### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **qâtsâh**, represented by `{{H7096}}`, is a primitive root meaning **to cut off** or **to scrape off**. It appears 6 times across 5 unique verses in the Bible. While its usage is infrequent, it carries significant meanings in both literal and figurative contexts, ranging from physical scraping to the figurative destruction or reduction of a people.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical application, `{{H7096}}` describes acts of removal and reduction. In a literal sense, it is used in the laws of purification to detail how a house with a plague should be **scraped** to remove the defilement ([[Leviticus 14:41]], 43). Figuratively, it conveys divine judgment, as when the LORD began to **cut Israel short** by reducing its territory [[2 Kings 10:32]]. The term is also used in wisdom literature to illustrate self-harm, where sending a message by a fool is compared to **cutting off** one's own feet [[Proverbs 26:6]]. Finally, it speaks to moral consequence, where **cutting off** many people results in sinning against one's own soul [[Habakkuk 2:10]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help illuminate the contexts in which `{{H7096}}` appears:
* `{{H7106}}` **qâtsaʻ** (to scrape): This root is used alongside `{{H7096}}` to describe the process of cleansing a house, where it is ordered to be **scraped** within [[Leviticus 14:41]].
* `{{H5221}}` **nâkâh** (to smite): This word is directly connected to the act of "cutting short," describing how Hazael **smote** Israel in all their coasts as their territory was reduced [[2 Kings 10:32]].
* `{{H2398}}` **châṭâʼ** (to sin): The act of "cutting off" others is linked to moral failure, as one who does so has **sinned** against his own soul [[Habakkuk 2:10]].
* `{{H2490}}` **châlal** (to begin, profane, wound): This verb initiates the action of judgment in 2 Kings, stating that the LORD **began** to cut Israel short [[2 Kings 10:32]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H7096}}` is seen in its application to divine action and moral law.
* **Divine Judgment:** The word is used to describe a direct act of God reducing the nation of Israel, illustrating His sovereignty to **cut short** or diminish a people as a form of judgment [[2 Kings 10:32]].
* **Ritual Purity:** The literal act of **scraping** a house to remove a plague underscores the importance of thoroughly removing defilement and uncleanness to restore a place to a state of purity ([[Leviticus 14:41]], 43).
* **Moral Accountability:** The word serves as a stark warning that destructive actions toward others, such as **cutting off** people, bring about dire personal consequences, including shame and sin [[Habakkuk 2:10]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7096}}` is a powerful word signifying removal and reduction. Whether used literally for **scraping** away physical impurity or figuratively for **cutting off** a nation's territory or people, it consistently points to an act of separation or diminution. It illustrates themes of divine judgment, the necessity of purification, and the severe consequences of destructive actions.
TRV