a primitive root; to pluck, i.e. destroy; cut down, fill with wrinkles.
Transliteration:qâmaṭ
Pronunciation:kaw-mat'
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### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew root H7059 (קָמַט, qâmaṭ) is a primitive root whose core meaning encompasses a range of actions related to forceful alteration, reduction, or deformation. The provided base definition includes "to pluck," "to destroy," "to cut down," and "to fill with wrinkles." This semantic range suggests a common thread of causing something to diminish, contract, or be brought low through a decisive, often violent, action. "To pluck" implies removal or separation; "to destroy" and "to cut down" speak to annihilation or severe reduction. The most distinctive aspect, "to fill with wrinkles," points to a process of shriveling, contracting, or deforming, often associated with age, decay, or severe stress, where a surface loses its smoothness and becomes creased or drawn together. This latter nuance is particularly relevant for its sole biblical occurrence.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The root H7059 appears only once in the entire Hebrew Bible, in the book of Job:
* [[Job 16:8]]: "You have **shriveled** me up, which is a witness against me; and my leanness has risen up against me and testifies to my face."
In this poignant lament, Job is expressing his profound physical and spiritual distress, attributing his suffering directly to God. The verb qâmaṭ here describes God's action upon Job's body. Translations vary, but consistently convey a sense of physical decay or deformation: "shriveled me up" (ESV), "taken hold of me" (KJV), "seized me" (NIV), "withered me" (NASB), "wrinkled me" (YLT). The context of Job's emaciation and suffering (his "leanness") strongly supports the meaning of being "shriveled" or "wrinkled," implying a loss of fullness, vitality, and form. Job perceives God's hand as actively causing his body to contract, waste away, and bear the marks of his affliction, serving as a visible "witness" to his perceived divine judgment. This singular usage highlights the word's capacity to describe severe physical deterioration caused by an external, powerful agent, particularly in the context of divine affliction.
### Related Words & Concepts
Given the rarity of H7059, related words offer broader conceptual connections rather than direct lexical parallels.
* **Words of affliction and wasting:** Concepts like `{{H1800}}` (dālal, to be weak, languish), `{{H2470}}` (ḥālāsh, to be weak, prostrate), `{{H4229}}` (maḥalâh, sickness, disease), and `{{H7333}}` (rāzôn, leanness, wasting) resonate with the physical decay implied by qâmaṭ. Job's "leanness" in [[Job 16:8]] directly relates to the effect of being "shriveled."
* **Words of divine action/judgment:** While Job maintains his innocence, he perceives God's hand in his suffering. Related concepts include `{{H5062}}` (nāgaʿ, to touch, strike, afflict), `{{H6485}}` (pāqaḏ, to visit, punish), and `{{H6031}}` (ʿānāh, to afflict, humble), which describe God's active involvement in human circumstances, sometimes bringing hardship.
* **Words of physical transformation/decay:** Verbs describing the drying up or decay of natural elements, such as `{{H3001}}` (yābēsh, to dry up, wither), share the semantic field of loss of vitality and form, akin to the "shriveling" aspect of qâmaṭ.
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of H7059 is primarily derived from its sole appearance in Job's lament. It paints a vivid picture of the *physical manifestation of profound suffering* when perceived as divinely inflicted.
1. **God's Sovereignty in Suffering:** Job's assertion that God has "shriveled" him up underscores the biblical understanding of God's ultimate sovereignty, even over the physical body and its decay. It highlights the profound mystery of suffering, where the afflicted individual feels the direct, powerful, and often incomprehensible hand of God at work, even in bringing about physical deterioration.
2. **The Body as a Witness:** The phrase "which is a witness against me" indicates that Job's shriveled body is not merely a symptom of illness, but a visible testimony to his plight, perceived by him as evidence of God's opposition. This emphasizes the theological concept of the human body as a canvas upon which life's experiences, including divine interaction, are inscribed.
3. **Lament and Protest:** The use of qâmaṭ in Job's speech is an expression of raw lament and protest. It conveys the depth of his anguish, feeling himself to be actively deformed and diminished by the very God he seeks to understand. This provides insight into the language of human suffering and the freedom to express even accusations against God in the context of deep faith and pain.
### Summary
The Hebrew word H7059 (קָמַט, qâmaṭ) is a rare but potent primitive root, appearing only once in the Old Testament at [[Job 16:8]]. Its core meaning encompasses the forceful actions of "plucking," "destroying," "cutting down," and most pertinently, "filling with wrinkles" or "shriveling." In its singular biblical occurrence, it describes Job's perception of God's direct action in causing his physical body to waste away and become deformed by suffering. This usage highlights the word's capacity to convey profound physical deterioration and loss of vitality. Theologically, qâmaṭ in Job's lament underscores God's sovereignty over the body, the powerful experience of suffering as a divine act, and the body's role as a silent witness to affliction. It is a word that encapsulates the deep anguish of one who feels actively diminished and deformed by a perceived divine hand, speaking to the mystery of suffering and the human cry for understanding in the face of overwhelming distress.
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