Original Word: מִפְתָּן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: miphtan
Pronunciation: MIF-tan
Phonetic Spelling: (mif-tawn')
Definition: Threshold
Meaning: a stretcher, a sill

threshold

From the same as pethen; a stretcher, i.e. A sill -- threshold.

see HEBREW pethen

Word Origin
from the same as pethen
Definition
threshold
NASB Translation
threshold (8).

מִפְתָּן noun [masculine] threshold (compare Late Hebrew מָּתִין cross-beam; ? Arabic carpenter;); — absolute ׳מ 1 Samuel 5:4; Zephaniah 1:9; construct מִפְתַּן דָּגוֺן 1 Samuel 5:5, הַבַּיִת ׳מ Ezekiel 9:3; Ezekiel 10:4,18; Ezekiel 47:1, הַשַּׁצר ׳מ Ezekiel 46:2.

Word Origin: Derived from the root פָּתַן (patan), which means to stretch or spread out.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The corresponding Greek entry in Strong's Concordance is G898 (βαθμός, bathmos), which refers to a step or threshold. While the Greek term emphasizes the physical aspect of a step or threshold, the Hebrew מִפְתָּן carries additional cultural and religious connotations, particularly in the context of ancient Israelite worship and temple practices.

Usage: The word מִפְתָּן is used in the context of architectural elements, particularly referring to the threshold of a door. It is often associated with the entrance to a significant or sacred space.

Context: מִפְתָּן (miptan) appears in the Hebrew Bible in contexts that emphasize the importance of thresholds as transitional spaces. In ancient Near Eastern culture, thresholds were often seen as symbolic boundaries between the outside world and the sanctity of the home or temple. The term is used in passages that highlight the significance of entering or exiting a space, often with religious or ceremonial implications.

For example, in 1 Samuel 5:4-5, the threshold of Dagon's temple is mentioned in the narrative of the Ark of the Covenant being placed in the temple of Dagon. The text states: "But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD. His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold."

This passage illustrates the cultural and religious significance of the threshold, as it becomes a place of divine intervention and a marker of sacred space. The threshold is not merely a physical structure but also a symbol of the boundary between the divine and the mundane.

הַמִּפְתָּ֔ן הַמִּפְתָּ֖ן המפתן מִפְתַּ֣ן מִפְתַּ֤ן מִפְתַּ֥ן מפתן ham·mip̄·tān hammifTan hammip̄tān mifTan mip̄·tan mip̄tanInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts