קְצָפָה (qe.tsa.phah)
qe.tsa.phah
splinter
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun qetsafah describes the physical act of snapping or splintering, referring to something that has been broken into fragments. It appears only once in the Old Testament, found in Joel 1:7. In this context, it depicts a vineyard stripped bare, its branches shattered and scattered.
The word evokes the sharp, sudden noise and violence of wood breaking under pressure. Rather than suggesting slow decay, qetsafah implies a forceful rupture that leaves the object useless for its original purpose. The image is one of stark destruction, where the integrity of the plant is completely undone.
Translators typically render this term as "splintered" or "broken," highlighting the tangible damage done to the vineyard. This single usage underscores the severity of the judgment described in Joel, using a concrete image of physical ruin to convey spiritual and agricultural loss.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word qetsafah describes a sudden, violent break—a splintering that leaves wood useless for its original purpose. In Joel 1:7, it paints a picture of a vineyard stripped bare, its branches shattered and scattered by force. This is not slow decay but a sharp rupture, highlighting the severity of judgment through concrete physical ruin.
When life feels like it is falling apart, this image reminds us that God sees the depth of our pain. The brokenness described here is real, yet it is held within a narrative where restoration follows destruction. Your struggles are known to Him, even when they feel as final as splintered wood.
May you find comfort in knowing that no fracture is too great for His care. He walks with us through the debris, bringing hope where there seems to be only loss. Trust in His presence, even in the broken places.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- into/ a stump1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לִ/קְצָפָ֑ה1×
Key Verses
-
Joel 1:7
He has laid my vine waste, and stripped my fig tree. He has stripped its bark, and thrown it away. Its branches are made white.
The term qetsafah appears here as 'branches are made white,' describing the violent splintering of the vine that leaves it stripped and useless.