What does כּוֹכָב (kwōkāb) mean in the Bible?
כּוֹכָב (kwōkāb): Star's roundness and brilliance enable its figurative extension to princely power and authority
Hebrew · H3556
כּוֹכָב
A star (as round or as shining); figuratively, a prince
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כּוֹכָבH3556
Pronunciationkwōkāb
What does כּוֹכָב (kwōkāb) mean in the Bible?
כּוֹכָב (kwōkāb): Star's roundness and brilliance enable its figurative extension to princely power and authority
Full entry for כּוֹכָב (H3556) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3556?
The BSB source-word alignment has 37 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the stars (8), as the stars (6), stars (5), and stars (4), and the stars (4).
Where does כּוֹכָב (kwōkāb) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 1:16. Its strongest book concentrations include Genesis (5), Job (5), Deuteronomy (4), Psalms (4).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itthe stars8×Genesis 15:5, Judges 5:20, Nehemiah 4:21, Job 9:7
as the stars6×Genesis 26:4, Exodus 32:13, Deuteronomy 1:10, Deuteronomy 10:22
stars5×Genesis 37:9, Job 3:9, Job 22:12, Job 38:7
and stars4×Deuteronomy 4:19, Psalms 136:9, Ecclesiastes 12:2, Jeremiah 31:35
and the stars4×Job 25:5, Psalms 8:3, Joel 2:10, Joel 3:15
like the stars2×Genesis 22:17, Nehemiah 9:23
of the stars2×Psalms 147:4, Daniel 8:10
[will shine] like the stars1×Daniel 12:3
A star1×Numbers 24:17
more than the stars1×Nahum 3:16
the stars {as well}1×Genesis 1:16
their stars1×Ezekiel 32:7
your star1×Amos 5:26
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 1:16הַכּוֹכָבִֽים׃tothe stars {as well}Article | Noun - masculine pluralGenesis 15:5הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔יםtothe starsArticle | Noun - masculine pluralGenesis 22:17כְּכוֹכְבֵ֣יtolike the starsPreposition-k | Noun - masculine plural constructGenesis 26:4כְּכוֹכְבֵ֣יtoas the starsPreposition-k | Noun - masculine plural constructGenesis 37:9כּֽוֹכָבִ֔יםtostarsNoun - masculine pluralExodus 32:13כְּכוֹכְבֵ֖יtoas the starsPreposition-k | Noun - masculine plural constructNumbers 24:17כּוֹכָ֜בtoA starNoun - masculine singularDeuteronomy 1:10כְּכוֹכְבֵ֥יtoas the starsPreposition-k | Noun - masculine plural constructDeuteronomy 4:19הַכּֽוֹכָבִ֗יםtoand starsArticle | Noun - masculine pluralDeuteronomy 10:22כְּכוֹכְבֵ֥יtoas the starsPreposition-k | Noun - masculine plural construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 1:16
Aligned rows37
Books represented18
Genesis5Exodus1Numbers1Deuteronomy4Judges11 Chronicles1Nehemiah2Job5Psalms4Ecclesiastes1Isaiah3Jeremiah1Ezekiel1Daniel2Joel2Amos1Obadiah1Nahum1
Source forms
כְּכוֹכְבֵ֥י4xkə·ḵō·wḵ·ḇêDeuteronomy 1:10, Deuteronomy 10:22, Deuteronomy 28:62, 1 Chronicles 27:23
וְכוֹכָבִ֖ים3xwə·ḵō·w·ḵā·ḇîmJeremiah 31:35, Joel 2:10, Joel 3:15
הַכּוֹכָבִֽים׃2xhak·kō·w·ḵā·ḇîmGenesis 1:16, Nehemiah 4:21
וְ֝כוֹכָבִ֗ים2xwə·ḵō·w·ḵā·ḇîmJob 25:5, Psalms 8:3
כּוֹכָבִ֣ים2xkō·w·ḵā·ḇîmJob 9:7, Job 22:12
כְּכוֹכְבֵ֣י2xkə·ḵō·wḵ·ḇêGenesis 22:17, Genesis 26:4
בַּכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים1xbak·kō·w·ḵā·ḇîmIsaiah 47:13
הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים1xhak·kō·w·ḵā·ḇîmGenesis 15:5
Parsing patterns
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine plural construct8xGenesis 22:17, Genesis 26:4, Exodus 32:13, Deuteronomy 1:10
Article | Noun - masculine plural6xGenesis 1:16, Genesis 15:5, Deuteronomy 4:19, Judges 5:20
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural6xJob 25:5, Psalms 8:3, Psalms 136:9, Jeremiah 31:35
Noun - masculine plural4xGenesis 37:9, Job 9:7, Job 22:12, Obadiah 1:4
Noun - masculine plural construct4xJob 3:9, Job 38:7, Psalms 148:3, Isaiah 13:10
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural1xEcclesiastes 12:2
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural1xEzekiel 32:7
Noun - masculine singular1xNumbers 24:17
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Star's roundness and brilliance enable its figurative extension to princely power and authority
Source Gloss
a star (as round or as shining); figuratively, a prince
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Star's roundness and brilliance enable its figurative extension to princely power and authority
a star (as round or as shining); figuratively, a prince BDB: star Usage: star(-gazer).
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Literal celestial bodies used in comparison for innumerable multitude
Celestial objects that idolaters loved and served, objects of false worship
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 37 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
כּוֹכָב is built from these roots:
כַּבּוֹןH3522
כָּוָהH3554
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.