What does כּוֹס (kwōs) mean in the Bible?
כּוֹס (kwōs): Cup moves from literal vessel to figurative fate or divine allotment—what one must drink or endure.
Hebrew · H3563
כּוֹס
A cup (as a container), often figuratively, a lot (as if a potion); also some unclean bird, probably an owl (perhaps from the cup-like cavity of its eye)
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
כּוֹס H3563
Pronunciation kwōs
What does כּוֹס (kwōs) mean in the Bible?
כּוֹס (kwōs): Cup moves from literal vessel to figurative fate or divine allotment—what one must drink or endure.
Full entry for כּוֹס (H3563) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3563?
The BSB source-word alignment has 33 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the cup (12), cup (6), a cup (2), of a cup (2), the little owl (2).
Where does כּוֹס (kwōs) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 40:11. Its strongest book concentrations include Jeremiah (7), Psalms (6), Genesis (5), Ezekiel (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 It the cup 12× Genesis 40:11, Genesis 40:21, Psalms 116:13, Isaiah 51:17
cup 6× Genesis 40:11, Genesis 40:13, Jeremiah 25:15, Jeremiah 51:7
a cup 2× Psalms 75:8, Jeremiah 16:7
of a cup 2× 1 Kings 7:26, 2 Chronicles 4:5
the little owl 2× Leviticus 11:17, Deuteronomy 14:16
. . . 1× Psalms 11:6
and [some] cups 1× Jeremiah 35:5
and my cup 1× Psalms 16:5
from his cup 1× 2 Samuel 12:3
her cup 1× Ezekiel 23:31
like an owl 1× Psalms 102:6
my cup 1× Psalms 23:5
with a cup 1× Ezekiel 23:33
Yet the cup 1× Lamentations 4:21
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 40:11 וְכ֥וֹס to cup Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct Genesis 40:11 כּ֣וֹס to cup Noun - feminine singular construct Genesis 40:11 הַכּ֖וֹס to the cup Article | Noun - feminine singular Genesis 40:13 כוֹס־ to cup Noun - feminine singular construct Genesis 40:21 הַכּ֖וֹס to the cup Article | Noun - feminine singular Leviticus 11:17 הַכּ֥וֹס to the little owl Article | Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 14:16 הַכּ֥וֹס to the little owl Article | Noun - masculine singular 2 Samuel 12:3 וּמִכֹּס֤וֹ to from his cup Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular 1 Kings 7:26 כּ֖וֹס to of a cup Noun - feminine singular 2 Chronicles 4:5 כּ֔וֹס to of a cup Noun - feminine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 40:11
Aligned rows 33
Books represented 12
Genesis 5 Leviticus 1 Deuteronomy 1 2 Samuel 1 1 Kings 1 2 Chronicles 1 Psalms 6 Isaiah 4 Jeremiah 7 Lamentations 1 Ezekiel 4 Habakkuk 1
Source forms
כּ֣וֹס 5x kō·ws Genesis 40:11, Isaiah 51:17, Isaiah 51:22, Jeremiah 16:7
הַכּ֖וֹס 3x hak·kō·ws Genesis 40:11, Genesis 40:21, Jeremiah 25:17
הַכּ֥וֹס 3x hak·kō·ws Leviticus 11:17, Deuteronomy 14:16, Jeremiah 25:28
כּ֖וֹס 2x kō·ws 1 Kings 7:26, Ezekiel 23:33
כּ֔וֹס 2x kō·ws 2 Chronicles 4:5, Lamentations 4:21
כּ֚וֹס 2x kō·ws Ezekiel 23:33, Habakkuk 2:16
כּוֹס־ 2x kō·ws- Psalms 116:13, Jeremiah 51:7
הַכּוֹס֙ 1x hak·kō·ws Jeremiah 49:12
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular construct 14x Genesis 40:11, Genesis 40:13, Psalms 116:13, Isaiah 51:17
Article | Noun - feminine singular 5x Genesis 40:11, Genesis 40:21, Jeremiah 25:17, Jeremiah 25:28
Noun - feminine singular 4x 1 Kings 7:26, 2 Chronicles 4:5, Psalms 75:8, Lamentations 4:21
Article | Noun - masculine singular 2x Leviticus 11:17, Deuteronomy 14:16
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural 1x Jeremiah 35:5
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct 1x Genesis 40:11
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular 1x Psalms 16:5
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular 1x 2 Samuel 12:3
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Cup moves from literal vessel to figurative fate or divine allotment—what one must drink or endure.
Source Gloss
a cup (as a container), often figuratively, a lot (as if a potion); also some unclean bird, probably an owl (perhaps from the cup-like cavity of its eye)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Cup moves from literal vessel to figurative fate or divine allotment—what one must drink or endure.
a cup (as a container), often figuratively, a lot (as if a potion); also some unclean bird, probably an owl (perhaps from the cup-like cavity of its eye) BDB: owl Usage: cup, (small) owl. Compare 3599.
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 cup as a container, used as object in narrative plot
Figurative cup representing divine judgment and suffering to be consumed
Metaphorical cup of God's wrath and judgment passed among nations
Figurative cup denoting one's appointed lot or portion of divine judgment
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 34 lexical occurrence verses.
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.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain