Lexical Summary pathah: To entice, deceive, persuade, seduce, allure Original Word: פָתָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance allure, deceive, enlarge, entice, flatter, persuade, silly one A primitive root; to open, i.e. Be (causatively, make) roomy; usually figuratively (in a mental or moral sense) to be (causatively, make) simple or (in a sinister way) delude -- allure, deceive, enlarge, entice, flatter, persuade, silly (one). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מָּתָה] verb be spacious, wide, open (Aramaic מְּתָא be spacious,  be spacious, abundant; compare Arabic  ,  be youthful, in prime of life,  young man, one in prime of life (development of various meanings from v not wholly clear, compare NöZMG xi (1886), 735)); — Qal Participle מֹּתֶה Proverbs 20:19 possibly one open as to lips, but see מָּתָה denominative below Hiph`il Imperfect3masculine singular jussive ׳יַפְתְּ א לְיֶפֶת Genesis 9:27 may God make wide for Japhet (give him an extensive inheritance). — Perfect possibly Proverbs 24:28 (reading וְהִפְתִּיתָ בִּשְׂפָתֶ֑יךָ, make wide with (open wide) thy lips, for ᵑ0 ׳יַהֲפִתִּיתָ בִּשׂ, so SS; but compare מָּתָה denominative Pi`el). [מָּתָה] verb denominative be simple (Late Hebrew Pi`el entice); — Qal Imperfect3masculine singular יִפְתֶּה Deuteronomy 11:16; וַיִּפְתְּ Job 31:27; Participleמֹּתֶה Job 5:2; Proverbs 20:19; feminine מּוֺתָה Hosea 7:11; — 1 be open-minded (?),simple Job 5:2; יוֺנָה פוֺתָה Hosea 7:11 silly dove; מֹּתֶה שְׂפָתָיו Proverbs 20:19 one foolish as to his lips (most, openeth wide his lips). 2 be enticed, deceived Deuteronomy 11:16; Job 31:27. Niph`al Perfect3masculine singular נַפְתָּה Job 31:9; Imperfect1singular וָאֶמָּת Jeremiah 20:7; — be deceived Jeremiah 20:7 rather be persuaded, persuade; with עַל enticed unto Job 31:9. Piel Perfect2masculine singular מִּתִּיתָ Proverbs 24:28; suffixמִּתִּיתַנִי Jeremiah 20:7; 1singular מִּתֵּיתִי Ezekiel 14:9; Imperfect3masculine singular יְפַתֶּה Exodus 22:15 +, etc.; Imperative מַּתִּי Judges 14:15; Judges 16:5; Infinitive construct suffix מַּתֹתְךָ 2 Samuel 3:25; Participle suffix מְפַתֶּיהָ (Ges§ 93 88) Hosea 2:15; — 1 persuade, woman Hosea 2:16 (figurative,׳י subject), seduce, virgin Exodus 22:16; entice, husband Judges 14:15; Judges 16:5; a man to sin Proverbs 1:10; Proverbs 16:29. 2 deceive, 2 Samuel 3:25; Proverbs 24:28 (yet compare√ Hiph`il above); subject׳י, object prophet, Jeremiah 20:7; Ezekiel 14:9, compare 1 Kings 22:20,21,22 2Chron 18:19; 18:20; 18:21; object׳י, Psalm 78:36. Paul Imperfect3masculine singular יְפֻתֶּה: 1 be persuaded, Proverbs 25:15. 2 be deceived, Jeremiah 20:10 be beguiled; by ׳י, Ezekiel 14:9. פתא (√ of following; ᵑ7 Syriac; Biblical Hebrew פתה (rara)). Topical Lexicon Overview פָתָה (pāthāh) is a verb of moral and relational weight. Across roughly twenty-eight Old Testament occurrences it describes the act of opening another person up—emotionally, intellectually, or spiritually—so as to turn, persuade, allure, or mislead. The context decides whether that “opening” is gracious or sinister, protective or destructive. Scripture therefore employs the word to expose seduction into sexual sin, manipulation by violent people, self-deception, the lure of idolatry, and, strikingly, the gracious wooing of God Himself. Semantic Nuances and Fields of Meaning 1. Sexual seduction: Exodus 22:16; Judges 14:15; Judges 16:5–15; Job 31:9 Representative Old Testament Contexts • Exodus 22:16 — “If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bridal price, and she will be his wife.” God as Subject of פָתָה While most uses condemn human deceit, Hosea 2:14 and Jeremiah 20:7 show the Lord “enticing.” In Hosea the verb reveals covenant love: God woos Israel away from adulterous idols into wilderness intimacy, reversing earlier seductions that led her astray. In Jeremiah the prophet’s protest underscores divine sovereignty; the Lord’s compelling call overcame Jeremiah’s reluctance, yet without moral fault in God. Both passages affirm that the Creator can open the human heart for saving purposes even when His methods surpass human understanding. Human Sinfulness and פָתָה 1. Sexual immorality: Samson falls because Delilah’s persistence “entices” him (Judges 16). Job vows integrity: “If my heart has been enticed by my neighbor’s wife…” (Job 31:9). Redemptive Reversal in Hosea Hosea 2:14 stands alone as a gracious use of pāthāh. Whereas sin’s seduction leads to slavery, the Lord’s allure leads to covenant renewal. The same verb that describes Delilah’s treachery now pictures divine romance. This reversal anticipates the gospel, where God draws sinners with compelling grace rather than coercive manipulation (John 6:44; Romans 2:4). Wisdom Literature Warnings Proverbs consistently sets pāthāh in the mouth or hands of the wicked. The wise refuse such influence, recognizing that yielding begins not with the act but with an “opened” heart. Parental instruction in Proverbs 1:10–19 employs the verb to show that community pressures are as dangerous as individual lusts. Prophetic Warnings against False Confidence Jeremiah and Ezekiel link pāthāh to false prophecy and self-assurance. Those who will not love truth find themselves “opened” to lies as an act of divine judgment (compare 2 Thessalonians 2:11–12). The vocabulary underscores that deception is ultimately spiritual, not merely intellectual. Ministry Implications • Preaching and counseling should expose tools of seduction—flattery, half-truths, and unmet desires—and replace them with the truth that sets free. Christological and New Testament Trajectory Jesus never “deceives,” yet He does “open” hearts (Luke 24:32). Where sinners seduce for harm, the Good Shepherd calls His sheep by name, and they follow Him because they know His voice (John 10:3–4). The cross unmasks every false enticer (Colossians 2:15) and secures a people who “cannot be led astray” finally, for they are kept by the truth (1 Peter 1:5). Concluding Summary פָתָה warns that the human heart is impressionable; what opens it shapes destiny. Whether through sexual temptation, violent schemes, political propaganda, or false religion, sinful enticement thrives on empty promises. Yet the same capacity to be wooed becomes the avenue of salvation when the Lord Himself allures His people. Scripture therefore calls believers to resist every deceptive pāthāh while yielding wholeheartedly to the One whose persuasive grace restores and secures forever. Forms and Transliterations אֲפַתֶּ֑נּוּ אפתנו וַ֝הֲפִתִּ֗יתָ וַיְפַתּ֥וּהוּ וַיִּ֣פְתְּ וָֽאֶפָּ֔ת וּ֝פֹתֶ֗ה וּלְפֹתֶ֥ה ואפת והפתית ויפת ויפתוהו ולפתה ופתה יְפַתֶּ֣ה יְפַתֶּה֙ יְפַתּ֥וּךָ יְפֻתֶּ֣ה יְפֻתֶּה֙ יִפְתֶּ֖ה יַ֤פְתְּ יפת יפתה יפתוך לְפַתֹּתְךָ֖ לפתתך מְפַתֶּ֔יהָ מפתיה נִפְתָּ֣ה נפתה פִּתִּיתַ֤נִי פִּתֵּ֔יתִי פַּתִּ֣י פוֹתָ֖ה פותה פתי פתיתי פתיתני תְּפַתֶּה֙ תפתה ’ă·p̄at·ten·nū ’ăp̄attennū afatTennu foTah lə·p̄at·tō·ṯə·ḵā lefattoteCha ləp̄attōṯəḵā mə·p̄at·te·hā mefatTeiha məp̄attehā nifTah nip̄·tāh nip̄tāh pat·tî patTi pattî pit·tê·ṯî pit·tî·ṯa·nî pitTeiti pittêṯî pittiTani pittîṯanî p̄ō·w·ṯāh p̄ōwṯāh tə·p̄at·teh tefatTeh təp̄atteh ū·lə·p̄ō·ṯeh ū·p̄ō·ṯeh ufoTeh ulefoTeh ūləp̄ōṯeh ūp̄ōṯeh vaepPat vahafitTita vaiYift vayfatTuhu wā’eppāṯ wā·’ep·pāṯ wa·hă·p̄it·tî·ṯā wahăp̄ittîṯā way·p̄at·tū·hū way·yip̄t wayp̄attūhū wayyip̄t yaft yap̄t yə·p̄at·teh yə·p̄at·tū·ḵā yə·p̄ut·teh yefatTeh yefatTucha yefutTeh yəp̄atteh yəp̄attūḵā yəp̄utteh yifTeh yip̄·teh yip̄tehLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 9:27 HEB: יַ֤פְתְּ אֱלֹהִים֙ לְיֶ֔פֶת NAS: May God enlarge Japheth, KJV: God shall enlarge Japheth, INT: enlarge may God Japheth Exodus 22:16 Deuteronomy 11:16 Judges 14:15 Judges 16:5 2 Samuel 3:25 1 Kings 22:20 1 Kings 22:21 1 Kings 22:22 2 Chronicles 18:19 2 Chronicles 18:20 2 Chronicles 18:21 Job 5:2 Job 31:9 Job 31:27 Psalm 78:36 Proverbs 1:10 Proverbs 16:29 Proverbs 20:19 Proverbs 24:28 Proverbs 25:15 Jeremiah 20:7 Jeremiah 20:7 Jeremiah 20:10 Ezekiel 14:9 28 Occurrences |
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