Word Study for H7108 (קְצַף) | Strong's Concordance

qᵉtsaph /kets-af'/ Ask about this word

Root(Aramaic) corresponding to קָצַף

Meaningto become enraged

KJV usagebe furious.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of qᵉtsaph — 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 Aramaic word qᵉtsaph, represented by H7108, is a term for being furious or to become enraged. It is a rare word, appearing just 1 time in 1 unique verse in the entire biblical text. Its sole function is to describe a state of extreme anger.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The single appearance of H7108 is found in the book of Daniel. In this account, King Nebuchadnezzar becomes enraged when his wise men are unable to tell him his dream. The text states, "the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon" Daniel 2:12. The use of H7108 here emphasizes the intensity of the king's wrath, elevating it from mere anger to a dangerous, violent rage.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related Aramaic words appear in the immediate context of H7108, highlighting the cause and effect of the king's fury:

H1149 bᵉnaç (to be enraged; be angry): This word is used in direct parallel with H7108 in the same verse, describing the king's emotional state. The combination of being "angry" and "furious" underscores the severity of his reaction Daniel 2:12.
H7 ʼăbad (destroy, perish): This word shows the direct consequence of the king's fury. His rage was so great that it resulted in a command to destroy an entire class of his advisors Daniel 2:12.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7108 is tied entirely to its singular, impactful use.

Wrath of Earthly Kings: The term vividly illustrates the volatile and absolute power held by a human monarch. The king's fury, described as H7108, carries the power of life and death.
Failure of Human Wisdom: The king's rage is a reaction to the inability of his "wise men" to meet his demands. This sets a clear contrast between the limits of human understanding and the divine wisdom that Daniel will soon demonstrate.
Precursor to Divine Action: The intense fury described by H7108 and the resulting death decree create the crisis that necessitates God's intervention through His servant, Daniel.

Summary

In summary, H7108 is a specific and potent term for intense fury. Though used only once, its placement in Daniel 2:12 is critical. It serves to magnify the peril faced by the wise men, demonstrate the frightening power of an unchecked earthly ruler, and set the stage for God to reveal His superior power and wisdom in the face of human crisis.

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 1 occurrence, inflected in 1 grammatical form — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

קְצַף

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

1 verse, all in Daniel — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

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, by grammatical form, 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.