What does קָדַם mean in the Bible?
Meeting or coming before describes an encounter or an action that precedes another. The surrounding words tell whether the approach brings welcome, worship, danger or an earlier time of prayer.
Hebrew · H6923
קָדַם
Meeting or coming before describes an encounter or an action that precedes another. The surrounding words tell whether the approach brings welcome, worship, danger or an earlier time of prayer.
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קָדַםH6923
What does קָדַם mean in the Bible?
Reader summary
Full entry for קָדַם (H6923) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6923?
The BSB source-word alignment has 26 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include confronted me (2), He will not come before it (2), meet (2), They confronted me (2), anticipate (1).
Where does קָדַם appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Deuteronomy 23:4. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (12), Job (3), 2 Samuel (2), Isaiah (2).
What This Word Actually Means
Meeting or coming before describes an encounter or an action that precedes another. The surrounding words tell whether the approach brings welcome, worship, danger or an earlier time of prayer. Psalm 95:2 invites worshipers to come before the Lord with thanksgiving. Deuteronomy 23:4 recalls Ammon and Moab's failure to meet Israel with food and water, alongside their hiring of Balaam.
Psalm 119:147 describes rising before dawn to cry for help while hoping in God's word. These uses cannot all be explained as greeting someone warmly. They concern entering a presence, a withheld welcome and temporal anticipation. A reader should identify who approaches whom, what is offered or refused and whether the sentence concerns an encounter or timing.
The passage, rather than the verb alone, supplies the moral significance of coming first or meeting another.
Passage contextPastoral application
How the Bible Uses It
Thanksgiving before the Lord, Israel's recollection of withheld food and water, and prayer before dawn give the verb different relational and temporal settings. Encounter and priority must be interpreted from their objects.
- Ps.95.2
Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him in song.
The invitation to enter God's presence with thanksgiving leads into praise of His greatness as King; coming before Him belongs to the psalm's corporate worship.
- Deut.23.4
For they did not meet you with food and water on your way out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim to curse you.
The stated lack of food and water and the hiring of Balaam explain this covenant-history judgment; the verse does not establish a modern ethnic hierarchy.
- Ps.119.147
I rise before dawn and cry for help; in Your word I have put my hope.
The worshiper's rising before dawn expresses urgent prayer and hope in God's word, not a command fixing every believer's prayer schedule.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itconfronted me2×2 Samuel 22:6, Psalms 18:5
He will not come before it2×2 Kings 19:32, Isaiah 37:33
meet2×Deuteronomy 23:4, Isaiah 21:14
They confronted me2×2 Samuel 22:19, Psalms 18:18
anticipate1×Psalms 119:148
come1×Psalms 79:8
comes before You1×Psalms 88:13
confront1×Psalms 17:13
confront me1×Job 30:27
go1×Psalms 89:14
has given to Me1×Job 41:11
I rise1×Psalms 119:147
I was so quick1×Jonah 4:2
lead the way1×Psalms 68:25
Let us enter1×Psalms 95:2
met1×Nehemiah 13:2
or confront1×Amos 9:10
shall I come before1×Micah 6:6
Should I come to Him1×Micah 6:6
to receive me1×Job 3:12
will come to meet me1×Psalms 59:10
You welcomed him1×Psalms 21:3
Show sample aligned rows
Deuteronomy 23:4קִדְּמ֤וּtomeetVerb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural2 Samuel 22:6קִדְּמֻ֖נִיtoconfronted meVerb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural | first person common singular2 Samuel 22:19יְקַדְּמֻ֖נִיtoThey confronted meVerb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | first person common singular2 Kings 19:32יְקַדְּמֶ֣נָּהtoHe will not come before itVerb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singularNehemiah 13:2קִדְּמ֛וּtometVerb - Piel - Perfect - third person common pluralJob 3:12קִדְּמ֣וּנִיtoto receive meVerb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural | first person common singularJob 30:27קִדְּמֻ֥נִיtoconfront meVerb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural | first person common singularJob 41:11הִ֭קְדִּימַנִיtohas given to MeVerb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singularPsalms 17:13קַדְּמָ֣הtoconfrontVerb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singularPsalms 18:5קִ֝דְּמ֗וּנִיtoconfronted meVerb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural | first person common singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowDeuteronomy 23:4
Aligned rows26
Books represented10
Deuteronomy12 Samuel22 Kings1Nehemiah1Job3Psalms12Isaiah2Amos1Jonah1Micah2
Source forms
יְקַדְּמֶ֣נָּה2xyə·qad·də·men·nāh2 Kings 19:32, Isaiah 37:33
קִדְּמ֣וּ2xqid·də·mūPsalms 68:25, Psalms 119:148
אֲקַדֵּ֣ם1x’ă·qad·dêmMicah 6:6
הַאֲקַדְּמֶ֣נּוּ1xha·’ă·qad·də·men·nūMicah 6:6
הִ֭קְדִּימַנִי1xhiq·dî·ma·nîJob 41:11
וְתַקְדִּ֛ים1xwə·ṯaq·dîmAmos 9:10
יְֽקַדְּמ֥וּ1xyə·qad·də·mūPsalms 89:14
יְקַדְּמ֣וּנוּ1xyə·qad·də·mū·nūPsalms 79:8
Parsing patterns
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural5xDeuteronomy 23:4, Nehemiah 13:2, Psalms 68:25, Psalms 119:148
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural | first person common singular4x2 Samuel 22:6, Job 3:12, Job 30:27, Psalms 18:5
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | first person common singular2x2 Samuel 22:19, Psalms 18:18
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular2x2 Kings 19:32, Isaiah 37:33
Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular2xPsalms 119:147, Jonah 4:2
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine singular1xAmos 9:10
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular1xJob 41:11
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular1xPsalms 17:13
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Consider the provision or burden an encounter brings, rather than praising initiative without examining its purpose.
- Encourage prayer within actual responsibilities and limits, avoiding comparisons that rank people by their available hours.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim every meeting is favorable; Job 30:27 describes days of affliction confronting the speaker.
- Do not claim God requires all prayer before dawn; Psalm 119:147 reports the worshiper's practice rather than legislating a schedule.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. to project (one self), i.e. precede ; hence, to anticipate , hasten , meet (usually for help)
Source Gloss
to project (one self), i.e. precede ; hence, to anticipate , hasten , meet (usually for help)
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
to project (one self), i.e. precede; hence, to anticipate, hasten, meet (usually for help) BDB: come Usage: come (go, (flee)) before, disappoint, meet, prevent.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups1Aligned forms10
Pielintensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action10×
PerfectDeut 23:5 · Isa 21:14 · Neh 13:2 · Ps 68:26 · Ps 119:148 · Jonah 4:2 · Ps 119:1477×
ImperfectMic 6:6 · Ps 89:152×
CohortativePs 95:21×
Word Origins
קָדַם is a primitive root - no further derivation.
For the Preacher and Teacher
The failure to meet Israel with food and water is remembered as a concrete action in Deuteronomy's covenant history. It should not be blurred into an undefined dislike of outsiders or transferred into a modern claim of ethnic superiority. Psalm 95 gives approaching another a different object: worshipers come before the Lord with thanksgiving because He is the great King.
Psalm 119 uses priority in time to describe prayerful longing. Those actions share a broad word family but not one uniform motive or obligation. Job's report that days of affliction confront him further shows that what meets someone may be painful rather than welcome. Teachers should let each encounter keep its character. Practical encouragement can include considering what a neighbor needs and making room for prayer, without turning one ancient judgment or one worshiper's schedule into a compulsory rule.
Anchor passage
Ps.95.2
Doctrinal connections
- Psalm 95:1-3 places coming before the Lord within corporate thanksgiving and praise of His kingship.
- Deuteronomy 23:3-6 supplies the covenant-history grounds of withheld provision and hired opposition for its stated judgment.
- Psalm 119:146-149 joins prayer before dawn with hope in God's word and meditation during the night watches.
- Job 30:26-28 describes days of affliction confronting the speaker, showing an encounter that brings distress rather than welcome.
- Psalm 119:148 describes eyes anticipating the night watches for meditation, reinforcing the passage's temporal use.
- Hebrews 10:23-25 encourages thoughtful attention to others and mutual encouragement, a thematic comparison rather than a quotation of this Hebrew verb.
The verb may concern an encounter or temporal precedence. Its object can be God's presence, people on a journey or approaching distress; none of those settings makes priority inherently virtuous or guarantees a favorable meeting.
From Old to New Testament
The Hebrew passages describe thanksgiving, withheld hospitality and prayer that precedes dawn. Hebrews 10:23-25 asks believers to consider one another and encourage love and good deeds. This thematic comparison supports attentive mutual care without claiming a shared lexical identity, imposing a prayer clock or transferring Deuteronomy's specific covenant judgment into present ethnic exclusion.
Passage contextCanonical parallelPastoral application