Original Word: פָצָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: patsah
Pronunciation: pah-tsah'
Phonetic Spelling: (paw-tsaw')
KJV: deliver, gape, open, rid, utter
NASB: opened, given, opens, rescue, open, open wide, rescues
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to rend, i.e. open (especially the mouth)

deliver, gape, open, rid, utter

A primitive root; to rend, i.e. Open (especially the mouth) -- deliver, gape, open, rid, utter.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to part, open
NASB Translation
given (2), open (1), open wide (1), opened (5), opens (2), rescue (2), rescues (1), uttered (1).

[מָּצָה] verb part, open (Arabic I, II. separate, remove; Aramaic מְּצָא especially set free, Pa`el set free); —

Qal Perfect3feminine singular מָּֽצְתָה Genesis 4:11 +, 2 masculine singular מָּצִיתָ Judges 11:36, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular יִפְצֶה Job 35:16; Imperative masculine singular מְּצֶה Ezekiel 2:8, suffix פְצֵנִי Psalm 144:7; Psalm 144:11; Participle מֹּצֶה Isaiah 10:14, ׳מּוֺ Psalm 144:10; —

1 open mouth:

a. to swallow, figurative of ground, הָאֲדָמָה Genesis 4:11, (J), Numbers 16:30 (JE), הָאָרֶץ Deuteronomy 11:6; of enemies, + עַל person Lamentations 2:16; Lamentations 3:46; Psalm 22:14; literal Ezekiel 2:8.

b. to speak Judges 11:35,36 (utter a vow, + ׳אֶליֿ); Job 35:16; hence = utter, אֲשֶׁר מָּצוּ שְׁפָתַי Psalm 66:14; of bird chirping מֹּצֶה פֶה Isaiah 10:14 (in figurative).

2 snatch away, set free (Aramaic loan-word), only Psalm 144, + הִצִּיל with מִן Isaiah 10:7; Isaiah 10:11; ׳פ with מִן Isaiah 10:10.

Canonical Distribution and Thematic Range

The verb פָצָה is found only fifteen times, yet its placements span the Torah, Former Prophets, Poetry, Major and Minor Prophets, and the Writings. The contexts are remarkably diverse—cosmic judgment, covenantal vows, lament, prophetic obedience, and royal deliverance—underscoring a unifying concern: what is opened belongs to the Lord’s sovereign justice or mercy and therefore carries moral weight.

The Earth Opening in Judicial Retribution

Genesis 4:11 introduces the imagery as the ground “opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood.” The land itself becomes an active witness against Cain’s murder. Later, the judgment on Korah’s rebellion (Numbers 16:30; Deuteronomy 11:6) amplifies the picture: the earth literally gapes to swallow the rebels, confirming that sin against divine order is never hidden. These passages link blood-guilt and covenant infidelity to physical upheaval, reminding Israel that creation is not morally neutral but participates in God’s verdicts.

Vows and Irrevocable Speech

Jephthah’s anguished cry, “I have opened my mouth to the LORD and cannot take it back” (Judges 11:35), followed by his daughter’s sober acceptance (Judges 11:36), makes פָצָה a solemn marker of spoken commitment. Psalm 66:14 looks back on the same concept from the vantage point of thanksgiving: “the vows that my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in distress.” Together these texts teach that speech directed heavenward may not be retracted lightly; the opened mouth binds the speaker before God, echoing Ecclesiastes 5:4-6.

Hostile Mouths and the Suffering Righteous

In the lament psalms and exilic literature the verb depicts adversarial aggression. “They open their mouths against me like lions that roar and maul” (Psalm 22:13) foreshadows the mockery leveled at the Messiah on the cross (Matthew 27:39-44). Lamentations 2:16 and 3:46 record national humiliation: “All your enemies open their mouths against you.” Isaiah 10:14 pictures Assyria’s cruel boast that none could “open a mouth or chirp” in protest. The consistent thread is that arrogant speech is itself an instrument of oppression which God will eventually silence.

Divine Rescue from Gaping Danger

Three times in Psalm 144 (verses 7, 10, 11) David links military deliverance to God’s action for the one whose enemies threaten to “open” their destructive power. The psalm’s movement from petition to praise affirms that the Lord who permits threatening mouths also has power to close them.

Prophetic Commission and Obedience

Ezekiel 2:8 employs the verb in a unique imperative: “open your mouth and eat what I give you.” The prophet’s submission contrasts sharply with the rebellious house of Israel. The opened mouth here is not a threat or a vow but a channel for receiving and later proclaiming God’s word, illustrating that true obedience begins with reception before proclamation.

Wisdom Literature and Empty Words

Job 35:16 critiques Job’s protest: “he opens his mouth in vain.” The verse warns against multiplying words without knowledge—a caution echoed by James 1:19. פָצָה therefore warns against both rash vows (Judges 11) and unreflective complaints (Job 35).

Christological Resonance

Psalm 22 finds ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The image of enemies who “open their mouths” like ravenous beasts intensifies the psalm’s predictive power. The Gospels portray mockers encircling the crucified Lord, yet His resurrection answers their scorn, showing that the Father closes every mouth raised against His Anointed (Romans 3:19 finds a broader theological statement of this reality).

Pastoral and Practical Application

1. Speech Integrity: Believers are to let their “yes” be “yes” (Matthew 5:37). פָצָה underscores the gravity of uttered commitments.
2. Lament and Trust: When surrounded by “open mouths,” Christians may join the psalmist in directing lament to the Lord, confident He hears and delivers.
3. Prophetic Reception: Ministry begins with an opened mouth toward God before it turns outward toward people (Ezekiel 2:8; Acts 4:20).
4. Warning against Arrogance: Nations and individuals who exalt their own mouths (Isaiah 10:14) stand under inevitable judgment.

Summary

Whether the ground swallowing rebels, a judge binding himself by vow, enemies taunting Zion, or the prophet receiving revelation, פָצָה marks decisive moments when something is laid bare before a holy God. Every occurrence calls the reader to reverence—either in awe of divine judgment or in gratitude for divine rescue—and urges guarded, faithful use of the mouth that God Himself created and scrutinizes.

הַ֭פּוֹצֶה הפוצה וּפָצְתָ֨ה וּפֹצֶ֥ה ופצה ופצתה יִפְצֶה־ יפצה־ פְּצֵ֣ה פְּצֵ֣נִי פְּצֵ֥נִי פָּצ֣וּ פָּצ֥וּ פָּצ֨וּ פָּצְתָ֣ה פָּצְתָ֤ה פָּצִ֤יתִי־ פָּצִ֤יתָה פצה פצו פציתה פציתי־ פצני פצתה hap·pō·w·ṣeh Happotzeh happōwṣeh pā·ṣə·ṯāh pā·ṣî·ṯāh pā·ṣî·ṯî- pā·ṣū pāṣəṯāh pāṣîṯāh pāṣîṯî- pāṣū patzeTah paTzitah paTziti paTzu pə·ṣê·nî pə·ṣêh pəṣêh pəṣênî peTzeh peTzeni ū·p̄ā·ṣə·ṯāh ū·p̄ō·ṣeh ufatzeTah ufoTzeh ūp̄āṣəṯāh ūp̄ōṣeh yiftzeh yip̄·ṣeh- yip̄ṣeh-Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts