קָאַת֙
𐤒𐤀𐤕
qâʼath
the pelican
A large water bird, most likely the pelican, characterized by its association with desolation or wastelands in biblical texts. The term refers specifically to an unclean bird according to Israelite dietary law, probably the great white pelican native to the Levant, though some have suggested the cormorant or another large bird. In poetic texts, it evokes images of loneliness and desolation, often as a metaphor.
Zephaniah 2:14 · Word #8
Lexicon H6893
| Lemma | קָאַת |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤒𐤀𐤕 |
| Transliteration | qâʼath |
| Strong's | H6893 |
| Definition | A large water bird, most likely the pelican, characterized by its association with desolation or wastelands in biblical texts. The term refers specifically to an unclean bird according to Israelite dietary law, probably the great white pelican native to the Levant, though some have suggested the cormorant or another large bird. In poetic texts, it evokes images of loneliness and desolation, often as a metaphor. |
Morphology HNcfsa
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | c — Common — Common noun |
| Gender | f — Feminine — Feminine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
| State | a — Absolute — The noun stands independently |
Common Translation
| Phrase | the pelican |
SIBI-P1 Translation H6893-03
vomiting pelican
| Morphological Notes | Noun, common; feminine singular; absolute state. |
| Rendering Rationale | The rendering preserves the likely identification as a pelican while foregrounding the root sense of "to vomit/disgorge," reflecting the bird’s regurgitating feeding behavior. The singular form matches the feminine singular absolute noun in Hebrew. |
View full lexicon entry for H6893 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
pelican
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | Standardized from "the pelican". |