קוֹא
𐤒𐤅𐤀
qôwʼ
H6958 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To expel the contents of the stomach through the mouth; to vomit. Used both in the literal sense of physical emesis, often describing a person or animal, and in a figurative or metaphorical sense for rejection or expulsion, particularly with reference to peoples or nations.
Semantic Range
to vomit (literal act), to vomit up, to spue out (figurative expulsion or rejection), that which is vomited (n.), to be made violently ill
Root / Etymology
Root: קוא (קו"א). The root is onomatopoeic, imitating the sound of retching or vomiting. The verb and its nominal forms are rare in biblical Hebrew and primarily denote the act of vomiting or the result thereof. The noun form, קֵיאָה (qe'ah), refers specifically to what is vomited, i.e., vomit.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The verb קוֹא and its variant קָיָה are rare, occurring primarily in poetic or highly expressive passages, such as Jeremiah 25:27 and Isaiah 19:14. In these contexts, 'vomiting' can be used metaphorically to describe divine punishment, where a people or nation is made to vomit as an image of anguish, defeat, or being forcefully expelled by YHWH. This metaphor draws on the distress and violent expulsion associated with physical vomiting to illustrate broader social or national upheaval. English translations often render this term simply as 'vomit' or 'spue,' but they may not fully capture its metaphorical resonance in ancient Israelite rhetoric. In contrast to other Hebrew verbs for rejection or casting out (e.g., גֵּרֵשׁ 'to drive out,' or פָּלַט 'to expel'), קוֹא specifically draws on the visceral imagery of vomiting. The term's usage is consistent across the relatively few biblical occurrences and does not show significant semantic shift over time.
Translation Consistency
The dominant literal sense is to expel stomach contents, and the common figurative use is to eject or reject (nations/peoples). "Vomit" is the natural, common English verb that covers both the physical and metaphorical senses and matches the majority of existing renderings.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or קָיָה; (Jeremiah 25:27), a primitive root; to vomit; spue (out), vomit (out, up, up again).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
קוא (q-w-ʾ) — to vomit, expel forcibly
Word Forms
7 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6958-02 |
תָקִ֤יא | taqi | HVhi3fs |
it-may-vomit | she will cause to vomit | it will cause to vomit | 2 |
H6958-01 |
קָאָ֛ה | qaah | HVqp3fs |
it vomited | she vomited | she vomited | 1 |
H6958-04 |
וַ/הֲקֵֽאתֽ/וֹ | vahaqeto | HC/Vhp2ms/Sp3ms |
and vomit it | you made him vomit | and vomit it | 1 |
H6958-07 |
וַ/יְקִאֶ֑/נּוּ | vayeqienu | HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3ms |
and-he-vomits-it | and he made him vomit out | and he will vomit it out | 1 |
H6958-06 |
וַ/יָּקֵ֥א | vayaqe | HC/Vhw3ms |
and vomited | and he caused to vomit | and it vomited | 1 |
H6958-05 |
וַ/תָּקִ֥א | vataqi | HC/Vhw3fs |
and it vomited | and she vomited out | and the land vomited out | 1 |
H6958-03 |
תְקִיאֶ֑/נָּה | teqienah | HVhi2ms/Sp3fs |
you will vomit it up | you will make her vomit | you will vomit it up | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
8 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6958-05 |
Leviticus 18:25 | וַ/תָּקִ֥א | vataqi | HC/Vhw3fs |
and it vomited | and she vomited out | and the land vomited out |
H6958-02 |
Leviticus 18:28 | תָקִ֤יא | taqi | HVhi3fs |
may vomit | she will cause to vomit | it will cause to vomit |
H6958-01 |
Leviticus 18:28 | קָאָ֛ה | qaah | HVqp3fs |
it vomited | she vomited | she vomited |
H6958-02 |
Leviticus 20:22 | תָקִ֤יא | taqi | HVhi3fs |
it-may-vomit | she will cause to vomit | it will cause to vomit |
H6958-06 |
Jonah 2:11 | וַ/יָּקֵ֥א | vayaqe | HC/Vhw3ms |
and vomited | and he caused to vomit | and it vomited |
H6958-03 |
Proverbs 23:8 | תְקִיאֶ֑/נָּה | teqienah | HVhi2ms/Sp3fs |
you will vomit it up | you will make her vomit | you will vomit it up |
H6958-04 |
Proverbs 25:16 | וַ/הֲקֵֽאתֽ/וֹ | vahaqeto | HC/Vhp2ms/Sp3ms |
and vomit it | you made him vomit | and vomit it |
H6958-07 |
Job 20:15 | וַ/יְקִאֶ֑/נּוּ | vayeqienu | HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3ms |
and-he-vomits-it | and he made him vomit out | and he will vomit it out |