Original Word: פִתְאוֹם
Part of Speech: substantive; adverb accusative
Transliteration: pith'owm
Pronunciation: pit-ome'
Phonetic Spelling: (pith-ome')
KJV: straightway, sudden(-ly)
NASB: suddenly, sudden, immediately
Word Origin: [from H6621 (פֶּתַע - suddenly)]

1. instantly

straightway, suddenly

Or pith.om {pith-ome'}; from petha'; instantly -- straightway, sudden(-ly).

see HEBREW petha'

Word Origin
from the same as petha
Definition
suddenness, suddenly
NASB Translation
immediately (1), sudden (2), suddenly (22).

מִּתְאֹם, once Psalm 64:8 (see Baer) מִּתְאוֺם substantive suddenness, usually as

adverb accusative suddenly (from מֶּתַע, with the term. ם- (compare שִׁלְשֹׁם), and with ע weakened to א: Sta^{§ 295} Kö^{ii. 255 f.} Ba^{NB § 216 b}); — Numbers 12:4 אלטֿשׁה ׳פ ׳ויאמר י, Joshua 10:9; Joshua 11:7; especially of calamity, invasion, etc., coming suddenly, Isaiah 47:11; Isaiah 48:3; Jeremiah 4:20 שֻׁדְּדוּ אֹהָלי ׳בּ, Jeremiah 6:26; Jeremiah 15:8; Jeremiah 18:22; Jeremiah 51:8; Psalms יֹרֻהוּ וְלאֹ יִירָ֑אוּ ׳פ, Jeremiah 51:8; Job 5:3; Job 9:23; Ecclesiastes 9:12; Proverbs 6:15; Proverbs 24:22; also Proverbs 7:22; Malachi 3:1; thrice with מֶּתַע (q. v.). As a Genitive Proverbs 3:25 ׳אלתֿירא מִמַּהַר פ of the terror of suddenness, i.e. the sudden terror, Job 22:10; and with בְּ, in suddenness, 2 Chronicles 29:36 היה הדבר ׳בפ.

Overview

The term פִתְאוֹם (pithʾom) accents the element of “suddenness” in divine and human experience. Whether blessing or calamity, military victory or prophetic visitation, the word underscores the sovereign freedom of God to act without warning and to require His people to live in constant readiness.

Sudden Divine Encounters

Numbers 12:4 records that “suddenly the LORD said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam,” summoning them to the Tent of Meeting and confronting their hidden grumbling. In Malachi 3:1 the same term anticipates the Messiah: “Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple.” From Sinai to the Second Temple period, the pattern is clear—God’s self-disclosure often arrives unannounced, exposing sin and demanding immediate response.

Unexpected Deliverance in Battle

Both Joshua 10:9 and Joshua 11:7 portray Israel’s armies falling upon the enemy “suddenly,” stressing the strategic surprise God granted to His covenant people. These narratives teach that victory belongs to the LORD, not merely to superior planning, and that obedience positions believers to participate in His unforeseen breakthroughs.

Reformation Achieved in a Moment

2 Chronicles 29:36 celebrates the rapid completion of Hezekiah’s temple restoration: “The matter had come about suddenly.” After years of apostasy, repentance and corporate zeal converged, demonstrating that genuine revival does not require lengthy preliminaries when hearts are yielded to God.

Wisdom Literature: Swift Consequences for Conduct

Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes employ פִתְאוֹם to warn that judgment or calamity may strike without notice:

• Job 5:3 – the fool’s house is cursed “suddenly.”
• Psalm 64:7 – “God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be wounded.”
• Proverbs 6:15 – the schemer “will be shattered beyond recovery.”
• Ecclesiastes 9:12 – human beings are “ensnared… when it falls suddenly upon them.”

In each case, the moral universe is shown to be responsive and personal; hidden sin is never secure.

Prophetic Oracles of Sudden Judgment

Isaiah and Jeremiah repeatedly announce ruin arriving “in an instant” (Isaiah 30:13) or “suddenly” (Jeremiah 51:8). Babylon’s fall, Judah’s invasions, and the devastations of Isaiah 47:11 all model the certainty and speed of divine recompense. The unexpected timing magnifies God’s righteousness and foreshadows the finality of eschatological judgment.

Eschatological Foreshadowing

Malachi 3:1 links the word to the advent of the Lord in His temple—fulfilled first in Jesus Christ’s incarnation and destined to culminate in His return. The New Testament echoes this motif (“like a thief in the night,” 1 Thessalonians 5:2), drawing a direct line from פִתְאוֹם to the sudden appearing of Christ in glory.

Pastoral and Ministry Implications

1. Watchfulness: Believers are exhorted to live alertly, knowing that both discipline and deliverance can occur without warning.
2. Urgency in Repentance: Because judgment may fall “in an instant,” procrastination is perilous (Proverbs 24:22).
3. Hope in Crisis: The same word that warns of calamity also promises swift help; the LORD can overturn entrenched opposition in a moment, as in the reforms of Hezekiah and the victories of Joshua.

Conclusion

Across law, history, poetry, and prophecy, פִתְאוֹם testifies that God’s interventions—whether to bless, to judge, or to consummate redemption—are not bound by human timetables. The wise respond with reverent preparedness, confident that the Sovereign who acts “suddenly” is always consistent with His covenant purposes.

בְּפִתְאֹ֖ם בפתאם וּפִתְאֹם֩ ופתאם פִ֭תְאֹם פִּ֫תְאֹ֥ם פִּ֭תְאֹם פִּתְא֑וֹם פִּתְאֹ֑ם פִּתְאֹ֔ם פִּתְאֹ֗ם פִּתְאֹ֛ם פִּתְאֹ֥ם פִּתְאֹֽם׃ פִּתְאֹם֙ פִתְאֹ֔ם פִתְאֹֽם׃ פתאום פתאם פתאם׃ bə·p̄iṯ·’ōm befitOm bəp̄iṯ’ōm fitOm piṯ’ōm p̄iṯ’ōm piṯ’ōwm piṯ·’ō·wm piṯ·’ōm p̄iṯ·’ōm pitOm ū·p̄iṯ·’ōm ufitOm ūp̄iṯ’ōmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts