קוּר
𐤒𐤅𐤓
qûwr
H6980 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A web, specifically referring to a woven structure made by a spider; in most biblical contexts, denotes a physical spider’s web, emphasizing its thin, fragile, or insubstantial qualities; occasionally used metaphorically for something frail or of little substance.
Semantic Range
spider’s web, woven structure, metaphor for fragility or insubstantiality
Root / Etymology
From the root קוּר, which conveys the sense of weaving or spinning; in this noun form, it refers to that which is produced by spinning, specifically a spider’s web. The word is only attested in the plural in biblical Hebrew (קוּרִים).
Historical & Contextual Notes
קוּר appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, notably in poetic or wisdom literature (e.g., Job 8:14; Isaiah 59:5), with the sense of 'spider’s webs.' Its use emphasizes the fragility and ultimate uselessness of the spider’s web as an image—contrasting it with more substantial structures—often as a metaphor for human schemes, confidence, or achievements that do not endure. Related terms such as עַכָּבִישׁ (ʿakkāvîš) mean 'spider,' with the web being the product. Later Jewish tradition most often retained the association with spiders’ webs, and standard English translations generally render the term as 'web.' There is no evidence for military or architectural 'trenches' as a real referent, as sometimes suggested in earlier lexicons; that reading likely arose from a misunderstanding of the imagery.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from קוּר; (only plural) trenches, i.e. a web (as if so formed); web.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
קור (q-w-r) — to spin, to weave
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4726 | מָקוֹר | wellspring |
| H6979 | קוּר | she made a breach |
| H6982 | קוֹרָה | the roof-beam |
| H7023 | קִיר | in the boundary-wall |
| H7024 | קִיר | wall of |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6980-02 |
וְ/קוּרֵ֥י | vequrey | HC/Ncmpc |
and webs | and webs of | 1 |
H6980-01 |
קֽוּרֵי/הֶם֙ | qureyhem | HNcmpc/Sp3mp |
their webs | their spider-webs | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6980-02 |
Isaiah 59:5 | וְ/קוּרֵ֥י | vequrey | HC/Ncmpc |
and webs | and webs of |
H6980-01 |
Isaiah 59:6 | קֽוּרֵי/הֶם֙ | qureyhem | HNcmpc/Sp3mp |
their webs | their spider-webs |