6594. pishtah

Lexicon

pishtah: Flax

Original Word: פִשְׁתָּה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: pishtah
Pronunciation: pish-taw'
Phonetic Spelling: (pish-taw')
Definition: Flax
Meaning: flax, a wick

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

flax, tow

Feminine of pishteh; flax; by implication, a wick -- flax, tow.

see HEBREW pishteh

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from the same as pesheth
Definition
flax
NASB Translation
flax (2), wick (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

מִּשְׁתָּה noun feminine flax; — ׳פ:

1 growing Exodus 9:31 (twice in verse)(J).

2 = wick Isaiah 42:3; Isaiah 43:17 (in simile).

מַּת see פתת.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the root פָּשַׁט (pashat), which means "to strip" or "to spread out."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The corresponding Strong's Greek entry is G3043 (λίνον, linon), which also refers to flax or linen. This term appears in the New Testament, maintaining the connection between flax and its uses in both the Old and New Testaments.

Usage: The term פִשְׁתָּה is used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to both the flax plant and the wick made from its fibers. It is often associated with the production of linen and is mentioned in contexts related to agriculture, industry, and domestic life.

Context: פִשְׁתָּה (pishtah) appears in several passages throughout the Hebrew Bible, highlighting its significance in ancient Israelite culture. Flax was a crucial agricultural product, cultivated for its fibers, which were spun into linen—a valuable textile in biblical times. The process of growing, harvesting, and processing flax was labor-intensive, reflecting the importance of this crop in the economy and daily life.

In Exodus 9:31, flax is mentioned in the context of the plagues of Egypt: "Now the flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley was ripe and the flax was in bloom." This indicates the timing of the plagues and the agricultural practices of the time.

Isaiah 42:3 uses the imagery of a "smoldering wick" (פִשְׁתָּה כֵהָה) to convey a message of hope and restoration: "A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice." Here, the wick symbolizes something fragile yet enduring, illustrating God's compassion and justice.

Ezekiel 40:3 describes a vision of a man with a measuring line of flax: "He brought me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand, standing in the gateway." This passage underscores the use of flax in sacred and symbolic contexts.

Flax was also integral to the tabernacle and temple, as linen garments were prescribed for priests (Exodus 28:42). The purity and quality of linen made from flax fibers were emblematic of holiness and service to God.

Forms and Transliterations

וְהַפִּשְׁתָּ֖ה וְהַפִּשְׁתָּ֥ה וּפִשְׁתָּ֥ה והפשתה ופשתה כַּפִּשְׁתָּ֥ה כפשתה kap·piš·tāh kappishTah kappištāh ū·p̄iš·tāh ufishTah ūp̄ištāh vehappishTah wə·hap·piš·tāh wəhappištāh

Englishman's Concordance

Exodus 9:31
HEB: וְהַפִּשְׁתָּ֥ה וְהַשְּׂעֹרָ֖ה נֻכָּ֑תָה
NAS: (Now the flax and the barley
KJV: And the flax and the barley
INT: the flax and the barley were ruined

Exodus 9:31
HEB: הַשְּׂעֹרָה֙ אָבִ֔יב וְהַפִּשְׁתָּ֖ה גִּבְעֹֽל׃
NAS: was in the ear and the flax was in bud.
KJV: [was] in the ear, and the flax [was] bolled.
INT: the barley the ear and the flax bud

Isaiah 42:3
HEB: לֹ֣א יִשְׁבּ֔וֹר וּפִשְׁתָּ֥ה כֵהָ֖ה לֹ֣א
NAS: And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
KJV: and the smoking flax shall he not quench:
INT: He will not break wick dimly He will not

Isaiah 43:17
HEB: יָק֔וּמוּ דָּעֲכ֖וּ כַּפִּשְׁתָּ֥ה כָבֽוּ׃
NAS: again; They have been quenched [and] extinguished like a wick):
KJV: they are quenched as tow.
INT: rise are extinct tow have been quenched

4 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6594
4 Occurrences

kap·piš·tāh — 1 Occ.
ū·p̄iš·tāh — 1 Occ.
wə·hap·piš·tāh — 2 Occ.