Lexical Summary kosharah: Success, prosperity, suitability Original Word: כּוֹשָׁרָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance prosperity, freedom From kasher; prosperity; in plural freedom: see HEBREW kasher NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom kasher Definition prosperity NASB Translation prosperity (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [כּוֺשָׁרָה] noun feminine prosperity (compare  id.). Only plural intensive בַּכּוֺשָׁר֑וֺת Psalm 68:7 he bringeth out captives into prosperity. Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrence Psalm 68:6 records the sole appearance of כּוֹשָׁרָה. The psalm celebrates God’s march from Sinai to Zion, pausing to reflect on His care for the vulnerable: “God settles the lonely in families; He leads the prisoners out into prosperity, but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land” (Psalm 68:6). Concept and Sense in Context While the verse contrasts God’s kindness toward the faithful with the barrenness awaiting rebels, כּוֹשָׁרָה portrays more than release from confinement. It signals the well-ordered flourishing that follows divine intervention. The image moves from mere freedom to a state of wholeness, stability, and fruitfulness—captives become contributors, exiles become household members, and scarcity yields to abundance. Divine Deliverance Pattern 1. Exodus motif: The Lord who “brought you out of the land of Egypt” (Exodus 20:2) did not stop at liberation; He guided Israel toward “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:17). כּוֹשָׁרָה embodies that same trajectory from bondage to blessing. Theological Implications • God’s character: He is not content with alleviating distress; His goal is constructive good (Psalm 23:1-3, Jeremiah 29:11). New Testament Resonance Luke portrays Jesus reading Isaiah 61:1-2, declaring Himself anointed “to proclaim liberty to the captives” (Luke 4:18). His healings and teachings restore people not merely to freedom but to kingdom usefulness (Mark 5:18-20, John 10:10). Paul captures the same movement—“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1)—a freedom intended for fruitful service (Galatians 5:13). Ministry Applications • Prison and re-entry ministry: כּוֹשָׁרָה encourages programs that pair release with discipleship, employment training, and church integration. Homiletic and Devotional Use When teaching Psalm 68, emphasize the journey motif: from isolation to community, captivity to prosperity, desert to inheritance. Encourage believers to trust God’s complete work, pray for the full redemption of broken situations, and participate in extending כּוֹשָׁרָה to others. Related Terms and Passages for Study Shalom (Isaiah 32:18), Tob (“goodness”) in Psalm 107:9, and Yeshua (“salvation”) in Psalm 68:19 provide complementary angles on God’s expansive deliverance. Summary כוֹשָׁרָה encapsulates God’s redemptive aim: rescued people prospering under His righteous rule. Its single appearance in Scripture serves as a vivid reminder that divine salvation is never partial but is designed to restore individuals and communities to fruitful, God-centered living. Forms and Transliterations בַּכּוֹשָׁר֑וֹת בכושרות bak·kō·wō·šā·rō·wṯ bakkoshaRot bakkōwōšārōwṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 68:6 HEB: מוֹצִ֣יא אֲ֭סִירִים בַּכּוֹשָׁר֑וֹת אַ֥ךְ ס֝וֹרֲרִ֗ים NAS: out the prisoners into prosperity, Only KJV: those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious INT: leads the prisoners prosperity Only the rebellious 1 Occurrence |
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