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קֶשֶׁר

𐤒𐤔𐤓

qesher

H7195 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

An act or state of binding or joining together, primarily denoting a conspiracy or covert alliance, usually formed for seditious or unlawful purposes against an authority. The term is also used for treasonous plotting, secret political intrigue, or collusion, particularly in royal or political contexts. In rare contexts, it extends to any close-knit or secret consortment formed for a common purpose.

Semantic Range

conspiracy, treason, unlawful alliance, covert coalition; (rarely) any secret association or collusion

Root / Etymology

From the root קָשַׁר (qashar), meaning 'to bind, tie, join together.' Qesher is a nominal formation indicating the result or product of binding—namely, a bond, alliance, or conspiracy. While the root broadly means 'to tie or bind,' the noun qesher takes on the specific sense of a surreptitious or illicit bond, particularly in political contexts.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, קֶשֶׁר (qesher) almost exclusively describes secret political conspiracies or coup attempts, especially among royal officials or within ruling circles (e.g., the conspiracy against King Amaziah in 2 Kings 14:19; the coup against King Pekah in 2 Kings 15:30). While the root is neutral, the noun nearly always connotes illicit or seditious plotting rather than lawful alliance. The word occurs mainly in narrative texts related to the monarchic period, reflecting the turbulent and often fractious nature of Israelite and Judahite monarchies. Some later texts may use it to denote any unlawful or clandestine group activity aimed at undermining authority. In modern Hebrew, the term has broadened to refer to any conspiracy, but in biblical usage it is primarily political. English translations such as 'conspiracy,' 'treason,' or less often 'confederacy' do not always capture the nuance that these were often elite, high-stakes plots centered around the royal court, and rarely benign alliances. It is distinct from terms such as בְּרִית (berit, 'covenant, agreement'), which lacks the illicit, covert connotation.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from קָשַׁר; an (unlawful) alliance; confederacy, conspiracy, treason.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קשר (q-š-r) — to bind, to tie, to join together

Root קשר to bind, to tie, to join together
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7194 קָשַׁר among the ones binding together
H7196 קִשֻּׁר her ornamental binding-bands

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7195-03 קֶ֥שֶׁר qesher HNcmsa conspiracy covert binding-alliance conspiracy 9
H7195-02 קָֽשֶׁר qasher HNcmsa treason binding conspiracy treason 4
H7195-04 וְ/קִשְׁר֖/וֹ veqishero HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms and his conspiracy and his conspiracy and his conspiracy 2
H7195-01 הַ/קֶּ֨שֶׁר֙ haqesher HTd/Ncmsa the conspiracy the binding plot the conspiracy 1

Occurrences in Scripture

16 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7195-01 2 Samuel 15:12 הַ/קֶּ֨שֶׁר֙ haqesher HTd/Ncmsa the conspiracy the binding plot the conspiracy
H7195-04 1 Kings 16:20 וְ/קִשְׁר֖/וֹ veqishero HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms and his treason and his conspiracy and his conspiracy
H7195-03 2 Kings 11:14 קֶ֥שֶׁר qesher HNcmsa Treason covert binding-alliance covert binding-alliance
H7195-02 2 Kings 11:14 קָֽשֶׁר qasher HNcmsa Treason binding conspiracy binding conspiracy
H7195-02 2 Kings 12:21 קָ֑שֶׁר qasher HNcmsa a conspiracy binding conspiracy a conspiracy
H7195-03 2 Kings 14:19 קֶ֛שֶׁר qesher HNcmsa a conspiracy covert binding-alliance a conspiracy
H7195-04 2 Kings 15:15 וְ/קִשְׁר֖/וֹ veqishero HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms and his conspiracy and his conspiracy and his conspiracy
H7195-03 2 Kings 15:30 קֶ֜שֶׁר qesher HNcmsa a conspiracy covert binding-alliance a conspiracy
H7195-03 2 Kings 17:4 קֶ֗שֶׁר qesher HNcmsa conspiracy covert binding-alliance covert binding-alliance
H7195-03 Isaiah 8:12 קֶ֔שֶׁר qesher HNcmsa conspiracy covert binding-alliance conspiracy
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