What does קָשֶׁה · עֹרֶף mean in the Bible?
קָשֶׁה · עֹרֶף: Denotes obstinate resistance to authority, whether through hard-heartedness, stiff-neckedness, or cruel inflexibility.
Hebrew · H7186, H6203
קָשֶׁה
Severe (in various applications) · the nape or back of the neck (as declining ); hence, the back generally (whether literal or figurative)
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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant
קָשֶׁה H7186 severe (in various applications)
Pronunciation qāšeh
Resistance or rigidity—physical hardness, emotional obstinacy, or relational harshness—unified by inflexibility.
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עֹרֶף H6203 the nape or back of the neck (as declining ); hence, the back generally (whether literal or figurative)
What does קָשֶׁה (qesheh-oref) mean in the Bible?
קָשֶׁה · עֹרֶף: Denotes obstinate resistance to authority, whether through hard-heartedness, stiff-neckedness, or cruel inflexibility.
Full entry for קָשֶׁה (H7186, H6203) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How many biblical occurrences are listed for H7186, H6203?
H7186, H6203 is connected to 69 lexical occurrence verses in the lexicon data.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew phrase. Denotes obstinate resistance to authority, whether through hard-heartedness, stiff-neckedness, or cruel inflexibility.
Source Gloss
severe (in various applications)
Extended definition
Denotes obstinate resistance to authority, whether through hard-heartedness, stiff-neckedness, or cruel inflexibility.
churlish, cruel, grievous, hard((-hearted), thing), heavy, impudent, obstinate, prevailed, rough(-ly), sore, sorrowful, stiff(necked), stubborn, in trouble.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Sampled Scripture Occurrences
Representative Scripture witnesses for this entry: passage, original form, and sense in context.
Old Testament Witnesses
Hard-necked, resistant to guidance.
Word Origins
קָשֶׁה is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
The term captures Israel’s persistent resistance, magnifying the depth of divine patience and mercy. Nehemiah 9:6-38
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