קָבַב
𐤒𐤁𐤁
qâbab
H6895 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To utter a curse, pronounce malediction, or speak words intended to bring about harm; in figurative use, to invoke misfortune or injury against an individual or people through speech. The verb often retains a sense of formal, ritualized cursing or malediction by means of specific utterance. It does not simply mean to speak negatively, but rather to invoke harm by deliberate, often solemn or ritualistic, articulation.
Semantic Range
to utter a formal curse, to pronounce malediction, to invoke misfortune by speech, to wish harm through ritual utterance, to malign in a performative or ritual sense
Root / Etymology
Root קבב (q-b-b), core meaning: to hollow, scoop out, pierce. The verb's basic root sense is 'to hollow out' or 'to pierce through,' which metaphorically extends to 'to curse'—i.e., to wound with words or invocation. The derived verbal sense reflects transferring the physical act of piercing or scooping to a verbal, symbolic act of inflicting damage or imposing a negative outcome through a curse.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The verb קָבַב is rare in biblical usage and typically appears in contexts of formal or ritual cursing (Num 22–24; Balaam oracles). It is distinct from the more common אָרַר (arar, H779, 'to curse'), which carries a broader sense of imprecation. קָבַב tends to underline the performative or uttered element of cursing, sometimes contrasting with implicit or divinely-administered malediction. Through the Balaam narrative, it is closely linked with the invocation of supernatural harm, either by a professional practitioner or by a community. Over time, Hebrew tends to favor אָרַר for more general statements about being under a curse, while קָבַב retains a narrower association with the act or speech of cursing itself, especially where the action is formal, ritualized, or attributed to specialist figures. English Bible translations often render it as 'curse,' but this can miss the nuance of ritual speech and the formality of deliberate, pronounced malediction. The semantic difference is particularly evident in Numbers 22–24, where both roots appear and are sometimes distinguished in the narrative. Outside of these traditions, the term is largely absent, and its meaning remains closely tied to the formal activity of cursing rather than general hostility or insult.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to scoop out, i.e. (figuratively) to malign or execrate (i.e. stab with words); [idiom] at all, curse.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
קבב (q-b-b) — to hollow, pierce, scoop out
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6894 | קַב | the hollow measure-vessel |
| H6896 | קֵבָה | and the paunch |
| H6897 | קֹבָה | her belly-cavity |
| H6898 | קֻבָּה | the domed tent |
Word Forms
7 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6895-03 |
קָֽבָ/ה | qavah | HVqv2ms/Sh |
curse | Pronounce a curse | 2 |
H6895-01 |
לָ/קֹ֤ב | laqov | HR/Vqc |
to curse | to utter a curse | 2 |
H6895-07 |
וְ/קָבְ/נוֹ | veqaveno | HC/Vqv2ms/Sp3ms |
and curse it | and pierce-him with a curse | 1 |
H6895-02 |
קַבֹּ֖/ה | qaboh | HVqp3ms/Sp3ms |
has he cursed | he has cursed him | 1 |
H6895-06 |
וְ/קַבֹּ֥ת/וֹ | veqaboto | HC/Vqq2ms/Sp3ms |
that you curse him | and you curse him | 1 |
H6895-05 |
וָ/אֶקּ֖וֹב | vaeqov | HC/Vqw1cs |
but I cursed | and I uttered a curse | 1 |
H6895-04 |
קֹ֖ב | qov | HVqa |
curse | to utter a piercing curse | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
9 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6895-03 |
Numbers 22:11 | קָֽבָ/ה | qavah | HVqv2ms/Sh |
curse | Pronounce a curse |
H6895-03 |
Numbers 22:17 | קָֽבָ/ה | qavah | HVqv2ms/Sh |
curse | Pronounce a curse |
H6895-02 |
Numbers 23:8 | קַבֹּ֖/ה | qaboh | HVqp3ms/Sp3ms |
has he cursed | he has cursed him |
H6895-01 |
Numbers 23:11 | לָ/קֹ֤ב | laqov | HR/Vqc |
to curse | to utter a curse |
H6895-07 |
Numbers 23:13 | וְ/קָבְ/נוֹ | veqaveno | HC/Vqv2ms/Sp3ms |
and curse it | and pierce-him with a curse |
H6895-04 |
Numbers 23:25 | קֹ֖ב | qov | HVqa |
curse | to utter a piercing curse |
H6895-06 |
Numbers 23:27 | וְ/קַבֹּ֥ת/וֹ | veqaboto | HC/Vqq2ms/Sp3ms |
that you curse him | and you curse him |
H6895-01 |
Numbers 24:10 | לָ/קֹ֤ב | laqov | HR/Vqc |
to curse | to utter a curse |
H6895-05 |
Job 5:3 | וָ/אֶקּ֖וֹב | vaeqov | HC/Vqw1cs |
but I cursed | and I uttered a curse |