Word Study for H6974 (קוּץ) | Strong's Concordance

qûwts /koots/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root (identical with through the idea of abruptness in starting up from sleep (compare יָקַץ))

Meaningto awake (literally or figuratively)

KJV usagearise, (be) (a-) wake, watch.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of qûwts — 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 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.

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 23 occurrences, inflected in 11 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Hiphil Imperative 2nd Singular Masculine 4×
Hiphil Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 4×
Hiphil Perfect 1st Singular common gender 3×
Hiphil Consecutive Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 2×
Hiphil Imperative 2nd Plural Masculine 2×
Hiphil Infinitive Construct 2×
Hiphil Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 2×
Hiphil Consecutive Perfect 2nd Singular Masculine 1×
Hiphil Imperfect 1st Singular common gender 1×
Hiphil Participle Singular Masculine Absolute 1×
Qal Conjunction+Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 1×

Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine 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.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.
Qal: The simple, basic stem — plain action in the active voice.
Hiphil: The causative stem — the subject causes the action.
Consecutive Perfect: Perfect with vav — continues a sequence into the future.
Conjunction+Imperfect: Imperfect joined by a simple "and".
Absolute: The independent form of a noun (not bound to another).
Construct: Bound to a following noun — "the X of…".

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 21 verses across 11 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (7 verses); never once in the other 28.

1 Samuel

2 Kings

Job

Psalms

Proverbs

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Ezekiel

Daniel

Joel

Habakkuk

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.