Word Study for H3518 (כָּבָה)

kâbâh /kaw-baw'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto expire or (causatively) to extinguish (fire, light, anger)

KJV usagego (put) out, quench.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of kâbâh — 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 kâbâh, represented by H3518, is a primitive root meaning to expire or (causatively) to extinguish. It appears 24 times in 24 unique verses in the Bible. Its core meaning involves quenching fire, light, or even anger, and is translated as "go (put) out" or "quench."

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H3518 is used in several key contexts. It frequently describes the unquenchable nature of God's divine wrath against sin and disobedience. The prophets warn that God's fury will come forth "like fire, and burn that none can quench it" (Jeremiah 21:12, Jeremiah 4:4). This divine fire is said to be kindled against those who forsake God, and it "shall not be quenched" 2 Kings 22:17. Conversely, the word is also used in a literal sense for the perpetual fire on the altar, which was commanded to "never go out" Leviticus 6:13. In a figurative sense, it describes the extinguishing of a lineage or hope, such as quenching the "light of Israel" 2 Samuel 21:17 or a family's last remaining heir 2 Samuel 14:7.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concepts of fire, light, and extinguishment:

H1846 dâʻak (to be extinguished): This word is often used in parallel with kâbâh to describe a final and complete end. For example, defeated armies "are extinct, they are quenched as tow" Isaiah 43:17.
H1197 bâʻar (to kindle, consume): This term for burning or consuming is frequently set in contrast to kâbâh. God's fury is described to "burn that none can quench it" Jeremiah 4:4, highlighting the start and unstoppable nature of the fire.
H3341 yâtsath (to burn or set on fire): Similar to bâʻar, this word describes the act of kindling a fire that cannot be put out. God warns that he will "kindle a fire in the gates thereof... and it shall not be quenched" Jeremiah 17:27.
H5216 nêr (a lamp or light): This word often represents the object being quenched. It can refer to a literal lamp, as when the "lamp of God went out" in the temple 1 Samuel 3:3, or figuratively to life or leadership, as in the plea not to "quench not the light of Israel" 2 Samuel 21:17.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H3518 is significant, primarily illustrating divine judgment and covenantal consequences.

Irrevocable Judgment: The most common theological use of kâbâh is to describe a fire that "shall not be quenched." This signifies the finality and power of God's wrath against rebellion and evil (Jeremiah 7:20, Isaiah 66:24). It represents a judgment that is beyond human ability to stop or reverse.
Preservation of Hope: In a striking contrast, the prophecy of Isaiah 42:3 states that a gentle servant "shall he not quench" the smoking flax. This presents a God who preserves the faint and fragile, refusing to extinguish the weakest spark of life or faith.
Covenantal Fire: The command that the fire on the altar "shall not be put out" Leviticus 6:12 established a symbol of Israel's continuous devotion. Conversely, the threat of an unquenchable fire being kindled by God was a direct result of breaking the covenant 2 Kings 22:17.
Figurative Extinguishing: The term is used metaphorically to describe the loss of life or leadership. To "quench the light of Israel" 2 Samuel 21:17 or to "quench my coal which is left" 2 Samuel 14:7 signifies the destruction of a vital source of hope and continuity for the people.

Summary

In summary, H3518 kâbâh is a powerful and versatile word. While its base meaning is to "quench" or "extinguish," its biblical application carries profound theological weight. It serves as a stark metaphor for the finality of divine judgment through unquenchable fire, while also beautifully illustrating messianic gentleness in preserving the weak. From the literal command to keep the altar fire burning to the figurative extinguishing of a nation's hope, kâbâh defines the boundaries between life and death, divine anger and divine grace.

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 24 occurrences, inflected in 9 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Qal Imperfect 3rd Singular Feminine 11×
Piel Participle Singular Masculine Absolute 4×
Piel Infinitive Construct 2×
Qal Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 2×
Piel Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 1×
Piel Consecutive Perfect 3rd Plural common gender 1×
Piel Imperfect 2nd Singular Masculine 1×
Piel Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Qal Perfect 3rd Plural common gender 1×

Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
common gender: Either gender — the form does not distinguish.
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.
Qal: The simple, basic stem — plain action in the active voice.
Piel: The intensive stem — strengthened or emphatic action.
Consecutive Imperfect: Imperfect with vav — carries narrative forward ("and he…").
Consecutive Perfect: Perfect with vav — continues a sequence into the future.
Absolute: The independent form of a noun (not bound to another).
Construct: Bound to a following noun — "the X of…".

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 24 verses across 11 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Isaiah (5 verses); never once in the other 28.

Leviticus

1 Samuel

2 Samuel

2 Kings

2 Chronicles

Proverbs

Song of Solomon

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Ezekiel

Amos

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, 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.