קַיִץ
𐤒𐤉𐤑
qayits
H7019 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Dry season characterized by hot weather; particularly, the season of summer during which fruit—especially figs—is gathered and ripened. By extension, the fruits harvested or suitable for harvest during this period, especially summer fruit such as figs. In some contexts, used metonymically for a summerhouse or shelter associated with this season or activity.
Semantic Range
summer, dry season, season of fruit harvest, summer fruit (especially figs), summerhouse or shelter, period of heat
Root / Etymology
From Hebrew root קוץ (Q-W-TS), meaning 'to awake, to be alert, to arouse'; suggested relation to the arousal of nature in summer or to heat leading to wakefulness. The connection between this root sense and 'summer' is debated—some posit a development from 'to be aroused' to the sense of the land's productive awakening in summer; others question this link. The derivation is plausible but not conclusively established.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, קַיִץ most commonly refers to the summer season, distinct from חֹרֶף (ḥoref, 'winter'). The term often appears in contexts relating to the harvest of fruit, especially figs, in the late dry season. Notably, in Amos 8:1–2, the imagery of 'a basket of summer fruit' (קְלוּב קָיִץ) is used for prophetic wordplay, as the sound of קַיִץ is similar to the word for 'end' (קֵץ). The term also appears in reference to temporary structures or shelters used during the summer harvest (e.g., 'summerhouse' in Judges 3:20; Isaiah 16:9). Unlike terms for grain harvest (such as קָצִיר, 'harvest/reaping'), קַיִץ focuses on the season and fruit harvest. In later Hebrew and Aramaic, the word maintained the sense of contrast with winter. Modern translations' 'summer' usually convey its meaning, but less often capture seasonal nuances of harvest activity or temporary dwellings. In post-biblical usage, קַיִץ retained its meaning as summer in both agricultural and calendrical senses.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from קוּץ; harvest (as the crop), whether the product (grain or fruit) or the (dry) season; summer (fruit, house).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
קוץ (q-w-ṣ) — to awake, to be alert, to arise
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6972 | קוּץ | and he spent the summer |
| H6973 | קוּץ | the one who loathes |
| H6974 | קוּץ | I will rouse |
| H6975 | קוֹץ | like a thorn |
| H6976 | קוֹץ | the Thorn |
Word Forms
7 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7019-03 |
קַ֖יִץ | qayits | HNcmsa |
summer | summer harvest-season | 8 |
H7019-01 |
בַּ/קַּ֥יִץ | baqayits | HRd/Ncmsa |
in summer | in the summer season | 4 |
H7019-04 |
קֵיצֵ֛/ךְ | qeytsekhe | HNcmsc/Sp2fs |
your-summer-fruit | your summer season | 2 |
H7019-05 |
וָ/קַ֖יִץ | vaqayits | HC/Ncmsa |
and summer fruit | summer season | 2 |
H7019-07 |
וְ/קַ֧יִץ | veqayits | HC/Ncmsa |
and summer | summer season | 2 |
H7019-02 |
הַ/קָּ֑יִץ | haqayits | HTd/Ncmsa |
the summer | the summer season | 1 |
H7019-06 |
וְ/הַ/קַּ֨יִץ֙ | vehaqayits | HC/Td/Ncmsa |
and the summer fruit | and the summer season | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
20 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7019-07 |
Genesis 8:22 | וְ/קַ֧יִץ | veqayits | HC/Ncmsa |
and summer | summer season |
H7019-03 |
2 Samuel 16:1 | קַ֖יִץ | qayits | HNcmsa |
of summer fruit | summer harvest-season |
H7019-06 |
2 Samuel 16:2 | וְ/הַ/קַּ֨יִץ֙ | vehaqayits | HC/Td/Ncmsa |
and the summer fruit | and the summer season |
H7019-04 |
Isaiah 16:9 | קֵיצֵ֛/ךְ | qeytsekhe | HNcmsc/Sp2fs |
your-summer-fruit | your summer season |
H7019-03 |
Isaiah 28:4 | קַ֔יִץ | qayits | HNcmsa |
summer | summer harvest-season |
H7019-03 |
Jeremiah 8:20 | קָ֑יִץ | qayits | HNcmsa |
summer | summer harvest-season |
H7019-07 |
Jeremiah 40:10 | וְ/קַ֜יִץ | veqayits | HC/Ncmsa |
and summer fruit | summer season |
H7019-05 |
Jeremiah 40:12 | וָ/קַ֖יִץ | vaqayits | HC/Ncmsa |
and summer fruit | summer season |
H7019-04 |
Jeremiah 48:32 | קֵיצֵ֥/ךְ | qeytsekhe | HNcmsc/Sp2fs |
your summer fruits | your summer season |
H7019-02 |
Amos 3:15 | הַ/קָּ֑יִץ | haqayits | HTd/Ncmsa |
the summer | the summer season |