יָקַד (ya.qad)
ya.qad
to burn
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb yaqad describes a fire that is kindled or burns with intensity. In its basic sense, it refers to the physical act of ignition, but in Scripture it frequently carries a metaphorical weight related to divine judgment. When used figuratively, it paints a picture of God’s anger or justice being set ablaze against sin.
This word appears six times in the Old Testament, with notable occurrences in Isaiah and Jeremiah. For instance, Isaiah 13:9 uses yaqad to describe the day of the Lord as one where His wrath is kindled, signaling a catastrophic intervention. The term emphasizes not just heat, but the sudden, powerful onset of burning that consumes what it touches.
The Qal stem focuses on the process of being kindled, suggesting an active ignition, while the Hophal form highlights the state of burning itself. This distinction allows the text to move from the spark of judgment to its full, consuming reality. Translators often render this as "burn" or "kindle," capturing both the physical and spiritual dimensions of divine action.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word yaqad describes a fire that is kindled with sudden intensity. In Scripture, it often portrays God’s anger not as a cold calculation, but as a hot, active response to sin. This imagery reminds us that God takes evil seriously. His holiness cannot coexist with injustice, so He acts to purify and restore what has been broken.
When we read about this burning fire in passages like Deuteronomy 32:22 or Jeremiah 17:4, it can feel overwhelming. Yet, this divine wrath is always directed against sin, not against the people themselves in a final sense. It is a corrective force, meant to turn hearts back to God. We can find comfort in knowing that God’s justice is real, but so is His mercy.
For your faith, this word invites humility. It calls us to examine our own lives and seek reconciliation with God before the fire of judgment consumes what we hold dear. Instead of fearing His anger, let it drive you to the cross, where Christ absorbed that wrath for us. In Him, we find peace with a holy God.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- it will burn3×
- from/ a fireplace1×
- and/ it has burned1×
- [which] burns1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תּוּקָֽד\׃\ \ס2×
- מִ/יָּק֔וּד1×
- יֹקֶ֖דֶת1×
- יֵקַ֥ד1×
- וַ/תִּיקַ֖ד1×
Key Verses
-
Deuteronomy 32:22
For a fire is kindled in my anger, that burns to the lowest Sheol, devours the earth with its increase, and sets the foundations of the mountains on fire.
This verse establishes the terrifying scope of divine anger, showing how yaqad describes a fire that reaches even the deepest realms of death.
-
Jeremiah 17:4
You, even of yourself, will discontinue from your heritage that I gave you. I will cause you to serve your enemies in the land which you don’t know, for you have kindled a fire in my anger which will burn forever.”
Here the word links human rebellion directly to a permanent state of burning in God’s anger, highlighting the serious consequences of turning away from heritage.
-
Isaiah 65:5
who say, ‘Stay by yourself, don’t come near to me, for I am holier than you.’ These are smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all day.
The prophet uses yaqad to describe God’s daily irritation with spiritual arrogance, showing that pride creates a persistent smoke in His nostrils.