פסח

See also: פּסח

Hebrew

FWOTD – 27 August 2014

Root
פ־ס־ח (p-s-kh)

Etymology

Compare Akkadian [script needed] (passahu, “soothe, make soft”).

Pronunciation

• (פֶּסַח): IPA^(key): /ˈpe.saχ/
• (פָּסַח): IPA^(key): /paˈsaχ/

Verb

פָּסַח • (pasákh) (pa'al construction)

1. To pass over, skip.
   • Exodus 12:23, with translation of the King James Version:

     וְרָאָה אֶת הַדָּם עַל הַמַּשְׁקוֹף וְעַל שְׁתֵּי הַמְּזוּזֹת וּפָסַח יהוה עַל הַפֶּתַח וְלֹא יִתֵּן הַמַּשְׁחִית לָבֹא אֶל בָּתֵּיכֶם לִנְגֹּף

     vera’á et hadám ‘al hamashkóf ve‘al shtéi hamezuzót ufasách YHWH ‘al hapétach veló yitén hamashchít lavó el batéichem lingóf

     and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you

   • 1 Kings 18:21, with translation of the New International Version:

     עַד מָתַי אַתֶּם פֹּסְחִים עַל שְׁתֵּי הַסְּעִפִּים אִם יהוה הָאֱלֹהִים לְכוּ אַחֲרָיו וְאִם הַבַּעַל לְכוּ אַחֲרָיו

     ‘ad matáy atém poschím ‘al shnéi has‘ipím im YHWH ha’elohím lechú acharáv ve’im Habá‘al lechú acharáv

     How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.

   • Isaiah 31:5, with Young's Literal Translation:

     יָגֵן יהוה צְבָאוֹת עַל יְרוּשָׁלָ‍ִם גָּנוֹן וְהִצִּיל פָּסֹחַ וְהִמְלִיט

     yagén YHWH tseva’ót ‘al Yerushaláyim ganón vehitsíl pasóach vehimlít

     doth Jehovah of Hosts Cover over Jerusalem, covering and delivering, Passing over, and causing to escape

Noun

פֶּסַח • (pésakh) m (plural indefinite פְּסָחִים, singular construct פֶּסַח־, plural construct פִּסְחֵי־, Biblical Hebrew pausal form פָּסַח) [pattern: קֶטֶל]

1. The paschal sacrificial offering.
   • Exodus 12:21, with translation of the King James Version:

     מִשְׁכוּ וּקְחוּ לָכֶם צֹאן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתֵיכֶם וְשַׁחֲטוּ הַפָּסַח

     mishchú ukchú lachém tson v'shachatú hapásach

     Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover

   • 1880, אריה ליב ברודא,‎ שאלות ותשובות מצפה אריה/Mizpe Arje, Lemberg, number 38, page 38b [1]:

     […] וימנו עלי׳ גם אחרים שלא עשו פסח והחבורה שנחערבו פסחיהם לא יאכלו הימנו רק האחרים יאכלו דהא אכילת פסחים לא מעכבי […]

     […] v'yimanú aléha gam acherím sheló asú fésach v'hachaburá shenit'ar'vú pischehém lo yoch'lú heménu rak haacherím yoch'lú d'ha achilát p'sachím lo m'ak'vé […]

     […] and others who had not made a paschal offering should be listed on it, and the group that their paschal offerings had gotten mixed up should not eat from it, only the others should eat, for eating paschal offerings does not prevent […]

Proper noun

פֶּסַח • (pésakh) m (plural indefinite פְּסָחִים) [pattern: קֶטֶל]

1. (singular only, rarely countable) Passover (Jewish feast / festival / holiday)
   • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Pesachim 10:1:

     ערבי פסחים […] לא יאכל אדם עד שתחשך

     Passover eves […] a man shall not eat until it darkens

   • 1980, "‎חמץ‎", in, שלמה יוסף זֶוין‎/Shlomo Josef Zevin, editor, אנציקלופדיה תלמודית‎/Talmudic Encyclopedia, volume 16, 1994 sixth edition, page 71:

     איסור אכילת חמץ בפסח נאמר אף בחמץ של גוי.‏

     The prohibition on eating chametz on Passover was stated even about the chametz of a gentile.

2. (singular only) a male given name, Pesach or Pesah, equivalent to English Pascal
   • 1944, צבי פסח פראנק,‎ דבר לישראל ולעמים, title page [2]:

     מאת ‫רבנו הגאון אדמו״ר מרן צבי פסח פראנק‬ ‫שליט״א

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Derived terms

• (holiday): ע״פ
• קַעֲרַת פֶּסַח (ka'arát pésakh)

Descendants

• → Aramaic: פסחא (paskha)
  • → Ancient Greek: πάσχα (páskha) (see there for further descendants)
• → Yiddish: פּסח (peysekh)

Verb

פִּסֵּחַ • (piséakh) (pi'el construction)

1. defective spelling of פיסח

Adjective

פִסֵּחַ • (piséakh) (feminine פִּסְּחָה, masculine plural פִּסְּחִים, feminine plural פִּסְּחוֹת)

1. defective spelling of פיסח

References

• H6452 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Prosic, Tamara (2004). The Development and Symbolism of Passover. A&C Black, p. 32