פֶּקָעִים

# Peqa'im (פְּקָעִים): The Biblical Gourd The Hebrew word *peqa'im* refers to a gourd, a plant species known for its large, hard-shelled fruit. Based on the provided data, this term appears only three times in the biblical text, suggesting it was either a specialized botanical reference or a plant of particular but limited significance to the biblical writers and their audiences. The rarity of this word's occurrence—just three instances—indicates that gourds held a specific rather than central place in biblical life and literature. The plant may have been familiar enough to require no extensive explanation, yet not common enough in everyday discourse to appear frequently in the surviving biblical texts. This pattern is consistent with how biblical Hebrew handles various plant species: some appear regularly because they were staples of diet or economy, while others are mentioned only when directly relevant to a particular narrative or description. Without additional context from specific passages, the lexical data alone confirms *peqa'im* as a straightforward botanical term with a stable meaning. Its consistent definition across all occurrences suggests the ancient writers used this word with precision to identify a particular plant rather than as a metaphorical or varied term.