Lexical Summary qimmos: Thistle, nettle Original Word: קִמּוֹשׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance nettle Or qiymowsh {kee-moshe'}; from an unused root meaning to sting; a prickly plant -- nettle. Compare qimmashown. see HEBREW qimmashown NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition perhaps thistles NASB Translation nettles (1), thistles (1), weeds (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs קִמּוֺשׂ noun masculineHosea 9:6 collective thistles or nettles (ᵐ5 ἄκανθαι,compare Ki; ᵑ9 urtica); — absolute ׳ק, sign of desolation, Hosea 9:6 ( > van d. H. קִימשׁ; compare Baer DeComplut.Var.28; "" חוֺהַ), Isaiah 34:13 (+ סִירִים, חוֺחַ); plural (with נ insert, Thes NöM 169, Anm.3 Löw194Anm.) קִמְּשׂנִים Proverbs 24:31 (>van d. H. קִמְּשׁוֺנִים; "" חֲרֻלּים). קֵן see קנן. קנא (√ of following; Arabic Topical Lexicon Botanical Identity and Imagery קִמּוֹשׁ evokes the picture of an invasive, stinging weed that quickly claims neglected ground. Its tough, thorn-like stems and irritating leaves make it an emblem of abandonment; where it flourishes, purposeful cultivation has ceased. In the ancient Near East such growth was common on razed fortifications and deserted homesteads, visible testimony that human activity had been swept away and nature’s harshest plants had taken over. Scriptural Occurrences Isaiah 34:13 places קִמּוֹשׁ amid a catalogue of ruin that will overwhelm Edom: “Thorns will overgrow her citadels, nettles and brambles her strongholds”. Hosea 9:6 warns apostate Israel that exile will leave their valuables unguarded: “Briars will overtake their treasures of silver; thorns will be in their tents”. The same Hebrew term stands at the heart of both texts, underscoring an identical reality—once-secure places become inhospitable wastelands when the covenant community rejects the LORD. Symbolism of Judgment and Desolation 1. Reversal of Creation Order: In Genesis 1–2 God shapes a fruitful garden for humanity; with sin comes “thorns and thistles” (Genesis 3:18). קִמּוֹשׁ signals that original blessing has been reversed by rebellious choices. Historical and Geographical Notes The Edomite territory (Isaiah) included rocky elevations where soil erosion followed deforestation; nettles thrive in such disturbed sediment. The Nile Delta around Memphis (Hosea) was famed for fertility, yet even there Israel’s confiscated possessions would lie beneath nettles in burial crypts. The contrast intensifies the point: in the most unlikely places, judgment can generate barrenness. Practical and Ministry Implications • Preaching: קִמּוֹשׁ furnishes vivid language for sermons on spiritual neglect. Congregations readily grasp that unchecked compromise allows “nettles” to choke out former fruitfulness (compare Hebrews 6:7-8). Christological and Eschatological Echoes Thorns placed on the head of Jesus Christ (Matthew 27:29) identify Him with the curse embodied by קִמּוֹשׁ. He bears the sign of desolation so that His people might inherit “a garden of the LORD” (Isaiah 51:3). Yet the warning remains: the New Jerusalem’s flourishing (Revelation 22:2) stands opposite the everlasting desolation reserved for those who spurn the gospel (Revelation 22:15). קִמּוֹשׁ therefore directs the reader to the cross, where judgment and restoration meet, and forward to eternity, where no nettle will ever grow again. Forms and Transliterations קִמּ֥וֹשׂ קִמּוֹשׂ֙ קמוש kimMos qim·mō·wś qimmōwśLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 34:13 HEB: אַרְמְנֹתֶ֙יהָ֙ סִירִ֔ים קִמּ֥וֹשׂ וָח֖וֹחַ בְּמִבְצָרֶ֑יהָ NAS: towers, Nettles and thistles KJV: in her palaces, nettles and brambles INT: towers Thorns Nettles and thistles fortified Hosea 9:6 2 Occurrences |
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become intensely red (or black), with dye; Late Hebrew קִנְאָה jealousy; Syriac 
lividus fruit, 
zeal, envy (rare); verb denominative Late Hebrew קָנָא, Aramaic קְנָא, Ethiopic 
all be jealous, zealous).