Passover – פסח -- What does this really mean?

Everybody knows that the noun פסח (Pesach) is the term for the Jewish festival of Passover, but what did the term mean when it was first attached to the event some 3400 years ago?  There are some peculiar aspects to this term:

·      The verbal root occurs a total of six times (Ex 12:13, 12:23, 12:27, 1K 18:21, 18:26, Is 31:5), half of which relate to the festival specifically.  BDB lists no cognate references for this verbal root, and I have found none in any later sources.

·      The nominal form – Pesach – occurs 49 times, and its only use is in relation to the Passover. festival.

·      BDB lists one homonym for this root.  The verbal form is generally translated limp, and the nominal form is translated lame.  Total usage for both noun and verb forms is 14 times.  The only cognate listed is an Arabic term meaning dislocate.

·      The LXX uses the following for the verbal forms: σκεπαζω – cover – (Ex 12:13, 12:27); παρεχομαι – pass by – (Ex 12:23); χωλαινω – be lame – (1K 18:21); διατρεχω – pass through – (1K 18:26); περιποιεω – gain for oneself – (Is 31:5).  The LXX interprets the form in 1K 18:21 as derived from the homonym, and that is the way it is usually translated into English.

·      The LXX uniformly renders the nominal form by πασχα, which is just a transliteration of the Aramaic term פסחא, not a translation.

·      The Vulgate rendering for the verb forms are: transeo – cross over, pass over – Ex 12:13, 12:27; transcend – pass over – Ex 12:23;  claudico – limp – 1K 18:21; transilio – pass over – 1K 18:26; transeo – pass over, pass by – Is 31:5.  The Latin term for Pesach is transitus – a passing over, crossing, passing.

·      I have found no use of the root פסח in any of the early Semitic cognates or in any of the numerous dialects of Aramaic, but the noun form  פסחא is present in the targums and in the Syriac Peshitta.  Translations for the verb forms are: איחוס – root חוס meaning protect, spare – Ex 12:13, 12:23; דחס – press, crowd.  (See reference tables below.)

Reference Tables

The following tables contain every use of the root פסח in the Hebrew text and the corresponding terms used in the earliest translations.  I do not possess all of the texts in question, so blank cells represent those portions of the targums and other translations that I do not have immediate access to.  Translations that omit any corresponding term for פסח are indicated by a dash (–).  For translation terms that are not immediately obvious I have included the common English translation for their first occurrence.

Translations for Verbal Forms

MT References	MT Form	LXX Term	Targum Term	Peshitta Term (Hebrew letters)	Vulgate Term
Ex 12:13	ופסחתי	Σκεπασω (cover, shelter)	ואיחוס (protect)	ואפצח (root meaning: rejoice; derived meaning:  keep passover	Transibo (pass by, pass over)
Ex 12:23	ופסח	Παρελευσεται (pass by)	וייחוס (protect)	ונפצח	Transcendet (pass over)
Ex 12:27	פסח	Εσκεπασεν (cover)	דחס (protect)	דאפצח	Transivit (pass over)
2 Sam 4:4	ןיפסח	Εχωλανθη (become lame)	ואיתחגר (be lame, halt)	ואתחגר (be lame, impeded)	Claudus effectus (lameness resulting)
1K 18:21	פסחים	Χωλανειτε (halt)	פליגין (be divided)	פליגין  (wavering, undecided)	Claudicates  (be lame, halt)
1K 18:26	ויפסחו	Διετρεχον (pass through)	ומשתטן (?)	ואתכתשו  (strive with great effort)	Transiliebantque (pass over)
Is 31:5	פסוח	Περιποιησεται (gain for oneself)	יציל (rescue)	ונסיע  (aid, support)	Transiens (pass over)

The seven occurrences of the verb form are all translated to fit the immediate context.  The three passages in Exodus are all clearly descriptive of the event that formed the basis for the Pesach celebration.  The three passages in 2 Samuel and 1 Kings are clearly not related to Pesach, and most interpreters connect these passages with the unrelated homonym.  However, because the passage in Isaiah is referring to a promise of rescue for Israel, it may be an oblique reference to Pesach.  The unanswerable question is this: Do any of these translations have a connection with the original root meaning of פסח?  At any rate, the uniform interpretation of to pass over did not arise until the translation of the Vulgate in the fourth century CE.  This is a long time after the compilation of Exodus and the Pesach narrative regardless of which theory of composition one assumes.

Translations for Nominal Form

MT References	MT Form	LXX Term	Targum Term	Peshitta Term (Hebrew letters)	Vulgate Term
Ex 12:11	פסח	Πασχα	פסחא	פצחא (the celebration)	Transitus (a passing over)
Ex 12:21	הפסח	Το πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Phase (name of feast)
Ex 12:27	פסח	Το πασχα	חיס (protection)	פצחה	Transitus
Ex 12:43	הפסח	Του πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Phase
Ex 12:48	פסח	Το πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Phase
Ex 34:25	הפסח	Του πασχα	פסחי	–	Phase
Lev 23:5	פסח	Πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Phase
Nu 9:2	הפסח	Το πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Phase
Nu 9:4	הפסח	Το πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Phase
Nu 9:5	הפסח	--	פסחא	פצחא	–
Nu 9:6	הפסח	Το πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Pascha
Nu 9:10	פסח	Το πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Phase
Nu 9:12	הפסח	Του πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Phase
Nu 9:13	הפסח	Το πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Phase
Nu 9:14	פסח	Το πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Phase
Nu 9:14	הפסח	Του πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	–
Nu 28:16	פסח	Πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Phase
Nu 33:3	הפסח	Του πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Phase
Dt 16:1	פסח	Το πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Phase
Dt 16:2	פסח	Το πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Phase
Dt 16:5	הפסח	Το πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Phase
Dt 16:6	הפסח	Το πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Phase
Jos 5:10	הפסח	Το πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Phase
Jos 5:11	הפסח	–	פסחא	פצחא	–
2K 23:21	פסח	Το πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Phase
2K 23:22	כפסח	Το πασχα	כפסחא	פצחא	Phase
2K 23:23	הפסח	Το πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Phase
Ez 45:21	הפסח	Το πασχα	פסחא	פצחא	Paschae
Esr 6:19	הפסח	Το πασχα		פסח	Pascha
Esr 6:20	הפסח	Το πασχα		פצחא	Pascha
2Ch 30:1	פסח	Το φασεκ		עאדא (the festival)	Phase
2Ch 30:2	הפסח	Το φασεκ		עאדא	Phase
2Ch 30:5	פסח	Το φασεκ		עאדא	Phase
2Ch 30:15	הפסח	Το φασεκ		פצחא	Phase
2Ch 30:17	הפסחים	Το φασεκ		–	Phase
2Ch 30:18	הפסח	Το φασεκ		פצחא	Phase
2Ch 35:1	הפסח	Το φασεχ		עאדא	Phase
2Ch 35:6	הפסח	Το φασεχ		פצחא	Phase
2Ch 35:7	לפסחים	Το φασεχ		פצחא	Phase
2Ch 35:8	לפסחים	Το φασεχ		פצחא	Phase
2Ch 35:9	לפסחים	Το φασεχ		פצחא	Phase
2Ch 35:11	הפסח	Το φασεχ		פצחא	Phase
2Ch 35:13	הפסח	Το φασεχ		פצחא	Phase
2Ch 35:16	הפסח	Το φασεχ		פצחא	Phase
2Ch 35:17	הפסח	Το φασεχ		פצחא	Phase
2Ch 35:18	כפסח	Φασεχ		פצחא	Phase
2Ch 35:18	הפסח	Το φασεχ		עאדא	Phase
2Ch 35:19	הפסח	–		עאדא	Phase

The translation forms for the noun Pesach is also very interesting:

·      The text of the LXX never attempted to translate the Hebrew term.  Rather, the translators merely transliterated the word – πασχα, φασεκ, and φασεχ.  The first form is closer to the historical Hebrew pronunciation, and it is found in every book except 2 Chronicles.  Chapter 30 of 2 Chronicles uses the form φασεκ, and chapter 35 uses the form φασεχ.  I would guess that the spelling πασχα was used in those books that were translated first and that Chronicles was translated somewhat later by a person or persons that spoke a different dialectical form of Hebrew.

·      The Aramaic targums were translated starting around 200 BCE.  Interestingly, in every instance except Ex 12:27, the targums use the Aramaic form פסחא.  The one exception uses the term חיס, which means protection.

·      The time of the original translation for the Syriac Peshitta is debated, but it is probably between 200 and 300 CE.  This translation uses the noun פצחא everywhere except Ezra 6:19 and 2 Chronicles.  The passage in Ezra has פסח, which is an Aramaic absolute form of the noun; 2 Chronicles uses either פצחא or פצחא.  עאדא is a noun meaning the celebration, and עאדא means the festival. These terms are not  translations of the Hebrew term but merely a label for the celebration that it had become.

·      The Vulgate was completed by Jerome in the 4^th century CE.  This text contains three different renderings for the Hebrew term Pesach: transitus (a passing over), phase, and pascha.  The first is an interpretation based on the corresponding verbal usage, and the latter two are transliterations into a Latin form.

Conclusions

The detailed examination of the root פסח in the MT and the terms used in the corresponding text of the three earliest translations suggest several different possibilities:

·      The earliest translations of the verbal root did not use any equivalent for pass over, pass by.  This usage was introduced consistently by the Vulgate in those passages relating to the festival that has become known as Passover.  The evidence from the translations suggests that pass over was not the original meaning of the root.  The first occurrence of the term in Exodus 12 implies that the term originally meant something very explicit and needed no explanation to those who heard it at that time. 

·      The nominal term Pesach was almost always transliterated by both the LXX and the targums.  There are two possibilities that might have resulted in this practice: 1) These translations were originally created for use by the Jews who no longer understood the ancient form of Hebrew well, but Pesach had become the traditional name of the celebration; 2) The original meaning of the name had been forgotten or else was considered inappropriate for translation.

·      The Vulgate used nominal terms for pass over, pass by twice, but all later passages use a Latin transliteration for Pesach.  Nevertheless, Passover has become the traditional name in modern usage, possibly because it sounds similar to the original Hebrew term.

·      The Peshitta translation almost uniformly contains terms meaning either celebration or festival.  As previously mentioned, these terms are not translations but descriptions of what Pesach had become to the Jews at the time the translation was created.

Let me suggest the following semantic possibility.  BDB lists two homonyms for the root פסח: one translated to pass over and the other meaning to become halt, lame, to limp.  What if this analysis is not correct?  Perhaps we are seeing two different uses of one and the same root.  The primary use in fact refers to a person who is or has become lame, incapable of moving normally.  A secondary, derived, use was applied to the establishment of the festival Pesach.  If this be the original meaning, then the verbal use in Ex 12:13 would become "And the blood will be your sign on the houses where you are, and I will see the blood and halt over you, and there will be no blow for destruction among you when I strike in the land of Egypt".  The nominal use would then be the halting.