Peshat
/ˈpɛʃɑːt/noun
The plain, literal, or contextual meaning of a biblical text in Jewish interpretation.
Did you know?In Jewish hermeneutics, peshat is traditionally contrasted with sod, the text’s hidden or mystical meaning, creating a four-level interpretive system known as PaRDeS.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
פשט (p-sh-ṭ)
“To spread out, extend, or strip off”
Rabbinic Hebrew
Hebrew
פְּשָׁט (peshat)
“The straightforward or contextual sense of a passage”
Late Antiquity
Aramaic/Syriac
Peshitta
“The simple or straightforward version; the standard Syriac Bible translation”
Medieval Jewish Exegesis
Hebrew
peshat
“Literal or grammatical interpretation, especially in contrast with allegorical or mystical readings”
Modern English
English
peshat
“The plain or literal meaning of a biblical text”