קֹטֶב
𐤒𐤈𐤁
qôṭeb
H6987 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Pestilence, destruction, or fatal plague, particularly as a sudden, often divinely attributed affliction — typically in the context of a collective or catastrophic event impacting a community. The term denotes a deadly force that brings devastation, commonly associated with disease or disaster.
Semantic Range
pestilence, deadly affliction, destruction, extermination, plague, fatal epidemic
Root / Etymology
From the root קטב, which carries the sense of 'to cut off, destroy, ruin.' The word קֹטֶב is a derived noun form, expressing the abstract or concrete result of this root action, such as a plague or form of extermination.
Historical & Contextual Notes
קֹטֶב occurs rarely in the Hebrew Bible (only in Psalm 91:6), where it refers to 'pestilence' or a lethal, striking affliction that threatens the collective. The semantic field overlaps with other Hebrew terms for disaster (e.g., דֶּבֶר 'plague,' נֶגֶף 'affliction') but קֹטֶב especially evokes the idea of something that cuts down or removes violently. Its usage often invokes imagery of sudden, overwhelming disaster, commonly perceived as coming from divine agency. In post-biblical Hebrew, related forms (such as קֶטֶב, H6986) developed more personified or demonic associations, but in biblical usage קֹטֶב is best understood as a severe, lethal outbreak or destructive force. English translations frequently render it 'destruction' or 'pestilence,' but these terms may understate the acute, often supernatural connotation of its original context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the same as קֶטֶב; extermination; destruction.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
קטב (q-ṭ-b) — to cut off, to destroy, to ruin
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6986 | קֶטֶב | from destructive force |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6987-01 |
קָֽטָבְ/ךָ֙ | qatavekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
your sting/destruction | your deadly plague | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6987-01 |
Hosea 13:14 | קָֽטָבְ/ךָ֙ | qatavekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
your sting/destruction | your deadly plague |