Lexical Summary Pashchur: Pashhur Original Word: פַשְׁחוּר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Pashur Probably from pashach; liberation; Pashchur, the name of four Israelites -- Pashur. see HEBREW pashach NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom pashach Definition five Isr. NASB Translation Pashhur (14). Brown-Driver-Briggs מַּשְׁחוּר proper name, masculine Πασχωρ, Φα(δα)σσουρ etc.: 1 Jeremiah 20:1,2,3 (twice in verse); Jeremiah 20:6. 2 Jeremiah 21:1; Jeremiah 38:1b Nehemiah 11:12, compare 1 Chronicles 9:12. 4 father of one Gedaliah Jeremiah 38:1a. 5 head of post-exile family Ezra 2:38 = Nehemiah 7:14; Ezra 10:22. compare MeyEntstehung 169 f. Topical Lexicon Name and Significance Pashhur (Hebrew פַשְׁחוּר) appears in several priestly lines and royal narratives. The root idea of the name suggests “freedom” or “expansion,” yet the biblical record repeatedly sets that meaning against bondage, exile, and judgment, creating a memorable irony. Pashhur Son of Immer: Temple Official Who Persecuted Jeremiah Jeremiah 20 introduces Pashhur son of Immer as “priest and chief officer in the house of the LORD” (Jeremiah 20:1). Angered by Jeremiah’s temple sermon, he “had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks” (20:2). The next morning Jeremiah renamed him “Magor-missabib” (“Terror on Every Side,” 20:3), prophesying that he, his household, and his false-prophet companions would go to Babylon and die there (20:6). This episode highlights three themes: Pashhur Son of Malchiah: Royal Envoy and Opponent of Jeremiah A second Pashhur, “son of Malchiah,” surfaces during Zedekiah’s reign. 1. As royal envoy he is sent with Zephaniah to ask Jeremiah for divine guidance when Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem (Jeremiah 21:1–2). Jeremiah’s reply condemns the city, underscoring that superficial inquiries cannot replace genuine repentance. Priestly Lineages and the Return from Exile Long after the downfall of Jerusalem, families bearing the name Pashhur re-emerge among the priests who return with Zerubbabel: “the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247” (Ezra 2:38; Nehemiah 7:41). Their sizable number indicates that, despite earlier apostasy, the line was not extinguished. God preserves priestly succession even through exile, fulfilling covenant promises concerning the endurance of the priesthood. Priestly Purification in Ezra’s Reform Ezra 10:22 names six men “among the descendants of Pashhur” who had married foreign women. Their inclusion on the list of offenders—and their agreement to put away unlawful wives—shows that the Pashhur line participated both in the compromise and in the repentance that sought to restore holiness to the priesthood. Covenant Renewal under Nehemiah Nehemiah 10:3 lists a priest named Pashhur as a signatory to the renewed covenant. This public commitment to obey the Law contrasts sharply with the earlier Pashhurs who resisted Jeremiah. The name that once symbolized opposition now appears beside leaders pledging faithfulness, demonstrating generational mercy. Post-Exilic Service in Jerusalem In the repopulation of Jerusalem, descendants of Pashhur are counted among those “who carried out the work for the house” (Nehemiah 11:12; cf. 1 Chronicles 9:12). The line is restored to active ministry, confirming that repentance and covenant fidelity reopen avenues of service that sin had closed. Theological Reflections 1. God disciplines faithless leaders but keeps open a path for their descendants to return and serve. Summary of Occurrences • 1 Chronicles 9:12; Nehemiah 11:12 – ancestral listing of post-exilic priests. Across these texts, Pashhur stands both as a warning against resisting God’s word and as a witness to the restoring grace that can bring even a disgraced line back into priestly service. Forms and Transliterations וּפַשְׁח֖וּר ופשחור פַּשְׁח֑וּר פַּשְׁח֔וּר פַּשְׁח֖וּר פַּשְׁח֥וּר פַּשְׁחוּר֙ פַשְׁח֔וּר פַשְׁח֗וּר פַשְׁח֛וּר פַשְׁחוּר֙ פשחור fashChur paš·ḥūr p̄aš·ḥūr pashChur pašḥūr p̄ašḥūr ū·p̄aš·ḥūr ufashChur ūp̄ašḥūrLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Chronicles 9:12 HEB: יְרֹחָ֔ם בֶּן־ פַּשְׁח֖וּר בֶּן־ מַלְכִּיָּ֑ה NAS: the son of Pashhur, the son KJV: the son of Pashur, the son INT: of Jeroham the son of Pashhur the son of Malchijah Ezra 2:38 Ezra 10:22 Nehemiah 7:41 Nehemiah 10:3 Nehemiah 11:12 Jeremiah 20:1 Jeremiah 20:2 Jeremiah 20:3 Jeremiah 20:3 Jeremiah 20:6 Jeremiah 21:1 Jeremiah 38:1 Jeremiah 38:1 14 Occurrences |
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