קַשׁ
𐤒𐤔
qash
H7179 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Plant material left over after harvesting grain, primarily straw or stubble. Refers to the dry, brittle stalks remaining after reaping cereals such as wheat or barley, especially as debris or refuse in agricultural contexts. Used both literally (to describe the physical material) and metaphorically (as something lightweight, insubstantial, or easily destroyed).
Semantic Range
straw, stubble, dry stalks left after reaping, refuse of grain plants, something easily consumed or swept away, symbol of frailty or impermanence
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root קָשַׁשׁ (qāshash), meaning 'to gather, collect, assemble,' especially in the context of gathering dry stalks left after harvest. The noun קַשׁ (qash) designates that which is gathered: the dry stalks or straw.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, קַשׁ commonly appears in agricultural contexts, notably as the residue after grain harvests (e.g., Exod 5:12, where straw is collected for brick making). It also functions metaphorically for disposability, weakness, or vulnerability, especially in prophetic and poetic texts—such as describing enemies or the wicked as 'like straw before the wind' (Job 13:25; Isa 33:11; Nah 1:10–like objects easily burned or swept away). The term is distinct from חָצִיר (ḥāṣîr, 'grass') and תֶּבֶן (teven, 'chaff, cut straw used as fodder'), each referring to separate types of plant material. English translations as 'straw' or 'stubble' are broadly accurate, but may not fully reflect its metaphorical nuance in contexts emphasizing frailty or ephemerality. After the exile, usage of the term remains largely consistent in Hebrew literature. Later translations occasionally render the term as 'stubble,' in ways that might overlap with the different concept of kāsh (stubble as short stalks left in the field post-harvest), but biblical usage marks it primarily as loose, dry stalks or straw.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from קָשַׁשׁ; straw (as dry); stubble.
Bantu Hebrew
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קשׁ (q-sh-sh) — gathering, collecting dry stalks, harvest-remnants
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7179-05 |
קַ֖שׁ | qash | HNcmsa |
stubble | harvest-stubble | 6 |
H7179-02 |
כְּ/קַ֥שׁ | keqash | HR/Ncmsa |
like stubble | like dry straw | 5 |
H7179-04 |
לְ/קַ֔שׁ | leqash | HR/Ncmsa |
for stubble | to straw | 2 |
H7179-01 |
כַּ/קַּֽשׁ | kaqash | HRd/Ncmsa |
like stubble | dry straw-stalk | 2 |
H7179-03 |
כְ/קַשׁ֙ | kheqash | HR/Ncmsa |
like stubble | like dry stubble | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
16 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7179-05 |
Exodus 5:12 | קַ֖שׁ | qash | HNcmsa |
stubble | harvest-stubble |
H7179-01 |
Exodus 15:7 | כַּ/קַּֽשׁ | kaqash | HRd/Ncmsa |
like stubble | dry straw-stalk |
H7179-05 |
Isaiah 5:24 | קַ֜שׁ | qash | HNcmsa |
stubble | harvest-stubble |
H7179-05 |
Isaiah 33:11 | קַ֑שׁ | qash | HNcmsa |
stubble | harvest-stubble |
H7179-01 |
Isaiah 40:24 | כַּ/קַּ֥שׁ | kaqash | HRd/Ncmsa |
like stubble | dry straw-stalk |
H7179-02 |
Isaiah 41:2 | כְּ/קַ֥שׁ | keqash | HR/Ncmsa |
like stubble | like dry straw |
H7179-03 |
Isaiah 47:14 | כְ/קַשׁ֙ | kheqash | HR/Ncmsa |
like stubble | like dry stubble |
H7179-02 |
Jeremiah 13:24 | כְּ/קַשׁ | keqash | HR/Ncmsa |
like stubble | like dry straw |
H7179-05 |
Joel 2:5 | קָ֑שׁ | qash | HNcmsa |
stubble | harvest-stubble |
H7179-04 |
Obadiah 1:18 | לְ/קַ֔שׁ | leqash | HR/Ncmsa |
for stubble | to straw |