Lexical Summary
path: Morsel, piece, fragment
Original Word:פַת
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:path
Pronunciation:path
Phonetic Spelling:(path)
KJV: meat, morsel, piece
NASB:piece, morsel, bits, bread, fragments, piece of bread, pieces
Word Origin:[fromH6626 (פָּתַת - break)]
1. a bit
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
meat, morsel, piece
Frompathath; a bit -- meat, morsel, piece.
see HEBREWpathath
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
pathathDefinitionfragment, bit, morsel
NASB Translationbits (1), bread (1), fragments (1), morsel (3), piece (6), piece of bread (1), pieces (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Proverbs 17:1 ; — absolute
Proverbs 17:1a dry morsel; construct
Genesis 18:5;
Judges 19:5;
1 Samuel 2:36;
1 Samuel 28:22;
1 Kings 17:11;
Proverbs 28:21; suffix
Job 31:17,
Proverbs 23:8,
Ruth 2:14,
2 Samuel 12:3; plural
Leviticus 2:6;
Leviticus 6:14; in simile
Psalm 147:17.
[] id.; — plural constructEzekiel 13:19.
Topical Lexicon
Overviewפַת (pat) is the ordinary “piece” or “morsel” that meets the most basic human need—daily bread. Across narrative, legal, poetic, and prophetic texts the term becomes a theological touch-point for hospitality, compassion, justice, and covenant faithfulness. The smallest fragment of bread can illumine the character of God and the moral responsibilities of His people.
Hospitality and Covenant Fellowship
Genesis 18:5 presents the first occurrence, when Abraham says, “Let me bring a morsel of bread that you may refresh yourselves.” The humble pat is the token of welcome that precedes the covenant reaffirmation and the birth promise of Isaac. Similarly,Judges 19:5 andRuth 2:14 show that sharing a morsel establishes fellowship and safety when travelers and the vulnerable are exposed to danger. The offering of even a single pat is therefore more than etiquette; it is an act of covenant solidarity that mirrors the gracious welcome God extends to sinners.
Cultic and Sacrificial Usage
Leviticus 2:6 andLeviticus 6:21 instruct that the grain offering be broken “in pieces” before the LORD. The priest presents the entire cake, yet it is surrendered as fragments. Pat thereby teaches that every offering—great or small—must be yielded to God in obedient portions according to His word. The broken pieces anticipate the distributive nature of divine grace, later fulfilled in Messiah’s broken body (Matthew 26:26).
Divine Provision in Crisis
The narratives of Elijah and David underscore God’s faithfulness through tiny portions. The widow of Zarephath can give only “a piece of bread” (1 Kings 17:11), yet that act becomes the channel for a miracle of sustained flour and oil. In2 Samuel 12:3 the poor man’s ewe lamb “ate from his morsel of bread,” showing that God’s favor can surround the destitute even when resources are meager.
Social Justice and Compassion
Job defends his integrity: “I have not eaten my morsel alone, nor has the fatherless gone without it” (Job 31:17). A righteous person cannot consume personal provision while ignoring the needy. Proverbs elevates this ethic: “Better a dry morsel with quietness than a house full of feasting with strife” (Proverbs 17:1), and “Partiality is not good, yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread” (Proverbs 28:21). The smallest pat can reveal or betray a heart of greed, violence, or partiality.
Warnings against Compromise
Proverbs 23:8 cautions that the flattering feast of a stingy man ends in nausea: “You will vomit the morsel you ate.” Ezekiel amplifies the warning when condemning false prophetesses who profane the LORD “for handfuls of barley and pieces of bread” (Ezekiel 13:19). When spiritual leaders trade truth for subsistence-level gain, the covenant community is imperiled. The morsel becomes an indictment of apostasy.
Hailstones and Divine Sovereignty
Psalm 147:17 metaphorically names hailstones “morsels” hurled by the LORD: “He casts forth His hail like morsels; who can withstand His icy blast?” Even the weather patterns are described through the vocabulary of daily bread, emphasizing that every crumb of creation remains under Yahweh’s command.
Pastoral and Missional Implications
1. Evangelism and Hospitality: Offering even a small meal can open doors for gospel witness, echoing Abraham’s tent ministry.
2. Benevolence: Churches ought never to “eat their morsel alone.” Local benevolence funds and food pantries exhibit biblical righteousness.
3. Integrity in Leadership: Refusing to manipulate truth “for a piece of bread” guards against modern forms of prophetic compromise.
4. Worship: The Lord’s Supper, though a small fragment, retells redemption’s story; the Levitical pat foreshadows Christ’s broken body distributed to believers.
Key References
•Genesis 18:5
•Leviticus 2:6; 6:21
•Judges 19:5
•Ruth 2:14
•1 Kings 17:11
•Job 31:17
•Psalm 147:17
•Proverbs 17:1; 23:8; 28:21
•Ezekiel 13:19
The recurring pat testifies that in God’s economy no portion is too small to convey grace, expose sin, or accomplish providential purpose.
Forms and Transliterations
וּבִפְת֣וֹתֵי ובפתותי כְפִתִּ֑ים כפתים מִפִּתּ֨וֹ מפתו פִּֽתְּךָ־ פִּתִּ֔ים פִּתִּ֣י פִּתֵּ֖ךְ פַּ֣ת פַּת־ פַת־ פת פת־ פתי פתים פתך פתך־ chefitTim fat ḵə·p̄it·tîm ḵəp̄ittîm mip·pit·tōw mippitTo mippittōw pat paṯ paṯ- p̄aṯ- pit·tə·ḵā- pit·têḵ pit·tî pit·tîm pitTech pittecha pittêḵ pittəḵā- pitTi pittî pitTim pittîm ū·ḇip̄·ṯō·w·ṯê ūḇip̄ṯōwṯê uvifTotei
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