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קָצַר

𐤒𐤑𐤓

qâtsar

H7114 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To reap or harvest (crops), to cut short or reduce in length or duration, and by extension, to become impatient, distressed, or discouraged. The primary lexical meaning is 'to reap' or 'harvest,' but the term also carries figurative senses of being shortened, frustrated, or emotionally distressed in certain contexts.

Semantic Range

to reap, to harvest, to cut short, to curtail, to become impatient, to be distressed, to be discouraged, to be grieved, to vex, to mourn

Root / Etymology

From the root ק־צ־ר (קצר), which fundamentally means 'to be short' or 'to shorten.' The derived verbal stem conveys both the physical act of cutting grain and the abstract sense of limitation or curtailment. Nouns from this root refer to harvest or the act of reaping.

Historical & Contextual Notes

קָצַר is widely used in biblical Hebrew to describe the act of harvesting grain or crops, a core activity in agrarian society, shaping its primary literal meaning. Figuratively, it extends to concepts of being cut short, whether of lifespan, patience, or expectation, and sometimes to mental or emotional exhaustion or distress (e.g., 'shortness of spirit,' meaning impatience or weariness, as in Exodus 6:9 and Judges 10:16). This figurative use typically appears in contexts of extreme distress, despondency, or vexation. The verb also underlies nouns such as קָצִיר (harvest, crop) and is related to concepts of time limitation or brevity. In the monarchic period, the literal sense of harvesting dominates agricultural passages, while in later texts and poetry, the figurative senses become more pronounced. The standard English translation 'reap' does not capture the full breadth; many translations also include 'become impatient,' 'grieve,' or 'be troubled' in contexts demanding abstract senses. The related root קצר in other Semitic languages supports both the concrete and metaphorical uses seen in Hebrew.

Translation Consistency

primary "reap" 27 occurrences

The primary, most common lexical sense of qâtsar is to harvest or reap, and the majority of existing renderings use forms of 'reap' (reap/reaped/reaping/reapers). Choosing 'reap' yields natural English for the typical agricultural uses, while figurative senses (being cut short, distressed, or discouraged) can be conveyed contextually without changing the base verb, preserving consistent treatment of all forms.

Alternatives (24 occurrences):
"reaping-ones" (6x) "shortened" (5x) "became impatient" (3x) "reapers" (2x) "short" (2x) "soul became short" (1x) "shorter" (1x) "reaper" (1x) "spirit shortened" (1x) "cut short" (1x) "impatient" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to dock off, i.e. curtail (transitive or intransitive, literal or figurative); especially to harvest (grass or grain); [idiom] at all, cut down, much discouraged, grieve, harvestman, lothe, mourn, reap(-er), (be, wax) short(-en, -er), straiten, trouble, vex.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קצר (q-ṣ-r) — to be short, to shorten, to reap

Root קצר to be short, to shorten, to reap
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7105 קָצִיר in the harvest
H7115 קֹצֶר from shortness of
H7116 קָצֵר short

Word Forms

34 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7114-06 הַ/קֹּצְרִֽים haqotserim HTd/Vqrmpa the reapers the reaping-ones the reaping-ones 6
H7114-25 וַ/תִּקְצַ֥ר vatiqetsar HC/Vqw3fs and became impatient and she became short and became impatient 4
H7114-31 יִקְצֹ֑רוּ yiqetsoru HVqi3mp they harvest they reap they will reap 3
H7114-21 תִקְצ֔וֹר tiqetsor HVqi2ms will reap you will reap you will reap 3
H7114-19 תִּקְצָ֑ר tiqetsar HVqi3fs shortened? she will reap be shortened 2
H7114-12 קָצְרָ֤ה qatserah HVqp3fs is short she was short is short 2
H7114-30 יִקְצ֑וֹר yiqetsor HVqi3ms he reaps he reaps he will reap 2
H7114-27 וְ/קִצְר֛וּ veqitseru HC/Vqv2mp and reap and reap! and reap 2
H7114-24 וּֽ/בְ/קֻצְרְ/כֶם֙ uvequtserekhem HC/R/Vqc/Sp2mp and-in-your-reaping and in your reaping and in your reaping 2
H7114-22 תִּקְצֹֽרְנָה tiqetsorenah HVqi3fp will be shortened they will reap will be shortened 1

Occurrences in Scripture

51 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7114-24 Leviticus 19:9 וּֽ/בְ/קֻצְרְ/כֶם֙ uvequtserekhem HC/R/Vqc/Sp2mp when you reap and in your reaping and in your reaping
H7114-09 Leviticus 19:9 לִ/קְצֹ֑ר liqetsor HR/Vqc to reap to reap to reap
H7114-23 Leviticus 23:10 וּ/קְצַרְתֶּ֖ם uqetsaretem HC/Vqq2mp and reap and you reaped and you reap
H7114-24 Leviticus 23:22 וּֽ/בְ/קֻצְרְ/כֶ֞ם uvequtserekhem HC/R/Vqc/Sp2mp and-in-your-reaping and in your reaping and in your reaping
H7114-02 Leviticus 23:22 בְּ/קֻצְרֶ֔/ךָ bequtserekha HR/Vqc/Sp2ms in-your-reaping in your reaping in your reaping
H7114-21 Leviticus 25:5 תִקְצ֔וֹר tiqetsor HVqi2ms you shall reap you will reap you will reap
H7114-20 Leviticus 25:11 תִקְצְרוּ֙ tiqetseru HVqi2mp you-shall-reap you men will reap you shall reap
H7114-19 Numbers 11:23 תִּקְצָ֑ר tiqetsar HVqi3fs shortened? she will reap be shortened
H7114-25 Numbers 21:4 וַ/תִּקְצַ֥ר vatiqetsar HC/Vqw3fs and became impatient and she became short and became impatient
H7114-21 Deuteronomy 24:19 תִקְצֹר֩ tiqetsor HVqi2ms you reap you will reap you will reap
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