קָצָה (qa.tsah)
qa.tsah
to cut off
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb qatsah means to cut off or sever something from a whole. In the Old Testament it appears in five verses, primarily within Leviticus, Proverbs, and II Kings. Its basic sense is physical removal, whether cutting away a limb or separating a group of people.
The word shifts slightly depending on its grammatical form. The Qal and Piel stems both convey the idea of cutting off, often in contexts of judgment or exclusion. In the Hiphil stem, however, the meaning becomes more specific: to scrape or scrape off a surface. This nuance suggests removing something adhered to, like dirt or residue, rather than severing a connected part.
Translators typically render qatsah as "cut off" when it refers to people or nations, emphasizing finality and separation. For example, in Leviticus 18:29, those who commit certain acts are said to be cut off from their people. In Proverbs 15:25, the Lord tears down the house of the proud but establishes the boundary of the widow, implying a cutting away of obstruction. The word carries weight not just as an action, but as a decisive act of removal.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word qatsah describes a decisive act of removal. It appears in contexts ranging from physical cleaning to national judgment. When used for people, it signals a final separation. This weight reminds us that actions have lasting consequences and that God values holiness.
In daily life, this concept invites reflection on what we allow to remain in our hearts or homes. Just as a house required scraping to remove decay, our lives benefit from honest self-examination. We are called to remove what harms our relationship with God and others.
While the word carries severity, it also points to restoration. Removing the old makes way for the new. This process is not about punishment alone but about creating space for purity. It encourages us to trust God’s wisdom in distinguishing between what stays and what must go.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to/ cut off1×
- they have scraped off1×
- has scraped1×
- by cutting off1×
- [one who] cuts off1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- קְצוֹת\־1×
- מְקַצֶּ֣ה1×
- לְ/קַצּ֖וֹת1×
- הִקְצ֥וֹת1×
- הִקְצ֔וּ1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 14:41
He shall cause the inside of the house to be scraped all over. They shall pour out the mortar that they scraped off outside of the city into an unclean place.
This verse uses the Hiphil stem to describe scraping off mortar, showing a specific physical removal of residue rather than severing a limb.
-
II Kings 10:32
In those days Yahweh began to cut away parts of Israel; and Hazael struck them in all the borders of Israel
Here the word describes Yahweh cutting away parts of Israel, illustrating national judgment and territorial loss as a form of divine separation.
-
Proverbs 26:6
One who sends a message by the hand of a fool is cutting off feet and drinking violence.
The metaphor of cutting off feet highlights the futility and self-harm involved in using an unreliable person to deliver a message.