Lexical Summary qatat: To crush, to break, to bruise Original Word: קָטַט Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be cut off A primitive root; to clip off, i.e. (figuratively) destroy -- be cut off. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originsee qot. Topical Lexicon Setting in JobThe single biblical occurrence of קָטַט stands in Bildad the Shuhite’s first reply to Job. Confronting what he believes to be Job’s misplaced confidence, Bildad warns, “for his confidence is fragile, and his security is in a spider’s web” (Job 8:14). The verb paints the picture of something snapped or shattered in a moment, exposing any human self-assurance that is not rooted in God. Imagery of Sudden Collapse 1. Physical breakage 2. Moral and spiritual disintegration 3. Metaphorical fragility Theological Reflections • Divine sovereignty and human limitation Job 8:14 presents God as the ultimate arbiter of what stands or falls. Human plans succeed only insofar as they accord with His will (Proverbs 19:21). Bildad’s point, though misapplied to Job’s situation, remains universally true: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man… he will be like a shrub in the desert” (Jeremiah 17:5–6). Against the background of collapse, Scripture heralds a rock that cannot be broken. Isaiah foretells: “Behold, I lay a stone in Zion” (Isaiah 28:16), a prophecy realized in Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:6–7). Historical Considerations In ancient Near Eastern culture, building materials were limited: mud-brick walls, wood beams, and occasional cut-stone foundations. The verb’s connotation of chiseling or breaking would resonate strongly with audiences accustomed to seeing walls crumble after siege engines breached them. Bildad leverages that shared experience, assuring listeners that godless confidence will meet the same end. Ministry Application 1. Preaching and teaching 2. Counseling 3. Discipleship Christological Fulfillment Jesus embodies the unbreakable confidence Bildad unwittingly anticipates. Unlike fragile webs, the cross and empty tomb declare a victory that cannot be shattered (Romans 6:9). Believers, “being built together into a dwelling place for God” (Ephesians 2:22), find in Him the foundation no chisel can sever. Summary קָטַט captures the moment a false hope snaps. Job 8:14 sets that image before every generation, urging the abandonment of flimsy confidences and the embrace of the one foundation that endures forever. Forms and Transliterations יָק֥וֹט יקוט yā·qō·wṭ yaKot yāqōwṭLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 8:14 HEB: אֲשֶׁר־ יָק֥וֹט כִּסְל֑וֹ וּבֵ֥ית KJV: Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust INT: Whose off confidence web 1 Occurrence |
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