The Hebrew petsa refers to a wound, bruise, or stripe caused by a blow β the physical mark left by beating, lashing, or cutting. It is a vivid, concrete word evoking the visible evidence of violence on a body. This word appears in legal contexts (injury requiring compensation), in wisdom literature (discipline), and most significantly in the great Servant Song of Isaiah 52-53.
Isaiah 53:5 is the theological summit of petsa: 'He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds [petsa] we are healed.' The specific word petsa β a visible, physical wound β emphasizes the bodily reality of the Servant's suffering. The wounds that heal are not metaphorical. Peter quotes this passage directly in 1 Peter 2:24, applying it to the crucifixion of Christ.