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קָטַר

𐤒𐤈𐤓

qâṭar

H7000 noun

SILEX Entry

Root קטר to burn, to cause smoke to rise, to incense

Definition

To make a sacrifice by burning; specifically to offer incense, perform a burnt or incense offering. The verb indicates the act of burning an offering or incense as a ritual gesture aimed at honoring or seeking favor from a deity. While the root in its basic sense means 'to burn,' its primary lexical meaning in the Hebrew Bible is to create smoke through sacrificial burning, especially incense, as an act of worship.

Semantic Range

to burn incense, to make a burnt offering, to offer (by burning) on an altar, to make smoke in a ritual context

Root / Etymology

Root is קטר (qṭr), which in Northwest Semitic languages typically means 'to burn,' 'to smoke,' or 'to cause to rise as smoke.' In biblical Hebrew, the verb usually involves ritualized burning intended to produce fragrant smoke (of incense or offerings). Cognates in Akkadian (qatāru, 'to make smoke,' especially in ritual contexts) inform its nuanced use in biblical Hebrew.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, קָטַר appears almost exclusively in ritual or cultic contexts, denoting the act of burning incense or offerings on an altar—the production of ascending smoke serving as a symbolic gesture of communication or homage to the deity. This verb is used both for legitimate worship at the central sanctuary and, often pejoratively by the Deuteronomistic writers, for unauthorized or syncretistic ritual practiced in high places (בָּמוֹת, bamot). Its association with incense offering is especially prominent in priestly and prophetic literature. The semantic shift from a general sense of 'to smoke' in related Semitic languages narrows in biblical Hebrew to a specialized cultic meaning. English translations sometimes obscure this nuance, as 'incense offering' or 'burned sacrifice' do not always specify the ritual or context. The verb differs from זָבַח (zāvaḥ, 'to slaughter [a sacrifice] for ritual purposes'), which refers to the killing and offering of animals. The use of קָטַר deepens in the exilic and post-exilic literature, focusing increasingly on legitimate priestly ritual.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to inclose; join.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קטר (q-ṭ-r) — to burn, to cause smoke to rise, to incense

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4729 מִקְטָר incense-hearth of
H4730 מִקְטֶרֶת his incense-burning vessel
H6988 קְטוֹרָה smoke-offering incense
H6989 קְטוּרָה Keturah
H6999 קָטַר the smoke-makers

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7000-01 קְטֻר֔וֹת qeturot HNcfpa enclosed incense-burnings 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7000-01 Ezekiel 46:22 קְטֻר֔וֹת qeturot HNcfpa enclosed incense-burnings
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