paam · time, step

What it means

paam (פַּעַם) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “time, step”.

Time ("this time", "three times"); also step, stroke, or foot of a piece of furniture.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. Each of the occasions on which something happens or is repeated.
2. What is done in walking: the movement of a foot and the print it leaves.
3. Each support on which an object stands.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

A stroke; hence a step, a footfall, and above all a “time” (once, this time); also the foot of a piece of furniture. BDB: a stroke, literally or figuratively, in various applications.

• “This time”: Adam before the woman, Leah before her fourth son Genesis 2:23Genesis 29:35
• “Seven times”: bowing down, sprinkling, going around Genesis 33:3Leviticus 4:6Joshua 6:15
• “Go back”, seven times 1 Kings 18:43
• “Only this time”: Samson's prayer Judges 16:28
• Footsteps on the way Psalms 17:5
• The feet of the ark Exodus 25:12

How we translate it

“Times” 60, “time” 21, “twice” 8, “once” 6, “feet” 5, “steps” 5, “footsteps” 4, “now” 4… “This time” or “now” for הַפַּעַם (in Genesis 2:23, “at last”); “times” in counting; “steps” or “footsteps” in walking; “feet” of a piece of furniture.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• times ×60
• time ×21
• twice ×8
• once ×6
• feet ×5
• steps ×5
• footsteps ×4
• now ×4
• anvil ×1
• are the hoofbeats ×1
• others ×3

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Genesis×10
• Exodus×9
• Leviticus×10
• Numbers×6
• Deuteronomy×4
• Joshua×8
• Judges×13
• 1 Samuel×7
• 2 Samuel×3
• 1 Kings×8
• 2 Kings×8
• 1 Chronicles×2
• 2 Chronicles×2
• Nehemiah×4
• Job×2
• Psalms×8
• Proverbs×3
• Ecclesiastes×2
• Song of Songs×1
• Isaiah×4
• Jeremiah×2
• Ezekiel×1
• Nahum×1

• Genesis 2:23

  And the man said, “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called Woman, because from Man this one was taken.”

• Genesis 18:32

  He said, “Please let Adonai not be angry, and I will speak only this once: perhaps ten will be found there.” He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”

• Genesis 27:36

  He said, “Was he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times: my birthright he took, and look, now he has taken my blessing.” And he said, “Have you not reserved for me a blessing?”

• Genesis 29:34

  She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons.” That is why he called his name Levi.

• Genesis 29:35

  She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will give thanks to YHWH.” That is why she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing.

• Genesis 30:20

  Leah said, “Elohim has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name Zebulun.

• Genesis 33:3

  He himself passed on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

• Genesis 41:32

  As for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it is because the thing is fixed by Elohim, and Elohim is hurrying to do it.

• Genesis 43:10

  For if we had not delayed, by now we would have returned twice.”

• Genesis 46:30

  Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive.”

• Exodus 8:32

  But Pharaoh made his heart insensitive this time also, and he did not let the people go.

• Exodus 9:14

  For this time I am sending all my plagues against your heart, and on your servants and on your people, so that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth.

• Exodus 9:27

  Then Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and for Aaron and said to them, “I have sinned this time; YHWH is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked ones.

• Exodus 10:17

  So now, please forgive my sin only this time, and pray to YHWH your Elohim that he only remove this death from me.”

• Exodus 23:17

  Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord, YHWH.

• Exodus 25:12

  You shall cast for it four rings of gold and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it and two rings on the other side of it.

• Exodus 34:23

  Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord, YHWH, the Elohim of Israel.

• Exodus 34:24

  For I will dispossess nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no man shall covet your land when you go up to appear before YHWH your Elohim three times in the year.

• Exodus 37:3

  And he cast for it four rings of gold on its four feet, and two rings on its one side, and two rings on its second side.

• Leviticus 4:6

  The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before YHWH, in front of the veil of the Holy Place.

• Leviticus 4:17

  The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before YHWH, in front of the veil.

• Leviticus 8:11

  He sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them.

• Leviticus 14:7

  He shall sprinkle on the one being purified from the leprosy seven times, and declare him clean, and let go the living bird over the face of the field.

• Leviticus 14:16

  The priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left palm and sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before YHWH.

• Leviticus 14:27

  and the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left palm seven times before YHWH.

• Leviticus 14:51

  He shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slaughtered bird and in the living water, and sprinkle the house seven times.

• Leviticus 16:14

  And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the cover of expiation on the east side, and in front of the cover of expiation he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

• Leviticus 16:19

  And he shall sprinkle on it some of the blood with his finger seven times and cleanse it and sanctify it from the uncleanness of the sons of Israel.

• Leviticus 25:8

  And you shall count for yourself seven Sabbaths of years, seven years seven times, and the days of the seven Sabbaths of years shall be to you forty- nine years.

• Numbers 14:22

  that all the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tested me these ten times and have not listened to my voice,

• Numbers 19:4

  And Eleazar the priest shall take some of her blood with his finger and sprinkle some of her blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times.

• Numbers 20:11

  And Moses raised his hand and struck the crag with his staff twice, and much water came out, and the community and their livestock drank.

• Numbers 24:1

  When Balaam saw that it was good in the eyes of YHWH to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to meet omens, but set his face toward the wilderness.

• Numbers 24:10

  And Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “To curse my enemies I called you, and look, you have done nothing but bless them these three times!

• Deuteronomy 1:11

  May YHWH, the Elohim of your fathers, increase you a thousand times as many as you are and bless you, just as he has spoken to you!

• Deuteronomy 9:19

  For I was afraid of the anger and the fury with which YHWH was angry with you, to destroy you. But YHWH listened to me that time also.

• Deuteronomy 10:10

  I stood on the mountain, as in the first days, forty days and forty nights; and YHWH listened to me that time also; YHWH was not willing to destroy you.

• Deuteronomy 16:16

  Three times in the year all your males shall appear before YHWH your Elohim in the place that he chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. And none shall appear before YHWH empty-handed;

• Joshua 6:3

  You shall go around the city, all the men of war, circling the city once. Thus you shall do for six days.

• Joshua 6:4

  And seven priests shall carry seven rams’ horns before the ark. And on the seventh day you shall go around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the horns.

And 78 more times.