←
ptgm, ptgmˀ (peṯgām, peṯgāmā) n.m. statement; matter
1
statement, word
OfAEg-inf, BADan, Qumran, JLAtg, PTA, CPA, Sam, Syr, Man
TAD D7.39 8↗ ושלח לי פתגם‏ : send me word (or: he sent me an official correspondence?) ; Dan 3:16↗ לָא־חַשְׁחִין אֲנַחְנָה עַל־דְּנָה פִּתְגָם לַהֲתָבוּתָךְ‏ : there is no use for us to answer you a word ; 11QtgJob 34.3=40:7↗ אשאלנך והתיבני פתגם‏ ; TgO Gen12:13↗ וְתִתקַיַים נַפשִי בְפִתגָמַכִי‏ : my life shall be saved through your words ; TgJ Ez33:1↗ פִתגָם נְבוּאָה‏ : prophetic oracle ; GT C Gen32:20↗ כְּפִתְגָמָא הָדֵן תמללוּן עם עשו‏ : speak like this statement with Esau ; GT D Deut27:8↗ כָּל פִּתְגָמֵי אוֹרַיְתָה הדָה‏ : all the words of this Torah ; Marqe 3.441↗ יגלי דן פתגמה‏ ; OS MtCur4:4↗ ܠܐ ܗܘܐ ܒܠܚܡܐ ܒܠܚܘܕ ܚܝܐ ܒܪܢܫܐ܂ ܐܠܐ ܒܟܠ ܦܬܓܡ ܕܢܦܩ ܡܢ ܦܘܡܗ ܕܡܪܝܐ‏ : man does not live by bread alone, rather by every word that goes out of the Lord's mouth ; P Num30:2↗ ܦܬܓܡܐ ܕܦܩܕ ܡܪܝܐ‏ ; ATS 1.2:1203↗ halin razia upugdamia kasiia : these mysteries and secret words
(1)
official correspondence, decree
BAEzra
Ezra 4:17↗ פִּתְגָמָא שְׁלַח מַלְכָּא‏ ; Ezra 6:11↗ כָל־אֱנָשׁ דִּי יְהַשְׁנֵא פִּתְגָמָא דְנָה‏
(1)
sentence, verdict, reprimand
OfAEg-inf, OfAPer, BADan, JLAtg, CPA, Syr, LJLA
TAD D1.32 V.15↗ יתעבד ופתגמא מנ[ ]ש̇ ישתלח‏ ; TAD A6.10 .9↗ וגסת פתגם יתעבד‏ : a severe verdict shall be made ; Dan 4:14↗ בִּגְזֵרַת עִירִין פִּתְגָמָא‏ : the verdict is at the decree of Watchers ; TgO Gen18:25↗ קוּשטָא אִינוּן דִינָך מִלְמַעֲבַד כְפִתגָמָא הָדֵין‏ : far be it from your justice to inflict such a verdict ; CPA Job6:26↗ ܦܬܓܡܐ ܕܡܠܬܟܘܢ‏ ; OS MtSin12:36↗ ܟܠ ܡܠܐ ܒܛܠܬܐ ܕܢܡܠܠܘܢ ܒܢ̈ܝ ܐܢܫܐ ܦܬܓܡܐ ܢܬܠܘܢ ܒܝܘܡܐ ܕܕܝܢܐ‏ : on the Day of Judgement, humans shall pay a sentence for each careless word they speak ; PJ Gen18:25↗ חולין הוא לך למעבד כפיתגמא הדין‏
(1)
response to an accusation
BADan, Syr
Dan 3:16↗ לָא־חַשְׁחִין אֲנַחְנָה עַל־דְּנָה פִּתְגָם לַהֲתָבוּתָךְ‏ : we do not have to give you back a response about this ; OS MtSin27:12↗ ܗܘ ܡܕܡ ܦܬܓܡ ܠܐ ܝܗܒ ܗܘܐ ܠܗܘܢ‏ : he would not give them any response
(2)
argumentative statement
LJLA
PJ Gen4:8↗ ועל עיסק פיתגמיא האיליין הוו מתנציין על אנפי ברא‏ : they were struggling on the field as regards these arguments
(2)
pl. The Words = The Decalogue
JLAtg, PTA, JBA
TgO Deut4:13↗ פַקֵיד יָתְכוֹן לְמַעֲבַד עַסרָה פִתגָמִין‏ ; TN Deut5:5 var.↗ דבירוי"פתגמוי" דייי‏ ; BMsG 8:15; BMsD 5:14 פיתגמי‏
(3)
esp. a word of command, precept
Syr, Man
AphDem23.471:1↗ ܟܕ ܫܡ݂ܥܬ ܦܬܓܡ̈ܐ ܕܢܡܘܣܐ‏ : when you heard the words of the law ; SidraDNishmata 75.102:17↗ anat amartlan bmimrak upaqidtinan bpugdamak : you spoke to us with your word and commanded us with your command
(4)
pny, yhb, htyb : to respond
BADan, Syr
Dan 3:16↗ לָא־חַשְׁחִין אֲנַחְנָה עַל־דְּנָה פִּתְגָם לַהֲתָבוּתָךְ‏ : we do not need to respond to you about this ; P Gn45:3↗ ܘܠܐ ܐܫܟܚܘ ܐܚ̈ܘܗܝ ܠܡܬܠ ܠܗ ܦܬܓܡܐ‏ : his brothers were unable to respond to him
(1)
ܦܘܢܝ ܦܬܓܡܐ : response
Syr
JELet46:3↗ ܦܘܢܝ ܦܬܓܡܐ ܕܟܬܝܒܬܐ‏ : a response to the written request ; JELet48:4↗ ܕܢ݁ܬ ܕܐܥܒܕ ܠܗܘܢ ܠܫܘ̈ܐܠܝܟ ܦܘܢܝ ܦܬܓܡܐ܂ ܐܝܟ ܦܝܣܬܟ܂ ܘܐܦܢ ܠܐ ܡܕܡ ܝܬܝܪܐ ܝ݁ܕܥ ܐܢܐ‏ : I decided to make a response to your questions, as per your insistence, even if I do not know anything more
(5)
any extended statement
Syr
ThbK2 37:23↗ ܘܦܬܓܡܐ ܡܢ ܫܡ̈ܗܐ‏ : and a phrase (is compounded) of words ; IshPs 144(1)↗ ܗ݂ܘ ܦܬܓܡܐ ܠܥܠ ܘܠܬܚܬ ܠ݁ܚܡ‏ : that [biblical] phrase applies to both above and below
(1)
(gram.) sentence
Syr
ET 6:1 ܗܘ݁ ܦܬܓܡܵܐ ܕܒܐܘܓܢܠܝܘܢ‏ : that sentence in the gospel
(2)
verse
Syr
WisSol colophon ܕܗܘܝܢ ܦܬ̈ܓܡܐ ܐܪܠܘ‏ : which consist of 1,336 verses ; IshPs 138(1)↗ ܦܬܓܡ̈ܐ ܕܗܢ ܡܙܡܘܪܐ‏ : the verses of this psalm
2
thing, matter
Qumran, JLAtg, PTA, Syr, JBA, LJLA
GenApoc 22.27↗ בתר פתגמיא אלן‏ ; TgO Gen34:14↗ לָא נִיכוֹל לְמַעֲבַד פִתגָמָא הָדֵין‏ ; TN Gen21:26↗ מן עבד ית פתגמא הדין‏ : who did this thing ; TN Gen22:1↗ והוה בתר פתגמיא האלין‏ ; P Gn21:26↗ ܥܒ݂ܕ ܦܬܓܡܐ ܗܢܐ‏ ; P 1S28:18↗ ܦܬܓܡܐ ܥܒܕ ܠܟ‏ ; PJ Gen15:1↗ בתר פיתגמיא האילין‏
(1)
reason, purpose
LJLA
TgEsth2 5:8(1)↗ מטול תלתא פתגמי׳ זמנת אסתר ית המן לשירותא‏ : Esther invited Haman to the banquet for three reasons
3
sharp edge : see s.v. lptgm d_ prep.
JLAtg, PTA, LJLA
§▶
BA: פִּתְגָם (note no dagesh in gimel !); Mand. pugdama.
☛▶
🔍▶
✎▶
From Old Iranian *patigāma. On meaning 1a.1 cf. J. C. Greenfield 1982b.
In what is probably a majority of instances this lexeme has the connotation of an official or divine pronouncement as opposed to the otherwise unmarked mlh n.f.
Given the distribution of meanings, it is clear that the usage "thing, matter" in Jewish texts reflects the double meaning of Biblical Hebrew דָּבָר.
Page refs. in other dictionaries: LS2: 1264[616]DJPA: 454aDJBA: 945bJastrow: 1250Drower/Macuch: 367aJ. Payne-Smith: 469Levy Ch-W: 2:307Tal Sam: 715bDNWSI: 948DCPA[Schulthess]: 343[]Qumran: 196

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Fri, 06 Nov 2026 04:39:14 -0500