H6610 H6610
opening of the mouth, ability or occasion to speak or sing
A poetic term for the opening of one's mouth in speech or song, this word appears twice in Ezekiel's prophecies. In both cases, God speaks of giving or withholding the opening of mouth to the prophet. After Jerusalem's fall, God would open Ezekiel's mouth so he could speak again. The phrase emphasizes the divine control over prophetic utterance—it is God who opens the prophet's mouth to speak His word, and God who can seal it shut.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Ezekiel uses this term twice (16:63; 29:21) in contexts of prophetic speech. In 16:63, judgment will silence Jerusalem so she has no 'opening of mouth' to defend herself; in 29:21, God promises to give Ezekiel 'opening of mouth' among the exiles. Spanish translates as 'abertura de' and 'apertura de,' French 'ouverture'—all capturing the sense of an opening or occasion for speech. The phrase evokes the physical act of opening one's mouth but means the opportunity, ability, or authorization to speak, especially with prophetic authority. 2×
AR["انْفِتَاحَ-", "فَتْحُ"]·ben["খোলা", "খোলা-"]·DE["[פתחון]"]·EN["opening-of", "opening-of-"]·FR["ouverture"]·heb["פתחון", "פתחון-"]·HI["खुलना", "खोलना"]·ID["pembukaan", "pembukaan-"]·IT["[פתחון]"]·jav["bukakan", "kebukaning-"]·KO["열림을-", "열림이-"]·PT["abertura-de", "abertura-de-"]·RU["открывать-", "открытие-"]·ES["abertura-de", "apertura-de"]·SW["kufungua", "kufungua-kwa"]·TR["açılmasını-", "açılış"]·urd["منہ-کھولنا", "کھولنا-"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† פִּתְחוֹן n.[m.] opening;—cstr. פִּתְחוֹן פֶּה opening of mouth in speech or song Ez 16:63; 29:21.