Word Study for H6581 (פָּשָׂה)

pâsâh /paw-saw'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto spread

KJV usagespread.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of pâsâh — 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 pâsâh, represented by H6581, is a primitive root meaning to spread. It appears 22 times across 18 unique verses in the Bible, and its usage is highly specific, relating almost exclusively to the expansion of disease or contamination.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H6581 is a technical term used within the priestly laws outlined in Leviticus. Its primary function is to serve as a key diagnostic indicator for leprosy H6883 and other contaminating conditions. The priest would see H7200 if a plague H5061 had spread H6581 upon the skin H5785, in a garment, or on the walls of a house. If an affliction did not spread H6581 but remained at a stay H5975, the person or object could be pronounced clean Leviticus 13:23. Conversely, if a scab was seen to spread much abroad H6581, it was a definitive sign of uncleanness requiring separation Leviticus 13:7.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide a fuller context for the concept of spreading defilement:

H5061 negaʻ (plague, sore, wound): This word, meaning a "blow" or "infliction," refers to the affliction that spreads. It is used for diseases in a field 1 Kings 8:37, the plague of a person's heart 1 Kings 8:38, and as a form of chastening 2 Samuel 7:14.
H6883 tsâraʻath (leprosy): This is the specific malady most often identified by the action of H6581. If a plague was found to have spread H6581 in a house, it was declared a fretting H3992 leprosy H6883 Leviticus 14:44.
H2930 ṭâmêʼ (to be foul, unclean, defile): This describes the state that results from the spreading. If a priest saw that a scab spreadeth H6581 in the skin, he was to pronounce him unclean H2930, for it is a leprosy Leviticus 13:8. The concept extends to moral defilement with idols Ezekiel 37:23.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H6581 is centered on the concepts of purity, contagion, and separation.

A Sign of Contamination: The act of spreading is the critical evidence of an active, uncontrolled impurity. The physical expansion of a plague H5061 on skin, clothing, or a house was the objective sign that confirmed a state of ritual defilement Leviticus 13:51.
The Boundary of Purity: The word establishes a clear dividing line. If an affliction did not spread H6581, it was contained and could be deemed clean Leviticus 13:6. If it did spread, it had breached a boundary and was, by definition, an encroaching impurity.
Pervasiveness of Defilement: The application of H6581 to people, clothing, and houses illustrates a theological understanding that defilement is not isolated. It can permeate one's body, possessions, and dwelling, rendering the entire sphere unclean H2930 and requiring decisive action Leviticus 14:44.

Summary

In summary, H6581 is far more than a simple verb for expansion. It is a crucial legal and theological term in the Old Testament, functioning as the primary diagnostic tool for identifying active, contagious uncleanness. Its presence or absence determines the boundary between the clean and the unclean, demonstrating how the physical process of spreading was a visible marker for a state of ritual impurity that necessitated judgment and separation from the community.

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 22 occurrences, inflected in 5 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.

פָשָׂה
פָּשֹׂה
תִפְשֶׂה
פָּשְׂתָה
יִפְשֶׂה

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

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

18 verses, all in Leviticus — 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.