כָּבָה
𐤊𐤁𐤄
kâbâh
H3518 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To go out, be extinguished, or be quenched, most often referring to fire, light, or metaphorically to anger, emotion, or vitality. In the causative, to put out, extinguish, or quench something intentionally. The word frequently conveys the ending, cessation, or deliberate suppression of a burning, shining, or passionate element.
Semantic Range
to go out (of a fire or lamp), to be extinguished, to quench (fire, light, anger), to put out deliberately, to subdue or suppress (as with emotion or spirit), to cease burning or shining
Root / Etymology
Root: כבה, a root meaning 'to go out, be extinguished, quench.' As a verb, כָּבָה is the basic stem form (qal), representing the simple action of ceasing to burn or shine. The causative (hiphil) reflects putting something out or suppressing it. There is no evidence of the word deriving from a root with a different semantic field.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, כָּבָה is primarily used of fire and lamps failing or being deliberately extinguished (e.g., Leviticus 6:6/6:13; Proverbs 31:18). Metaphorically, it is used for the cessation of anger (Isaiah 1:31), the ending of hope or spirit (Jeremiah 4:4), or the defeat of adversaries (Amos 5:6). In some contexts the passive use conveys inevitability or divine action, while the causative (hiphil) shows deliberate intervention, whether by humans or by the deity. The concept can also be extended to physical and nonphysical phenomena (e.g., emotional or spiritual fervor). In English translation, 'quench,' 'extinguish,' or 'put out' are most common, but may not always capture nuances where the word implies total and irretrievable cessation. The term is used across all periods of the Hebrew Bible, with no marked semantic shift, though later periods (especially prophetic literature) show increased metaphorical application. כָּבָה is notably distinct from Hebrew verbs like דָּעַךְ ('to be extinguished, die out'), as כָּבָה always emphasizes the action of ceasing or causing cessation, whether physical (fire, lamp) or metaphorical (wrath, spirit).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to expire or (causatively) to extinguish (fire, light, anger); go (put) out, quench.
Bantu Hebrew
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כבה (k-b-h) — to go out, be extinguished, quench
Word Forms
11 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3518-05 |
תִכְבֶּ֔ה | tikhebeh | HVqi3fs |
be quenched | she will go out | 10 |
H3518-03 |
מְכַבֶּֽה | mekhabeh | HVprmsa |
to quench | one who extinguishes | 4 |
H3518-11 |
יִכְבֶּ֔ה | yikhebeh | HVqi3ms |
goes out | he goes out | 2 |
H3518-10 |
יְכַבֶּ֑/נָּה | yekhabenah | HVpi3ms/Sp3fs |
he-will-quench-it | he will extinguish her | 1 |
H3518-09 |
וְ/כִבּ֗וּ | vekhibu | HC/Vpq3cp |
and quench | and they extinguished | 1 |
H3518-02 |
לְ/כַבּ֣וֹת | lekhabot | HR/Vpc |
to quench | to extinguish | 1 |
H3518-06 |
תִכְבֶֽה | tikheveh | HVqi3fs |
shall go out | she will go out | 1 |
H3518-07 |
וַ/יְכַבּוּ֙ | vayekhabu | HC/Vpw3mp |
and put out | and they extinguished | 1 |
H3518-01 |
כָבֽוּ | khavu | HVqp3cp |
they-are-quenched | they went out | 1 |
H3518-08 |
בְ/כַבּֽוֹתְ/ךָ֙ | vekhabotekha | HR/Vpc/Sp2ms |
in-extinguishing-you | in your extinguishing | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
24 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3518-05 |
Leviticus 6:5 | תִכְבֶּ֔ה | tikhebeh | HVqi3fs |
be-put-out | she will go out |
H3518-06 |
Leviticus 6:6 | תִכְבֶֽה | tikheveh | HVqi3fs |
shall go out | she will go out |
H3518-11 |
1 Samuel 3:3 | יִכְבֶּ֔ה | yikhebeh | HVqi3ms |
it went out | he goes out |
H3518-09 |
2 Samuel 14:7 | וְ/כִבּ֗וּ | vekhibu | HC/Vpq3cp |
and quench | and they extinguished |
H3518-04 |
2 Samuel 21:17 | תְכַבֶּ֖ה | tekhabeh | HVpi2ms |
you quench | you extinguish |
H3518-05 |
2 Kings 22:17 | תִכְבֶּֽה | tikhebeh | HVqi3fs |
be quenched | she will go out |
H3518-03 |
Isaiah 1:31 | מְכַבֶּֽה | mekhabeh | HVprmsa |
one to quench | one who extinguishes |
H3518-05 |
Isaiah 34:10 | תִכְבֶּ֔ה | tikhebeh | HVqi3fs |
be quenched | she will go out |
H3518-10 |
Isaiah 42:3 | יְכַבֶּ֑/נָּה | yekhabenah | HVpi3ms/Sp3fs |
he-will-quench-it | he will extinguish her |
H3518-01 |
Isaiah 43:17 | כָבֽוּ | khavu | HVqp3cp |
they-are-quenched | they went out |