### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **qûwts**, represented by `{{H6972}}`, is a primitive root used to mean **to spend the harvest season; summer**. It is an exceedingly rare term in scripture, appearing only **1 times** across **1 unique verses**. Its meaning is derived from its denominative use related to the harvest season.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The single appearance of `{{H6972}}` is found in a prophecy of judgment in [[Isaiah 18:6]]. The verse describes a scene of utter desolation where the dead are "left{H5800} together{H3162}" for the animals. In this context, the "fowls{H5861} shall **summer**{H6972} upon them," and the "beasts{H929} of the earth{H776} shall winter{H2778} upon them." The use of **qûwts** here, paired directly with the word for wintering, emphasizes a complete and uninterrupted cycle of decay, where the seasons are marked only by which creatures are feeding on the fallen.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words from its single context in [[Isaiah 18:6]] illuminate its meaning:
* `{{H2778}}` **châraph** (to spend the winter): This word serves as the direct seasonal counterpart to `{{H6972}}` in [[Isaiah 18:6]], completing the image of year-round desolation. It can also mean to defy or reproach, as when David confronts the Philistine whom he has "defied{H2778}" [[1 Samuel 17:45]].
* `{{H5800}}` **ʻâzab** (to leave, forsake): This root establishes the state of abandonment that allows for the scene of judgment. The bodies are "left{H5800}," underscoring a theme of being forsaken. This word is also used to describe God's promise not to "forsake{H5800}" His people [[Deuteronomy 31:6]].
* `{{H3162}}` **yachad** (together, unitedly): This adverb highlights the totality of the judgment. The carcasses are left "together{H3162}," signifying a collective fate. The word is often used to express unity, as in the call for brethren to "dwell{H3427} together{H3162} in unity{H3162}" [[Psalms 133:1]].
* `{{H5861}}` **ʻayiṭ** (a hawk or other bird of prey): This specifies the creatures that will "summer" on the fallen. It is often used to describe ravenous birds involved in scenes of judgment or covenant, as when the "fowls{H5861} came down{H3381} upon the carcases" during Abram's covenant with God [[Genesis 15:11]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6972}}` is derived entirely from its singular, powerful context.
* **The Unbroken Cycle of Judgment:** By pairing **qûwts** (summer) with **châraph** (winter), the prophecy depicts a judgment that is not fleeting but continuous and all-encompassing, lasting through the entire cycle of seasons.
* **Consequence of Abandonment:** The act of the birds "summering" on the dead is a direct result of them being "left{H5800}" [[Isaiah 18:6]]. This links the word to the profound theological concept of being forsaken by God as a consequence of disobedience, as warned to Solomon: "if thou forsake{H5800} him, he will cast thee off for ever" [[1 Chronicles 28:9]].
* **Reversal of the Natural Order:** Summer is typically associated with life, growth, and harvest. The use of `{{H6972}}` in this context represents a grim reversal, where the summer season's activity is one of decay and consumption by birds of prey{H5861}.
### Summary
In summary, **qûwts** `{{H6972}}` is a highly specific term whose meaning is locked to its sole appearance in [[Isaiah 18:6]]. Though simply meaning "to summer," it functions as a critical component in a vivid depiction of divine judgment. It demonstrates how a common seasonal concept can be transformed into a symbol of complete and enduring desolation, illustrating a world where the natural order is inverted as a consequence of being forsaken by God.
TRV