Lexical Summary
pissah: Piece, fragment
Original Word: פִסָּה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: piccah
Pronunciation: pis-sah'
Phonetic Spelling: (pis-saw')
KJV: handful
NASB: abundance
Word Origin: [from H6461 (פָּסַס - disappear)]
1. expansion, i.e. abundance
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
handful
From pacac; expansion, i.e. Abundance -- handful.
see HEBREW pacac
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
pasDefinitionprobably abundance, plenty
NASB Translationabundance (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] dubious; if correct, probably (? properly
spread out); — construct
Psalm 72:16; Lag Gr Che and others read .
Topical Lexicon
Entry: פִסָּה (Pisah)Literary Setting and Imagery
Appearing only in Psalm 72:16, the term depicts a measured yet potent portion of grain—a “handful” that, in the psalm’s picture, is sown “in the land” yet waves “on the tops of the mountains”. Agriculture seldom thrives on rocky heights; the image therefore magnifies the covenant king’s blessing: a small measure placed in an unlikely place becomes a harvest so vigorous that it “shakes like Lebanon.”
Context within Psalm 72
Psalm 72 functions both as Solomon’s coronation prayer and as a prophetic portrait of the Messiah. Pisah stands at the turning point where the psalmist moves from justice and global dominion (Psalm 72:8-11) to overflowing prosperity (Psalm 72:15-17). The handful captures the totality of covenant promise—seed multiplied beyond natural expectation (compare Genesis 22:17).
Theological Significance
1. Covenant Provision – Echoes the agricultural blessings of Leviticus 26:4-5 and Deuteronomy 28:11.
2. Reversal of Barrenness – Mountains, normally barren, yield grain, continuing the pattern of wilderness manna (Exodus 16:13-15) and the widow’s jar (1 Kings 17:14).
3. Sign of Messianic Shalom – Flourishing grain signifies peace (Isaiah 32:17-20) and anticipates the final restoration (Romans 8:21).
Messianic Foreshadowing
Solomon’s era tasted the promise (1 Kings 4:20-25), yet Psalm 72 presses forward to the King whose reign is endless. The handful that covers the mountains prefigures Jesus’ feeding of the multitudes, where “five loaves and two fish” suffice for all (John 6:11). The image thus anticipates the Gospel that “will be proclaimed in all the world” (Matthew 24:14).
Analogous Biblical Motifs
• Joseph’s sheaves: Genesis 37:7
• Elijah’s small cloud: 1 Kings 18:44-45
• Mustard seed kingdom: Matthew 13:31-32
• Word that prevails mightily: Acts 19:20
Each scene underscores God’s habit of multiplying the small to display His sovereignty.
Historical Reception
Jewish commentators linked the handful to the “omer” of manna; early Christian writers saw Eucharistic imagery. Reformers used the verse to encourage mission, arguing that the Gospel, though seemingly insignificant, will “shake like Lebanon.”
Ministry Application
• Missions – Confidence for labor in spiritually rocky places.
• Stewardship – A reminder that “whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6).
• Worship – A prayer that weekly preaching will wave “on the tops of the mountains.”
Eschatological Outlook
Psalm 72 closes with the earth filled with the King’s glory (Psalm 72:19). Pisah, the smallest unit in that vision, guarantees that Christ will transform desolation into harvest and satisfy the nations (Revelation 7:16-17).
Key Reference
Psalm 72:16 – “May there be an abundance of grain in the land; may it wave on the tops of the mountains; may its fruit flourish like Lebanon; may the people of the city blossom like the grass of the field.”
Forms and Transliterations
פִסַּת־ פסת־ fissat p̄is·saṯ- p̄issaṯ-
Links
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Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
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