Word Study for H7112 (קָצַץ) | Strong's Concordance

qâtsats /kaw-tsats'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto chop off (literally or figuratively)

KJV usagecut (asunder, in pieces, in sunder, off)

Idioms & phrasesidiom utmost.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of qâtsats — 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 qâtsats, represented by H7112, is a primitive root meaning to chop off or cut. It appears 15 times across 14 unique verses in the Bible. This term is used both literally, describing the physical act of cutting things apart, and figuratively as an idiom for the utmost or most remote regions.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H7112 is used to describe acts of decisive cutting. It appears in contexts of judgment and punishment, such as when Adonibezek had the thumbs and great toes of kings cut off Judges 1:7, or when David ordered his men to cut off the hands and feet of his enemies 2 Samuel 4:12. The word also denotes the dismantling or destruction of sacred objects, as when King Ahaz and others cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God (2 Chronicles 28:24, 2 Kings 24:13). In a different sense, it describes fine craftsmanship, as when gold was cut into wires for the priest's garments Exodus 39:3. Figuratively, it is used as an idiom for "the utmost corners," referring to the most distant peoples (Jeremiah 9:26, Jeremiah 49:32).

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide a broader context for the actions associated with cutting and destruction:

H2026 hârag (to smite with deadly intent; slay): This word is often used in parallel with acts of physical punishment. For instance, David's men first slew their targets and then cut off H7112 their hands and feet 2 Samuel 4:12.
H3318 yâtsâʼ (to go out, bring forth): This term can precede an act of destruction. The treasures of the LORD's house were first carried out from the temple before they were cut in pieces H7112 2 Kings 24:13.
H7665 shâbar (to burst; break): Often paired with H7112 to describe the complete dismantling of weapons. In describing God's power, He breaketh the bow and cutteth H7112 the spear in sunder Psalms 46:9.
H7673 shâbath (to cease, make to fail): The act of cutting is shown as a cause for a cessation of hostilities. God makes wars to cease by breaking the bow and cutting H7112 the spear Psalms 46:9.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7112 is significant, often highlighting themes of judgment, desecration, and divine sovereignty.

Divine Judgment: The word is directly linked to retribution. Adonibezek acknowledges that having his thumbs and toes cut off H7112 is a requital from God for his own cruel acts Judges 1:7. Similarly, the LORD demonstrates his righteousness when he cut asunder the cords of the wicked Psalms 129:4.
Desecration and Apostasy: The act of cutting is used to describe severe acts of sacrilege. King Ahaz demonstrated his apostasy when he cut in pieces the vessels of God's house 2 Chronicles 28:24. The destruction of the temple's golden vessels by foreign invaders is also described as being cut in pieces H7112 2 Kings 24:13.
Sovereign Peacemaking: In a powerful depiction of God's ultimate authority, He is the one who cutteth the spear in sunder as part of making wars cease across the earth Psalms 46:9. Here, the destructive act of cutting serves the ultimate purpose of establishing divine peace.

Summary

In summary, H7112 is a potent word that signifies a decisive and often violent severing. It is far more than a simple verb for cutting. It conveys concepts of judgment, as seen in legal punishments and divine retribution (Deuteronomy 25:12, Judges 1:7). The term is also used to mark the desecration of holy items and the dismantling of power, whether it be a king's temple furnishings or the weapons of war (2 Chronicles 28:24, Psalms 46:9). From the brutal mutilation of enemies to the Lord's sovereign act of bringing peace, qâtsats illustrates how a single action can represent both human cruelty and divine authority.

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 14 occurrences, inflected in 7 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Piel Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 3×
Qal Participle Passive Plural Masculine Construct 3×
Piel Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 2×
Piel Consecutive Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 2×
Piel Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 2×
Pual Participle Passive Plural Masculine Absolute 1×
Qal Consecutive Perfect 2nd Singular Masculine 1×

Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
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.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.
Qal: The simple, basic stem — plain action in the active voice.
Piel: The intensive stem — strengthened or emphatic action.
Pual: The passive of the intensive (Piel) stem.
Consecutive Imperfect: Imperfect with vav — carries narrative forward ("and he…").
Consecutive Perfect: Perfect with vav — continues a sequence into the future.
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 14 verses across 8 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 2 Kings and Jeremiah (3 verses each); never once in the other 31.

Exodus

Deuteronomy

Judges

2 Samuel

2 Kings

2 Chronicles

Psalms

Jeremiah

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.