6617. pathal

Lexicon

pathal: To twist, to be cunning, to wrestle

Original Word: פָתַל
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: pathal
Pronunciation: pah-THAL
Phonetic Spelling: (paw-thal')
Definition: To twist, to be cunning, to wrestle
Meaning: to twine, to struggle, be, tortuous

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

show self froward, show self unsavoury, wrestle

A primitive root; to twine, i.e. (literally) to struggle or (figuratively) be (morally) tortuous -- (shew self) froward, shew self unsavoury, wrestle.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to twist
NASB Translation
crooked (1), cunning (1), show yourself astute (2), wrestled (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[מָּתַל] verb twist (Late Hebrew Pi`el and derivatives; Arabic ; Ethiopic ; Aramaic מְּתַל, chiefly derivatives, in figure senses; Syriac ); —

Niph`al Perfect1singular נִמְּתַּלְתִּי עִם Genesis 30:8 I have wrestled (literally twisted myself) with; Participle עֲצַת נִפְתָּלִים Job 5:13 the plan of the tortuous; נִפְתָּל וְעִקֵּשׁ Proverbs 8:8 anything tortuous and twisted.

Hithpa`el Imperfect2masculine singular עִםֿ עִקֵּשׁ תִּתְמַּתָּ֑ל Psalm 18:27 with the twisted thou dost deal tortuously = 2 Samuel 22:27 (so read for impossible תִּתַּמָּ֑ל).

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: A primitive root

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • G1294 (διαστρέφω, diastrephō): To distort, to turn aside, to pervert.
• G4646 (σκολιός, skolios): Crooked, perverse, tortuous.
• G4761 (στρέφω, strephō): To turn, to twist, to change direction.

These Greek terms share thematic elements with פָתַל, particularly in the sense of twisting, turning, or perverting, whether in a physical or metaphorical context.

Usage: The term is used in the context of physical or metaphorical twisting and struggling. It appears in the Hebrew Bible to describe actions or characteristics that involve complexity, struggle, or cunning.

Context: • The root פָתַל (pathal) is used in the Hebrew Bible to describe actions that involve twisting or struggling, often in a metaphorical sense. It can imply a form of cunning or craftiness, as seen in the narrative of Jacob, whose name is associated with wrestling and struggle.
• In Genesis 30:8, Rachel names her son Naphtali, saying, "With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed." Here, the root פָתַל is used to describe the intense struggle and competition between Rachel and Leah.
• The term can also be used to describe something that is tortuous or convoluted, reflecting a complex or difficult situation.
• The concept of פָתַל is not limited to physical wrestling but extends to the idea of moral or ethical struggles, where cunning or strategic thinking is involved.

Forms and Transliterations

נִפְתַּ֛לְתִּי נִפְתָּ֥ל נִפְתָּלִ֣ים נפתל נפתלים נפתלתי תִּתְפַּתָּֽל׃ תִּתַּפָּֽל׃ תתפל׃ תתפתל׃ nifTal niftaLim nifTalti nip̄·tā·lîm nip̄·tāl nip̄·tal·tî nip̄tāl nip̄tālîm nip̄taltî tiṯ·pat·tāl tit·tap·pāl titpatTal tiṯpattāl tittapPal tittappāl

Englishman's Concordance

Genesis 30:8
HEB: נַפְתּוּלֵ֨י אֱלֹהִ֧ים ׀ נִפְתַּ֛לְתִּי עִם־ אֲחֹתִ֖י
NAS: wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister,
KJV: wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister,
INT: wrestlings mighty have wrestled with my sister

2 Samuel 22:27
HEB: וְעִם־ עִקֵּ֖שׁ תִּתַּפָּֽל׃
NAS: And with the perverted You show Yourself astute.
KJV: and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.
INT: and with the perverted show

Job 5:13
HEB: בְּעָרְמָ֑ם וַעֲצַ֖ת נִפְתָּלִ֣ים נִמְהָֽרָה׃
NAS: And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.
KJV: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.
INT: shrewdness and the advice of the cunning is quickly

Psalm 18:26
HEB: וְעִם־ עִ֝קֵּ֗שׁ תִּתְפַּתָּֽל׃
NAS: And with the crooked You show Yourself astute.
KJV: and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
INT: and with the crooked show

Proverbs 8:8
HEB: אֵ֥ין בָּ֝הֶ֗ם נִפְתָּ֥ל וְעִקֵּֽשׁ׃
NAS: There is nothing crooked or perverted
KJV: [are] in righteousness; [there is] nothing froward or perverse
INT: of my mouth There crooked perverted

5 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6617
5 Occurrences

nip̄·tāl — 1 Occ.
nip̄·tā·lîm — 1 Occ.
nip̄·tal·tî — 1 Occ.
tiṯ·pat·tāl — 1 Occ.
tit·tap·pāl — 1 Occ.