The Hebrew word qâshach, represented by H7188, is a primitive root meaning to be (causatively, make) unfeeling; harden. It is a rare term, appearing only 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible, but it carries significant weight in describing both natural and spiritual conditions.
In its biblical usage, H7188 illustrates a state of being unfeeling or unresponsive. In the natural world, it describes an animal that "is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers" Job 39:16, indicating a lack of natural affection and care. The second instance applies this concept to the human spiritual condition, appearing in a lament to God: "O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear?" Isaiah 63:17. Here, it signifies a heart made spiritually unfeeling and distant from God.
Several related words provide context for the state of being hardened:
- H3820 lêb (the heart): This is the object that is hardened in Isaiah 63:17. It is used widely for feelings and the will, and scripture commands to "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" Proverbs 4:23.
- H3374 yirʼâh (fear; morally, reverence): This is what the hardened heart is separated from in Isaiah 63:17. This fear is not simple terror but a form of reverence that is described as "the beginning of wisdom" Proverbs 9:10.
- H8582 tâʻâh (to... stray... err): This word is used in parallel with H7188 in Isaiah 63:17, linking the act of going astray with the hardening of the heart. It is famously used to describe humanity's fallen state: "All we like sheep have gone astray" Isaiah 53:6.
- H6343 pachad (a... alarm... dread... fear): In contrast to reverential fear, this word appears in the Job passage, where the hardened animal's "labour is in vain without fear" Job 39:16. It often refers to a sudden alarm or terror, as in Psalms 91:5.
The theological weight of H7188 is concentrated on the concept of spiritual unresponsiveness.
- Hardness of Heart: The primary theological use of H7188 is to describe a heart that has become unfeeling toward God. In Isaiah 63:17, a hardened heart H3820 is one that is closed off from the reverential fear H3374 of the Lord.
- A Consequence of Erring: The pairing of being "made to err" H8582 and having a hardened heart in Isaiah 63:17 suggests that straying from God's ways leads directly to this condition of spiritual insensitivity.
- An Unnatural State: The example in Job 39:16 frames hardness as an unnatural condition. A creature that is hardened against its own offspring acts contrary to its created purpose, providing a powerful physical metaphor for the spiritual unnaturalness of a heart that is hardened against its Creator.
In summary, H7188 is a concise and powerful term for being unfeeling and hardened. Though it appears only twice, its uses in Job and Isaiah paint a clear picture. It illustrates both the unnatural behavior of a creature detached from its young and, more significantly, the grave spiritual condition of a human heart that has been made unresponsive to the fear and reverence of God.
TRV