Hebrew word · H6595

פַּת

pat-

morsel

Pat is a fragment or piece, almost always of bread, from a root meaning to crumble. Ḥarev means dry, and is used of dry ground, ruins, and a grain offering made without oil (Lev 7:10).

Appears 15 times in 15 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

fragment, bit, morsel (of bread), piece

Also means: pa.tot (פָּתוֹת "morsel" H6595B)

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 Proverbs 17:1

Range of meaning

Pat is a fragment or piece, almost always of bread, from a root meaning to crumble. Ḥarev means dry, and is used of dry ground, ruins, and a grain offering made without oil (Lev 7:10).

Against the English

BSB, KJV, WEB and YLT "dry morsel"; NIV and NLT "dry crust." Both work. "Morsel" stresses how small it is, "crust" how plain.

Used elsewhere in the period

"A morsel of bread" is the stock phrase for the bare minimum: Abraham's modest offer in Gen 18:5, and the begging line in 1 Sam 2:36, "that I may eat a morsel of bread." Ordinary meals often had oil, vinegar or a dip (Ruth 2:14). Going without was a sign of poverty.

From the study of Proverbs 28:21

Range of meaning

pat is a fragment or morsel, from a root meaning "to break off." pat lechem is a broken bit of bread, the smallest serving of food, often a picture of humble or minimal provision.

Against the English

"A piece of bread" (BSB, KJV, ESV and others) is accurate. Some paraphrases add "something as small as," which brings out the point.

Used elsewhere in the period

Gen 18:5 (Abraham's modest "morsel of bread"); 1 Sam 2:36 (Eli's descendants begging a priestly post "to eat a morsel of bread"); Prov 17:1 ("a dry morsel"); Prov 6:26 (a prostitute's price is "a loaf of bread"); Ezek 13:19, the closest parallel, where false prophetesses profane God "for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread," i.e. for petty fees.

From the study of Psalm 147:17

Range of meaning

A piece broken off something, nearly always bread: a morsel, a crumb, a bite (Gen 18:5; Judg 19:5; Ruth 2:14; Prov 17:1). The related verb means to crumble, as with the grain offering in Lev 2:6.

Against the English

KJV/YLT 'morsels' and ESV 'crumbs' keep the bread picture. BSB/WEB/NIV 'pebbles' and NLT 'stones' swap it for a different image of hard little objects. That fits the hail but loses the kitchen picture.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Septuagint has psōmous, 'morsels', the same family of word used for the piece of bread Jesus hands to Judas in John 13:26. The Vulgate has buccellas, 'little mouthfuls'.

Where it appears

Genesis · 1

  1. Genesis 18:5 פַת־ a piece of

    And I will bring a bit of bread so that you may refresh yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant’s way. After that, you may continue on your way.” “Yes,” they replied, “you may do as you have said.”

Leviticus · 2

  1. Leviticus 2:6 פִּתִּ֔ים crumbs

    Crumble it and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering.

  2. Leviticus 6:21 פִּתִּ֔ים crumbs

    It shall be prepared with oil on a griddle; you are to bring it well-kneaded and present it as a grain offering broken in pieces, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

Judges · 1

  1. Judges 19:5 פַּת־ a morsel of

    On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning and prepared to depart, but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh your heart with a morsel of bread, and then you can go.”

Ruth · 1

  1. Ruth 2:14 פִּתֵּ֖ךְ portion your

    At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here; have some bread and dip it into the vinegar sauce.” So she sat down beside the harvesters, and he offered her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left over.

1 Samuel · 2

  1. 1 Samuel 2:36 פַּת־ a piece of

    And everyone left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a morsel of bread, pleading, “Please appoint me to some priestly office so that I can eat a piece of bread.”’”

  2. 1 Samuel 28:22 פַּת־ a piece of

    Now please listen to your servant and let me set a morsel of bread before you so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way.”

2 Samuel · 1

  1. 2 Samuel 12:3 מִפִּתּ֨וֹ from morsel his

    but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms and was like a daughter to him.

1 Kings · 1

  1. 1 Kings 17:11 פַּת־ a piece of

    And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread.”

Job · 1

  1. Job 31:17 פִּתִּ֣י morsel of bread my

    if I have eaten my morsel alone, not sharing it with the fatherless—

Psalms · 1

  1. Psalm 147:17 כְפִתִּ֑ים like crumbs

    He casts forth His hail like pebbles. Who can withstand His icy blast?

    Here: Pat is a broken-off piece of bread (Gen 18:5 'a morsel of bread'). The picture is homely: God scatters hailstones the way someone crumbles bread, matching the household images of wool and ashes in v. 16.

Proverbs · 3

  1. Proverbs 17:1 פַּ֣ת a morsel

    Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting with strife.

    Here: A broken-off piece of bread, the plainest and smallest meal there was (compare "a morsel of bread," Gen 18:5; 1 Sam 2:36). The word itself says how little is on the table.

  2. Proverbs 23:8 פִּֽתְּךָ־ morsel your

    You will vomit up what little you have eaten and waste your pleasant words.

  3. Proverbs 28:21 פַּת־ a piece of

    To show partiality is not good, yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

    Here: A broken-off bit or crumb of bread, the smallest unit of food. It stands for a ridiculously small price.

Ezekiel · 1

  1. Ezekiel 13:19 וּבִפְת֣וֹתֵי and for fragments of

    You have profaned Me among My people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to My people who would listen, you have killed those who should not have died and spared those who should not have lived.

    Here: 'And for crumbs of.' Broken-off bits of bread. Compare Prov 28:21: 'for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.'

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