כָּחַשׁ (ka.chash)
ka.chash
to deceive
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 18 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb ka.chash carries a striking dual meaning: it describes both physical wasting away and moral deception. In its basic form, it means to become lean or lose strength, as when Job laments that his flesh has grown thin due to suffering (Job 19:20). This physical decline serves as a vivid metaphor for the word’s other primary sense—to fail, disappoint, or deceive.
When applied to people or promises, ka.chash suggests a failure to deliver what was expected. It is not always an active lie but often a disappointing unreliability. For instance, in Joshua 9:19, the Gibeonites are accused of acting deceptively by hiding their true identity, leading Israel into a treaty based on false appearances. Similarly, Psalms frequently use the term to describe how human plans or idols can disappoint those who trust in them (Psalm 38:11; Psalm 146:3).
The connection between physical weakness and deceit lies in the idea of insufficiency. Just as a body that grows lean lacks substance, a person or promise that ka.chash lacks integrity or reliability. Translators often render it as "deceive," "fail," or "grow weak" depending on context. This range highlights how biblical authors linked physical vitality with moral truthfulness—what is genuine sustains, while what is false wastes away.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word ka.chash carries a weight that bridges our physical reality and our spiritual integrity. It describes both the body wasting away from hunger or illness and the heart deceiving through broken promises. This dual meaning reminds us that truth is not just an abstract idea but something that sustains life, while falsehood leaves us spiritually lean and empty.
In your walk with God, this word invites you to examine where you might be relying on unreliable sources. Whether it is trusting in human plans that fail or hiding behind a mask of honesty, ka.chash warns against the emptiness of deceit. It calls you back to the reliability of Yahweh, whose words never disappoint and whose presence provides true nourishment for your soul.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 18 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- you will deceive1×
- you should deny/ !1×
- to deceive1×
- they have denied1×
- they have deceived1×
- they cringed1×
- they cringe1×
- so/ they may cringe1×
- it will fail1×
- it has become lean1×
- it fails1×
- he lied1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תְּכַחֲשׁ֖וּ/ן1×
- תְכַחֲשׁ֥וּ1×
- כָּחַ֥שׁ1×
- כַּחֵֽשׁ\׃1×
- כִּחֵשׁ֙1×
- כִּחֵ֖שׁ1×
- כִּֽחֲשׁוּ֙1×
- כִּֽחֲשׁ֔וּ1×
- כִחַ֖שְׁתִּי1×
- יִתְכַּֽחֲשׁוּ\־1×
- יְכַ֥חֶשׁ1×
- יְֽכַחֲשׁ֖וּ1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 19:11
“‘You shall not steal. “‘You shall not lie. “‘You shall not deceive one another.
This verse establishes the moral baseline by explicitly forbidding deception alongside theft, linking dishonesty directly to violation of God's covenant.
-
Joshua 7:11
Israel has sinned. Yes, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them. Yes, they have even taken some of the devoted things, and have also stolen, and also deceived. They have even put it among their own stuff.
Here the term highlights how hidden deceit corrupts the entire community, showing that unfaithfulness has consequences beyond the individual sinner.
-
Jeremiah 5:12
They have denied Yahweh, and said, “It is not he. Evil won’t come on us. We won’t see sword or famine.
The people deny Yahweh’s authority by claiming evil will not come to them, illustrating how spiritual deception leads to a false sense of security.
-
Zechariah 13:4
It will happen in that day that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; they won’t wear a hairy mantle to deceive,
This future vision shows that true prophets will no longer need to deceive because their message will be so clearly validated by God’s power.