Pesharim
/pɛʃˈɑːrɪm/noun
Pesharim are interpretive commentaries, especially the prophetic commentaries discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Did you know?The Qumran Pesharim used the formula “pesher ha-davar,” meaning “the interpretation of the matter,” to decode ancient prophecy as commentary on contemporary political and religious events.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Semitic
Semitic
pšr
“A root associated with interpreting, explaining, or resolving a matter; its deeper etymological connections remain debated.”
Second Temple Period
Aramaic
pšr
“Interpretation or explanation, particularly in the Aramaic-speaking scholarly environment of Judea.”
2nd–1st Century BCE
Hebrew
pesher
“Interpretation or commentary, especially an inspired explanation of scriptural prophecy.”
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Hebrew
pesharim
“Interpretations or commentaries; the plural term used for collections of prophetic explanations.”
20th Century
English
pesharim
“A scholarly term for the distinctive prophetic commentaries found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.”