Abarim Publications' online Biblical Hebrew Dictionary

פקד

The verb פקד (paqad) means to review, assess, inspect and so on, with a slight slant toward finding an incompleteness or things missing. The object of this verb is necessarily a superior of some kind and the subject of this verb is usually a collective: sheep (Jeremiah 23:2), priests, brethren (1 Samuel 17:18), a place of business like a vineyard (Isaiah 27:3), and so on. It often describes a superior visiting, mustering and inspecting his troops, which includes counting them and their equipment, ascertaining their qualities and readiness, and organizing them in battle array (Numbers 31:14, 2 Kings 11:15).

This verb may introduce a positive affirmative action or a negative corrective one. It may precede the battle or follow it, in which case it describes the assessment of losses incurred. This verb may be used to describe the appointing of someone to do the inspecting (Genesis 40:4) or the actual inspecting of the collective. From this verb derive:

• The feminine noun פקדה (pequdda), meaning a visitation or mustering in order to inspect (Hosea 9:7, Isaiah 10:3). This word may describe both the duty of inspecting (Numbers 4:16), the thing inspected (Isaiah 15:7), the officer that does the inspection (2 Kings 11:18, Isaiah 60:17) or the office he holds.
• The masculine plural noun פקדים (pequdim), meaning inventory (Exodus 38:21).
• The masculine noun פקיד (paqid), meaning overseer or officer who inspects (Genesis 41:34, Jeremiah 20:1, Esther 2:3).
• The feminine noun פקדת (peqidut), oversight (Jeremiah 37:13 only).
• The masculine plural noun פקודים (piqqudim), which describes the function or charge of an inspector: his inspections or reviews (Psalm 19:8, 111:7, 119:27).
• The noun פקדון (piqqadon), meaning store or deposit (Genesis 41:36, Leviticus 6:2).
• The noun מפקד (mipqad), literally "place/agent of review": a muster (2 Samuel 24:9), appointment (2 Chronicles 31:13), appointed place or place of review (Ezekiel 43:21).