---
title: קַו — line · The Tanakh dictionary
description: קַו (6957), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 13 times: line. BDB 1906: n.m. line. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# קַו

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«קַו» in the Tanakh dictionary: **line** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 13 times · **Key:** 6957 · **BDB:** קַו³

### Glosses

a.measuring-line (8); measuring-line (3); the.measuring-line (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

line [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1511/6957/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. line [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1511/6957/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.m. Zc 1:16 line (cf. Köii 1, 40 Anm. 2);—abs. קַו Ez 47:3 + Zc 1:16 Qr (Kt קוה), קָ֑ו Is 34:17 +; cstr. קַו (קָ K3) 2 K 21:13 +;—measuring-line (ק׳ מִדָּה Je 31:39): 1 K 7:23 (Qr; Kt קוה, v. infr.) = 2 Ch 4:2, Ez 47:3; for marking off a possession in land Is 34:17 (fig.); especially נָטָה ק׳ עַל, in building, Jb 38:5 (fig. of earth), Zc 1:16 (יִנָּטֶה; ‖ יִבָּנֶה), so יָצָא ק׳ Je 31:39 (Qr; Kt קוה); נָטָה ק׳ of designing idol Is 44:13; marking off for destruction, נָטָה ק׳ עַל 2 K 21:13 Is 34:11 (תֹהוּ קַו־), נ׳ ק׳ La 2:8; so וְשַׂמְתִּ֫י מִשְׁפָּט לְקָ֔ו Is 28:17.—קַוָּם their chord = music ψ 19:5. Is 18:2, 7 v. קוקו infr.; 28:10, 13 v. i. קַו.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 13 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (3 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (2 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «קַו» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1511/6957/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Job 38:5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.38.5/)

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מִי־שָׂ֣ם מְ֭מַדֶּיהָ כִּ֣י תֵדָ֑ע א֤וֹ מִֽי־נָטָ֖ה עָלֶ֣יהָ קָּֽו׃

*Word for word:* who? did.he.appoint measurements its (dm) you.know or who? did.he.stretch.out on it a.measuring-line

*JPS 1917:* Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched the line upon it?

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[Jeremiah 31:39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/JER.31.39/)

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וְיָצָ֨א ע֜וֹד קָ֤ו הַמִּדָּה֙ נֶגְדּ֔וֹ עַ֖ל גִּבְעַ֣ת גָּרֵ֑ב וְנָסַ֖ב גֹּעָֽתָה׃

*Word for word:* and it.will.go.out again the.measuring-line of.(the) measurement before itself to the.hill of.Gareb and it.will.turn towards Goah

*JPS 1917:* And the measuring line shall yet go out straight forward unto the hill Gareb, and shall turn about unto Goah.

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