Lexical Summary pashach: To limp, to pass over, to halt Original Word: פָשַׁח Strong's Exhaustive Concordance pull in pieces A primitive root; to tear in pieces -- pull in pieces. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to tear in pieces NASB Translation torn me to pieces (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מָּשַׁח] verb Pi`el tear in pieces (Late Hebrew מָּשַׁח; Aramaic מְּשַׁח 1 Samuel 15:33 (Agag),  ,  ); — Imperfect3masculine singular suffix וַיְפַשְּׁחֵנִי Lamentations 3:11 (of lion, in figure). Topical Lexicon Overview The verb פָשַׁח depicts the violent rending of something that was once whole, a vivid picture of devastation and helplessness. Its lone appearance in the Old Testament—Lamentations 3:11—sets it apart as a carefully chosen word to capture the intensity of divine judgment felt by the prophet and, by extension, the covenant community. Scriptural Context Lamentations 3 stands at the heart of Jeremiah’s dirge over Jerusalem’s fall. In verse 11 the prophet confesses, “He has forced me off my way and torn me to pieces; He has left me desolate” (Berean Standard Bible). The statement follows a catalogue of sufferings (verses 1–16) and precedes the climactic affirmation of hope in God’s steadfast love (verses 21–33). By employing פָשַׁח the poet portrays the Lord as a lion‐like adversary who has mauled His servant for disciplinary purposes (compare Hosea 5:14, though a different verb). The tearing is not capricious but covenantal, rooted in the curses announced in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 should Israel persist in rebellion. Imagery of Tearing in Biblical Theology 1. Judgment: The figure of God or a predator tearing prey commonly signals judgment (Psalm 50:22; Hosea 13:8). פָשַׁח intensifies this motif by emphasizing utter ruin. Historical Setting The Babylonian conquest (586 B.C.) razed Jerusalem, dismantled temple worship, and deported leaders. Jeremiah, eyewitness to these horrors, uses פָשַׁח to articulate what words like “destroy” alone could not convey. The verb’s ferocity captures: Thus פָשַׁח encapsulates the comprehensive nature of exile. Pastoral and Ministry Significance 1. Validity of Lament. The single use of פָשַׁח sanctions raw honesty before God. Believers may articulate feelings of being “torn to pieces” without irreverence. Key Related Passages Lamentations 3:1–33 – Immediate literary frame. Leviticus 26:14–39; Deuteronomy 28:15–68 – Covenant background for disciplinary tearing. Hosea 6:1–3 – Promise that the God who tears also heals. Psalm 50:22; Hosea 5:14 – Parallel imagery of divine predation. 1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:5 – Redemptive culmination in Christ’s suffering. Summary Though appearing only once, פָשַׁח serves as a theological linchpin in Lamentations. It communicates the severity of covenant breach, validates heartfelt lament, and ultimately drives readers to the twin pillars of repentance and hope. The God who tears remains the God who heals, assuring His people that desolation is never His last word. Forms and Transliterations וַֽיְפַשְּׁחֵ֖נִי ויפשחני vayfashsheCheni way·p̄aš·šə·ḥê·nî wayp̄aššəḥênîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Lamentations 3:11 HEB: דְּרָכַ֥י סוֹרֵ֛ר וַֽיְפַשְּׁחֵ֖נִי שָׂמַ֥נִי שֹׁמֵֽם׃ NAS: my ways and torn me to pieces; He has made me desolate. KJV: my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made INT: my ways has turned and torn made desolate 1 Occurrence |
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