English · KJV
H3512

כָּאָה

kâʼâh /kaw-aw'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto despond; causatively, to deject
KJV usagebroken, be grieved, make sad.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of kâʼâh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word kâʼâh, represented by H3512, is a primitive root that means to despond or, causatively, to deject. It is defined as broken, be grieved, or make sad. This specific term appears only 3 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible, indicating its specialized use for a particular kind of grief or sadness.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical applications, H3512 describes both the cause and the state of despondency. In Ezekiel, it is used to condemn false prophets who have made the heart H3820 of the righteous sad with lies, a grief God Himself had not caused Ezekiel 13:22. Psalms uses the term to describe the condition of the persecuted poor and needy man as being broken in heart H3824, marking him as a target for further oppression Psalms 109:16. Finally, in Daniel, a hostile king is said to be grieved after being opposed by ships from Chittim, a state that leads him to have indignation H2194 against the holy covenant Daniel 11:30.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help to define the context in which one becomes grieved or broken:

  • H3510 kâʼab (to feel pain; to grieve; make sad): This similar root is used in direct contrast to H3512 in Ezekiel 13:22, where God says he has "not made sad" the righteous whom the false prophets have grieved.
  • H6041 ʻânîy (depressed, in mind or circumstances; afflicted, humble, lowly, needy, poor): This describes the state of the man in Psalms 109:16 who is persecuted while already being broken H3512 in heart, linking internal grief with external affliction.
  • H2194 zâʻam (to be enraged; abhor, defy, have indignation): This word is used alongside H3512 in Daniel 11:30, showing that being grieved can be connected to, or result in, a state of rage and indignation.
  • H3824 lêbâb (the heart): This term is the object of the verb in Psalms 109:16, indicating that the grief of H3512 is a condition that affects the very center of a person's being.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H3512 is centered on the heart and divine justice.

  • Grief Caused by Falsehood: God expresses direct opposition to those who unjustly make the righteous sad H3512 through lies H8267. This highlights a divine principle that the emotional state of the just is to be protected from deception Ezekiel 13:22.
  • The State of the Persecuted: The term "broken in heart" describes the profound vulnerability of the poor H6041 and needy H34. The act of persecuting someone in this state is condemned, showing God's concern for those who are emotionally and socially crushed Psalms 109:16.
  • Grief as a Motivator for Hostility: In Daniel, being grieved H3512 is not a passive state but a trigger for active indignation H2194 against God's covenant. This illustrates how despondency can fuel opposition to divine plans Daniel 11:30.

Summary

In summary, H3512 is a potent, though infrequent, term for being despondent, grieved, or brokenhearted. It is not a simple sadness but a deep state of being that can be wrongfully inflicted by others, characterize the oppressed, or fuel hostility. Its usage underscores God's concern for the emotional integrity of the righteous and His defense of the vulnerable and broken in heart.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 3 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • הַכְאוֹת
  • נִכְאָה
  • נִכְאֵה

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H3820 לֵב a form of לֵבָב; the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; like H3824 לֵבָב from לָבַב; used also like לֵב; the heart (as the most interior organ); [phrase] bethink themselves, breast, comfortably H2194 זָעַם a primitive root; properly, to foam at the mouth, i.e. to be enraged; abhor, abominable, (be) angry, defy, (have) indign H3510 כָּאַב a primitive root; properly, to feel pain; by implication, to grieve; figuratively, to spoil; grieving, mar, have pain, m H6041 עָנִי from עָנָה; (practically the same as עָנָו, although the margin constantly disputes this, making עָנָו subjective and ob H8267 שֶׁקֶר from שָׁקַר; an untruth; by implication, a sham (often adverbial); without a cause, deceit(-ful), false(-hood, -ly), fei

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 3 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms, Ezekiel, and Daniel (1 verse each); never once in the other 36.

1
Psalms
1
Ezekiel
1
Daniel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.