that fiftieth year, slaves were set free, debts canceled, and ancestral land returned. The prophet projects that gracious pattern forward, promising a climactic age in which the anointed Servant will enact a final, comprehensive emancipation. Thus פְקַח־קוֹחַ evokes Jubilee’s trumpet blast while also transcending it: the coming liberation will reach every nation and address sin-bound hearts, not merely socio-economic conditions. Fulfillment in Jesus Christ Jesus read Isaiah 61:1–2 in the Nazareth synagogue and declared, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). By choosing a Jubilee-laden text that includes פְקַח־קוֹחַ, He identified Himself as the Liberator Isaiah foresaw. His earthly ministry confirmed the claim: blind eyes opened (John 9:1-7), demoniacs loosed (Mark 5:1-15), lepers cleansed (Luke 17:11-19), and sinners forgiven (Matthew 9:2). His atoning death and resurrection achieved the ultimate prison-break, shattering sin’s power and conquering death itself (Hebrews 2:14-15). Theological implications 1. Divine initiative: Liberation originates in “the Spirit of the Lord GOD,” underscoring salvation by grace, not human effort (Ephesians 2:8-9). Practical ministry applications • Gospel proclamation must include both verbal preaching and tangible acts that mirror the Messianic release—advocating for the oppressed, visiting inmates, and combating spiritual bondage through intercession and discipleship (Matthew 25:36; Galatians 5:1). Related Old Testament motifs Isaiah 42:7 – the Servant is sent “to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon.” Psalm 146:7 – the LORD “releases the prisoners.” Zechariah 9:11 – covenant blood secures release “from the waterless pit.” Intertestamental and rabbinic echoes Second Temple literature applies Jubilee imagery to a hoped-for age of Messiah’s reign, confirming that Jewish expectation linked Isaiah 61:1’s prison-opening with eschatological deliverance. Qumran’s “Messianic Apocalypse” (4Q521) echoes language of healing and liberation, showing continuity with Isaiah’s vision. Summary פְקַח־קוֹחַ encapsulates God’s promise of decisive, Spirit-empowered liberation. Rooted in Jubilee, fulfilled in Jesus’ first coming, and consummated at His return, it calls the Church to proclaim and embody freedom for the bound—spiritually, socially, and eternally. Forms and Transliterations קֽוֹחַ׃ קוח׃ Koach qō·w·aḥ qōwaḥLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 61:1 HEB: וְלַאֲסוּרִ֖ים פְּקַח־ קֽוֹחַ׃ NAS: to captives And freedom to prisoners; KJV: to the captives, and the opening of the prison to [them that are] bound; INT: liberty to prisoners and freedom 1 Occurrence |
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