Word Study for H6901 (קָבַל) | Strong's Concordance

qâbal /kaw-bal'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto admit, i.e. take (literally or figuratively)

KJV usagechoose, (take) hold, receive, (under-) take.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of qâbal — 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 qâbal, represented by H6901, is a primitive root meaning to admit, i.e. take (literally or figuratively); choose, (take) hold, receive, (under-) take. It appears 13 times across 12 unique verses, highlighting its role in describing acts of acceptance, choice, and commitment.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H6901 is used in a variety of contexts, ranging from the physical to the abstract. Physically, it describes the loops of the tabernacle curtains designed to take hold of one another Exodus 26:5. In a ceremonial context, the priests received the blood of the sacrifices 2 Chronicles 29:22, and the Levites took the items to be cleansed from the temple 2 Chronicles 29:16. The word also signifies a willful choice or acceptance. Job poignantly asks if we shall receive good from God but not receive evil Job 2:10. Similarly, a person is advised to receive instruction to become wise Proverbs 19:20. Conversely, Mordecai refused to accept comfort when he received it not Esther 4:4.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help to frame the concept of receiving and acting:

H8085 shâmaʻ (to hear intelligently): This word often precedes the act of receiving. To truly receive instruction, one must first hear counsel Proverbs 19:20.
H5414 nâthan (to give): As the natural counterpart to receiving, this word describes the act of giving. After David received Amasai and his men, he made them captains of his band 1 Chronicles 12:18.
H6213 ʻâsâh (to do or make): This word frequently describes the action that follows an agreement. The Jews undertook H6901 to do as they had begun, formalizing the feast of Purim Esther 9:23.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H6901 is significant, emphasizing active human response to divine circumstances and commands.

Acceptance of Divine Sovereignty: The word is central to Job's profound statement of faith, where he expresses a willingness to receive both good and evil from God's hand, demonstrating trust in His ultimate control Job 2:10.
Voluntary Commitment: In the book of Esther, the Jews took upon themselves and their descendants the obligation to observe Purim, illustrating a communal, binding choice to remember God's deliverance Esther 9:27.
Choice and Consequence: The Lord, through the prophet Gad, presents David with a choice, telling him to choose his punishment. This use of H6901 underscores human responsibility in responding to God's directives 1 Chronicles 21:11.

Summary

In summary, H6901 is a dynamic word that moves beyond passive reception. It conveys a decisive act of taking, choosing, and undertaking. From the physical connection of tabernacle curtains to the profound spiritual decision to accept God's providence or undertake a lasting ordinance, qâbal illustrates that faith and obedience often require a conscious and deliberate act of will to take hold of what is offered or commanded.

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 12 occurrences, inflected in 8 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Hiphil Participle Plural Feminine Absolute 2×
Piel Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 2×
Piel Imperative 2nd Singular Masculine 2×
Piel Imperfect 1st Plural common gender 2×
Piel Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Piel Consecutive Perfect 3rd Plural common gender 1×
Piel Consecutive Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Piel Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×

Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
common gender: Either gender — the form does not distinguish.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
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.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.
Piel: The intensive stem — strengthened or emphatic action.
Hiphil: The causative stem — the subject causes the 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).

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 12 verses across 7 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Esther (3 verses); never once in the other 32.

Exodus

1 Chronicles

2 Chronicles

Ezra

Esther

Job

Proverbs

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.