קִשֻּׁא
𐤒𐤔𐤀
qishshuʼ
H7180 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A cultivated plant, specifically the cucumber (Cucumis sativus), edible gourd commonly grown as a vegetable in the ancient Near East. In biblical usage, qishshuʼ refers to the familiar garden cucumber or possibly a similar melon-like gourd, valued for its refreshing and watery flesh, particularly in hot climates. The term appears as an example of desirable food in contrast with the privations of desert wandering.
Semantic Range
cucumber; edible garden gourd; possibly related vegetable of similar type
Root / Etymology
Root: ק־שׁ־א. The etymology is uncertain; the root is not attested elsewhere in Hebrew. Strong's suggestion of a connection to 'hardness' is based on a folk etymology related to digestion, but there is no clear Semitic comparator or evidence for a root meaning 'to be hard' from which qishshuʼ is derived. The word is likely a loan from a non-Semitic source, possibly Egyptian or related to words for similar gourds in other ancient Near Eastern languages.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term קִשֻּׁא is rare in the Hebrew Bible, appearing in Numbers 11:5 as part of the Israelites' longing for foods available in Egypt. In this context, it is grouped with other garden produce such as melons, leeks, onions, and garlic, all staples of the Egyptian diet, contrasting the monotony of manna in the wilderness. Later Hebrew usage (Mishnaic and Modern Hebrew) continues to use qishshuʼ to refer to the cucumber, reflecting continuity in agricultural products. The translation 'cucumber' matches both the botanical and culinary identity of the plant, though some English versions have used 'melon' due to ambiguities in ancient plant identification. Contextually, the word is neutral, lacking metaphorical or figurative extensions in the biblical period.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root (meaning to be hard); a cucumber (from the difficulty of digestion); cucumber.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
קשא (q-š-ʾ) — uncertain; possibly hard; gourd-like plant
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4750 | מִקְשָׁה | in a cucumber patch |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7180-01 |
הַ/קִּשֻּׁאִ֗ים | haqishuim | HTd/Ncfpa |
cucumbers | the cucumbers | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7180-01 |
Numbers 11:5 | הַ/קִּשֻּׁאִ֗ים | haqishuim | HTd/Ncfpa |
cucumbers | the cucumbers |