English · KJV
H3700

כָּסַף

kâçaph /kaw-saf'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningproperly, to become pale, i.e. (by implication) to pine after; also to fear
KJV usage(have) desire, be greedy, long, sore.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of kâçaph — 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 kâçaph, represented by H3700, describes a powerful and deep-seated form of longing. Its base definition is to become pale, which by implication means to pine after, fear, or have an intense desire. It appears 6 times across 5 unique verses, conveying emotions ranging from a sore longing and greed to a sacred desire.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H3700 captures a spectrum of powerful emotions. It is used to describe Jacob's intense pining for his ancestral home, where he sore longedst after his father's house Genesis 31:30. In a spiritual sense, the psalmist's soul longeth, and even faints, for the courts of the LORD Psalms 84:2. The term is also applied to God's own affections, as Job expresses that God will have a desire to the work of His own hands Job 14:15. In a more negative context, it portrays the predatory nature of a lion that is greedy for its prey Psalms 17:12. It is also used in its opposite sense to describe a "nation not desired" Zephaniah 2:1.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide deeper context to the concept of longing:

  • H5315 nephesh: Defined as a breathing creature, soul, or desire, this is what experiences the longing in Psalms 84:2. It is the very soul that longeth for God.
  • H3615 kâlâh: This word, meaning to fail or faint, is paired with H3700 to describe the physical effect of such intense longing, as the soul faints for God's courts Psalms 84:2.
  • H1980 hâlak: Meaning to walk or go, this word describes the action resulting from Jacob's longing, as he was determined to be gone to his father's house Genesis 31:30.
  • H7197 qâshash: This word to gather is used in Zephaniah 2:1, calling the nation "not desired" to gather themselves together in response to their state.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H3700 is significant, touching on the nature of desire in relation to God.

  • Pious Desire for God: The term is used in its most positive sense to articulate the soul's deep pining for God's presence, establishing this kind of longing as a righteous and central part of faith Psalms 84:2.
  • God's Desire for Creation: Remarkably, the word is used to describe God's own feelings. Job's belief that God will have a desire for His creation suggests a relational God who longs for fellowship with what He has made Job 14:15.
  • Worldly and Predatory Desire: The word also illustrates how desire can be misdirected or corrupted. It is used for the animalistic greed of a lion Psalms 17:12 and is tied to Jacob's urgent, albeit understandable, longing to leave Laban Genesis 31:30.

Summary

In summary, kâçaph H3700 is far more than a simple word for "want." It conveys an intense pining that affects a person to their core. From the holy longing for God's presence to the desperate desire for home and even the base greed of a predator, this term powerfully illustrates the biblical understanding of desire as a potent force that can draw one toward God or toward worldly ends.

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 6 occurrences, inflected in 6 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.

  • נִכְסֹף
  • נִכְסָף
  • נִכְסַפְתָּה
  • נִכְסְפָה
  • תִכְסֹף
  • יִכְסוֹף

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.

H5315 נֶפֶשׁ from נָפַשׁ; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accomm H3615 כָּלָה a primitive root; to end, whether intransitive (to cease, be finished, perish) or transitived (to complete, prepare, con H1980 הָלַךְ akin to יָלַךְ; a primitive root; to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively); (all) along, H7197 קָשַׁשׁ a primitive root; to become sapless through drought; used only as denominative from קַשׁ; to forage for straw, stubble o

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 5 verses across 4 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (2 verses); never once in the other 35.

1
Genesis
1
Job
2
Psalms
1
Zephaniah

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.