קִיטוֹר (qi.tor)
qi.tor
smoke
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun qiṭôr refers to dense, heavy smoke, specifically the kind that rises from a fire or furnace. It is not used for light mist or gentle vapor, but rather for the thick, obscuring clouds that signal intense heat and activity. This word appears only three times in the Old Testament, giving it a concentrated and vivid presence in the biblical text.
In Genesis 15:17, qiṭôr describes the smoking firepot that passes between the divided animals as part of God’s covenant with Abram. Here, the thick smoke visually represents the divine presence moving through the ritual, marking a solemn and terrifying encounter. The imagery connects the physical reality of burning sacrifice with the weight of a sacred promise.
The term also appears in Psalm 18:8 and Psalm 104:32 to depict God’s powerful intervention. In these psalms, smoke rises from His nostrils as He responds to distress or looks upon the earth, emphasizing His majesty and overwhelming force. Translators often render it simply as "smoke," but the Hebrew carries a sense of density and intensity that underscores the dramatic nature of these divine manifestations.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When the Bible speaks of smoke, it is rarely describing a gentle mist. The Hebrew word qiṭôr points to thick, heavy clouds that obscure vision and signal intense heat. This imagery appears in moments of profound divine encounter, reminding us that God’s presence is both majestic and overwhelming.
In Genesis 15, smoke rises from a firepot as part of a covenant with Abram. It marks a solemn promise where God alone passes between the divided animals, taking full responsibility for the agreement. This scene shows that even when we cannot see clearly, God’s faithfulness remains solid and unbreakable.
Later, in the Psalms, this same word describes smoke rising from God’s nostrils as He responds to distress. It is not a sign of anger alone, but of powerful intervention on behalf of His people. When life feels like a furnace or when you feel dried up and hidden, remember that the same God who moves in thick smoke is also near to those who seek Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- like/ [the] smoke of1×
- in/ smoke1×
- and/ smoke1×
- [the] smoke of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- קִיטֹ֣ר1×
- כְּ/קִיטֹ֖ר1×
- וְ/קִיט֑וֹר1×
- בְּ/קִיט֑וֹר1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 19:28
He looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and saw that the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace.
This verse uses qiṭôr to compare the destruction of Sodom to a furnace, emphasizing the total and irreversible nature of God's judgment.
-
Psalms 119:83
For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke. I don’t forget your statutes.
Here the psalmist uses smoke as a metaphor for suffering and obscurity, yet maintains that his memory of God's statutes remains clear despite his distress.
-
Psalms 148:8
lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy wind, fulfilling his word,
This verse lists stormy winds and clouds among creation’s elements that fulfill God's word, showing how natural phenomena like smoke and wind serve His commands.