H6616 H6616
A twisted cord or thread — used for binding, fastening priestly garments, measuring, and as a figure for fragile constraint.
From the root p-t-l ('to twist'), this noun denotes a length of twisted fiber. Its most prominent use is in the tabernacle regulations, where a petil tekhelet ('cord of blue') fastens the priestly breastpiece to the ephod (Ex 28:28, 37; 39:21, 31) and is attached to the tassels of every Israelite's garment (Num 15:38). Judah gives his petil — apparently a distinctive personal cord, perhaps one from which his seal hung — as a pledge to Tamar (Gen 38:18, 25). Ezekiel 40:3 describes a measuring line of linen thread (petil pishtim), while Judges 16:9 uses it as a simile for effortless breakability: Samson snaps his bonds 'like a thread of tow.'
Senses
1. cord, string — A cord or string — a twisted rope or binding used for fastening, tying, or suspending objects. Nine of eleven occurrences fall here, spanning the priestly blue cord (petil tekhelet) that secures the breastpiece (Ex 28:28, 37; 39:21, 31), Judah's personal cord or seal-string given as surety (Gen 38:18, 25), the measuring line of linen cord in Ezekiel 40:3, and the tow-cord of Judges 16:9. Spanish 'cordón/cordel' and French 'cordon' consistently reflect a functional binding or fastening cord of some thickness. 9×
AR["بِ-خَيطٍ","بِ-خَيْطٍ","خَيطٍ","خَيْطَ","خُيُوطًا","غِطَاءٍ","وَ-الْ-خُيُوطُ","وَ-خَيْطُكَ","وَخَيْطُ-"]·ben["আর-ডোরিগুলি","আর-তোমার-ডোরি","এবং-সুতো-","ডোর","ঢাকনার","সুতা","সুতা-দিয়ে","সেই-ডোরে"]·DE["Faeden","Schnur-von","[ופתיל]","cord","mit-Schnur-von","und-deine-Schnur","und-die-Schnüre"]·EN["and-cord-of-","and-cord-your","and-the-cords","cord","cord-of","threads","with-cord-of"]·FR["avec-cordon-de","cord","cordon-de","et-cordon","et-cordon-ton","et-le-cordons","threads"]·heb["ב-פתיל","ו-ה-פתילים","ו-פתיל-","ו-פתילך-ך","פתיל","פתילים"]·HI["और-डोरियाँ","और-डोरी-","और-तेरी-डोरी","डोरी","डोरी-का","डोरी-से","तारें"]·ID["benang-benang","dan-tali-","dan-tali-mu","dan-tali-tali","dengan-tali","tali"]·IT["[ופתיל]","con-cordone-di","cord","cordone-di","e-cordone-tuo","e-il-cordoni","threads"]·jav["benang","lan-tali","lan-tali-tali-punika","lan-taliipun","nganggo-tali","tali"]·KO["그리고-끈-","그리고-끈과","그리고-당신의-끈과","끈-의","끈을","끈의","실들을","에-끈"]·PT["com-cordão","cordão","de-cordão","e-cordão-de-","e-cordão-teu","e-os-cordões","fios"]·RU["и-шнур-","и-шнур-твой","и-шнуры","крышки","нити","шнур","шнуром"]·ES["con-cordón-de","cordel","cordón-de","hilos","y-cordón-de","y-cordón-de-ti","y-los-cordones"]·SW["kwa-kamba","kwa-uzi","na-kamba","na-kamba-ya","na-kamba-yako","nyuzi","uzi"]·TR["ile-ip","ip","iple","iplikler","ve-ipi-","ve-kordonlar","ve-kordonun","örtüyle"]·urd["اور-ڈوری","اور-ڈوری-تیری","اور-ڈوری-یہ","تاروں-میں","رسّی-سے-بندھا","فیتے","فیتے-سے","ڈوری","ڈوری-سے"]
2. thread (fine strand) — A thread — a fine, thin strand or filament, distinguished from the thicker cord by context emphasizing delicacy or slenderness. Numbers 15:38 prescribes a petil tekhelet ('thread of blue') to be placed on the tassel fringe of garments, where the image is of a single visible strand woven into the tsitsit. Judges 16:9 compares Samson's bonds snapping 'like a thread of tow' (petil ne'oret), where the simile depends on the thread's fragility. Spanish 'hilo de' ('thread of') and French 'un fil de' capture the fineness that 'cord' cannot. 2×
AR["خَيْطَ","خَيْطُ-"]·ben["সুতা"]·DE["ein-thread-von","thread-von"]·EN["a-thread-of","thread-of"]·FR["thread-de","un-fil-de"]·heb["פתיל"]·HI["धागा","रेशा"]·ID["benang","benang-"]·IT["thread-di","un-thread-di"]·jav["bénang","tali-"]·KO["끈","실이"]·PT["cordão-de","fio-de-"]·RU["нить","нить-"]·ES["cordón-de","hilo-de"]·SW["uzi"]·TR["ip","iplik-"]·urd["دھاگا"]
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
† פָּתִיל n.m.Ju 16:9 cord, thread (twisted);—abs. פ׳ Nu 19:15; cstr. פְּתִיל Ju 16:9 +; sf. פְּתִילֶךָ֑ Gn 38:18; pl. פְּתִילִים v 25, פְּתִילִם Ex 39:3;—cord (from which seal was hung) Gn 38:18, 25 (J), פ׳ נְעֹרֶת Ju 16:9 (sim.), פ׳ פִּשְׁתִּים Ez 40:3 (as measuring line); פ׳ תְּכֵלֶת, for fastening, Ex 28:28, 37; 39:21, 31; Nu 15:38, cf. פָּתִיל alone 19:15 (perhaps gloss, v. Di); threads (of gold) in ephold Ex 39:3 (all P).