Word Study for H6478 (פָּצַל)

pâtsal /paw-tsal'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto peel

KJV usagepill.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of pâtsal — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word pâtsal, represented by H6478, is a primitive root defined as to peel; pill. This specific term is quite rare, appearing only 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible, confining its usage to a single event.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

Both appearances of H6478 are found in the narrative of Jacob managing Laban's flocks. In Genesis 30:37, Jacob takes rods from several types of trees and pilled white strakes in them, exposing the white wood underneath. He then placed the rods which he had pilled in watering troughs before the flocks, with the intent that the animals would conceive in front of them Genesis 30:38. The word describes the physical act of stripping or peeling bark to create a visual pattern.

Related Words & Concepts

Two related words are used in the same context, helping to clarify the action and its result:

H3947 lâqach (to take): This word describes the initial step in the process, as Jacob had to first take the rods before he could peel them Genesis 30:37. It is a versatile primitive root used for a wide variety of applications, including to accept, bring, or fetch.
H4286 machsôph (a peeling; made appear): This term describes the direct result of Jacob's peeling, noting that the action made the white appear on the rods Genesis 30:37. It is derived from a root meaning to make bare or peel.

Theological Significance

While not carrying broad theological weight due to its limited use, the significance of H6478 is found in its specific narrative function within the story of Jacob.

A Deliberate Action: The use of the word highlights a specific, hands-on action Jacob performed. He pilled the rods as part of a calculated plan.
Revealing an Inner quality: The act of peeling served to make the inner white part of the rods appear Genesis 30:37, demonstrating a physical change that reveals what is underneath the surface.
Instrument of Influence: The peeled rods were placed with the intention that the flocks "should conceive" when they came to drink Genesis 30:38, tying the physical act of peeling directly to Jacob's efforts to influence his flock.

Summary

In summary, H6478 is a narrowly focused term whose meaning is entirely contained within the Genesis account of Jacob's animal husbandry. Its definition, "to peel," is demonstrated literally through Jacob's actions. The word works in conjunction with others like H3947 "to take" and H4286 "made appear" to form a complete picture of a single, purposeful event in the biblical narrative.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

יְפַצֵּל
פִּצֵּל

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

2 verses, all in Genesis — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.