Lexical Summary qashah: To be hard, to be severe, to be difficult, to be stubborn Original Word: קָשָׁה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be cruel, be fiercer, make grievous, be in, have, seem, harden, labor, be sore, A primitive root; properly, to be dense, i.e. Tough or severe (in various applications) -- be cruel, be fiercer, make grievous, be ((ask a), be in, have, seem, would) hard(-en, (labour), -ly, thing), be sore, (be, make) stiff(-en, (-necked)). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be hard, severe or fierce NASB Translation became stubborn* (2), cruel (1), defied* (1), hard (1), hard thing (1), hard-pressed (1), harden (2), hardened (1), hardens (2), harsher (1), made our hard (2), seem hard (1), severe (2), stiffen (2), stiffened (6), stubborn (1), suffered severe (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [קָשָׁה] verb be hard, severe, fierce (Late Hebrew קָשָׁה be severe; Arabic  ( ) be hard, dry, III. endure, struggle against, severity; Aramaic קְשָׁא,  be hard, difficult; Jewish-Aramaic קְשִׁי, קַשְׁיָה adjective hard); — Qal Perfect3feminine singular קָֽשְׁתָה 1 Samuel 5:7, קָשָׁ֑תָה Genesis 49:7; Imperfect3masculine singular יִקְשֶׁה Deuteronomy 1:17; Deuteronomy 15:18, וַיִּ֫קֶשׁ 2 Samuel 19:44; — 1 be hard, difficult Deuteronomy 1:17 (of a legal case; מִן comparative). 2 be hard, severe, יָדוֺ ׳ק עָלֵינוּ1Samuel 5:7 (of ׳י, in judgement); בְעֵינֶ֑ךָ ׳יִק. Deuteronomy 15:18 it shall not be hard in thine eyes (seem a severe trial, an injustice); of wrath Genesis 49:7 (poem in J; "" עָ֑ז); of fierce words 2 Samuel 19:44. Niph`al Participle נִקְשֶׁה Isaiah 8:21 hardly bestead, hard pressed. Pi`el Imperfect3feminine singular וַתְּקַשׁ בְּלִדְתָּהּ Genesis 35:16 (E) she made hard in her bearing (had severe labour). Hiph`il Perfect3masculine singular הִקְשָׁה Exodus 13:15 +, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular וַיֶּקֶשׁ2Chronicles 36:13; 3 masculine plural וַיַּקְשׁוּ Jeremiah 7:26 +, etc.; Infinitive construct suffix בְּהַקְשֹׁתָהּ Genesis 35:17; Participle מַקְשֶׁה Proverbs 28:14; Proverbs 29:1; — 1 make difficult, difficulty: הִקְשָׁה לְשַׁלְּחֵנוּ Exodus 13:15 Pharaoh made difficulty about sending us away; of travail Genesis 35:17 (E; as Pi`el); הִקְשִׁיתָ לִשְׁאוֺל 2 Kings 2:10 thou hast made hard to ask, asked a hard thing. 2 make severe, burdensome, yoke imposed by king 1 Kings 12:4 2Chronicles 10:4. 3. a. make hard, stiff, stubborn, figurative of obstinacy: וַיַּקְשׁוּ אֶתעָֿרְמָּם 2 Kings 17:14 they stiffened their neck, so Jeremiah 7:26; Jeremiah 17:23; Jeremiah 19:15; Deuteronomy 10:16; 2Chronicles 30:8; 36:13; Nehemiah 9:16,17,29; Proverbs 29:1; אַלתַּֿקְשׁוּ לְבַבְכֶם Psalm 95:8, compare Proverbs 28:14; subject ׳י, ׳אַקְשֶׁה אֶתלֵֿב פ Exodus 7:3 (P), accusative אֶתרֿוחוֺ Deuteronomy 2:30, b. shew stubborness Job 9:4 (with אֶל person [׳י]). Topical Lexicon Overview of the Term’s Range of Meaning and Occurrence קָשָׁה (Strong’s 7185) spans ideas of hardness, severity, stubbornness, or harsh difficulty. About twenty-eight Old Testament verses employ the verb or its adjectival forms, touching the physical realm (painful labor), the social realm (harsh speech or rule), and the spiritual realm (hardened hearts against God). Together these uses trace a theology of resistance to the LORD, the consequences of oppressive leadership, and the call to repentance and softness of heart. Hardening of Hearts and Divine Sovereignty 1. Exodus 7:3 inaugurates the Exodus drama: “But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.” God’s deliberate hardening displays His sovereignty, magnifies His glory through judgment and redemption, and simultaneously exposes the self-willed obstinacy of Pharaoh (Exodus 8:15, 19, 32; 9:12). Stubbornness in Israel’s Covenant Life Throughout Israel’s journey the same term characterizes the people themselves: Harshness in Human Rule and Relationships The verb also describes severe treatment by human authorities: Such passages warn leaders that harshness alienates subjects and invites divine censure. Physical Hardship and Pain קָשָׁה describes bodily distress: Physical hardship often becomes the canvas upon which God paints deliverance, teaching His people dependence. Prophetic and Wisdom Warnings The prophets identify hardened hearts as the root of social injustice and idolatry: Wisdom literature personalizes the warning: “A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery” (Proverbs 29:1). Christological and New Testament Echoes While קָשָׁה is Hebrew, its thematic burden carries into Greek terms such as σκληρύνω (sklērunō). Hebrews 3–4 repeatedly echoes Psalm 95, urging believers not to harden their hearts against the voice of the Son. By contrast, Jesus embodies the opposite spirit—“gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29)—fulfilling the Scripture by providing rest where hardness once reigned. Pastoral and Practical Implications 1. Call to Repentance: Regular self-examination and quick repentance prevent progressive hardening (Psalm 139:23-24; Hebrews 3:12-13). Summary קָשָׁה threads through the Old Testament as a solemn reminder that resistance to God—whether in rulers, nations, or individuals—carries grave consequences. Yet every occurrence also opens a window onto divine mercy: hearts can be softened, yokes can be lifted, and harsh circumstances can become showcases of redemptive grace. The pastoral task is therefore twofold: warn against the peril of hardness and beckon all who hear to embrace the gentle mastery of Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations אַקְשֶׁ֖ה אקשה בְהַקְשֹׁתָ֖הּ בהקשתה הִקְשִׁ֣יתָ הִקְשָׁ֣ה הִקְשָׁ֥ה הִקְשָׁה֩ הִקְשׁ֖וּ הִקְשׁוּ֙ הקשה הקשו הקשית וַיִּ֙קֶשׁ֙ וַיֶּ֤קֶשׁ וַיַּקְשׁ֤וּ וַיַּקְשׁוּ֙ וַתְּקַ֥שׁ וּמַקְשֶׁ֥ה ויקש ויקשו ומקשה ותקש יִקְשֶׁ֣ה יקשה מַקְשֶׁה־ מקשה־ נִקְשֶׁ֣ה נקשה קָשְׁתָ֤ה קָשָׁ֑תָה קשתה תַּקְשׁ֣וּ תַּקְשׁ֥וּ תַקְשׁ֖וּ תקשו ’aq·šeh ’aqšeh akSheh ḇə·haq·šō·ṯāh ḇəhaqšōṯāh hikShah hikShita hikShu hiq·šāh hiq·šî·ṯā hiq·šū hiqšāh hiqšîṯā hiqšū kaShatah kasheTah maksheh maq·šeh- maqšeh- nikSheh niq·šeh niqšeh qā·šā·ṯāh qā·šə·ṯāh qāšāṯāh qāšəṯāh takShu taq·šū ṯaq·šū taqšū ṯaqšū ū·maq·šeh umakSheh ūmaqšeh vaiyakShu vaiYekesh vaiYikesh vatteKash vehakshoTah wat·tə·qaš wattəqaš way·yaq·šū way·ye·qeš way·yi·qeš wayyaqšū wayyeqeš wayyiqeš yikSheh yiq·šeh yiqšehLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 35:16 HEB: וַתֵּ֥לֶד רָחֵ֖ל וַתְּקַ֥שׁ בְּלִדְתָּֽהּ׃ NAS: birth and she suffered severe labor. KJV: travailed, and she had hard labour. INT: to give Rachel suffered birth Genesis 35:17 Genesis 49:7 Exodus 7:3 Exodus 13:15 Deuteronomy 1:17 Deuteronomy 2:30 Deuteronomy 10:16 Deuteronomy 15:18 1 Samuel 5:7 2 Samuel 19:43 1 Kings 12:4 2 Kings 2:10 2 Kings 17:14 2 Chronicles 10:4 2 Chronicles 30:8 2 Chronicles 36:13 Nehemiah 9:16 Nehemiah 9:17 Nehemiah 9:29 Job 9:4 Psalm 95:8 Proverbs 28:14 Proverbs 29:1 Isaiah 8:21 28 Occurrences |
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