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קֶשֶׁת

𐤒𐤔𐤕

qesheth

H7198 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A curved weapon made from wood or composite materials, used to shoot arrows; also, a curved or arched shape, especially in reference to the arc of the sky after rain (rainbow); occasionally an architectural or metaphorical arch.

Semantic Range

bow (weapon), rainbow, curved or arched shape, symbol of strength or power

Root / Etymology

From the root קָשָׁה (q-sh-h), 'to be hard, difficult, severe,' possibly related by way of קוֹשׁ (qosh), 'to bend, curve.' The core idea is an object that is bent or curved under tension. The development to 'bow' as a weapon is a natural extension of this sense, while the meaning 'rainbow' (Genesis 9:13) arises from the similar curved shape. Etymology is based in Semitic parallels, but some details remain uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term קֶשֶׁת is used throughout the Hebrew Bible primarily to denote the bow as a weapon (used by both Israelite and non-Israelite peoples), a central tool in warfare, hunting, and ceremony. In Genesis 9:13-16, קֶשֶׁת uniquely refers to the rainbow, emphasizing its appearance as an arched shape set in the clouds. The semantic link between weapon and rainbow is the common feature of curvature. In poetic or metaphorical contexts (e.g., 2 Samuel 1:18, Psalms), קֶשֶׁת can stand for military might, warfare, or a symbol of power. English translation as 'bow' usually captures the term when it refers to the weapon, but 'rainbow' is contextually required in Genesis. The word should not be confused with archery practitioners or arrows themselves, which have distinct Hebrew terms (יָרֶה for 'to shoot', חֵץ for 'arrow'). The transition from concrete weapon to symbol (e.g., strength, covenant sign) occurs occasionally in poetic/prophetic usage. Some late biblical and post-biblical texts expand metaphorical usage (e.g., in the Dead Sea Scrolls, rabbinic literature). The English tradition of translating קֶשֶׁת sometimes introduces the later meaning of 'Jew' for archers in some KJV renderings (see 2 Kings 9:24), but this is not supported by the original.<br><br>Across Israelite history, the term's core meaning remains stable, with the notable expansion to 'rainbow' in the Priestly source (Genesis 9). During the post-exilic period, the martial sense persists in texts recounting earlier traditions.

Translation Consistency

primary "bow" 50 occurrences

The overwhelming majority of occurrences translate the noun as the weapon or an arc—'bow' naturally covers both the weapon and the curved/arched sense (including the rainbow as a ‘bow’). It is the most natural, common English rendering and fits the typical usage across contexts.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from קָשָׁה in the original sense (of קוֹשׁ) of bending; a bow, forshooting (hence, figuratively, strength) or the iris; [idiom] arch(-er), [phrase] arrow, bow(-man, -shot).

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

קשה (Qisheyon) — to be hard, to become hard, to be difficult

Root קשה to be hard, to be severe, to bend (by extension)
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4749 מִקְשָׁה one-piece hammered metalwork
H7184 קָשָׂה the rounded flasks
H7185 קָשָׁה I will make hard
H7186 קָשֶׁה the severe
H7190 קְשִׁי stubbornness of

Word Forms

25 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7198-14 קֶ֔שֶׁת qeshet HNcfsa bow bow bow 28
H7198-11 קַשְׁתּ֖/וֹ qasheto HNcfsc/Sp3ms his bow his bow his bow 7
H7198-04 הַ/קֶּ֔שֶׁת haqeshet HTd/Ncfsa the bow the curved bow the curved bow 5
H7198-07 קָ֑שֶׁת qashet HNcfsa bow curved bow bow 5
H7198-01 בַּ/קָּ֑שֶׁת baqashet HRd/Ncfsa with the bow with the bow with the bow 3
H7198-02 בַּ/קֶּ֨שֶׁת֙ baqeshet HRd/Ncfsa in the bow in the bent bow in the bow 2
H7198-03 בְּ/קֶ֣שֶׁת beqeshet HR/Ncfsa by-bow with a bent bow with a bow 2
H7198-05 כְּ/קֶ֣שֶׁת keqeshet HR/Ncfsc like a bow like a bent bow like a bow 2
H7198-08 קַשְׁתָּ֣/ם qashetam HNcfsc/Sp3mp their bow their bow their bow 2
H7198-09 קַשְׁתְּ/ךָ֖ qashetekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your bow your curved bow your bow 2

Occurrences in Scripture

76 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7198-10 Genesis 9:13 קַשְׁתִּ֕/י qasheti HNcfsc/Sp1cs my bow my bow my bow
H7198-04 Genesis 9:14 הַ/קֶּ֖שֶׁת haqeshet HTd/Ncfsa the bow the curved bow the curved bow
H7198-04 Genesis 9:16 הַ/קֶּ֖שֶׁת haqeshet HTd/Ncfsa the bow the curved bow the curved bow
H7198-14 Genesis 21:16 קֶ֔שֶׁת qeshet HNcfsa of a bow bow bow
H7198-21 Genesis 27:3 וְ/קַשְׁתֶּ֑/ךָ veqashetekha HC/Ncfsc/Sp2ms and your bow your bow your bow
H7198-18 Genesis 48:22 וּ/בְ/קַשְׁתִּֽ/י uveqasheti HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp1cs and with my bow and with my bow and with my bow
H7198-11 Genesis 49:24 קַשְׁתּ֔/וֹ qasheto HNcfsc/Sp3ms his bow his bow his bow
H7198-21 Joshua 24:12 בְ/קַשְׁתֶּֽ/ךָ veqashetekha HR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms by your bow your bow your bow
H7198-14 1 Samuel 2:4 קֶ֥שֶׁת qeshet HNcfsc The bows bow bow
H7198-11 1 Samuel 18:4 קַשְׁתּ֖/וֹ qasheto HNcfsc/Sp3ms his bow his bow his bow
H7198-01 1 Samuel 31:3 בַּ/קָּ֑שֶׁת baqashet HRd/Ncfsa with the bow with the bow with the bow
H7198-07 2 Samuel 1:18 קָ֑שֶׁת qashet HNcfsa bow curved bow bow
H7198-14 2 Samuel 1:22 קֶ֚שֶׁת qeshet HNcfsc the bow bow bow
H7198-14 2 Samuel 22:35 קֶֽשֶׁת qeshet HNcfsc a bow bow bow
H7198-02 1 Kings 22:34 בַּ/קֶּ֨שֶׁת֙ baqeshet HRd/Ncfsa his bow in the bent bow in the bow
H7198-17 2 Kings 6:22 וּֽ/בְ/קַשְׁתְּ/ךָ֖ uveqashetekha HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp2ms and with your bow and with your bow and with your bow
H7198-19 2 Kings 9:24 בַ/קֶּ֗שֶׁת vaqeshet HRd/Ncfsa with the bow with the bow with the bow
H7198-14 2 Kings 13:15 קֶ֣שֶׁת qeshet HNcfsa a bow bow bow
H7198-14 2 Kings 13:15 קֶ֥שֶׁת qeshet-2 HNcfsa a bow bow bow
H7198-04 2 Kings 13:16 הַ/קֶּ֔שֶׁת haqeshet HTd/Ncfsa the bow the curved bow the curved bow
H7198-13 Isaiah 5:28 קַשְּׁתֹתָ֖י/ו qashetotayv HNcfpc/Sp3ms their bows his bows his bows
H7198-16 Isaiah 7:24 וּ/בַ/קֶּ֖שֶׁת uvaqeshet HC/Rd/Ncfsa and with the bow and with the bow and with the bow
H7198-15 Isaiah 13:18 וּ/קְשָׁת֖וֹת uqeshatot HC/Ncfpa their bows bows and bows
H7198-14 Isaiah 21:15 קֶ֣שֶׁת qeshet HNcfsa bow bow bow
H7198-14 Isaiah 21:17 קֶ֛שֶׁת qeshet HNcfsa of the bow bow bow
H7198-06 Isaiah 22:3 מִ/קֶּ֣שֶׁת miqeshet HR/Ncfsa from bow from a curved-bow from bow
H7198-11 Isaiah 41:2 קַשְׁתּֽ/וֹ qasheto HNcfsc/Sp3ms his bow his bow his bow
H7198-14 Isaiah 66:19 קֶ֖שֶׁת qeshet HNcfsa the bow bow bow
H7198-14 Jeremiah 4:29 קֶ֗שֶׁת qeshet HNcfsa of the bow bow bow
H7198-14 Jeremiah 6:23 קֶ֣שֶׁת qeshet HNcfsa bow bow bow
H7198-08 Jeremiah 9:2 קַשְׁתָּ֣/ם qashetam HNcfsc/Sp3mp their-bow their bow their bow
H7198-07 Jeremiah 46:9 קָֽשֶׁת qashet HNcfsa the bow curved bow bow
H7198-14 Jeremiah 49:35 קֶ֣שֶׁת qeshet HNcfsc bow bow bow
H7198-14 Jeremiah 50:14 קֶ֔שֶׁת qeshet HNcfsa the bow bow bow
H7198-14 Jeremiah 50:29 קֶ֜שֶׁת qeshet HNcfsa bow bow bow
H7198-14 Jeremiah 50:42 קֶ֣שֶׁת qeshet HNcfsa bow bow bow
H7198-11 Jeremiah 51:3 קַשְׁתּ֔/וֹ qasheto HNcfsc/Sp3ms his bow his bow his bow
H7198-12 Jeremiah 51:56 קַשְּׁתוֹתָ֑/ם qashetotam HNcfpc/Sp3mp their bows their bows their bows
H7198-04 Ezekiel 1:28 הַ/קֶּ֡שֶׁת haqeshet HTd/Ncfsa of-the-bow the curved bow the curved bow
H7198-09 Ezekiel 39:3 קַשְׁתְּ/ךָ֖ qashetekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your bow your curved bow your bow
H7198-03 Ezekiel 39:9 בְּ/קֶ֣שֶׁת beqeshet HR/Ncfsa with bow with a bent bow with a bow
H7198-14 Hosea 1:5 קֶ֣שֶׁת qeshet HNcfsc the bow bow bow
H7198-03 Hosea 1:7 בְּ/קֶ֤שֶׁת beqeshet HR/Ncfsa by-bow with a bent bow with a bow
H7198-25 Hosea 2:20 וְ/קֶ֨שֶׁת veqeshet HC/Ncfsa and-bow curved bow and bow
H7198-05 Hosea 7:16 כְּ/קֶ֣שֶׁת keqeshet HR/Ncfsc like a bow like a bent bow like a bow
H7198-04 Amos 2:15 הַ/קֶּ֨שֶׁת֙ haqeshet HTd/Ncfsa the bow the curved bow the curved bow
H7198-09 Habakkuk 3:9 קַשְׁתֶּ֔/ךָ qashetekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your bow your curved bow your bow
H7198-14 Zechariah 9:10 קֶ֣שֶׁת qeshet HNcfsc the bow bow bow
H7198-14 Zechariah 9:13 קֶ֚שֶׁת qeshet HNcfsa bow bow bow
H7198-14 Zechariah 10:4 קֶ֣שֶׁת qeshet HNcfsc bow bow bow
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