### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **qôwʼ**, represented by `{{H6958}}`, is a primitive root that means **to vomit** or **spue (out)**. It appears **8 times** across **7 unique verses** in the Bible, often used to illustrate a visceral and forceful rejection, whether literal or metaphorical.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical usage, `{{H6958}}` describes both physical and symbolic expulsion. Literally, it is used when the great **fish** `{{H1709}}` **vomited out** Jonah onto the shore at the Lord's command [[Jonah 2:10]]. The book of Proverbs uses it to warn against overindulgence, noting that if one eats too much honey, they will **vomit** it [[Proverbs 25:16]]. Figuratively, the term is used to personify the land, which **vomiteth out** its inhabitants because they have defiled it with their iniquity [[Leviticus 18:25]]. Similarly, Job describes how ill-gotten riches, once swallowed, will be **vomited up again** [[Job 20:15]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the context and meaning of `{{H6958}}`:
* `{{H1104}}` **bâlaʻ** (swallow down): Defined as "to make away with (specifically by swallowing)," this root is the direct opposite of vomiting. It is used in contrast to `{{H6958}}` in [[Job 20:15]], where riches are **swallowed down** only to be forcibly vomited up.
* `{{H2930}}` **ṭâmêʼ** (defile): This word, meaning "to be foul, especially in a ceremial or moral sense," is the direct cause for the land's violent reaction in Leviticus. The land vomits out its people because they first **defile** it ([[Leviticus 18:25]], [[Leviticus 18:28]]).
* `{{H398}}` **ʼâkal** (eat): This root, meaning "to eat," is the action that often precedes vomiting. In Proverbs, having **eaten** a morsel or too much honey leads to the consequence of vomiting it up ([[Proverbs 23:8]], [[Proverbs 25:16]]).
* `{{H3423}}` **yârash** (cast out): Meaning "to occupy (by driving out previous tenants)," this term is conceptually linked to the consequence of being vomited out. In [[Job 20:15]], after the wicked man vomits up his riches, it is stated that God shall **cast them out** of his belly.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6958}}` is centered on the concepts of rejection and judgment.
* **Rejection of Defilement:** The word is a powerful metaphor for the absolute incompatibility of holiness and sin. The land, as God's creation, cannot tolerate moral corruption and therefore **spued out** the nations that defiled it, serving as a warning to Israel [[Leviticus 18:28]].
* **Divine Judgment:** Being "spued out" is presented as an act of divine judgment. God warns the Israelites that if they fail to keep His statutes, the land will **spue you not out** [[Leviticus 20:22]], linking their ability to remain in the land to their obedience.
* **Forced Restitution:** The imagery illustrates that gains from wickedness are temporary. God himself will ensure that what was unjustly swallowed will be **vomited up again**, demonstrating that injustice will ultimately be reversed [[Job 20:15]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6958}}` is more than a simple biological term; it is a vivid depiction of total rejection. While it has literal applications in the stories of Jonah and the wisdom of Proverbs, its primary significance is metaphorical. It powerfully illustrates how defilement leads to expulsion, how injustice results in forced restitution, and how the divine order violently rejects that which is corrupt. The word uses a base physical reaction to communicate a profound spiritual truth.
TRV