Lexical Summary
pen: or, otherwise, so
Original Word:פֵן
Part of Speech:conjunction
Transliteration:pen
Pronunciation:pen
Phonetic Spelling:(pane)
KJV: (lest) (peradventure), thatnot
NASB:or, otherwise, so, or else, might, because, no
Word Origin:[fromH6437 (פָּנָה - turned)]
1. (properly) removal
2. used only (in the construction) adverb as conjunction, lest
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
lest peradventure, that
Frompanah; properly, removal; used only (in the construction) adverb as conjunction, lest -- (lest) (peradventure), that...not.
see HEBREWpanah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originof uncertain derivation
Definitionlest
NASB Translationbecause (2), fear (1), might (4), no (2), none (1), or (36), or else (6), otherwise (16), otherwise you might (1), perhaps (1), so (12).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
133 (always with Makkeph except
Genesis 38:23;
Genesis 44:34;
Deuteronomy 7:25;
Deuteronomy 32:27 [not Gi],
Isaiah 27:3;
Proverbs 25:8: Mandelkern
Conc. under the word.)
(averting, or deprecating), (origin dubious: Thes Köii. 334 from , properly substantive construct in accusativefor the aversion of; but is intransitive: NöM. 474 compares the enclitic particle in ,then , 'etwa,' thinking that a particle with the meaning 'es möchte etwa,' spoken in a tone of alarm, might readily acquire a deprecatory force); —lest:
withimperfectGenesis 3:3 ye shall not eat thereof . . .lest ye die,Genesis 11:4 let us build a citylest we be scattered,Genesis 19:15,17,19;Genesis 38:23;Genesis 45:Exodus 1:10;Exodus 23:29;Exodus 23:33 etc.,2 Kings 10:23 (followed by ),Isaiah 6:10;Isaiah 27:3;Isaiah 28:22;Isaiah 48:5,7;Psalm 2:12;Psalm 7:3 etc.; often aftertake heed to thyselfGenesis 24:6;Genesis 31:24, and especially in Deuteronomy, asDeuteronomy 4:9,23;Deuteronomy 6:12;Deuteronomy 8:11 and elsewhere; after a verb of fearingGenesis 32:12, and once, even, of swearingJudges 15:12; deprecating pathetically,Genesis 44:34 how shall I go up, etc.?lest I look upon the evil that will befal my father. Once, unusually, preceding the principal clause,Proverbs 5:6lest she should make level the path of life, her ways are unstable, etc. (Ew Be Now; see also Toy). Note especially
for he (I)said, Lest..., implying always that some precaution has been taken to avert the dreaded contingency,Genesis 26:9 for I said, Lest I die on account of her (to obviate which, Isaac had called Rebecca his sister),Genesis 31:31;Genesis 38:11;Genesis 42:4;Exodus 13:17;Numbers 16:34;1 Samuel 13:19;1 Samuel 27:11 (),Psalm 38:17; with impliedGenesis 26:7; compare, with an aposiop.,Genesis 3:22 and now,lest he put forth his hand, etc. (implying that measures are taken to prevent this, seeGenesis 3:23): compare Tob 8:9.
at the beginning of a sentence, with a dissuasive force, (Beware)lest: +Isaiah 36:18 (beware)lest Hezekiah deceive you,Deuteronomy 29:17 (twice in verse) (followed by ),Jeremiah 51:46;Job 32:13;Job 36:18.
withPerfect, the result feared being conceived as having possibly already taken place;2 Samuel 20:6 pursue after him,lest he have found him fenced cities, etc. (but the tense of makes probably, Drsm Bu Köiii. 486),2 Kings 2:16 .
Topical Lexicon
Overviewפֵן (pen) is the primary Hebrew particle of negative purpose, usually rendered “lest,” “so that not,” or “otherwise.” It appears about one-hundred-thirty-three times, linking commands, warnings, prayers, and prophetic oracles with a call to avoid an undesirable consequence. Throughout the Old Testament the word stands at the hinge between the intention of God’s revelation and the danger of human waywardness.
Distribution in Scripture
• Pentateuch: Found in narratives (Genesis), covenant legislation (Exodus–Deuteronomy), and wilderness history.
• Historical Books: Used in military strategy, royal edicts, and prophetic counsel (Joshua–2 Chronicles).
• Wisdom Literature: Concentrated in Proverbs, Job, and Psalms, shaping didactic admonitions and worshipful petitions.
• Prophets: Carries eschatological and national warnings (Isaiah–Malachi).
Primary Literary Functions
1. Negative Purpose: introduces a clause describing the outcome to be avoided (“Obey … lest you die”).
2. Preventive Counsel: expresses caution or prudence (“Hide … lest he see you”).
3. Covenantal Safeguard: marks stipulations intended to preserve fidelity (“Remove the idols … lest My anger burn”).
4. Liturgical Supplication: appears in prayers that plead for mercy or deliverance (“Do not be silent … lest I become like those who go down to the pit,”Psalm 28:1).
Covenantal and Ethical Warnings
The earliest instance,Genesis 3:22, guards the Tree of Life: “He must not reach out, take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”. From Eden onward פֵן underscores the moral boundary between blessing and curse. Deuteronomy repeatedly links obedience with thriving and disobedience with ruin: “Be careful that your heart does not become proud and you forget the LORD your God … lest you say in your heart, ‘My power … has gained me this wealth’” (paraphrasingDeuteronomy 8:11-17).
Personal and National Precaution
Proverbs applies פֵן to the individual heart:
• “Lest you give your vigor to others and your years to one who is cruel” (Proverbs 5:9).
• “Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house, lest he grow weary of you and hate you” (Proverbs 25:17).
Nationally, the particle guards Israel’s calling: “Take heed … lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land” (Exodus 34:12).
Prophetic Admonitions
Prophets wield פֵן to awaken repentance.Isaiah 6:10 records the divine commission: “Make the heart of this people dull … lest they see with their eyes … and turn and be healed.”Jeremiah 51:6 urges escape from Babylon “lest you perish in her punishment.” The particle thus binds warning with hope: calamity is not inevitable if the audience responds.
Psalms: Prayerful Use of פֵן
Worshipers often voice the negative purpose before God, acknowledging dependence:
• “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in your rebellion” (Psalm 2:12).
• “Guard my life, for I am faithful to You; save Your servant who trusts in You. You are my God. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for to You I call all day long” (Psalm 86:2-3; cf. the implicit “lest I perish”).
Such prayers model humility and anticipatory obedience.
Christological and Eschatological Foreshadowing
Although פֵן is a Hebrew particle, its theological impulse carries into the New Testament through Greek phrases like μὴ ὅπως or μήποτε (“lest”). For example, Christ warns, “Be on your guard, lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation” (Luke 21:34). The continuity displays a single redemptive ethic: vigilance and dependence upon God’s grace.
Historical Background and Ancient Near Eastern Context
Ancient treaty texts regularly include negative purpose clauses (“do not violate the oath, lest the gods destroy you”), illustrating the universality of warning language. Scripture, however, roots such cautions not in capricious deities but in the holy character of the covenant LORD, whose warnings are acts of mercy.
Pastoral and Ministry Applications
• Preaching: פֵן encourages balanced proclamation—grace offered, judgment soberly declared.
• Counseling: highlights preventive wisdom; urges believers to identify spiritual vulnerabilities before they mature into sin.
• Discipleship: trains believers to add a forward-looking caution to every decision (“lest I grieve the Spirit”).
• Prayer: models petitions that both seek blessing and acknowledge potential peril.
Selected Key Occurrences (Representative)
Genesis 11:4 – social ambition checked “lest we be scattered.”
Exodus 32:12 – Moses intercedes, “Turn from Your fierce anger … lest the Egyptians say, ‘He brought them out to harm them.’”
Deuteronomy 29:18 – warning against idolatry “lest there should be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit.”
1 Samuel 12:25 – Samuel: “If you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.”
2 Kings 2:16 – concern for Elijah’s body “lest the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and cast him on some mountain.”
Job 3:25 – personal dread: “For the thing I feared has come upon me.”
Proverbs 30:9 – economic balance “lest I be full and deny You … or be poor and steal.”
Jeremiah 17:21 – Sabbath command “Take heed … bear no burden on the Sabbath day, lest you bring destruction.”
Malachi 2:3 – priestly defilement “Behold, I will rebuke your descendants.”
Conclusion
פֵן threads through Scripture as a grammatical smallness bearing immense theological weight. By articulating what must not happen, it magnifies God’s holiness, exposes human frailty, and invites faith-filled obedience. Every “lest” is a gracious signpost directing hearts away from sin and toward the life that is truly life.
Forms and Transliterations
וּפֶֽן־ וּפֶן־ ופן־ פֶּ֖ן פֶּ֚ן פֶּ֣ן פֶּ֥ן פֶּ֨ן־ פֶּֽן־ פֶּן־ פן פן־ pen pen- ū·p̄en- ufen ūp̄en-
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