Lexical Summary qadach: To kindle, to burn, to inflame Original Word: קָדַח Strong's Exhaustive Concordance burn, kindle A primitive root to inflame -- burn, kindle. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be kindled, kindle NASB Translation been kindled (1), kindle (1), kindled (2), kindles (1). Topical Lexicon Imagery of Fire in the Covenant Context The verb קָדַח consistently evokes the sudden ignition of an intense, consuming blaze. Its five appearances are confined to covenantal poetry and prophecy—literary settings in which the holiness of God collides with human rebellion. Fire is therefore not a neutral force; it is the chosen metaphor by which the Lord discloses both righteous judgment and purifying power. Occurrences • Deuteronomy 32:22 – the Song of Moses anchors national history in Yahweh’s justice: “For a fire has been kindled by My anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol; it devours the earth and its harvests and sets afire the foundations of the mountains”. Theological Themes Righteous indignation. In each divine-subject use (Deuteronomy 32:22; Jeremiah 15:14; 17:4) קָדַח describes anger already “kindled,” not merely threatened. The heat of judgment is active, inevitable, and far-reaching—“to the depths of Sheol” and even to “the foundations of the mountains.” The vocabulary underlines that covenant curses (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28) are not figurative warnings but enforceable realities. Unholy self-reliance. Isaiah 50:11 shifts the subject from God to people who “kindle a fire” for themselves. The prophet exposes the irony: those who reject the light of revelation walk by sparks of their own making, only to “lie down in torment.” The verse functions as a solemn reversal of the pillar of fire in the wilderness; man-made light leads to darkness, while God-given light leads to life. Purifying intervention. Isaiah 64:2 forms a corporate lament: as brushwood bursts into flame and water boils, so Israel longs for a visitation that will consume opposition and refine the faithful. Here קָדַח becomes a plea for mercy through judgment, anticipating a day when the nations tremble and the covenant community is vindicated. Contrast of Human and Divine Fire 1. Source 2. Result 3. Duration Prophetic and Eschatological Significance In Jeremiah, the kindled fire anticipates the Babylonian exile, a historical foreshadowing of final judgment. Isaiah 64:2 looks beyond exile to global recognition of God’s name—an eschatological horizon that Revelation portrays when the nations tremble at the presence of the Lamb. Thus קָדַח draws a line from temporal chastisement to ultimate consummation. Ministry and Discipleship Applications • Warning against presumption. Any ministry method or personal plan “kindled” apart from divine directive risks Isaiah 50:11’s end—lying down in torment despite impressive looking flames. Cross-Canonical Resonance The image of fire ignited by divine wrath reaches fulfillment at the cross, where Christ absorbs the burning anger merited by sin (Isaiah 53:5; Romans 3:25). Pentecost then displays the gracious counterpart—tongues “as of fire” resting on believers (Acts 2:3), a sign not of destruction but empowerment. The two events together reveal the gospel pattern: judgment falls on the substitute so that purifying fire may indwell the redeemed. Forms and Transliterations כִּקְדֹ֧חַ כקדח קְדַחְתֶּ֥ם קָדְחָ֣ה קָדְחָ֥ה קֹ֥דְחֵי קדחה קדחי קדחתם kadeChah kedachTem kikDoach kiq·ḏō·aḥ kiqḏōaḥ Kodechei qā·ḏə·ḥāh qāḏəḥāh qə·ḏaḥ·tem qəḏaḥtem qō·ḏə·ḥê qōḏəḥêLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 32:22 HEB: כִּי־ אֵשׁ֙ קָדְחָ֣ה בְאַפִּ֔י וַתִּיקַ֖ד NAS: For a fire is kindled in My anger, KJV: For a fire is kindled in mine anger, INT: For A fire is kindled my anger and burns Isaiah 50:11 Isaiah 64:2 Jeremiah 15:14 Jeremiah 17:4 5 Occurrences |
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