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)
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כּוֹסH3563
Pronunciationkwōs
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 Itthe cup12×Genesis 40:11, Genesis 40:21, Psalms 116:13, Isaiah 51:17
cup6×Genesis 40:11, Genesis 40:13, Jeremiah 25:15, Jeremiah 51:7
a cup2×Psalms 75:8, Jeremiah 16:7
of a cup2×1 Kings 7:26, 2 Chronicles 4:5
the little owl2×Leviticus 11:17, Deuteronomy 14:16
. . .1×Psalms 11:6
and [some] cups1×Jeremiah 35:5
and my cup1×Psalms 16:5
from his cup1×2 Samuel 12:3
her cup1×Ezekiel 23:31
like an owl1×Psalms 102:6
my cup1×Psalms 23:5
with a cup1×Ezekiel 23:33
Yet the cup1×Lamentations 4:21
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 40:11וְכ֥וֹסtocupConjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular constructGenesis 40:11כּ֣וֹסtocupNoun - feminine singular constructGenesis 40:11הַכּ֖וֹסtothe cupArticle | Noun - feminine singularGenesis 40:13כוֹס־tocupNoun - feminine singular constructGenesis 40:21הַכּ֖וֹסtothe cupArticle | Noun - feminine singularLeviticus 11:17הַכּ֥וֹסtothe little owlArticle | Noun - masculine singularDeuteronomy 14:16הַכּ֥וֹסtothe little owlArticle | Noun - masculine singular2 Samuel 12:3וּמִכֹּס֤וֹtofrom his cupConjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular1 Kings 7:26כּ֖וֹסtoof a cupNoun - feminine singular2 Chronicles 4:5כּ֔וֹסtoof a cupNoun - feminine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 40:11
Aligned rows33
Books represented12
Genesis5Leviticus1Deuteronomy12 Samuel11 Kings12 Chronicles1Psalms6Isaiah4Jeremiah7Lamentations1Ezekiel4Habakkuk1
Source forms
כּ֣וֹס5xkō·wsGenesis 40:11, Isaiah 51:17, Isaiah 51:22, Jeremiah 16:7
הַכּ֖וֹס3xhak·kō·wsGenesis 40:11, Genesis 40:21, Jeremiah 25:17
הַכּ֥וֹס3xhak·kō·wsLeviticus 11:17, Deuteronomy 14:16, Jeremiah 25:28
כּ֖וֹס2xkō·ws1 Kings 7:26, Ezekiel 23:33
כּ֔וֹס2xkō·ws2 Chronicles 4:5, Lamentations 4:21
כּ֚וֹס2xkō·wsEzekiel 23:33, Habakkuk 2:16
כּוֹס־2xkō·ws-Psalms 116:13, Jeremiah 51:7
הַכּוֹס֙1xhak·kō·wsJeremiah 49:12
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular construct14xGenesis 40:11, Genesis 40:13, Psalms 116:13, Isaiah 51:17
Article | Noun - feminine singular5xGenesis 40:11, Genesis 40:21, Jeremiah 25:17, Jeremiah 25:28
Noun - feminine singular4x1 Kings 7:26, 2 Chronicles 4:5, Psalms 75:8, Lamentations 4:21
Article | Noun - masculine singular2xLeviticus 11:17, Deuteronomy 14:16
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural1xJeremiah 35:5
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct1xGenesis 40:11
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular1xPsalms 16:5
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular1x2 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 definitionSource: 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.