a primitive root (identical with through the idea of abruptness in starting up from sleep (compare יָקַץ)); to awake (literally or figuratively); arise, (be) (a-) wake, watch.
### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **qûwts**, represented by `{{H6974}}`, is a primitive root used to mean **to awake**. Appearing 22 times in 21 verses, the term conveys an abruptness in starting up from sleep. Beyond its literal meaning, it is used figuratively to signify arising or watching.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In scripture, `{{H6974}}` is used in several key contexts. It describes literal waking from physical sleep, as when the psalmist declares, "I laid me down and slept; I `awaked`; for the LORD sustained me" [[Psalms 3:5]]. It is also used to describe the failure to rouse someone, as when Gehazi reports that the child he was sent to "is not `awaked`" [[2 Kings 4:31]]. Figuratively, it is a call to spiritual awareness and action, as seen in the cry, "`Awake`, ye drunkards, and weep" [[Joel 1:5]]. In Ezekiel, the word takes on the meaning of watching for impending judgment, stating that the end "watcheth for thee" [[Ezekiel 7:6]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words expand on the concepts of sleep and waking:
* `{{H3462}}` **yâshên** (to sleep): This is a direct contrast to `qûwts`, often used to describe a state from which one awakens or fails to awaken. It is used for the "perpetual sleep" from which Babylon's leaders will "not `wake`" [[Jeremiah 51:57]].
* `{{H5782}}` **ʻûwr** (to wake): A close synonym, this word is often used alongside `qûwts` to intensify the call to action, as in the plea, "Stir up thyself, and `awake` to my judgment" [[Psalms 35:23]].
* `{{H6965}}` **qûwm** (to rise): This word describes the action that often follows awakening. It appears in prophecies of resurrection, where the dead shall "arise" and are commanded to "`Awake` and sing" [[Isaiah 26:19]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6974}}` is significant, particularly in its eschatological applications.
* **Resurrection:** The word is central to the doctrine of future resurrection. Daniel prophesies that many who sleep in the dust "shall `awake`, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt" [[Daniel 12:2]]. Similarly, Isaiah foretells a time when the dead will arise and are commanded to "`Awake` and sing" [[Isaiah 26:19]].
* **Final Judgment:** In contrast to the resurrection of the righteous, the term is used to describe the finality of God's judgment upon the wicked. The princes of Babylon are made to "sleep a perpetual sleep, and not `wake`" ([[Jeremiah 51:39]], [[Jeremiah 51:57]]).
* **Divine Intervention:** The psalmists use the term in urgent appeals for God to act, pleading with him to "`awake`" and execute judgment or provide deliverance, as if rousing him from a state of inaction ([[Psalms 44:23]], [[Psalms 59:5]]).
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6974}}` is far more than a simple description of waking from sleep. It is a pivotal word in biblical theology, defining concepts of resurrection, final judgment, and divine intervention. It illustrates how a single word can carry layers of meaning, from the literal act of a person waking up from a dream [[Isaiah 29:8]] to the profound, collective awakening of the dead at the end of time [[Daniel 12:2]].
TRV