Bible Dictionary
PAP
An old English word for the breast or chest. In biblical translations it refers to the female breast and, in Greek usage, more broadly to the chest of either sex.
Definition
Pap is an old English word for the breast or chest. In biblical translation it refers to the female breast in Hebrew usage, while the corresponding Greek word can refer more broadly to the chest of either sex.
Biblical Usage
The word occurs in Ezekiel 23:21 and in passages in Luke and Revelation. Later English versions generally replace “pap” with “breast.”
Historical Background
The English word comes from Middle English “pappe.” The Hebrew term signifies the female breast; the Greek term has a wider meaning that includes the male chest.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>(shadh, shodh, "breast" (Eze 23:21); mastos, "the breast" (Lu 11:27; 23:29; Re 1:13)): The English word, which goes back to Middle English "pappe" (see Skeat, Concise Etymological Dictionary of the English Language, 327) and is now obsolete, has been replaced in the Revised Version (British and American) by "breast." The Hebrew word signifies the "female breast"; the Greek word has a wider signification, including the male chest.</p>