קָטַף (qa.taph)
qa.taph
to pluck
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb qataph means to pluck something off or out, such as twigs from a branch. It appears only twice in the Old Testament, both times within the book of Job. In these contexts, the word describes a specific physical action: removing small parts from a larger whole by pulling or cutting them away.
The most notable usage occurs in Job 18:16, where Bildad uses agricultural imagery to describe the fate of the wicked man. He says that light will be extinguished in his tent and his branches will not flourish because they are plucked off (qataph) by God’s breath. This vivid picture suggests a sudden, decisive removal of vitality or support, leaving the person exposed and barren.
The word’s root conveys a sense of sharp, immediate separation. It is not about gradual decay but about being stripped away. The rare occurrence of qataph in Scripture highlights how specific actions can carry heavy theological weight, illustrating divine judgment through simple, everyday farming imagery.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word qataph describes the simple, physical act of plucking something away, like twigs from a branch or herbs from the ground. In the Bible, this action often carries deeper meaning about how we relate to our surroundings and our source of strength. It reminds us that what we hold onto can be taken away if it is not rooted in something enduring.
When we face seasons where support seems to vanish suddenly, this word offers a sobering yet hopeful perspective. It encourages us to examine whether our security rests on fragile things or on God’s steady presence. Instead of clinging tightly to what might wither, we are invited to trust in the One who provides lasting sustenance.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- those/ [who] pluck off1×
- it is plucked off1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יִקָּטֵ֑ף1×
- הַ/קֹּטְפִ֣ים1×
Key Verses
-
Job 30:4
They pluck salt herbs by the bushes. The roots of the broom tree are their food.
This verse shows the word describing desperate people plucking wild herbs for survival, highlighting how scarcity drives humans to seek food in harsh places.
-
Job 8:12
While it is yet in its greenness, not cut down, it withers before any other reed.
Although the verb form varies slightly in translation, this context of a green tree withering before being cut down reflects the same theme of sudden removal and loss of vitality.