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קְהָת

𐤒𐤄𐤕

Qehat

H6955 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain (used only as a personal name)

Definition

Proper name designating a male individual, specifically a son of Levi and ancestor of the Kohathite family within the Israelite Levites. The literal sense is uncertain, as the etymology of the name is unclear apart from its use as a personal name. Functions as both a personal and ancestral name for Levitical lineage.

Semantic Range

proper name (male individual); eponymous ancestor of a Levitical group (Kohathites); designation for one branch of the Levites

Root / Etymology

Root uncertain; Strong associates it with an unused root possibly meaning 'to ally oneself,' but there is no direct Biblical evidence for such a Hebrew root. The name appears only as a proper noun, unconnected to any clear Hebrew verb or noun root in usage. Etymology uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

קְהָת (Qehath) is a personal name found primarily in genealogical lists, notably as the second son of Levi (Genesis 46:11; Exodus 6:16 ff.) and as the eponymous ancestor of the Kohathites, one of the main Levitical divisions in Israelite society. In biblical texts, the descendants of Qehath (Kohathites) are ascribed significant religious responsibilities, particularly in connection with the tabernacle (Numbers 3:17-31). The name’s meaning is not explicitly explained in the biblical text, nor is it clearly related to any extant Hebrew root with an everyday lexical meaning. Later Jewish traditions associated the group with the phrase 'allied,' though this may be influenced by later etymological speculation and is not linguistically secure. English translations typically preserve the transliterated form 'Kohath,' but readers should note this refers to an ancestral Israelite figure, not a later 'Jew' or any other post-biblical identity. The term's referent transitions from the individual to the wider family/division in the religious organization of the Israelites throughout the Torah and historical books.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from an unused root meaning to ally oneself; allied; Kehath, an Israelite; Kohath.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קהת (q-h-t) — uncertain; used only as a personal name

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6956 קֳהָתִי the Qehathite clansman

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6955-02 קְהָ֖ת qehat HNp Kohath Qehath 27
H6955-03 וּ/קְהָ֖ת uqehat HC/Np and Kohath and Kohath 3
H6955-01 לִ/קְהָ֕ת liqehat HR/Np of Kohath to Qehath 1
H6955-04 וְ/לִ/קְהָ֗ת veliqehat HC/R/Np And to Kohath and to Kohath 1

Occurrences in Scripture

32 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6955-02 Genesis 46:11 קְהָ֖ת qehat HNp Kohath Qehath
H6955-03 Exodus 6:16 וּ/קְהָ֖ת uqehat HC/Np and Kohath and Kohath
H6955-02 Exodus 6:18 קְהָ֔ת qehat HNp Kohath Qehath
H6955-02 Exodus 6:18 קְהָ֔ת qehat-2 HNp Kohath Qehath
H6955-03 Numbers 3:17 וּ/קְהָ֖ת uqehat HC/Np and Kohath and Kohath
H6955-02 Numbers 3:19 קְהָ֖ת qehat HNp Kohath Qehath
H6955-04 Numbers 3:27 וְ/לִ/קְהָ֗ת veliqehat HC/R/Np And to Kohath and to Kohath
H6955-02 Numbers 3:29 קְהָ֖ת qehat HNp of Kohath Qehath
H6955-02 Numbers 4:2 קְהָ֔ת qehat HNp of Kohath Qehath
H6955-02 Numbers 4:4 קְהָ֖ת qehat HNp Kohath Qehath
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