Lexical Summary kathath: To crush, to break, to beat down, to shatter Original Word: כָּתַת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance beat down, to pieces, break in pieces, crushed, destroy, discomfit, smite, stampA primitive root; to bruise or violently strike -- beat (down, to pieces), break in pieces, crushed, destroy, discomfit, smite, stamp. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to beat, crush by beating NASB Translation battered (1), beat (2), beat them down (1), broke in pieces (1), broken in pieces (1), crush (1), crushed (4), defeated (1), hammer (2), shattered (1), smashed (1), strike (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [כָּתַת] verb beat, crush by beating (Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic כְּתַת); — Qal Perfect1singular וְכַתּוֺתִ֫י Psalm 89:24; Imperfect1singular וָאֶבֹּת Deuteronomy 9:21; Imperative masculine plural כֹּ֫תּוּ Joel 4:10; Passive participle כָּתוּת Isaiah 30:14; Leviticus 22:24; — 1 beat or crush fine, of a potter's vessel Isaiah 30:14, the golden calf Deuteronomy 9:21 (+ טָחוֺן הֵיטֵב); a sacrificial vicitim Leviticus 22:24 (i.e. its testicles; + מָעוּךְ נָתוּק כָּרוּת); figurative of enemies Psalm 89:24. 2 beat, hammer (ploughshares into swords, compare Pi`el 2) Joel 4:10. Pi`el Perfect3masculine singular כִּתַּת 2 Kings 18:4; 2Chronicles 34:7; 3 masculine plural וְכִּתְּתוּ consecutive Isaiah 2:4 2t.; — as Qal 1. beat or crush fine 2 Kings 18:4; 2Chronicles 34:7 (of images); figurative of devastating the land Zechariah 11:6. 2 beat, hammer (swords into ploughshares, compare Qal 2) Isaiah 2:4 = Micah 4:3. Pu`al Perfect3masculine plural וְכֻתְּתוּ2Chronicles 15:6 and they were beaten in pieces, one nation against another. Hiph`il Imperfect3masculine plural וַיַּכְּתוּ Deuteronomy 1:44 beat in pieces an enemy, suffix וַיַּכּוּם וַיַּכְּתוּם Numbers 14:45. Hoph`al Imperfect3masculine singular וּשְׁאִיָּה יֻכַּתשָֿׁ֑עַר Isaiah 24:12 and to ruins is the gate crushed; 3 masculine plural יֻכַּתּוּ Micah 1:7 (of idol-images); figurative of warriors Jeremiah 46:5; of frail man Job 4:20. Topical Lexicon Imagery and Semantic Rangeכָּתַת paints the picture of violent pressure applied until the object is splintered, pulverized, or completely broken down. Whether applied to wood, metal, stone, flesh, or entire peoples, the verb always stresses finality—nothing remains intact once the action is complete. Cultic Purity and the Sanctuary (Leviticus 22:24) In the sacrificial code the word guards the perfection of what is offered to the LORD: “You are not to present to the LORD an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn, or cut” (Leviticus 22:24). A maimed gift belittles the holiness of God and foreshadows the New Testament insistence that believers present their bodies “a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God” (Romans 12:1). Physical wholeness in the animal sanctuary anticipates spiritual wholeness in the living temple of the Church. Idol Demolition and Covenant Renewal 1. Deuteronomy 9:21—Moses not only burns the golden calf but “crushed it and ground it to powder.” Pulverizing eliminates the possibility of reconstruction, modeling full repentance rather than half-measures. In each scene כָּתַת defends exclusive devotion to Yahweh. Genuine revival does not merely store idols out of sight; it beats them to unrecognizable fragments. Military Defeat and Divine Judgment Numbers 14:45; Deuteronomy 1:44; 2 Chronicles 15:6; Jeremiah 46:5; Zechariah 11:6—all employ כָּתַת for the routing of armies. The verb proclaims that no human strength can withstand the covenant LORD when He arises to judge: “I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him” (Psalm 89:23). The crushing of nations becomes both warning and comfort: a warning to the proud, comfort to the faithful awaiting deliverance. Human Frailty (Job 4:20; Isaiah 24:12; Isaiah 30:14) Job laments that mortals “are broken in pieces; unnoticed, they perish forever” (Job 4:20). Isaiah compares rebellious Judah to a shattered jar whose shards are too small to carry a coal. Quoting such texts drives home the transience of earthly glory and the necessity of refuge in the eternal God. Eschatological Transformation and Reversal Two prophetic pairs use כָּתַת to describe the coming kingdom: • Isaiah 2:4 / Micah 4:3—“They will beat their swords into plowshares.” The same action word governs opposite directions, hinging on the moral posture of the nations. Under Messiah’s reign instruments of war will be crushed and refashioned for harvest; before His reign rebellious peoples will reverse the process. כָּתַת thus carries eschatological weight: history marches toward either peace or judgment, depending on response to divine sovereignty. Messianic and Christological Echoes Although the Hebrew verb itself does not appear in Isaiah 53, the Servant who is “crushed for our iniquities” embodies the principle behind כָּתַת—complete destruction of the old to establish the new. At the cross every idol, every enemy, and even death itself are beaten down. The final fulfillment awaits Revelation 19–22 when the King of kings “strikes down the nations” and ushers in everlasting peace. Pastoral and Discipleship Applications • Repentance: Spiritual renewal requires a Hezekiah-like thoroughness—idols must be crushed, not curated. Summary כָּתַת threads through Scripture as the Divine hammer—shattering impurity, idolatry, and rebellion, yet simultaneously forging tools of righteousness and heralding a future where war itself is broken beyond repair. The word calls every generation to decisive action: crush the false, submit to the True, and anticipate the day when the Prince of Peace beats the last sword into a plowshare. Forms and Transliterations וְכִתְּת֨וּ וְכִתְּתוּ֙ וְכִתַּת֩ וְכַתּוֹתִ֣י וְכָתוּת֙ וְכֻתְּת֥וּ וַֽיַּכְּת֖וּם וַֽיַּכְּת֥וּ וָאֶכֹּ֨ת ואכת ויכתו ויכתום וכתות וכתותי וכתת וכתתו יֻכַּ֑תּוּ יֻכַּ֔תּוּ יֻכַּ֗תּוּ יֻכַּת־ יכת־ יכתו כִּתַּ֣ת כָּת֖וּת כֹּ֤תּוּ כתו כתות כתת kā·ṯūṯ kaTut kāṯūṯ kit·taṯ kitTat kittaṯ kōt·tū Kottu kōttū vaekKot vaiyakkeTu vaiyakkeTum vechattoTi vechaTut vechitTat vechitteTu vechutteTu wā’ekkōṯ wā·’ek·kōṯ way·yak·kə·ṯū way·yak·kə·ṯūm wayyakkəṯū wayyakkəṯūm wə·ḵā·ṯūṯ wə·ḵat·tō·w·ṯî wə·ḵit·taṯ wə·ḵit·tə·ṯū wə·ḵut·tə·ṯū wəḵattōwṯî wəḵāṯūṯ wəḵittaṯ wəḵittəṯū wəḵuttəṯū yuk·kaṯ- yuk·kat·tū yukkat yukkaṯ- yukKattu yukkattūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 22:24 HEB: וּמָע֤וּךְ וְכָתוּת֙ וְנָת֣וּק וְכָר֔וּת NAS: Also anything [with its testicles] bruised or crushed or torn KJV: that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, INT: bruised crushed torn cut Numbers 14:45 Deuteronomy 1:44 Deuteronomy 9:21 2 Kings 18:4 2 Chronicles 15:6 2 Chronicles 34:7 Job 4:20 Psalm 89:23 Isaiah 2:4 Isaiah 24:12 Isaiah 30:14 Jeremiah 46:5 Joel 3:10 Micah 1:7 Micah 4:3 Zechariah 11:6 17 Occurrences |
    |