קַדַּ֫חַת (qad.da.chat)
qad.da.chat
fever
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun qaddachat refers specifically to a fever, describing the intense heat and burning sensation associated with high body temperature. It appears only twice in the Old Testament, both within lists of severe physical afflictions that serve as warnings for covenant disobedience (Leviticus 26:16; Deuteronomy 28:22). In these contexts, it is not a minor ailment but a serious symptom of divine judgment or national distress.
Its root likely relates to the concept of burning or glowing, emphasizing the physical reality of inflammation and heat. Translators typically render it as "fever" or "burning sickness," capturing the acute nature of the condition. Unlike broader terms for general illness, qaddachat points to a specific, painful bodily reaction that would have been immediately recognizable in ancient Near Eastern culture.
The scarcity of this word highlights its use as a precise medical descriptor within legal and prophetic texts. By naming it alongside other plagues like pestilence or drought, the biblical authors underscored the tangible, physical consequences of breaking covenant relationships. This specificity grounds theological warnings in real human suffering.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word qaddachat describes a fever, an intense burning heat that affects the whole body. In the Old Testament, it appears only twice, always listed among severe physical afflictions. These passages are part of warnings about what happens when people break their covenant with God. The imagery is stark: a sickness that consumes the eyes and makes the soul pine away.
For your faith life, this word reminds us that our bodies matter to God. He is not distant from physical pain. When Scripture names such specific suffering, it shows that spiritual realities have tangible effects on human health. We can bring our deepest fears about illness to Him, knowing He sees the reality of our struggle.
While these verses are warnings, they also point to our need for healing and restoration. In Christ, we find peace that transcends physical suffering. Even when our bodies feel like they are burning with fever, God’s presence offers a cool comfort. We trust in His care, not just for spiritual salvation, but for the wholeness of our entire being.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ with <the>/ fever1×
- <the>/ fever1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וּ/בַ/קַּדַּ֜חַת1×
- הַ/קַּדַּ֔חַת1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 26:16
I also will do this to you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall consume the eyes, and make the soul to pine away. You will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it.
This verse links fever directly to 'terror' and 'consumption,' showing how physical sickness can accompany spiritual distress and anxiety in the context of covenant failure.
-
Deuteronomy 28:22
Yahweh will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with fiery heat, with the sword, with blight, and with mildew. They will pursue you until you perish.
Here, fever is grouped with 'fiery heat' and 'inflammation,' emphasizing the intense, burning nature of the affliction as a tangible consequence of disobedience.