Lexical Summary pethaltol: Crooked, twisted Original Word: פְתַלְתֹּל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance crooked From pathal; tortuous (i.e. Crafty) -- crooked. see HEBREW pathal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom pathal Definition tortuous NASB Translation crooked (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מְּתַלְתֹּל adjective tortuous; — ׳דּוֺר עִקֵּשׁ וּפ Deuteronomy 32:5. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Imageryפְתַלְתֹּל portrays the idea of being twisted, warped, or crooked. Throughout Scripture “straight” is the emblem of covenant faithfulness and righteousness (Proverbs 3:6; Isaiah 40:3), whereas what is “crooked” pictures moral distortion and rebellion (Proverbs 2:15). The term therefore supplies a vivid moral metaphor: hearts that should align with God’s ways have become bent out of shape. Context in Deuteronomy 32:5 Deuteronomy 32 is Moses’ “Song,” sung on the plains of Moab as a covenant lawsuit against future apostasy. Immediately after extolling the LORD’s perfect justice (32:4), Moses laments Israel’s coming corruption: “They have acted corruptly toward Him; To their shame they are no longer His children— A crooked and perverse generation.” (Deuteronomy 32:5) Here פְתַלְתֹּל is paired with “perverse,” intensifying the charge. The nation that had been called to walk uprightly (Deuteronomy 30:16) will instead curve away from the path of life. Moses frames this as a family disgrace: a people once identified as God’s sons (Exodus 4:22) now bear a deformity inconsistent with their divine Father. Old Testament Parallels 1. Wisdom literature often contrasts the righteous “straight” way with the crookedness of sinners (Proverbs 10:9; 28:18). Though the vocabulary differs, the conceptual overlap is tight: deviation from God’s revelation twists the very course of life. New Testament Echoes The Song of Moses supplies a template adopted by apostolic preaching. Peter urges his hearers, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation” (Acts 2:40). Paul exhorts believers to shine “in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation” (Philippians 2:15). Both citations recall Deuteronomy 32:5, highlighting human crookedness as a universal problem and urging redeemed people to display the straightness of Christ’s life. Theology of Straightness versus Crookedness 1. Moral deviation. פְתַלְתֹּל underscores that sin is not merely the breaking of individual rules but the warping of the entire moral fabric. Application for Faith and Ministry • Self-examination. The word calls God’s people to discern any hidden twist in motives or conduct (Psalm 139:23-24). Historical Significance The solitary appearance of פְתַלְתֹּל in Deuteronomy 32 crystallizes Israel’s covenant identity crisis. Subsequent history—judges, kings, exile—traces the outworking of this diagnosis. Yet the same song ends with hope: “He will atone for His land and people” (Deuteronomy 32:43). Thus the word ultimately points beyond human crookedness to God’s redemptive straightness realized in Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations וּפְתַלְתֹּֽל׃ ופתלתל׃ ū·p̄ə·ṯal·tōl ufetalTol ūp̄əṯaltōlLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 32:5 HEB: דּ֥וֹר עִקֵּ֖שׁ וּפְתַלְתֹּֽל׃ NAS: [But are] a perverse and crooked generation. KJV: [they are] a perverse and crooked generation. INT: generation a perverse and crooked 1 Occurrence |
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