כָּהָה (ka.hah)
ka.hah
to grow dim; to rebuke
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 8 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb kâhah describes a process of fading or losing strength. In its basic form, it means to grow dim, faint, or weak, often describing physical exhaustion or the darkening of light. This sense appears in Job, where it captures the weariness of the body and spirit as they lose their vitality.
A distinct shift occurs in the Piel stem, where the meaning changes to "to rebuke." This usage is rare but significant, appearing in 1 Samuel 3:13 when God rebukes Eli’s sons. The connection likely lies in the idea of silencing or putting out a light; just as a flame is extinguished by rebuke, so too does the verb move from fading physically to being restrained by authority.
With only eight occurrences in Scripture, the word remains focused on these two core ideas: the natural decline of energy and the divine act of correction. It reminds readers that strength can fade, but it also acknowledges the power of words to either dim or direct life’s course.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Life often feels like a slow fading of light. We see this in Isaac’s dim eyes or Job’s sorrow, where physical strength and spiritual vitality wane under the weight of age or grief. This word captures that honest reality: we are not built to burn forever at full intensity. Our energy naturally dims, reminding us that our endurance does not come from ourselves but from a source beyond our own fading capacity.
Yet there is a second layer here. In one rare instance, the verb shifts to mean 'to rebuke,' describing God’s decisive word against Eli’s sons. This suggests that divine correction can act like a sudden extinguishing of false light or a silencing of chaos. It is not merely punishment but a firm intervention that stops what is harmful. When our own strength fails, we are invited to rest in the One who does not grow dim.
This dual meaning offers comfort. Your weariness is seen and named in Scripture; it is part of the human condition, not a failure of faith. And when life feels chaotic or unjust, God’s word remains powerful enough to rebuke darkness and establish justice. You do not have to sustain the light alone.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 8 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- it has become dull2×
- it will grow dim1×
- it had grown dim1×
- he will grow dim1×
- he rebuked1×
- certainly <to dim>1×
- and/ they were [too] dim1×
- and/ it has grown dim1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- כֵּהָ֣ה2×
- תִכְהֶֽה\׃\ \ס1×
- כָּהֹ֥ה1×
- כָהֲתָ֥ה1×
- כִהָ֖ה1×
- יִכְהֶה֙1×
- וַ/תֵּ֣כַהּ1×
- וַ/תִּכְהֶ֥יןָ1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 27:1
When Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, “My son?” He said to him, “Here I am.”
This verse grounds the word in the tangible reality of aging, showing how physical dimness precedes a pivotal family moment.
-
Job 17:7
My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow. All my members are as a shadow.
Here the dimming is linked to deep sorrow, validating the connection between emotional pain and physical exhaustion.
-
Deuteronomy 34:7
Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died. His eye was not dim, nor his strength gone.
The negative use highlights Moses’ unique vitality, contrasting his strength with the natural fading described elsewhere.
-
I Samuel 3:13
For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves, and he didn’t restrain them.
This rare Piel stem usage shows God’s firm rebuke against priestly failure, shifting from physical fading to divine correction.