קָבַץ

𐤒𐤁𐤑

qâbats

H6908 verb

SILEX Entry

Root קבץ to gather, collect, assemble

Definition

To gather together, collect, or assemble entities (such as people, objects, or substances) into one place or group, often implying purposeful or coordinated action. The verb appears in both literal contexts—as in physically gathering people or things—and figurative contexts, expressing acts of uniting, assembling, or accumulating, with particular emphasis on purposeful collection or regrouping.

Semantic Range

to gather (people, objects), to collect, to assemble, to draw together from dispersion, to accumulate, to heap up, to regroup, to bring together (physically or metaphorically)

Root / Etymology

The term derives from the root קבץ, whose core meaning is 'to gather, collect.' The verb form קָבַץ is a primary, simple stem (qal) verb representing the process of bringing individuals or objects into proximity or combination. Related nouns and derivatives in Hebrew consistently reflect the idea of gathering or being gathered.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Throughout the Hebrew Bible, קָבַץ is most often used to refer to collecting or assembling people—such as tribes, military forces, or exiles—sometimes for specific events (festivals, warfare, assemblies) and other times as part of a prophetic vision (regathering the dispersed Israelite people after exile). While sometimes overlapping with אָסַף ('to gather, bring in, take away'), קָבַץ tends to emphasize the process of grouping together entities from dispersion or separation. Use of קָבַץ occurs in both literal narratives (e.g., assembling an army, gathering an offering) and metaphorically in prophetic and poetic texts (e.g., God gathering exiles). In the post-exilic period, it acquired theological resonance concerning the reunification of the Israelite people, but its core lexical meaning remained non-theological ('to gather'). English translations may render it as 'gather,' 'assemble,' or 'collect,' but not all nuances (especially the emphasis on collective movement from dispersion) are always adequately conveyed. The word does not refer exclusively to Israelite or Judahite contexts and can involve gathering other peoples or things.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to grasp, i.e. collect; assemble (selves), gather (bring) (together, selves together, up), heap, resort, [idiom] surely, take up.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קבץ (q-b-ts) — to gather, collect, assemble

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3343 יְקַבְצְאֵל and in God-gathers
H6899 קִבּוּץ your gatherings
H6910 קְבֻצָה gathered company of
H6911 קִבְצַיִם Double Gathering-Place

Word Forms

63 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6908-44 וַ/יִּקְבֹּ֞ץ vayiqebots HC/Vqw3ms and he gathered and he gathered together 14
H6908-50 וְ/קִבַּצְתִּ֣י veqibatseti HC/Vpq1cs and-I-will-gather and I will gather together 9
H6908-41 וַ/יִּקָּבְצ֣וּ vayiqavetsu HC/VNw3mp and they gathered and they were gathered 9
H6908-19 נִקְבְּצ֣וּ niqebetsu HVNp3cp are gathered they were gathered 6
H6908-01 אֲקַבֵּ֥ץ aqabets HVpi1cs I will gather I will gather together 5
H6908-16 מְקַבֵּ֑ץ meqabets HVprmsa gatherer the one who assembles 5
H6908-10 הִקָּבְצ֥וּ hiqavetsu HVNv2mp Assemble yourselves be gathered together 4
H6908-45 וַ/יִּֽתְקַבְּצ֣וּ vayiteqabetsu HC/Vtw3mp and gathered together they gathered themselves 4
H6908-05 אֲקַבְּצֵ֑/ם aqabetsem HVpi1cs/Sp3mp I will gather them I will gather them together 3
H6908-43 וַ/יִּקְבְּצ֨וּ vayiqebetsu HC/Vqw3mp and gathered and they gathered together 3

Occurrences in Scripture

127 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6908-56 Genesis 41:35 וְ/יִקְבְּצ֗וּ veyiqebetsu HC/Vqi3mp and let them gather and they will gather
H6908-44 Genesis 41:48 וַ/יִּקְבֹּ֞ץ vayiqebots HC/Vqw3ms gathered and he gathered together
H6908-10 Genesis 49:2 הִקָּבְצ֥וּ hiqavetsu HVNv2mp Gather together be gathered together
H6908-34 Deuteronomy 13:17 תִּקְבֹּץ֮ tiqebots HVqi2ms you-shall-gather you will gather
H6908-52 Deuteronomy 30:3 וְ/קִבֶּצְ/ךָ֙ veqibetsekha HC/Vpq3ms/Sp2ms and gather you and he gathered you together
H6908-58 Deuteronomy 30:4 יְקַבֶּצְ/ךָ֙ yeqabetsekha HVpi3ms/Sp2ms will gather you he will gather you together
H6908-45 Joshua 9:2 וַ/יִּֽתְקַבְּצ֣וּ vayiteqabetsu HC/Vtw3mp and they gathered themselves they gathered themselves
H6908-19 Joshua 10:6 נִקְבְּצ֣וּ niqebetsu HVNp3cp have gathered they were gathered
H6908-11 Judges 9:47 הִֽתְקַבְּצ֔וּ hiteqabetsu HVtp3cp had gathered they gathered themselves
H6908-44 Judges 12:4 וַ/יִּקְבֹּ֤ץ vayiqebots HC/Vqw3ms and gathered and he gathered together