Word Study for H7144 (קׇרְחָה)

qorchâh /kor-khaw'/ Ask about this word

Rootor קׇרְחָא

Meaning(Ezekiel 27:31), from קָרַח; baldness

KJV usagebald(-ness)

Idioms & phrasesidiom utterly.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of qorchâh — 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 qorchâh, represented by H7144, means baldness. Derived from the root H7139 (qârach), it appears 11 times across 11 unique verses. While its primary meaning is literal baldness, it is also used idiomatically to mean utterly, signifying total devastation.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, H7144 is consistently associated with mourning, judgment, and shame. It is a physical sign of deep distress, prophesied as a consequence of divine judgment upon cities and peoples Jeremiah 47:5. The Lord's judgment is depicted as a reversal of fortune, where "well set hair" is replaced by baldness Isaiah 3:24. This act is often coupled with other signs of grief, such as wearing sackcloth and weeping (Isaiah 22:12, Ezekiel 7:18). In the law, however, making baldness for the dead was a prohibited mourning practice for the Israelites Deuteronomy 14:1.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words illuminate the context of shame and sorrow surrounding H7144:

H7139 qârach: This is the primitive root verb meaning to make (self) bald. It is the action that results in the state of baldness, as seen in the command to "make thee bald" in an act of mourning for captive children Micah 1:16.
H8242 saq: This word for sackcloth is frequently found alongside baldness as an external sign of grief and repentance. God declares he will bring up sackcloth upon all loins and baldness upon every head Amos 8:10.
H60 ʼêbel: Meaning lamentation or mourning, this word describes the emotional state that baldness physically represents. Feasts are turned into mourning and songs into lamentation, culminating in the sign of baldness Amos 8:10.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7144 is centered on its use as a powerful symbol.

Sign of Judgment and Humiliation: Baldness is imposed as a mark of divine judgment, stripping away beauty and honor. Isaiah's prophecy against the daughters of Zion culminates in baldness and burning instead of beauty Isaiah 3:24. Nations like Moab are depicted with baldness on all their heads in a time of howling and weeping Isaiah 15:2.
Expression of Intense Grief: It is an outward manifestation of the deepest sorrow. Prophets call for baldness to signify extreme lamentation Micah 1:16, and in Ezekiel's prophecy, people "make themselves utterly bald" while weeping with bitterness of heart Ezekiel 27:31.
A Prohibited Practice: The Law forbade the Israelites, and particularly the priests, from making baldness for the dead, setting their expressions of grief apart from those of other nations (Leviticus 21:5, Deuteronomy 14:1).

Summary

In summary, H7144 is more than a physical description; it is a profound symbol of sorrow and divine judgment in the Old Testament. Its presence signifies a state of utter desolation and grief, whether imposed by God as a punishment or enacted by people in extreme mourning. From prophetic warnings to legal prohibitions, the concept of baldness illustrates how a physical condition can represent a state of profound spiritual and emotional devastation.

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 noun across 11 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — 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.

קָרְחָה
קָרְחָתֵ

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 11 verses across 7 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Isaiah (3 verses); never once in the other 32.

Leviticus

Deuteronomy

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Ezekiel

Amos

Micah

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.