Hebrew word · H6623

פִּתְרוֹן

pitrono

interpretation

An interpretation or solution of a dream. Used only in Gen 40:5, 8, 12, 18; 41:11. It means the actual meaning revealed, the 'answer' to the riddle.

Appears 5 times in 5 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

interpretation

Aramaic equivalent: pe.shar (פְּשַׁר "interpretation" H6591)

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 Genesis 40:8

Range of meaning

An interpretation or solution of a dream. Used only in Gen 40:5, 8, 12, 18; 41:11. It means the actual meaning revealed, the 'answer' to the riddle.

Against the English

Modern 'interpretation' often sounds like one opinion among several ('that's just your interpretation'). In this story a pitrôn is the true meaning and comes to pass exactly: 'as he interpreted to us, so it happened' (41:13).

How it drifted

Modern English increasingly uses 'interpretation' for subjective readings, especially of art and texts.

Used elsewhere in the period

Later rabbinic tradition went further and held that a dream's outcome follows its interpretation ('all dreams follow the mouth', Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 55b, citing Gen 41:13). Genesis itself puts it differently: the interpretation is true because it comes from God, not because the interpreter's words make it happen.

Where it appears

Genesis · 5

  1. Genesis 40:5 כְּפִתְר֣וֹן according to [the] interpretation of

    both of these men—the Egyptian king’s cupbearer and baker, who were being held in the prison—had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own meaning.

  2. Genesis 40:8 פִּתְרֹנִ֔ים [do] interpretations

    “We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”

    Here: Plural: interpretations in general, not only these two. The solving of a dream is not a human skill to be learned but something that belongs to God.

  3. Genesis 40:12 פִּתְרֹנ֑וֹ [is] interpretation its

    Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three branches are three days.

  4. Genesis 40:18 פִּתְרֹנ֑וֹ [is] interpretation its

    Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days.

  5. Genesis 41:11 כְּפִתְר֥וֹן according to [the] interpretation of

    One night both the chief baker and I had dreams, and each dream had its own meaning.

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