---
title: קָשָׁה — be hard · The Tanakh dictionary
description: קָשָׁה (7185), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 28 times: be hard. BDB 1906: vb. be hard, severe, fierce Pi. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# קָשָׁה

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«קָשָׁה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **be hard** — 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:** 28 times · **Key:** 7185 · **BDB:** קָשָׁה

### Glosses

they.stiffened (6); he.made.hard (2); it.is.hard (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

be hard [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1511/7185/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. be hard, severe, fierce Pi. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1511/7185/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. be hard, severe, fierce (NH קָשָׁח be severe; Arabic قَسَا (ى) be hard, dry, iii. endure, struggle against, severity; Aramaic קְשָׁא, ܩܫܳܐ be hard, difficult; J.Aram קְשִׁי, קַשְׁיָה adj. hard);— Pf. 3 fs. קָֽשְׁתָה 1 S 5:7, קָשָׁ֑תָה Gn 49:7; Impf. 3 ms. יִקְשֶׁה Dt 1:17; 15:18, וַיִּ֫קֶשׁ 2 S 19:44;— be hard, difficult Dt 1:17 (of a legal case; מִן compar.). be hard, severe, ק׳ יָדוֹ עָלֵינוּ 1 S 5:7 (of י׳, in judgment); יִק׳ בְעֵינֶ֑ךָ Dt 15:18 it shall not be hard in thine eyes (seem a severe trial, an injustice); of wrath Gn 49:7 (poem in J; ‖ עָ֑ז); of fierce words 2 S 19:44. Pt. נִקְשֶׁה Is 8:21 hardly bestead, hard pressed. Impf. 3 fs. וַתְּקַשׁ בְּלִדְתָּהּ Gn 35:16 (E) she made hard in her bearing (had severe labour). Pf. 3 ms. הִקְשָׁה Ex 13:15 +, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. וַיֶּקֶשׁ 2 Ch 36:13; 3 mpl. וַיַּקְשׁוּ Je 7:26 +, etc.; Inf. cstr. sf. בְּהַקְשֹׁתָהּ Gn 35:17; Pt. מַקְשֶׁה Pr 28:14; 29:1;— make difficult, difficulty: הִקְשָׁה לְשַׁלְּחֵנוּ Ex 13:15 Pharach made difficulty about sending us away; of travail Gn 35:17 (E; as Pi.); הַקְשִׁיתָ לִשְׁאוֹל 2 K 2:10 thou hast made hard to ask, asked a hard thing. make severe, burdensome, yoke imposed by king 1 K 12:4 = 2 Ch 10:4. make hard, stiff, stubborn, fig. of obstinacy: וַיַּקְשׁוּ אֶת־עָרְפָּם 2 K 17:14 they stiffened their neck, so Je 7:26; 17:23; 19:15; Dt 10:16; 2 Ch 30:8; 36:13; Ne 9:16, 17, 29 Pr 29:1; אַל־תַּקְשׁוּ לְבַבְכֶם ψ 95:8, cf. Pr 28:14; subj. י׳, אַקְשֶׁה אֶת־לֵב פ׳ Ex 7:3 (P), acc. אֶת־רוּחוֹ Dt 2:30. shew stubbornness Jb 9:4 (c. אֶל pers. \[י׳\]).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 28 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (6 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (4 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «קָשָׁה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1511/7185/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Proverbs 29:1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.29.1/)

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אִ֣ישׁ תּ֭וֹכָחוֹת מַקְשֶׁה־עֹ֑רֶף פֶּ֥תַע יִ֝שָּׁבֵ֗ר וְאֵ֣ין מַרְפֵּֽא׃

*Word for word:* a.person of.rebukes \[who\].stiffens a.neck suddenness he.will.be.broken and there.\[will\].not.\[be\] healing

*JPS 1917:* He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be broken, and that without remedy.

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[Job 9:4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.9.4/)

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חֲכַ֣ם לֵ֭בָב וְאַמִּ֣יץ כֹּ֑חַ מִֽי־הִקְשָׁ֥ה אֵ֝לָ֗יו וַיִּשְׁלָֽם׃

*Word for word:* wise of.heart and strong of.power who? has.he.shown.stubbornness to him and he.has.remained.unharmed

*JPS 1917:* He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength; who hath hardened himself against Him, and prospered?

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