קָפָא (qa.pah)
qa.pah
to congeal; thickness
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb qaphah describes the physical process of thickening, condensing, or congealing into a dense state. It moves beyond simple gathering to imply a change in consistency, where loose elements become firm or solid through settling. This imagery captures the tangible transformation of matter from fluid to structured.
In Scripture, this word appears only four times, often highlighting divine power over creation’s physical laws. In Job 10:8, God uses it metaphorically to describe His formation of the speaker “like cheese,” emphasizing how He curdled and shaped human life from a formless state. Similarly, Zephaniah 1:17 employs the noun derived from this root to depict the severity of judgment, where wealth becomes as thick and heavy as mud that cannot save its owner.
The term’s force lies in its connection to density and weight. It suggests that what was once fluid or dispersed has now settled into a fixed, substantial reality. Translators often render it as “condense” or “curdle,” preserving the sense of material change rather than abstract movement.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word qaphah describes a physical change where loose elements settle into something solid and dense. In Exodus 15:8, it paints a picture of the Red Sea waters standing firm like ice or thick mud at God’s command. This image reminds us that the same power which shapes matter can also bring order to chaos in our lives.
We see this concept again in Job 10:10, where Job recalls being formed like curdled cheese. It is a humble reminder that our very existence is not random but carefully shaped by God’s hands. What feels formless or unstable often has a purposeful structure behind it.
When we face seasons of confusion, this word offers comfort. God does not leave us in a state of fluid uncertainty. He brings stability and meaning to the scattered parts of our lives, turning them into something substantial and real.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- who/ are thickening1×
- they congealed1×
- did you curdle?/ me1×
- and/ frost1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תַּקְפִּיאֵֽ/נִי\׃1×
- קָֽפְא֥וּ1×
- וְ/קִפָּאֽוֹן\׃1×
- הַ/קֹּֽפְאִים֙1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 15:8
With the blast of your nostrils, the waters were piled up. The floods stood upright as a heap. The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea.
This verse uses the verb to describe the miraculous solidification of sea waters, showing God's control over natural laws.
-
Job 10:10
Haven’t you poured me out like milk, and curdled me like cheese?
Here Job uses the imagery of curdling to express how intimately God formed his physical body from a fluid state.