Lexical Summary kachash: lies, leanness Original Word: כַּחַשׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance leanness, lies, lying From kachash; literally, a failure of flesh, i.e. Emaciation; figuratively, hypocrisy -- leanness, lies, lying. see HEBREW kachash NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom kachash Definition lying, leanness NASB Translation leanness (1), lies (5). Brown-Driver-Briggs כַּ֫חַשׁ noun masculineJob 16:8 1 lying. 2 leanness; — absolute ׳כ Hosea 12:1 2t.; כָּ֑חַשׁ Hosea 10:13; suffix כַּחֲשִׁי Job 16:8; plural suffix כַּחֲשֵׁיהֶם Hosea 7:3; — 1 lying, אֲכַלְתֶּם ׳מְּרִי כ Hosea 10:13 ye have eaten the fruit of lying; Hosea 7:3 ("" רָעָה), Hosea 12:1; of Nineveh, מֶּרֶק מְלֵאָה ׳כ Nahum 3:1 of lying (and) robbery it is full; Psalm 59:13 ("" אָלָה). 2 of Job's affliction Job 16:8 my leanness hath risen up against me (compare Psalm 109:24; ᵑ7 J Genesis 41:27; Ecclesiastes 12:5; Talmud כחשׁא; > my lying, i.e. my affliction regarded as a lying witness, Di Buhl and others) Topical Lexicon Definition and Semantic RangeStrong’s Hebrew 3585 denotes “lies,” “falsehood,” “deceit,” or “deception,” springing from the idea of something that withers or disappoints. In usage it describes both the deliberately deceptive words of people and the spiritual barrenness that flows from such dishonesty. Old Testament Occurrences Job 16:8 – Job laments that his wasted body “has become a witness,” a poetic link between physical wasting and the moral decay conveyed by the term. Psalm 59:12 – David prays, “For the curses and lies they utter,” identifying false speech as a sin that calls down divine judgment. Hosea 7:3 – “They delight the king with their evil, the princes with their lies,” exposing a court culture sustained by deceit. Hosea 10:13 – “You have eaten the fruit of deception,” picturing lies as a poisoned harvest that follows wicked sowing. Hosea 11:12 – “Ephraim surrounds Me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit,” contrasting covenant faithfulness with national hypocrisy. Nahum 3:1 – Nineveh is condemned as “full of lies, full of plunder,” showing that deception undergirds systemic violence and oppression. Theological Themes Truth versus Falsehood From Eden onward Scripture frames lying as rebellion against God, “the God of truth” (Isaiah 65:16). Each appearance of 3585 sets deceit in opposition to covenant loyalty. Whether Israel’s political intrigue (Hosea) or Nineveh’s imperial propaganda (Nahum), falsehood corrodes relationship with God and neighbor. Moral Nemesis of Deceit Hosea 10:13 ties deception to inevitable recompense—people “eat” the very fruit they cultivated. Psalm 59:12 similarly expects the wicked to be caught by their own words. Deceit is portrayed not merely as speech but as a seed that guarantees fatal harvest. Spiritual Emptiness Job’s emaciation mirrors the inner desolation binding the root sense of the term. Falsehood leaves the soul lean; integrity nourishes it (compare Proverbs 10:9, though the noun is not used there). National and Corporate Sin Hosea and Nahum expand the scope from individual liars to nations built on propaganda, unjust commerce, and diplomatic treachery. Deceit becomes a structural sin, inviting large-scale judgment. Historical Background Hosea ministered to the Northern Kingdom during its terminal decline (eighth century B.C.). Political alliances with Assyria and Egypt involved duplicitous treaties (Hosea 12:1), explaining why “lies” characterize both palace and populace. Nahum speaks a century later, exposing the Assyrian capital’s lying propaganda that masked bloodshed. Psalm 59 recalls David’s flight from Saul, when slander endangered his life, and Job’s setting (patriarchal era) treats the noun figuratively. Practical Ministry Implications 1. Preaching and Teaching 2. Pastoral Counseling 3. Social Ethics Christological and New Testament Connections Jesus embodies absolute truth (John 14:6) and exposes Satan as “the father of lies” (John 8:44). The contrast parallels Hosea’s indictment: where Israel encircled God with 3585 (lies), Jesus encircles the Father with obedient truthfulness. The cross silences false accusations (Isaiah 53:7) and creates a people commanded to “lay aside falsehood” (Ephesians 4:25), the practical outworking of redemption. Application for the Church Today • Cultivate corporate honesty in governance, finances, and relational communication; deceit at any level invites divine discipline. See Also Deceit (Proverbs 12:5) – Sheqer Lying Tongue (Proverbs 6:17) Truth (Psalm 51:6; John 17:17) Forms and Transliterations בְכַ֙חַשׁ֙ בכחש וּבְכַחֲשֵׁיהֶ֖ם וּמִכַּ֣חַשׁ ובכחשיהם ומכחש כַ֝חֲשִׁ֗י כַּ֤חַשׁ כָ֑חַשׁ כחש כחשי ḇə·ḵa·ḥaš ḇəḵaḥaš Chachash chachaShi ḵa·ḥă·šî ka·ḥaš ḵā·ḥaš Kachash kaḥaš ḵāḥaš ḵaḥăšî ū·ḇə·ḵa·ḥă·šê·hem ū·mik·ka·ḥaš ūḇəḵaḥăšêhem umikKachash ūmikkaḥaš uvechachasheiHem veChachashLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 16:8 HEB: וַיָּ֥קָם בִּ֥י כַ֝חֲשִׁ֗י בְּפָנַ֥י יַעֲנֶֽה׃ NAS: a witness; And my leanness rises KJV: [which] is a witness [against me]: and my leanness rising up INT: has become rises and my leanness to my face testifies Psalm 59:12 Hosea 7:3 Hosea 10:13 Hosea 11:12 Nahum 3:1 6 Occurrences |
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