English · KJV
H6919

קָדַח

qâdach /kaw-dakh'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root to inflame
Meaningto inflame
KJV usageburn, kindle.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of qâdach — 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 qâdach, represented by H6919, is a primitive root meaning to inflame; burn, kindle. It appears only 5 times in 5 unique verses, but its usage is potent, often describing the initiation of a powerful, consuming fire.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical appearances, H6919 is consistently associated with the kindling of a fire, particularly as a metaphor for divine judgment. In both Deuteronomy and Jeremiah, a fire is kindled in God's anger against disobedience (Deuteronomy 32:22; Jeremiah 15:14; Jeremiah 17:4). The word is also used to illustrate a display of immense power, where a fire burneth with such intensity that it causes waters to boil H1158, making God's name known to His adversaries Isaiah 64:2. A unique usage in Isaiah shows people who kindle a fire of their own making, only to be told they must walk in its light and ultimately lie down in sorrow Isaiah 50:11.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the concept of fire and kindling:

  • H784 ʼêsh (fire): This is the most common word for fire and is the object that is "kindled" H6919 in all of its occurrences. It can represent God's presence, judgment, or a literal flame Deuteronomy 32:22.
  • H3344 yâqad (to burn): This word often describes the action of the fire after it has been kindled by H6919. The fire kindled in God's anger "shall burn unto the lowest hell" Deuteronomy 32:22.
  • H1197 bâʻar (to kindle, i.e. consume): A verb with a similar meaning, it appears in Isaiah 50:11 to describe the sparks that people have kindled, complementing the fire they started with H6919.
  • H3857 lâhaṭ (to blaze; set on fire): This word describes a more intense and active burning. The fire kindled by God in Deuteronomy 32:22 will set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H6919 is concentrated in its depiction of divine and human action.

  • The Ignition of Divine Judgment: The primary use of H6919 is to mark the starting point of God's fiery wrath. This is not a slow burn but an active kindling in response to sin, which leads to judgment that consumes the earth H776 with its increase H2981 and reaches even to the lowest hell H7585 Deuteronomy 32:22.
  • A Display of Overwhelming Power: The kindling of fire serves as a demonstration of God's might, intended to make His name H8034 known and cause nations H1471 to tremble before His presence H6440 Isaiah 64:2.
  • The Futility of Human-Made Fire: Isaiah 50:11 uses H6919 to show mankind kindling its own fire. This act symbolizes reliance on human-made solutions and sources of light, which ultimately leads not to salvation but to sorrow H4620 from God's hand H3027.

Summary

In summary, while rare, H6919 qâdach is a powerful term that signifies the act of starting a fire with profound consequences. It overwhelmingly illustrates the beginning of God's righteous anger against sin, a fire that is all-consuming and demonstrates His ultimate power. It also serves as a warning against the folly of humanity attempting to kindle its own flames for guidance, which leads only to sorrow.

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 5 occurrences, inflected in 4 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.

  • קָדְחָה
  • קְדֹחַ
  • קֹדְחֵי
  • קְדַחְתֶּם

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.

H1158 בָּעָה a primitive root; to gush over, i.e. to swell; (figuratively) to desire earnestly; by implication to ask; cause, inquire H784 אֵשׁ a primitive word; fire (literally or figuratively); burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot. H3344 יָקַד a primitive root; to burn; (be) burn(-ing), [idiom] from the hearth, kindle. H1197 בָּעַר a primitive root; also as denominative from בַּעַר; to kindle, i.e. consume (by fire or by eating); to be(-come) brutis H3857 לָהַט a primitive root; properly, to lick, i.e. (by implication) to blaze; burn (up), set on fire, flaming, kindle. H776 אֶרֶץ from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, e

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 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Isaiah and Jeremiah (2 verses each); never once in the other 36.

1
Deuteronomy
2
Isaiah
2
Jeremiah

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.