Hebrew word · H6581

פָּשָׂה

pasah

to spread

'To spread, extend'. The verb is almost entirely limited to Leviticus 13–14, where it is a technical term for a mark that is growing outward (on skin, fabric or walls).

Appears 22 times in 18 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

(Qal) to spread

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Leviticus 13:5

Range of meaning

'To spread, extend'. The verb is almost entirely limited to Leviticus 13–14, where it is a technical term for a mark that is growing outward (on skin, fabric or walls).

Against the English

All the major versions say 'spread', which is accurate. One point a modern reader may miss: 'spread' here means the lesion is growing on the same body or object. It does not mean passing from one person to another.

Used elsewhere in the period

The verb appears roughly 22 times, nearly all in Lev 13–14 (e.g. 13:7, 8, 22, 27, 35, 36, 51, 53, 55; 14:39, 44). The Mishnah tractate Nega'im develops 'spreading' (pisyon) into one of the formal signs of impurity, alongside white hair and raw flesh.

From the study of Leviticus 13:6

Range of meaning

'To spread, extend'. The verb is used almost only in Lev 13–14, of a skin mark, a stain in fabric, or mold in a house spreading beyond its first boundary.

Against the English

English versions agree on 'spread'. The word is accurate, but readers may assume it means contagion passing from person to person. Here it means the lesion growing across this one person's skin.

Used elsewhere in the period

It recurs as the decisive criterion in 13:5, 7, 8, 22, 27, 32, 34–36, 51, 53, 55 and 14:39, 44, 48. The Mishnah (Nega'im) builds detailed rules about measuring spread (pisyon).

From the study of Leviticus 14:48

Range of meaning

'To spread, extend'. Outside Leviticus 13–14 it hardly occurs. Inside those chapters it is the deciding test: a spreading mark shows active, impure tsara'at (13:5–8, 22, 27, 35–36, 51; 14:39, 44).

Against the English

All the major versions render 'spread'. The English is accurate.

Used elsewhere in the period

Mishnah Nega'im measures spread exactly. The minimum reportable patch is 'the size of two split beans' (m. Neg. 12:3), reflecting how careful the inspection was.

Where it appears

Leviticus · 22

  1. Leviticus 13:5 פָשָׂ֥ה it has spread

    On the seventh day the priest is to reexamine him, and if he sees that the infection is unchanged and has not spread on the skin, the priest must isolate him for another seven days.

    Here: A technical term of this chapter for a lesion growing outward across the skin. Spreading is one of the decisive signs that the mark is the serious, defiling kind (13:7–8, 22, 27).

  2. Leviticus 13:6 פָשָׂ֥ה it has spread

    The priest will examine him again on the seventh day, and if the sore has faded and has not spread on the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is a rash. The person must wash his clothes and be clean.

    Here: Spreading across the skin is the decisive sign of real tsara'at in this chapter (vv.7–8, 22, 27). No spread means no impurity.

  3. Leviticus 13:7 פָּשֹׂ֨ה תִפְשֶׂ֤ה certainly <to spread>, it will spread

    But if the rash spreads further on his skin after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he must present himself again to the priest.

  4. Leviticus 13:8 פָּשְׂתָ֥ה it has spread

    The priest will reexamine him, and if the rash has spread on the skin, the priest must pronounce him unclean; it is a skin disease.

  5. Leviticus 13:22 פָּשֹׂ֥ה תִפְשֶׂ֖ה certainly <to spread>, it will spread

    If it spreads any further on the skin, the priest must pronounce him unclean; it is an infection.

  6. Leviticus 13:23 פָשָׂ֔תָה it has spread

    But if the spot remains unchanged and does not spread, it is only the scar from the boil, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

  7. Leviticus 13:27 פָּשֹׂ֤ה תִפְשֶׂה֙ certainly [if] <to spread>, it will spread

    On the seventh day the priest is to reexamine him, and if it has spread further on the skin, the priest must pronounce him unclean; it is a diseased infection.

  8. Leviticus 13:28 פָשְׂתָ֤ה it has spread

    But if the spot is unchanged and has not spread on the skin but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn, and the priest is to pronounce him clean; for it is only the scar from the burn.

  9. Leviticus 13:32 פָשָׂ֣ה it has spread

    On the seventh day the priest is to reexamine the infection, and if the scaly outbreak has not spread and there is no yellow hair in it, and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin,

  10. Leviticus 13:34 פָשָׂ֤ה it has spread

    On the seventh day the priest shall examine the scaly outbreak, and if it has not spread on the skin and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, the priest is to pronounce him clean. He must wash his clothes, and he will be clean.

  11. Leviticus 13:35 פָּשֹׂ֥ה יִפְשֶׂ֛ה certainly <to spread>, it will spread

    If, however, the scaly outbreak spreads further on the skin after his cleansing,

  12. Leviticus 13:36 פָּשָׂ֥ה it has spread

    the priest is to examine him, and if the scaly outbreak has spread on the skin, the priest need not look for yellow hair; the person is unclean.

  13. Leviticus 13:51 פָשָׂ֤ה it has spread

    On the seventh day the priest shall reexamine it, and if the mildew has spread in the fabric, weave, knit, or leather, then regardless of how it is used, it is a harmful mildew; the article is unclean.

  14. Leviticus 13:53 פָשָׂ֣ה it has spread

    But when the priest reexamines it, if the mildew has not spread in the fabric, weave, knit, or leather article,

  15. Leviticus 13:55 פָשָׂ֔ה it has spread

    After it has been washed, the priest is to reexamine it, and if the mildewed article has not changed in appearance, it is unclean. Even though the mildew has not spread, you must burn it, whether the rot is on the front or back.

  16. Leviticus 14:39 פָּשָׂ֥ה it has spread

    On the seventh day the priest is to return and inspect the house. If the mildew has spread on the walls,

  17. Leviticus 14:44 פָּשָׂ֥ה it has spread

    the priest must come and inspect it. If the mildew has spread in the house, it is a destructive mildew; the house is unclean.

  18. Leviticus 14:48 פָשָׂ֤ה it has spread

    If, however, the priest comes and inspects it, and the mildew has not spread after the house has been replastered, he shall pronounce the house clean, because the mildew is gone.

    Here: The key diagnostic verb of Leviticus 13–14. A mark that spreads is active and impure. One that stays put or fades is not.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.