קִטֵּר (qit.ter)
qit.ter
incense
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun qittēr refers to incense, specifically the aromatic resin burned as an offering. In the Hebrew Bible, this substance was prized for its sweet smoke and was central to temple worship, where it served as a fragrant gift to God.
Its occurrence is remarkably limited, appearing only once in Jeremiah 44:21. Here, the prophet recalls how the incense burned by the people of Judah and Jerusalem contributed to their downfall, linking the physical act of burning spices with spiritual rebellion. This single usage highlights the word’s weight as a symbol of covenant relationship, whether kept or broken.
While often associated with the holy rituals of the Tabernacle, qittēr in this context serves as a historical marker of failed devotion. The text uses it to illustrate how religious practices, when divorced from obedience, become evidence of judgment rather than blessing.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word qittēr refers to incense, that fragrant resin burned in ancient worship. In Jeremiah 44:21, this scent becomes a heavy reminder of broken promises. The people offered beautiful smoke, yet their hearts had turned away from God’s ways. This shows us that rituals alone cannot replace genuine obedience and love.
For your faith today, this word invites honest self-examination. Are our prayers and acts of worship just empty habits, or do they flow from a heart that truly seeks God? True devotion is not about the outward show but the inward reality of our relationship with Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ incense1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/קִּטֵּ֗ר1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 44:21
“The incense that you burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, didn’t Yahweh remember them, and didn’t it come into his mind?
This verse uniquely links the physical act of burning incense to spiritual rebellion, showing how religious rituals became evidence of judgment when divorced from obedience.