Bible Word Study
פִּיכֹל
Pîykôl · Picol, a Philistine
פִּיכֹל
Picol, a Philistine
Definition
Picol is the name of the commander of the Philistine army under King Abimelech of Gerar. He appears in two narratives involving the patriarchs Abraham and Isaac, where he serves as a diplomatic envoy for the Philistine king. In Genesis 21:22, 32, Picol accompanies Abimelech to make a covenant of peace with Abraham after a dispute over a well. Later, in Genesis 26:26, he again accompanies Abimelech to establish a similar peace treaty with Isaac, following conflicts over water rights.
Biblical Usage
This proper noun is used exclusively in the book of Genesis, specifically in narratives concerning the patriarchs' interactions with the Philistines in Gerar. Picol is always mentioned alongside King Abimelech as his military commander and representative in formal treaty-making contexts (Genesis 21:22, 32; Genesis 26:26). His presence signifies the official, military-backed nature of the diplomatic covenants being established.
Etymology
The name Picol (פִּיכֹל) is likely a compound of two Hebrew elements: 'peh' (H6310, פֶּה), meaning 'mouth,' and 'kol' (H3605, כֹּל), meaning 'all.' Thus, the name can be interpreted as 'mouth of all' or possibly 'spokesman.' This etymology fits his role as the king's representative and envoy in diplomatic negotiations.
Semantic Range
Picol's appearances highlight God's faithfulness in preserving His covenant promises to the patriarchs, even among powerful foreign nations. The peace treaties he helps broker (Genesis 21:32, 26:31) demonstrate God's ability to bring about peaceful coexistence for His chosen people, fulfilling His promise to bless those who bless them (Genesis 12:3). Understanding Picol's role enriches the reading by showing that God's providence works through even minor foreign officials to protect the lineage of promise. As the commander of the Philistine army, Picol held a high-ranking position in the political and military structure of Gerar. His presence in treaty negotiations underscores the ancient Near Eastern practice of formal covenant-making, which involved sworn oaths and often included military leaders as witnesses and guarantors of the agreement. His Philistine identity places him among the early coastal inhabitants of Canaan who were often in tension with the Israelite ancestors. Abimelech (H40) — The Philistine king whom Picol serves as army commander. Abner (H74) — A similar high-ranking military commander (of Saul and Ish-bosheth) in later Israelite history.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]