Lexical Summary qadmah: former state, before, formerly Original Word: קַדְמָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance afore, antiquity, former old estate From qadam; priority (in time); also used adverbially (before) -- afore, antiquity, former (old) estate. see HEBREW qadam NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as qedem Definition antiquity, former state NASB Translation before (1), former state (2), formerly (1), origin is from antiquity (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [קַדְמָה] noun feminine antiquity, former state; — 1 antiquity, beginning, suffix קַדְמָתָהּ Isaiah 23:7 (of Tyre). 2 former state, suffix קַדְמָתָן Ezekiel 16:55 (twice in verse), קַדְמַתְכֶן Ezekiel 16:55; plural suffix קַדְמוֺתֵיכֶם Ezekiel 36:11. 3 construct singular = conjunction before (temporal; Aramaic) שֶׁקַּדְמַת שָׁלַף Psalm 129:6. [קַדְמָה] noun feminine former time (compare Biblical Hebrew קַדְמָה, Zinjirli קדמה (Cooke177), former state); — construct Daniel 6:11 מִןקַּֿדְמַת דְּנָה = before this, formerly; so Ezra 5:11 ׳מִקַּדְמַת דְּ. compare Genesis 28:19 ᵑ7J, Ezekiel 38:17 ᵑ7. Topical Lexicon Overview The Hebrew term קַדְמָה (Strong 6927) appears six times in the Old Testament. In every context it points backward—whether to an earlier moment in history, a prior condition of blessing, or a foundational beginning. By evoking what once was, Scripture uses the word to expose decline, awaken longing, and announce God’s power to restore. Occurrences in Scripture 1. Psalm 129:6 – grass that “withers before it can grow,” a picture of enemies cut down ahead of time. Backward Glance, Forward Hope In each passage קַדְמָה anchors God’s people to their history so they can rightly interpret the present. Psalm 129 contrasts Israel’s long record of survival with the fleeting existence of her foes; Isaiah’s oracle reminds Tyre that centuries of prosperity are no shield against divine discipline; Ezekiel frames Israel’s exile as a prelude to a restoration that will surpass the nation’s earliest days. Thus the word carries both warning and promise: what God once did establishes the pattern for what He can do again. Restoration and Covenant Faithfulness The richest theological weight falls on Ezekiel. Repeatedly the prophet hears God promise that ruined cities will regain their “former” glory. This restoration is never nostalgia for the past; it is covenant mercy. The repetition in Ezekiel 16:55 underlines certainty—God will keep His oath despite catastrophic rebellion. Ezekiel 36:11 then expands the idea: “I will make you inhabited as you once were and will make you better off than before. Then you will know that I am the LORD.” The return to קַדְמָה becomes the evidence that the Lord alone orchestrates history for His name’s sake. Judgment that Precedes Renewal The term also underscores the divine principle that loss precedes gain. Tyre’s greatness from קַדְמָה becomes the very measure of her downfall; Israel’s empty hills in exile set the stage for a population explosion “as in former times.” The pattern anticipates the gospel: death before resurrection, abasement before exaltation. Geographical Nuance: Facing East Although every canonical use of קַדְמָה is temporal, its root idea of “front” or “east” still whispers in the background. The east—place of sunrise—naturally suggests beginnings. Scripture thus fuses direction and chronology, teaching that the Lord who brings the dawn also brings new beginnings for His people. Ministry Implications • History matters. Preaching and teaching should rehearse God’s prior acts so believers can read current events in light of His faithfulness. Summary קַדְמָה gathers up Israel’s collective memory and holds it before the present generation. By recalling what was, Scripture fuels expectation for what will be when God fulfils His promises. Whether describing grass that withers “before” it matures or cities that will “return to their former state,” the word testifies that the Lord who authored the past still governs the future and will glorify His name in both judgment and redemption. Forms and Transliterations כְּקַדְמֽוֹתֵיכֶ֗ם כקדמותיכם לְקַדְמַתְכֶֽן׃ לְקַדְמָתָ֑ן לְקַדְמָתָ֔ן לקדמתכן׃ לקדמתן קַדְמָתָהּ֙ קדמתה שֶׁקַּדְמַ֖ת שקדמת kadmaTah kə·qaḏ·mō·w·ṯê·ḵem kekadmoteiChem kəqaḏmōwṯêḵem lə·qaḏ·mā·ṯān lə·qaḏ·maṯ·ḵen lekadmaTan lekadmatChen ləqaḏmāṯān ləqaḏmaṯḵen qaḏ·mā·ṯāh qaḏmāṯāh šeq·qaḏ·maṯ šeqqaḏmaṯ shekkadMatLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 129:6 HEB: כַּחֲצִ֣יר גַּגּ֑וֹת שֶׁקַּדְמַ֖ת שָׁלַ֣ף יָבֵֽשׁ׃ NAS: Which withers before it grows up; KJV: which withereth afore it groweth up: INT: grass the housetops before grows withers Isaiah 23:7 Ezekiel 16:55 Ezekiel 16:55 Ezekiel 16:55 Ezekiel 36:11 6 Occurrences |
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