Lexical Summary kabah: To quench, to extinguish Original Word: כָּבָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance go put out, quench A primitive root; to expire or (causatively) to extinguish (fire, light, anger) -- go (put) out, quench. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be quenched or extinguished, to go out NASB Translation extinguish (5), go (3), goes (1), gone (1), put (1), quench (4), quenched (8), quenched and extinguished (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [כָּבָה] verb be quenched, extinguished, go out, of fire or lamp (Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic כְּבָא id. of light of eyes (rare)) — Qal Perfect3plural כָּבוּ Isaiah 43:17; Imperfect יִכְבֶּה 1 Samuel 3:3; Proverbs 21:18; 3feminine singular תִּכְבֶּה Leviticus 6:5 10t.; Infinitive construct כְּבוֺתְךָ Ezekiel 32:7 ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ᵑ9 Co (ᵑ0 ׳כַּבּ Pi) — be quenched, extinguished (c. negative except 1 Samuel 3:3; Proverbs 26:20; Isaiah 43:17), of lamp (נֵר אֱלֹהִים) in sanctuary 1 Samuel 3:3; of altar-fire Leviticus 6:5; Leviticus 6:6; of נֵרָהּ Proverbs 31:18; of bodies of renegade Israelites Isaiah 66:24 (compare גֵּיא בֶןהִֿנֹּם); subject אֵשׁ figurative of contention Proverbs 26:20; figurative, subject fire kindled by ׳י Ezekiel 21:3; Ezekiel 21:4; subject wrath (חֵמָה) of ׳י 2 Kings 22:17 2Chronicles 34:25; Jeremiah 7:20; wrath under figure of fire (אֵשׁ) Jeremiah 17:27; so of burning land of Edom Isaiah 34:10; of annihilation of Yahweh's enemies Isaiah 43:17 (כַּמִּשְׁתָּה; "" דָּעַךְ), compare Pharaoh Ezekiel 32:7 (see above) Pi`el Perfect וְכִבּוּ consecutive 2 Samuel 14:7; Imperfect3masculine singular suffix יְכַבֶּנָּה Isaiah 42:3; 2masculine singular תְּכַבֶּה 2 Samuel 21:17; וַיְכַבּוּ2Chronicles 29:7; Infinitive כַּבּוֺת Songs 8:7; also ᵑ0 כַּבּוֺתְךָ Ezekiel 32:7 (but compare above); Participle מְכַבֶּה Isaiah 1:31 3t.; — quench, extinguish, figurative except 2 Chronicles 29:7 (of extinguishing lamps, נֵרוֺת, in temple); followed by נֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל (figurative for life of David) 2 Samuel 21:17; followed by גַּחַלְתִּי (coal = family-hope) 2 Samuel 14:7 (of killing widow's only son); followed by מִּשְׁתָּה כֵהָה Isaiah 42:3 dimly-burning wick (figurative of spiritually weak); implied object reference to wrath of ׳י Amos 5:6; Jeremiah 4:4; Jeremiah 21:12; to people and idols Isaiah 1:31; followed by love אַהֲבָה Songs 8:7 (subject מַיִם רַבִּים); Ezekiel 32:7 compare above Topical Lexicon Root Image and Theological Centerכָּבָה conveys the shutting down of flame, glow, or light. In Scripture the idea of “putting out” is never neutral: fire and light embody God’s presence, purity, guidance, covenant life, and, in judgment texts, His consuming holiness. The verb therefore functions as a spiritual barometer, revealing what is cherished or forfeited in Israel’s relationship with the LORD. Cultic Continuity: Altar Fire That Must Never Be Quenched Leviticus 6:12–13 anchors כָּבָה in priestly duty: “The fire on the altar shall be kept burning; it must not be extinguished… Fire must be kept burning on the altar continually; it must not be extinguished”. Unbroken flame dramatizes perpetual atonement, an acted-out assurance that fellowship with God endures through the appointed sacrifice. To allow the fire to die would symbolize broken covenant and discontinued access. By New Testament fulfillment, Christ’s once-for-all offering (Hebrews 10:12) sustains the reality that the Levitical flame only pre-figured. Tabernacle Lamp and the Dawn of Prophetic Calling In 1 Samuel 3:3 “the lamp of God had not yet gone out,” setting the backdrop for Samuel’s first encounter with the LORD. The nearly extinguished light mirrors spiritual decline under Eli, yet its persistence heralds fresh revelation. God ensures that His communicative light is never totally quenched, even in periods of priestly failure. Royal Light and National Survival Threats against David are portrayed as attempts to extinguish Israel’s lamp. The woman of Tekoa pleads lest “they extinguish the one burning coal that is left” (2 Samuel 14:7), and Abishai protects the king “so that you do not extinguish the lamp of Israel” (2 Samuel 21:17). Here כָּבָה signifies dynastic hope tied to covenant promises (2 Samuel 7:12–16). The monarchy’s preservation maintains the redemptive line leading to Messiah. Wise Households and Domestic Piety Wisdom literature employs כָּבָה for social and household guidance. “For lack of wood a fire goes out, and without gossip conflict dies down” (Proverbs 26:20) urges intentional peacemaking. The noble wife “does not extinguish her lamp at night” (Proverbs 31:18), an image of vigilance and industrious care that quietly reflects the unextinguished altar fire of Leviticus. Love’s Inextinguishable Power Song of Songs 8:7 raises human covenant love to sacred heights: “Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away”. The verse borrows the verb to declare that authentic, covenant-shaped love partakes of divine resilience. Prophetic Oracles: Fire Unquenched in Judgment Isaiah 1:31; 34:10; 66:24; Jeremiah 4:4; 7:20; 17:27; 21:12; Ezekiel 20:47-48; Amos 5:6 and parallels warn of conflagrations “that will not be extinguished.” The certainty of divine wrath is underscored by the impossibility of quenching. For example, Jeremiah 17:27 speaks of fire in Jerusalem’s gates that “will not be quenched,” depicting irrevocable covenant sanctions. Such imagery legitimizes eternal judgment language later employed by Jesus (Mark 9:48). Gentle Restoration through the Servant Isaiah 42:3 balances judgment with mercy: “A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish”. The Servant’s ministry protects faint spiritual embers until they flame anew, prefiguring Christ’s tenderness toward faltering disciples and anticipating Pentecost’s outpouring. Historical Fulfillment and Eschatological Echoes After the exile, passages like 2 Kings 22:17 and 2 Chronicles 34:25 are fulfilled in Babylon’s fires, confirming the unquenched nature of divine sentence. Yet post-exilic hope reemerges when the Second Temple altar is relit (Ezra 3:3). The final canonical vision (Isaiah 66:24) extends כָּבָה into eschatology, depicting the perpetual shame of rebels whose “fire will not be quenched.” New Covenant Resonance Though Greek σβέννυμι replaces כָּבָה, the conceptual thread continues: “Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19). Believers are cautioned not to douse the divine flame now indwelling each saint (Acts 2:3-4). The priestly vigilance once limited to Aaron’s sons becomes every Christian’s responsibility. Practical Ministry Implications 1. Worship: Regular, fervent corporate worship reflects the ever-burning altar. Summary כָּבָה gathers Israel’s account around two fires—one that must never go out and one that none can put out. Its narrative arc moves from perpetual worship, through threatened yet preserved covenant light, to judgments no human can quench, and finally to a Servant who safeguards the faintest spark. In Christ, the vocabulary of כָּבָה reaches its consummation: the Cross absorbs unquenchable wrath, the Spirit kindles an unquenchable witness, and eternal destiny turns on whether one’s fire is preserved to glory or, by persistent rebellion, abandoned to everlasting burnings. Forms and Transliterations בְכַבּֽוֹתְךָ֙ בכבותך וְכִבּ֗וּ וַיְכַבּוּ֙ ויכבו וכבו יְכַבֶּ֑נָּה יִכְבֶּ֔ה יִכְבֶּ֖ה יכבה יכבנה כָבֽוּ׃ כבו׃ לְכַבּ֣וֹת לכבות מְכַבֶּ֔ה מְכַבֶּ֖ה מְכַבֶּֽה׃ מכבה מכבה׃ תְכַבֶּ֖ה תִּכְבֶּֽה׃ תִּכְבֶּה־ תִכְבֶּ֔ה תִכְבֶּֽה׃ תִכְבֶּה֙ תִכְבֶֽה׃ תכבה תכבה־ תכבה׃ ḇə·ḵab·bō·wṯ·ḵā ḇəḵabbōwṯḵā chaVu ḵā·ḇū ḵāḇū lə·ḵab·bō·wṯ lechabBot ləḵabbōwṯ mə·ḵab·beh mechabBeh məḵabbeh ṯə·ḵab·beh techabBeh ṯəḵabbeh tichBeh tichVeh tiḵ·beh ṯiḵ·beh ṯiḵ·ḇeh tiḵ·beh- tiḵbeh ṯiḵbeh ṯiḵḇeh tiḵbeh- vaychabBu vechabbotCha vechibBu way·ḵab·bū wayḵabbū wə·ḵib·bū wəḵibbū yə·ḵab·ben·nāh yechabBennah yəḵabbennāh yichBeh yiḵ·beh yiḵbehLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 6:12 HEB: בּוֹ֙ לֹ֣א תִכְבֶּ֔ה וּבִעֵ֨ר עָלֶ֧יהָ NAS: shall be kept burning on it. It shall not go out, but the priest KJV: shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest INT: burning shall not go shall burn out Leviticus 6:13 1 Samuel 3:3 2 Samuel 14:7 2 Samuel 21:17 2 Kings 22:17 2 Chronicles 29:7 2 Chronicles 34:25 Proverbs 26:20 Proverbs 31:18 Songs 8:7 Isaiah 1:31 Isaiah 34:10 Isaiah 42:3 Isaiah 43:17 Isaiah 66:24 Jeremiah 4:4 Jeremiah 7:20 Jeremiah 17:27 Jeremiah 21:12 Ezekiel 20:47 Ezekiel 20:48 Ezekiel 32:7 Amos 5:6 24 Occurrences |
    |