קָשָׁה (qa.shah)
qa.shah
to harden
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 27 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The verb qashah describes something that is dense, tough, or severe in nature. In its basic sense, it refers to physical hardness, such as difficult labor for a woman in childbirth (Genesis 35:16) or a burdensome yoke imposed by a king (2 Kings 12:4). It also characterizes situations that are hard to manage, like the weighty responsibilities assigned to judges in Deuteronomy 1:17.
The word carries significant theological weight when used metaphorically for human stubbornness. In the Hiphil stem, it means to make something stiff or unyielding. This is most famously seen in Exodus 7:3, where God declares He will harden Pharaoh’s heart to demonstrate His power. The same concept appears in Deuteronomy 2:30 and Jeremiah 7:26, describing a people who refuse to listen despite repeated warnings.
Translators often render this word as "harden," "severe," or "difficult" depending on context. The underlying image is one of resistance—whether it is the physical difficulty of birth, the social burden of oppression, or the spiritual rigidity of a heart that will not bend to divine instruction.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word qashah describes a state of being tough, dense, or unyielding. We see this in physical realities like the severe pain of childbirth or the heavy yoke placed on laborers. It also captures the weight of difficult judgments that judges must weigh with care. In these contexts, the word highlights the genuine friction and resistance we encounter in a fallen world.
More deeply, qashah describes the human heart when it resists God’s gentle guidance. When Scripture speaks of a hardened heart, it is not describing a static object but a posture of stubborn refusal to listen. This rigidity creates distance between us and the Creator, turning away from wisdom and into trouble.
Yet there is hope in this tension. The same God who allows hard circumstances also offers the grace to soften our own resistance. We are invited to lay down our stiff-necked pride and yield to His leading. This shift from hardness to receptivity is where true peace begins, allowing us to walk in step with divine instruction rather than against it.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 27 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ they stiffened5×
- you harden2×
- it is hard2×
- he made hard2×
- you will make stiff1×
- you have made difficult1×
- when/ had difficulties/ she1×
- they stiffened1×
- they have stiffened1×
- it will be hard1×
- it will be [too] hard1×
- he made stubborn1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וַ/יַּקְשׁוּ֙4×
- הִקְשָׁ֣ה3×
- יִקְשֶׁ֣ה2×
- תַּקְשׁ֥וּ1×
- תַּקְשׁ֣וּ1×
- תַקְשׁ֖וּ1×
- קָשָׁ֑תָה1×
- קָשְׁתָ֤ה1×
- נִקְשֶׁ֣ה1×
- מַקְשֶׁה\־1×
- וּ/מַקְשֶׁ֥ה1×
- וַ/תְּקַ֥שׁ1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 7:3
I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
This verse establishes the theological weight of the word by showing God using hardness to reveal His power through Pharaoh's resistance.
-
Genesis 35:16
They traveled from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel travailed. She had hard labor.
Here the word describes the physical severity of childbirth, grounding the metaphor in real human suffering and vulnerability.
-
Proverbs 28:14
Blessed is the man who always fears; but one who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
This proverb contrasts the blessed life of reverence with the trouble that comes from actively hardening one's heart against correction.
-
Deuteronomy 10:16
Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.
The call to circumcise the heart is a direct appeal to remove the spiritual stiffness described by this verb.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does qashah mean in the Bible?
Who hardened Pharaoh's heart in Exodus?
How is qashah different from other words for stubbornness?
Every Occurrence (27 verses across 13 books)
Genesis 3 verses
They traveled from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel travailed. She had hard labor.
Genesis 35:17When she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for now you will have another son.”
Genesis 49:7Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter…