Hebrew word · H6603

פִּתּוּחַ

pituach

engraving

'Engravings of a seal'. Pittuach is engraved or carved work, in stone (Exod 28:11, 21, 36; Zech 3:9) or in wood and metal (1 Kgs 6:29; Ps 74:6). Chotam is a seal or signet, a personal stamp or ring carried on a cord or worn on the hand (Gen 38:18; Jer 22:24; Song 8:6).

Appears 11 times in 11 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

engraving, carving

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 Exodus 39:6

Range of meaning

'Engravings of a seal'. Pittuach is engraved or carved work, in stone (Exod 28:11, 21, 36; Zech 3:9) or in wood and metal (1 Kgs 6:29; Ps 74:6). Chotam is a seal or signet, a personal stamp or ring carried on a cord or worn on the hand (Gen 38:18; Jer 22:24; Song 8:6).

Against the English

KJV 'as signets are graven' and BSB 'like a seal' both get the comparison right. YLT's 'opened with openings of a signet' keeps the Hebrew root 'open' but sounds odd in English. Modern readers may not realise that 'seal' here names a recognised specialist craft.

Used elsewhere in the period

Stamp and cylinder seals cut in hard stone are among the most common finds from the ancient Near East. Hundreds of Israelite and Judahite seals and seal impressions survive from the monarchy period, typically reading 'belonging to [name]'. Exodus 28:11 names the craftsman: 'the work of a stone-engraver'.

Where it appears

Exodus · 6
  1. Exodus 28:11 פִּתּוּחֵ֣י [the] engravings of

    Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings.

  2. Exodus 28:21 פִּתּוּחֵ֤י [the] engravings of

    The twelve stones are to correspond to the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.

  3. Exodus 28:36 פִּתּוּחֵ֣י [the] engravings of

    You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD.

  4. Exodus 39:6 פִּתּוּחֵ֣י [the] engravings of

    They mounted the onyx stones in gold filigree settings, engraved like a seal with the names of the sons of Israel.

    Here: A noun from the same root, used with the verb for emphasis: 'engraved with the engravings of'. Hebrew uses this repetition to name the exact kind of work, here the specialist technique of seal-cutters.

  5. Exodus 39:14 פִּתּוּחֵ֤י [was the] engravings of

    The twelve stones corresponded to the names of the sons of Israel. Each stone was engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.

  6. Exodus 39:30 פִּתּוּחֵ֣י [the] engravings of

    They also made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and they engraved on it, like an inscription on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD.

1 Kings · 1
  1. 1 Kings 6:29 פִּתּוּחֵי֙ engravings of

    Then he carved the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer sanctuaries, with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers.

    Here: 'Engravings of…': cut-in decorative work. It comes from a verb meaning 'to engrave', a different word from the more common one that means 'to open'.

2 Chronicles · 2
  1. 2 Chronicles 2:7 פִּתּוּחִ֑ים engravings

    Send me, therefore, a craftsman skilled in engraving to work with gold and silver, with bronze and iron, and with purple, crimson, and blue yarn. He will work with my craftsmen in Judah and Jerusalem, whom my father David provided.

  2. 2 Chronicles 2:14 פִּתּ֔וּחַ engraving

    He is the son of a woman from the daughters of Dan, and his father is a man of Tyre. He is skilled in work with gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, purple, blue, and crimson yarn, and fine linen. He is experienced in every kind of engraving and can execute any design that is given him. He will work with your craftsmen and with those of my lord, your father David.

Psalms · 1
  1. Psalm 74:6 פִּתּוּחֶ֣יהָ engravings its

    and smashing all the carvings with hatchets and picks.

Zechariah · 1
  1. Zechariah 3:9 פִּתֻּחָ֗הּ engraving its

    See the stone I have set before Joshua; on that one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave on it an inscription, declares the LORD of Hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.

    Here: 'Its engraving.' The 'its' refers to the stone. Exodus uses this same phrase family for the engraved gems and the gold plate of the high priest's clothing (Exod 28:11, 21, 36). The text does not say what the inscription reads.

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