a primitive root; to strip off; crop off, cut down (up), pluck.
Transliteration:qâṭaph
Pronunciation:kaw-taf'
Detailed Word Study
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### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew root H6998 (קָטַף, qâṭaph) is a primitive verbal root conveying the fundamental action of separation by removal. Its core meaning revolves around "to strip off," suggesting a forceful detachment from a larger entity. This foundational sense expands into a semantic range that includes:
* **"Crop off" / "Pluck":** This implies a deliberate act of harvesting or gathering, typically from plants, such as plucking fruit or grapes. It suggests an action for the purpose of acquisition or consumption, often with a sense of taking a part from a whole.
* **"Cut down (up)":** This denotes a more decisive and often destructive act of severing, particularly applied to trees or vegetation. It can signify the felling of a tree, leading to its destruction or removal from the landscape. This usage carries connotations of desolation, judgment, or the end of a flourishing state.
Thus, the word encompasses both the constructive act of gathering sustenance and the destructive act of bringing an end to growth, highlighting its versatility in describing actions that diminish or take from what was previously present.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
While occurrences of H6998 are relatively infrequent in the Hebrew Bible, its usage illuminates specific contexts related to agriculture and divine judgment. The root appears primarily in two distinct applications:
* **Agricultural Contexts:** The word is employed to describe the act of harvesting or gathering produce. This aligns with the "pluck" or "crop off" aspect of its definition, referring to the collection of fruits or grapes from their source. For instance, one might find it describing the careful plucking of grapes from a vine in a vineyard, an act vital to the sustenance and economy of ancient Israel, as seen in passages detailing agricultural practices [[Deuteronomy 23:24]].
* **Contexts of Destruction and Judgment:** More powerfully, H6998 can signify the forceful "cutting down" or "stripping off" of trees or vegetation, often as a metaphor for divine judgment or military conquest. In such instances, the action symbolizes the desolation of a land, the destruction of a nation's strength, or the removal of its prosperity. This destructive sense is particularly potent in prophetic literature, where the felling of trees can represent the overthrow of kingdoms or the punishment of rebellious peoples, akin to pronouncements of judgment against proud nations [[Isaiah 10:34]] or the destruction of resources in times of war [[Jeremiah 22:7]].
These contexts reveal H6998 as a word that can describe both the provision of life through harvest and the imposition of death or desolation through destruction.
### Related Words & Concepts
The semantic field of H6998 intersects with several other Hebrew terms related to harvesting, cutting, and destruction:
* **Harvesting/Gathering:**
* `{{H1219}}` (bāṣar): "to gather grapes," specifically relating to the vintage.
* `{{H7106}}` (qāṣar): "to reap," primarily for grain harvest.
* `{{H6310}}` (pārāt): "to bear fruit, be fruitful," indicating the source of what is plucked.
* **Cutting/Destroying:**
* `{{H3772}}` (kārat): A broad term meaning "to cut off, cut down," often used for making covenants or destroying people/nations. While H6998 focuses on physical removal from a plant/tree, `{{H3772}}` extends to severing relationships or lineage.
* `{{H1438}}` (gāzaẓ): "to cut off, shear," often used for wool or hair.
* `{{H5428}}` (nāqaṣ): "to cut off, destroy," similar in outcome to the destructive aspect of H6998.
The concepts tied to H6998 include:
* **Agricultural Cycles:** The natural rhythm of planting, growth, and harvest.
* **Divine Sovereignty:** God's ultimate authority to give life and prosperity, or to bring about judgment and desolation.
* **Consequences of Sin:** The idea that disobedience can lead to being "cut off" from blessings or from the covenant community.
* **Desolation and Renewal:** The stripping away of what exists, which can either lead to utter ruin or, in some contexts, prepare for new growth.
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of H6998 is deeply rooted in its dual capacity to describe both provision and destruction, often in the context of divine action.
* **Divine Judgment and Sovereignty:** When God is depicted as "cutting down" or "stripping off" (whether directly or through agents), it powerfully illustrates His absolute sovereignty over creation and history. This action signifies His prerogative to bring judgment upon nations or individuals who have strayed from His path. The removal of a nation's "fruit" or the "felling" of its "trees" (symbolizing strength and prosperity) serves as a stark reminder of divine justice and the consequences of rebellion. It underscores that all flourishing ultimately depends on divine favor.
* **Human Accountability and Consequences:** The use of H6998 can also reflect the consequences of human choices. When humanity acts destructively, it mirrors the negative aspect of the word. More profoundly, the "cutting off" of blessings or life can be seen as a direct result of human sin and disobedience, illustrating the principle that "what one sows, one will also reap."
* **Metaphor for Spiritual State:** The imagery of fruitfulness and barrenness, inherent in the word's agricultural usage, extends metaphorically to the spiritual state of individuals or communities. To be "plucked" for sustenance implies a state of productivity and usefulness, while to be "cut down" suggests barrenness, unfruitfulness, or a state deserving of removal from God's favor. This resonates with the New Testament concept of bearing fruit as evidence of true discipleship.
* **Cycles of Life, Death, and Renewal:** While often denoting an end, the act of "cutting down" or "pruning" in an agricultural sense can also be part of a larger cycle that leads to future growth. Though H6998 primarily focuses on the act of removal, the broader biblical narrative often presents judgment as a prelude to purification and restoration, where the "cutting off" of the old makes way for the new.
### Summary
H6998 (קָטַף, qâṭaph) is a primitive Hebrew root meaning "to strip off," expanding to "crop off," "cut down," or "pluck." Its semantic range encompasses both the purposeful act of harvesting produce for sustenance and the decisive act of destruction, particularly the felling of trees or stripping of vegetation. In biblical contexts, it appears in descriptions of agricultural practices, such as gathering fruit, and more significantly, in prophetic pronouncements of divine judgment, where nations or individuals are metaphorically "cut down" or "stripped" of their prosperity and strength. Theologically, H6998 underscores God's sovereign power to both provide and to judge, highlighting human accountability and the inevitable consequences of sin. It serves as a potent reminder of the transient nature of earthly flourishing when faced with divine decree, and the profound implications of being either fruitful or barren in the eyes of God.
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