What does קָשָׁה (qāšāh) mean in the Bible?
קָשָׁה (qāšāh): Describes hardness as density or rigidity—physical, moral, or relational—from obstinate resistance to severe cruelty.
Hebrew · H7185
קָשָׁה
קָשָׁה (qāšāh): Describes hardness as density or rigidity—physical, moral, or relational—from obstinate resistance to severe cruelty.
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קָשָׁהH7185
Pronunciationqāšāh
What does קָשָׁה (qāšāh) mean in the Bible?
Full entry for קָשָׁה (H7185) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7185?
The BSB source-word alignment has 28 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include but they stiffened (2), put a heavy (2), They stiffened (2), a difficult thing (1), and stiff-necked (1).
Where does קָשָׁה (qāšāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 35:16. Its strongest book concentrations include Deuteronomy (4), 2 Chronicles (3), Genesis (3), Jeremiah (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itbut they stiffened2×Jeremiah 7:26, Jeremiah 17:23
put a heavy2×1 Kings 12:4, 2 Chronicles 10:4
They stiffened2×Nehemiah 9:17, Nehemiah 9:29
a difficult thing1×2 Kings 2:10
and stiff-necked1×Nehemiah 9:16
and stiffen1×Deuteronomy 10:16
and they stiffened1×2 Kings 17:14
as a hardship1×Deuteronomy 15:18
But [Zedekiah] stiffened1×2 Chronicles 36:13
but he who hardens1×Proverbs 28:14
dejected1×Isaiah 8:21
harden1×Psalms 95:8
has resisted1×Job 9:4
her severe1×Genesis 35:17
is heavy1×1 Samuel 5:7
it is cruel1×Genesis 49:7
remains stiff-necked1×Proverbs 29:1
spoke more fiercely1×2 Samuel 19:43
stiffen1×2 Chronicles 30:8
stubborn1×Deuteronomy 2:30
stubbornly refused1×Exodus 13:15
they have stiffened1×Jeremiah 19:15
too difficult1×Deuteronomy 1:17
was difficult1×Genesis 35:16
will harden1×Exodus 7:3
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 35:16וַתְּקַ֥שׁtowas difficultConjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularGenesis 35:17בְהַקְשֹׁתָ֖הּtoher severePreposition-b | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singularGenesis 49:7קָשָׁ֑תָהtoit is cruelVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singularExodus 7:3אַקְשֶׁ֖הtowill hardenVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singularExodus 13:15הִקְשָׁ֣הtostubbornly refusedVerb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singularDeuteronomy 1:17יִקְשֶׁ֣הtotoo difficultVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularDeuteronomy 2:30הִקְשָׁה֩tostubbornVerb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singularDeuteronomy 10:16תַקְשׁ֖וּtoand stiffenVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralDeuteronomy 15:18יִקְשֶׁ֣הtoas a hardshipVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular1 Samuel 5:7קָשְׁתָ֤הtois heavyVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 35:16
Aligned rows28
Books represented14
Genesis3Exodus2Deuteronomy41 Samuel12 Samuel11 Kings12 Kings22 Chronicles3Nehemiah3Job1Psalms1Proverbs2Isaiah1Jeremiah3
Source forms
וַיַּקְשׁוּ֙4xway·yaq·šūNehemiah 9:16, Nehemiah 9:17, Jeremiah 7:26, Jeremiah 17:23
הִקְשָׁ֣ה3xhiq·šāhExodus 13:15, 1 Kings 12:4, 2 Chronicles 10:4
יִקְשֶׁ֣ה2xyiq·šehDeuteronomy 1:17, Deuteronomy 15:18
אַקְשֶׁ֖ה1x’aq·šehExodus 7:3
בְהַקְשֹׁתָ֖הּ1xḇə·haq·šō·ṯāhGenesis 35:17
הִקְשָׁה֩1xhiq·šāhDeuteronomy 2:30
הִקְשָׁ֥ה1xhiq·šāhJob 9:4
הִקְשׁ֖וּ1xhiq·šūNehemiah 9:29
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural5x2 Kings 17:14, Nehemiah 9:16, Nehemiah 9:17, Jeremiah 7:26
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular5xExodus 13:15, Deuteronomy 2:30, 1 Kings 12:4, 2 Chronicles 10:4
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural3xDeuteronomy 10:16, 2 Chronicles 30:8, Psalms 95:8
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural2xNehemiah 9:29, Jeremiah 19:15
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular2xDeuteronomy 1:17, Deuteronomy 15:18
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular2xGenesis 49:7, 1 Samuel 5:7
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular1x2 Chronicles 36:13
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular1xProverbs 28:14
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Describes hardness as density or rigidity—physical, moral, or relational—from obstinate resistance to severe cruelty.
Strong'sH7185
Lexical occurrences28 versesWord forms3 forms18 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Study linkExodus 7:1-7Source Gloss
properly, to be dense , i.e. tough or severe (in various applications)
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Describes hardness as density or rigidity—physical, moral, or relational—from obstinate resistance to severe cruelty.
properly, to be dense, i.e. tough or severe (in various applications) BDB: be hard Usage: be cruel, be fiercer, make grievous, be ((ask a), be in, have, seem, would) hard(-en, (labour), -ly, thing), be sore, (be, make) stiff(-en, (-necked)).
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 groups3Aligned forms18
Hiphilcausative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action13×
Perfect1Kgs 12:4 · 2Chr 10:4 · Deut 2:30 · Exod 13:15 · Job 9:4 · Jer 19:15 · Neh 9:29 · 2Kgs 2:108×
Jussive2Chr 30:8 · Ps 95:82×
ImperfectDeut 10:16 · Exod 7:32×
Participle activeProv 29:11×
Qalbasic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense4×
Perfect1Sam 5:7 · Gen 49:72×
ImperfectDeut 1:17 · Deut 15:182×
Niphalpassive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action1×
Participle activeIsa 8:211×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
God hardening Pharaoh's heart to resist divine commands
Severe or difficult childbirth labor causing physical distress
Stubborn refusal to heed correction or instruction
Stiffnecked resistance leading to sudden destruction
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 28 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
קָשָׁה is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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.