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קָדַד

𐤒𐤃𐤃

qâdad

H6915 verb

SILEX Entry

Root קדד to bow, to incline, to bend down

Definition

To bow down, incline, or bend the head or upper body, typically as a gesture of respect, deference, humility, supplication, or mourning. The term indicates a physical movement involving the head, neck, or upper torso, and is often used with reference to a deferential act towards a person, deity, or circumstance.

Semantic Range

to bow down, to incline or lower the head, to stoop, to bend the upper body, to show deference, to bow in mourning, to yield in respect

Root / Etymology

From the root קדד, which conveys the action of bending, bowing, or inclining. The root itself carries the sense of physical downward movement, which is extended in usage to symbolic gestures of honor, submission, or grief.

Historical & Contextual Notes

קָדַד appears chiefly in poetic or formal narrative contexts, often describing acts of physical submission or respect, such as bowing one's head before a superior or deity, or in moments of distress (e.g., mourning). It is typically distinguished from related verbs such as חָוָה (to prostrate oneself, often before a deity) and כָּרַע (to kneel or stoop), in that קָדַד generally refers to the motion of the head or upper body rather than full prostration. Over time, its use remains concentrated in religious and formal interactions, rather than in more general or social bowing. Standard English translations ("bow the head," "stoop," "incline") usually capture the physical gesture, though may miss the nuanced distinction between partial and full bodily movements implied in Hebrew. In later periods, the term appears less frequently, as other verbs take precedence for gestures of deference or worship.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to shrivel up, i.e. contract or bend the body (or neck) in deference; bow (down) (the) head, stoop.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קדד (q-d-d) — to bow, to incline, to bend down

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6916 קִדָּה cassia bark
H6936 קׇדְקֹד crown of the head

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6915-04 וַ/יִּקֹּ֣ד vayiqod HC/Vqw3ms and bowed and he bowed down 7
H6915-03 וַֽ/יִּקְּד֖וּ vayiqedu HC/Vqw3mp and they bowed and they bowed down 5
H6915-02 וַ/תִּקֹּ֣ד vatiqod HC/Vqw3fs and bowed and she bowed down 2
H6915-01 וָ/אֶקֹּ֥ד vaeqod HC/Vqw1cs and I bowed and I bowed down 1

Occurrences in Scripture

15 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6915-04 Genesis 24:26 וַ/יִּקֹּ֣ד vayiqod HC/Vqw3ms bowed low and he bowed down
H6915-01 Genesis 24:48 וָ/אֶקֹּ֥ד vaeqod HC/Vqw1cs and I bowed and I bowed down
H6915-03 Genesis 43:28 וַֽ/יִּקְּד֖וּ vayiqedu HC/Vqw3mp And they bowed and they bowed down
H6915-03 Exodus 4:31 וַֽ/יִּקְּד֖וּ vayiqedu HC/Vqw3mp and they bowed down and they bowed down
H6915-04 Exodus 12:27 וַ/יִּקֹּ֥ד vayiqod HC/Vqw3ms and the people bowed and he bowed down
H6915-04 Exodus 34:8 וַ/יִּקֹּ֥ד vayiqod HC/Vqw3ms bowed his head and he bowed down
H6915-04 Numbers 22:31 וַ/יִּקֹּ֥ד vayiqod HC/Vqw3ms and-he-bowed and he bowed down
H6915-04 1 Samuel 24:9 וַ/יִּקֹּ֨ד vayiqod HC/Vqw3ms and bowed and he bowed down
H6915-04 1 Samuel 28:14 וַ/יִּקֹּ֥ד vayiqod HC/Vqw3ms and he bowed and he bowed down
H6915-02 1 Kings 1:16 וַ/תִּקֹּ֣ד vatiqod HC/Vqw3fs and bowed and she bowed down
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