Original Word: פָקַח
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: paqach
Pronunciation: pah-kakh'
Phonetic Spelling: (paw-kakh')
KJV: open
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to open (the senses, especially the eyes)
2. (figuratively) to be observant

open

A primitive root; to open (the senses, especially the eyes); figuratively, to be observant -- open.

מָּקַח verb open eyes and (once) ears (Late Hebrew id., open (and remove) rubbish heap, followed by עַל look to, attend to; Arabic blossom, II. open eyes; Jewish-Aramaic מְּקַח open eyes, etc.; Syriac blossom; —

Qal Perfect3masculine singular ׳פ Job 27:19; 2masculine singular מָּקַחְתָּ Job 14:3; Imperfect3masculine singular וַיִּפְקַח Genesis 21:19 +; 1 singular אֶפְקַח Zechariah 12:4; Imperative masculine singular מְּקַח 2 Kings 6:17 +, so Daniel 9:18 Qr (Kt פקחה); Infinitive absolute מָּקוֺחַ Isaiah 42:20; construct לִפְקֹחַ Isaiah 42:7; Participle active מֹּקֵחַ Psalm 146:8; passive feminine plural מְּקֻחוֺת Jeremiah 32:19; —

1 open eyes:

a. one's own 2 Kings 4:35; Job 27:19; Proverbs 20:13; 2 Kings 19:16 = Isaiah 37:17; Daniel 9:18; + עַל Jeremiah 32:19; Zechariah 12:4; Job 14:3.

b. eyes of others Genesis 21:19; 2 Kings 6:17 (twice in verse); 2 Kings 6:20 (twice in verse); Isaiah 42:7; Psalm 146:8; — for details see עַיִן

1j. 2. open ears = hear Isaiah 42:20 (without understanding; figurative of Israel).

Niph`al Perfect3plural consecutive וְנִפְקְחוּ Genesis 3:5; Imperfect3feminine plural תִּמָּקַחְנָה Isaiah 35:5, ׳וַתּ Genesis 3:7; — be opened, of eyes; figurative, so as to know good and evil Genesis 3:5,7; opposed to blindness (figurative) Isaiah 35:5.

Root Idea and Scriptural Distribution

The verb פָקַח (paqach) centers on the removal of obstruction, whether literal or figurative, so that sight, perception, or understanding may occur. It appears twenty times, spanning Genesis through Zechariah, thereby threading through the Torah, Historical Books, Wisdom Literature, Major Prophets, and Minor Prophets. Its usage clusters around two primary motifs: (1) God-orchestrated opening of eyes or ears, and (2) judicial or restorative acts whereby spiritual perception is either granted or withheld.

Paradise Lost and the Beginnings of Sight

In Genesis 3:5 and 3:7 the eyes of humanity are “opened,” inaugurating an awareness of good and evil divorced from covenant obedience. The verb here lays the foundation for a biblical tension: sight that brings either illumination or shame depending on its source. The sudden perception of nakedness underscores how mere physical sight can expose spiritual destitution.

Covenantal Mercy in the Wilderness and Patriarchal Narratives

Genesis 21:19 records, “Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water.” The use of פָקַח reveals divine compassion toward Hagar and Ishmael, positioning God as the One who uncovers provision within desolation. Here the theme of sight functions as covenant mercy, sustaining the seed promised to Abraham even outside the chosen line.

Prophetic Ministry and Miraculous Demonstrations

2 Kings 6 furnishes a trilogy of occurrences (verses 17, 17, 20, 20) where Elisha prays for eyes to be opened and closed. The prophet’s intercession discloses the unseen angelic host to his servant while blinding and later restoring sight to Syrian soldiers. The narrative teaches that spiritual realities govern physical circumstances and that prophetic ministry mediates such perception for the people of God.

Supplication in Kings and Isaiah

2 Kings 19:16 and its parallel in Isaiah 37:17 record Hezekiah’s plea: “Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see.” פָקַח conveys an anthropomorphic appeal urging God to act according to His covenant promises against Assyrian blasphemy. The verb underscores the relational dynamic: Israel prays not to an impersonal deity but to One whose “opened” attention secures deliverance.

Wisdom Literature: Moral Clarity

In Job 14:3 and Job 27:19, פָקַח portrays God scrutinizing human frailty and the transience of riches. Proverbs 20:13 counsels, “Do not love sleep, or you will grow poor; stay awake, and you will have plenty of food.” Here the verb bears ethical weight, linking physical alertness with prudent stewardship, reflecting a broader biblical call for vigilance.

Psalms and the Character of God

Psalm 146:8 proclaims, “The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; the LORD lifts those who are weighed down; the LORD loves the righteous.” The psalmist locates the action of פָקַח within Yahweh’s steadfast love, displaying covenant faithfulness that culminates in messianic expectation.

Isaiah: Messianic and Missional Outlook

Isaiah 35:5 envisions a day when “the eyes of the blind will be opened,” foretelling the restorative work of the coming Servant. Isaiah 42:7 extends the mission “to open eyes that are blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon.” Isaiah 42:20, however, indicts Israel for seeing “many things” yet not observing. Thus פָקַח becomes both promise and rebuke, forecasting Messiah’s healing ministry (fulfilled in the Gospels) while exposing the nation’s hardened perception.

Jeremiah and Daniel: Divine Omniscience in Covenant Administration

Jeremiah 32:19 praises God, “Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to reward each one according to his ways.” Daniel 9:18 pleads, “Open Your eyes and see our desolations.” Both passages utilize פָקַח to affirm God’s watchful governance over history and His readiness to enact redemptive intervention upon repentance.

Zechariah: Eschatological Judgment and Restoration

Zechariah 12:4 foretells a day when God will “open My eyes upon the house of Judah” even as He strikes the nations’ horses with bewilderment. פָקַח here signals protective oversight amid eschatological upheaval, assuring ultimate vindication for God’s people.

Christological Foreshadowing

The Old Testament pattern of God opening eyes culminates in Jesus Christ, who literally restores sight (for example, John 9) and spiritually enlightens hearts (Luke 24:31). The repeated use of פָקַח forms a typological trajectory that affirms Jesus as the incarnate fulfillment of Isaiah’s Servant, bringing true vision to those born in Adamic blindness.

Practical Ministry Implications

1. Intercessory Prayer: Elisha’s model invites believers to petition God to unveil spiritual realities for themselves and others.
2. Evangelism and Discipleship: As Isaiah points forward, gospel proclamation involves calling the blind to sight through the illumination of the Holy Spirit.
3. Pastoral Care: Recognizing divine initiative in opening eyes encourages humility; ministry effectiveness rests on God’s sovereign act of revelation rather than human persuasion.
4. Vigilance Against Complacency: Proverbs and Job warn that physical or moral drowsiness results in poverty—material or spiritual—therefore believers pursue alertness in faith and practice.

Theological Synthesis

Throughout Scripture, פָקַח portrays God as the One who grants perception, whether through mercy, judgment, or revelation. Humanity’s need for opened eyes points to dependence on divine grace, while the assurance that the LORD Himself opens what is shut anchors hope in every era—from Eden to the New Jerusalem.

אֶפְקַ֣ח אפקח וְנִפְקְח֖וּ וַיִּפְקַ֤ח וַיִּפְקַ֥ח וַתִּפָּקַ֙חְנָה֙ ויפקח ונפקחו ותפקחנה לִפְקֹ֖חַ לפקח פְּקַ֖ח פְּקַ֥ח פְּקַ֧ח פְּקַח־ פְקֻח֗וֹת פָּק֥וֹחַ פָּקַ֣ח פָּקַ֣חְתָּ פֹּ֘קֵ֤חַ פְּקַ֣ח פקוח פקח פקח־ פקחות פקחת תִּפָּקַ֖חְנָה תפקחנה ’ep̄·qaḥ ’ep̄qaḥ efKach fekuChot lifKoach lip̄·qō·aḥ lip̄qōaḥ pā·qaḥ pā·qaḥ·tā pā·qō·w·aḥ paKach paKachta paKoach pāqaḥ pāqaḥtā pāqōwaḥ pə·qaḥ pə·qaḥ- p̄ə·qu·ḥō·wṯ pekach pəqaḥ pəqaḥ- p̄əquḥōwṯ pō·qê·aḥ poKeach pōqêaḥ tip·pā·qaḥ·nāh tippaKachnah tippāqaḥnāh vaiyifKach vattippaKachnah venifkeChu wat·tip·pā·qaḥ·nāh wattippāqaḥnāh way·yip̄·qaḥ wayyip̄qaḥ wə·nip̄·qə·ḥū wənip̄qəḥūInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts