כָּ֫כָה (ka.khah)
ka.khah
thus
H:AdvQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 32 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:Adv
Word Overview
The adverb kakhah means "thus" or "in this way," serving as a straightforward pointer to a specific manner, action, or situation. It appears thirty-two times in the Hebrew Bible, with significant usage in Numbers, Jeremiah, and 2 Chronicles. Rather than adding descriptive flair, it functions as a practical marker, directing the reader’s attention to how something is done or what follows.
Etymologically, it is a contracted form of the phrase "be-be," combining two instances of the word for "here" or "this." This doubling emphasizes the immediacy and concreteness of the reference. The sources note that it often points back to instructions just given or forward to events about to unfold, acting as a linguistic bridge between command and execution.
A key feature of its usage is its role in legal and ritual contexts. In Numbers 15:11, for example, it links the act of offering a meal offering to the specific measure of oil required, ensuring precision in worship. Similarly, in Jeremiah 19:11, it describes the smashing of the jar as a tangible sign of judgment. It is not an abstract concept but a concrete indicator of "this exact thing."
Translators typically render it simply as "thus" or "so," though occasional variations like "after that manner" appear in Chronicles to clarify the procedural nature of the text. Its brevity and frequency make it one of the most common connective words in narrative, quietly anchoring divine instructions and historical events in clear, observable reality.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word kakhah simply means "thus" or "in this way." It acts as a practical marker in Scripture, pointing directly to how something is done or what follows. Rather than adding descriptive flair, it serves as a linguistic bridge between divine instruction and human action. This brevity anchors our understanding of God's commands in clear, observable reality.
For your faith life, this word reminds us that God’s guidance is specific and concrete. In Numbers 15:11, for example, kakhah links the offering to the exact measure of oil required, ensuring precision in worship. This shows that God cares about the details of how we respond to Him. It invites you to pay attention to the particular ways He calls you to act in your daily life.
When you encounter this word in your reading, consider it an invitation to observe the specific manner of God’s work. Whether in legal codes or historical narratives, kakhah directs your eyes to the reality of what is happening. It encourages a posture of careful attention, helping you see how God’s instructions translate into tangible actions for His people.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 32 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- thus30×
- that/ thus2×
- and/ thus2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- כָּ֣כָה6×
- כָּ֔כָה6×
- כָּ֚כָה4×
- כָּ֛כָה3×
- כָּ֠כָה2×
- כָּ֗כָה2×
- כָּ֖כָה2×
- שֶׁ/כָּ֣כָה1×
- שֶׁ/כָּ֖כָה1×
- כָּֽכָה\׃1×
- כָּ֣כָה\׀1×
- כָּ֙כָה֙1×
Key Verses
-
Numbers 15:11
Thus it shall be done for each bull, for each ram, for each of the male lambs, or of the young goats.
This occurrence links the act of offering a meal offering to the specific measure of oil, ensuring precision in worship.
-
Esther 6:11
Then Haman took the clothing and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and had him ride through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!”
Here it describes Haman proclaiming that Mordecai is to be honored, showing how divine justice reverses human plans in a concrete way.
-
Exodus 12:11
This is how you shall eat it: with your belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste: it is Yahweh’s Passover.
It specifies the exact manner in which Israelites must eat the Passover meal, highlighting the seriousness of obedience to God's command.
-
II Samuel 17:21
After they had departed, they came up out of the well and went and told King David; and they said to David, “Arise and pass quickly over the water; for thus has Ahithophel counseled against you.”
This verse uses the word to report Ahithophel’s counsel, serving as a narrative marker for how events unfold according to human advice.