פִּתֹם
Pithom, a place in Egypt
Definition
Pithom is the name of a city in ancient Egypt, built by the Israelites as slaves under Pharaoh's oppression. It is one of the 'store cities' (עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת, Exodus 1:11) constructed along with Raamses. The name likely means 'House of Atum,' referring to the Egyptian sun god, indicating its Egyptian origin and purpose. Its sole biblical mention is in the context of the Israelites' forced labor, marking a key location in the narrative of their suffering and the events leading to the Exodus.
Biblical Usage
This proper noun is used only once in the Old Testament, in Exodus 1:11. It appears in the historical narrative describing the Pharaoh's strategy to oppress the growing Israelite population through hard labor, specifically the building of store cities. Its usage is strictly geographical and historical, identifying a specific place associated with Israelite bondage in Egypt.
Etymology
The word פִּתֹם (Pithôm) is a direct transliteration into Hebrew from the Egyptian language. It is derived from the Egyptian 'Pr-Atum,' meaning 'House (or Estate) of Atum,' Atum being a major creator and sun deity in the Egyptian pantheon. The Hebrew form reflects a common practice of adopting foreign place names without translating their meaning.
Semantic Range
While Pithom itself is a geographical name, its theological significance lies entirely in its narrative context. It represents the tangible reality of Israel's slavery and oppression in Egypt, setting the stage for God's redemptive act in the Exodus. Understanding it as a real, historically-attested location enriches the reading of Exodus by grounding the salvation story in a concrete historical and cultural setting of suffering from which God delivers his people.
As an Egyptian 'store city,' Pithom was likely a regional administrative and supply center for grain and provisions, possibly for military campaigns. Its construction by enslaved Israelites reflects a common practice in the ancient Near East of using subjugated populations for state building projects. The name's connection to the god Atum highlights how the Israelites were forced to build a city dedicated to a foreign deity, deepening the cultural and religious oppression they experienced.
Raamses (רַעְמְסֵס, H7486) — The other 'store city' built by the Israelites in Exodus 1:11, often identified with the delta city of Pi-Ramesses.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →