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קֶצֶף

𐤒𐤑𐤐

qetseph

H7110 noun

SILEX Entry

Root קצף to be angry, to be enraged, to be provoked

Definition

A state or outburst of intense anger or wrath, particularly as perceived or manifested by a deity or a person. In some contexts, denotes the emotional force itself (wrath, rage), while in others may refer to the result or expression (punishment, outbreak of anger). The term often signifies divine indignation or punishment resulting from displeasure but does not inherently refer to a tangible object (such as a splinter); usage is almost entirely figurative in the Hebrew Bible.

Semantic Range

rage, wrath, anger (especially divine), outbreak of anger, indignation, punitive outburst, emotional agitation

Root / Etymology

Root: קצף (q-ts-p). The root קצף conveys the idea of being enraged, provoked to anger, or becoming wrathful. The noun קֶצֶף is derived from this root, signifying the state or result of such anger. While the root may also carry the image of something being agitated or foaming (metaphorically, as in rising emotion), the primary lexical meaning relates to emotional upheaval rather than a physical object.

Historical & Contextual Notes

קֶצֶף is used throughout the Hebrew Bible to describe both divine and human anger, with a particular prevalence in prophetic and narrative texts highlighting moments of divine displeasure or punitive action (e.g., Num 1:53, Isa 54:8, Zech 1:2). In earlier Israelite texts, it frequently describes outbreaks of Yahweh’s anger leading to plague or punishment. Post-exilic usage continues to emphasize divine wrath but sometimes focuses more on communal or historical consequences. English translations often render the term as 'wrath,' 'anger,' or 'indignation,' but these can fail to capture the intense, sometimes momentary, and outbreak-like character suggested by קֶצֶף. Related Hebrew terms include חֵמָה (fury, heat of anger—often associated with burning imagery) and אַף (anger, often linked to the nose/breath as a metaphor), which differ slightly in nuances and metaphorical imagery. In later periods and rabbinic usage, subsequent developments of the concept shift toward moral or legal dimensions but the biblical usage remains focused on emotional and punitive aspects. The sense of 'foam' or agitation is only present metaphorically; there is no evidence for a literal physical referent in biblical contexts. English idiomatic renderings such as 'sore displeasure' or 'indignation' may understate the forceful, eruptive sense intended in the original.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from קָצַף; a splinter (as chipped off); figuratively, rage or strife; foam, indignation, [idiom] sore, wrath.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קצף (q-ts-p) — to be angry, to be enraged, to be provoked

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7107 קָצַף in causing to enrage
H7108 קְצַף and he became enraged
H7109 קְצַף furious wrath
H7111 קְצָפָה brittle bark-fragment

Word Forms

12 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7110-07 קֶ֔צֶף qetsef HNcmsa wrath outburst of wrath 14
H7110-08 וּ/בְ/קֶ֣צֶף uveqetsef HC/R/Ncmsa and-in-wrath and in raging wrath 3
H7110-06 קָ֑צֶף qatsef HNcmsa anger wrathful outburst 2
H7110-09 וָ/קָֽצֶף vaqatsef HC/Ncmsa and wrath and raging wrath 2
H7110-01 בְּ/קֶצְפְּ/ךָ֥ beqetsepekha HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms in your wrath in your wrath 1
H7110-02 הַ/קֶּ֛צֶף haqetsef HTd/Ncmsa the-wrath the wrathful outburst 1
H7110-12 בְ/קִצְפִּ/י֙ veqitsepi HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs in-my-wrath in my wrath 1
H7110-11 וְ/קִצְפֶּ֑/ךָ veqitsepekha HC/Ncmsc/Sp2ms and your wrath and your wrath 1
H7110-10 וְ/קֶ֤צֶף veqetsef HC/Ncmsa and-anger wrathful outburst 1
H7110-04 מִ/קֶּ֤צֶף miqetsef HR/Ncmsc because of the wrath from wrath-of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

29 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7110-07 Numbers 1:53 קֶ֔צֶף qetsef HNcmsa wrath outburst of wrath
H7110-02 Numbers 17:11 הַ/קֶּ֛צֶף haqetsef HTd/Ncmsa the-wrath the wrathful outburst
H7110-07 Numbers 18:5 קֶ֖צֶף qetsef HNcmsa wrath outburst of wrath
H7110-08 Deuteronomy 29:27 וּ/בְ/קֶ֣צֶף uveqetsef HC/R/Ncmsa and-in-wrath and in raging wrath
H7110-07 Joshua 9:20 קֶ֔צֶף qetsef HNcmsa wrath outburst of wrath
H7110-06 Joshua 22:20 קָ֑צֶף qatsef HNcmsa wrath wrathful outburst
H7110-07 2 Kings 3:27 קֶצֶף qetsef HNcmsa wrath outburst of wrath
H7110-07 Isaiah 34:2 קֶ֤צֶף qetsef HNcmsa indignation outburst of wrath
H7110-07 Isaiah 54:8 קֶ֗צֶף qetsef HNcmsa of wrath outburst of wrath
H7110-12 Isaiah 60:10 בְ/קִצְפִּ/י֙ veqitsepi HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs in-my-wrath in my wrath
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