Original Word: פִתְגָּם
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: pithgam
Pronunciation: pith-gawm'
Phonetic Spelling: (pith-gawm')
KJV: answer, letter, matter, word
NASB: answer, edict, report, sentence
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H6599 (פִּתגָּם - edict)]

1. a word, answer, letter or decree

answer, letter, matter, word

(Aramaic) corresponding to pithgam; a word, answer, letter or decree -- answer, letter, matter, word.

see HEBREW pithgam

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to pithgam
Definition
a command, word, affair
NASB Translation
answer (1), answer...matter (1), answered* (1), edict (1), report (1), sentence (1).

מִּתְגָם noun masculine^{Ezra 6:11} command, word, affair (Persian: see Biblical Hebrew); — absolute ׳פ Daniel 3:16; emphatic מָא- Ezra 4:17 +; — command Ezra 6:11, word, by missive Ezra 5:7, from king Ezra 4:17 (both with שְׁלַת), in answer Ezra 5:11 (with התיב); weakened, thing, affair Daniel 3:16; Daniel 4:14.

Term Overview

פִתְגָּם (pitgam) denotes an authoritative statement issued in official contexts—most often a royal decree, edict, or formal answer. In Scripture it appears exclusively in the Aramaic portions of Ezra and Daniel, always in settings where the authority of a kingdom or of Heaven is being asserted through a written or spoken proclamation.

Occurrences and Contexts

• Ezra 4:17 – King Artaxerxes issues “the reply” to local Persian officials who had accused the Jews: “The letter you sent us has been translated and read in my presence.” The use of pitgam underlines the weight of the king’s definitive answer.
• Ezra 5:7; 5:11 – Governors of Trans-Euphrates forward to Darius “a report” concerning the rebuilding of the temple and then record the builders’ own “answer.” Both uses stress the legal accountability of God’s people within imperial structures.
• Ezra 6:11 – Darius adds a stern enforcement clause to his decree: the pitgam carries immediate penalties for non-compliance, showing that earthly authority can become an instrument for fulfilling God’s purposes.
• Daniel 3:16 – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego give “an answer” to Nebuchadnezzar, refusing idolatry. Their pitgam stands as a counter-edict: loyalty to the Lord supersedes royal command.
• Daniel 4:17 – The holy watchers declare, “This decision is by the decree of the watchers, and the command by the word of the holy ones,” revealing Heaven’s pitgam that humbles kings and exalts the Most High.

Historical Background

Pitgam is a Persian loanword reflecting the administrative culture of the Achaemenid Empire. Persian governance relied on written edicts transmitted across provinces; the biblical authors adopt this term to situate the Jewish remnant firmly within that historical setting. Its appearance confirms the accuracy of the exile-and-return narratives, matching extra-biblical Persian documents that speak of resh-pitgam (“chief decree”) and related formulae.

Theological and Canonical Significance

1. Divine sovereignty over human decrees: Ezra displays successive monarchs unknowingly advancing the prophetic word spoken long before (Isaiah 44:28; Jeremiah 29:10). Pitgam thus becomes a vehicle through which “the king’s heart is a watercourse in the hand of the Lord” (Proverbs 21:1).
2. Heavenly decree as ultimate authority: Daniel 4:17 elevates the term from imperial bureaucracy to celestial courtroom, asserting that “the Most High rules the kingdom of men.” Earthly pitgam must bow to divine pitgam.
3. Covenant fidelity: Daniel 3:16 illustrates how faithful witnesses answer pagan demands with uncompromising allegiance to God, encouraging readers to “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29, consonant principle).

Practical Ministry Reflections

• Preaching and Teaching: Highlight how God may use official channels—company policy, government rulings, court decisions—to advance His redemptive plan, reassuring believers who serve under secular authorities.
• Leadership: Encourage Christian leaders to model clarity and authority in their own communications, reflecting the decisive character of biblical pitgam while remaining submitted to Scripture.
• Discipleship: Equip believers to craft gracious yet firm “answers” when confronted with commands that conflict with obedience to Christ.

Christological Foreshadowing

Just as pitgam conveys the finality of a king’s word, Jesus Christ is presented in the New Testament as “the Word” (John 1:1) and the One in whom “all authority in heaven and on earth” resides (Matthew 28:18). His pronouncements—“Truly, truly, I say to you”—function as the ultimate pitgam, culminating in the Gospel commission and the promise of His unshakeable kingdom (Hebrews 12:28).

Related Biblical Themes

Royal decrees: Esther 1:19; 8:8

Heavenly courts: 1 Kings 22:19; Job 1:6

Obedience under foreign rule: Romans 13:1-7; Titus 3:1

Bold witness: Acts 4:19; 1 Peter 3:15

פִּתְגָ֖ם פִּתְגָמָ֔א פִּתְגָמָ֖א פִּתְגָמָ֞א פִּתְגָמָ֣א פִתְגָמָ֖א פתגם פתגמא fitgaMa piṯ·ḡā·mā p̄iṯ·ḡā·mā piṯ·ḡām pitGam piṯḡām pitgaMa piṯḡāmā p̄iṯḡāmāInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts