פָּתָה H6601a
to enlarge, make wide or spacious; primarily spatial expansion but can apply to opening the lips in speech
The root conveys making something wider or more spacious. In Genesis 9:27, Noah's blessing asks God to 'make wide' for Japheth—giving him extensive territory. The word appears in wisdom contexts where it may describe opening the lips widely (Proverbs 20:19, 24:28), either literally or as a metaphor for indiscreet speech. The multilingual evidence shows both spatial (German 'weit-mache') and speech-related meanings (Spanish 'engañarás', deceive), reflecting the range from physical expansion to the figurative opening of the mouth.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The three occurrences span from God's territorial blessing for Japheth (Genesis 9:27) to proverbial warnings about speech (Proverbs). The German 'weit-mache' (make wide) and French 'que-enlarge' preserve the spatial sense, while Spanish translations connect to speech acts ('engañarás'—deceive). The Piel stem suggests intensive or causative action: causing something to become spacious or causing the lips to open wide. 3×
AR["وَ-تُغْوِي", "وَ-لِمُغْوٍ", "يُوَسِّعُ"]·ben["এবং-প্রতারণা-করো", "এবং-যে-খোলে", "বিস্তার-করুক"]·DE["[והפתית]", "[ולפתה]", "weit-mache"]·EN["and-deceive", "and-with-one-opening", "let-enlarge"]·FR["et-והפתית", "et-ולפתה", "que-enlarge"]·heb["ו-הפתית", "ו-ל-פותה", "יפת"]·HI["और-फुसलानेवाले-से", "और-बहकाना", "बधाये"]·ID["Biarlah-meluaskan", "dan-dengan-yang-membuka", "dan-menipu"]·IT["e-e-deceive", "e-per-e-con-one-opening", "let-enlarge"]·jav["lan-kanggé-tiyang-kang-mbikak", "lan-ngapusi", "mugi-nggedhekaken"]·KO["그리고-속였느냐-너는", "그리고-여는-자와", "확장하시라"]·PT["Alargue", "e-com-o-que-abre", "e-enganarás"]·RU["да-распространит", "и-не-обманывай", "и-с-раскрывающим"]·ES["Engrandezca", "y-con-el-que-abre", "y-engañarás"]·SW["Na-ampanue", "na-kwa-mwenye-kufungua", "na-upotoshe"]·TR["Genişletsin", "ve-aldatma", "ve-açana"]·urd["اور-دھوکہ-دے-کیا", "اور-کھولنے-والے", "کشادہ-کرے"]
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
[פָּתָה] vb. be spacious, wide, open (Aramaic פְּתָא be spacious, ܦܬܳܐ be spacious, abundant; cf. Arabic فَتُوَ, فَتِىَ, be youthful, in prime of life, فَتًى young man, one in prime of life (development of various meanings from √ not wholly clear, cf. NöZMG xi (1886). 735));— Qal Pt. פֹּתֶה Pr 20:19 poss. one open as to lips, but v. פָּתָה²" dir="rtl" >פָּתָה denom. infr. Hiph. Impf. 3 ms. juss.…