7171. qerets
Lexical Summary
qerets: extremity, end, corner

Original Word: קֶרֶץ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: qerets
Pronunciation: keh-rets
Phonetic Spelling: (keh'-rets)
KJV: destruction
NASB: horsefly
Word Origin: [from H7169 (קָרַץ - winks)]

1. extirpation (as if by constriction)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
destruction

From qarats; extirpation (as if by constriction) -- destruction.

see HEBREW qarats

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from qarats
Definition
perhaps nipping
NASB Translation
horsefly (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
קֶ֫רֶץ noun masculine dubious word, apparently nipping, concrete nipper usually interpreted (since Hi) of a nipping or stinging insect (compare Aramaic קָרוֺצָא, Arabic biting insect); e.g. gadfly (compare ThesAdd. 111), figurative of Nebuchadr. מִצָּפוֺן בָּא ׳ק Jeremiah 46:20 a gadfly cometh from the north; ᵑ9 (Aq Symm) stimulator, i.e. קֹרֵץ; Thes and others, more Generally, excidium.

Topical Lexicon
Definition and Usage

קֶרֶץ appears once in the Old Testament, in Jeremiah 46:20, where it is rendered “gadfly”. In the pastoral imagery of the Ancient Near East, a gadfly was a small but aggressive insect that tormented cattle, forcing even the strongest heifer into panicked flight. Scripture harnesses that rural reality to portray the sudden, harassing judgment God would unleash against Egypt.

Historical Background

Jeremiah 46 records oracles spoken after Pharaoh Necho’s defeat at Carchemish (605 BC) and before Nebuchadnezzar’s later campaign into Egypt (ca. 568 BC). Egypt—long regarded as a political giant—had allied with Judah against Babylon. Jeremiah announced that the very power Judah hoped would save her would itself be humbled. By picturing Egypt as “a beautiful heifer” and Babylon as the gadfly from the north, the prophet famously reduced a world empire to a creature helpless before an insect of God’s appointing.

Figurative Significance in Jeremiah 46:20

1. Exposure of Pride. Egypt’s beauty and fertility were legendary, yet one sting from the Almighty’s instrument would lay her low (compare Proverbs 16:18).
2. Certainty of Judgment. “From the north” evokes Jeremiah 1:14 and 4:6, where northern invaders symbolize divinely commissioned warfare. The gadfly is therefore not mere circumstance but the hand of God Himself.
3. Disproportionate Means. The image magnifies divine sovereignty: the Creator can humble empires with what appears insignificant (see 1 Corinthians 1:27 for the wider biblical theme).

Theological Themes

• Sovereignty over Nations: The Lord governs world affairs, raising and toppling kingdoms at will (Daniel 2:21).
• Accountability of Earthly Powers: Political might is no shield against divine reproof (Psalm 2:1-6).
• Trust in the Covenant God: Judah’s temptation to seek human alliances (Isaiah 30:1-3) stands condemned; only reliance upon the LORD secures peace.

Related Biblical Imagery

While קֶרֶץ is unique, similar insect symbolism underscores God’s mastery of judgment:
• “The LORD your God will send the hornet among them” (Deuteronomy 7:20).
• “On that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the farthest streams of Egypt” (Isaiah 7:18).

Each text depicts minor creatures achieving what armies cannot—proof that God needs no equal force to overcome opposition.

Ministerial Applications

1. Humility before God. Nations and individuals alike must recognize that pride draws divine resistance (James 4:6).
2. Confidence in Providence. Believers may rest assured that geopolitical chaos remains within the boundaries of God’s foreordained plan (Romans 8:28; Acts 17:26).
3. Prophetic Faithfulness. Jeremiah’s bold declaration invites modern servants of Christ to proclaim truth irrespective of national prestige or cultural favor (2 Timothy 4:2).

Summary

קֶרֶץ, though mentioned only once, vividly encapsulates God’s ability to subdue the proud through the smallest of agents. The lone occurrence in Jeremiah 46:20 testifies to the LORD’s sovereignty, exposes human arrogance, and calls God’s people to steadfast trust in His unassailable rule.

Forms and Transliterations
קֶ֥רֶץ קרץ Keretz qe·reṣ qereṣ
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Jeremiah 46:20
HEB: פִיָּ֖ה מִצְרָ֑יִם קֶ֥רֶץ מִצָּפ֖וֹן בָּ֥א
NAS: heifer, [But] a horsefly is coming
KJV: heifer, [but] destruction cometh;
INT: pretty Egypt a horsefly the north is coming

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 7171
1 Occurrence


qe·reṣ — 1 Occ.

7170
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