Lexical Summary qapha': To congeal, to thicken, to curdle Original Word: קָפָא Strong's Exhaustive Concordance congeal, curdle, dark, settle A primitive root; to shrink, i.e. Thicken (as unracked wine, curdled milk, clouded sky, frozen water) -- congeal, curdle, dark, settle. Brown-Driver-Briggs [קָפָא] verb thicken, condense, congeal (compare Syriac  heap up, collect); — Qal Perfect3plural קָֽפְאוּ תְהֹמֹת Exodus 15:8 (song) the deeps were condensed, became firm walls; Imperfect יקפאון Zechariah 14:6 Kt (i.e. יִקְמָּא֑וּן [possible is also יִקָּפֵא֑וּן Niph`al]) Thes and others glorious(?) ones [stars] shall contract (dwindle), but read Qr וְמָּאוֺן see following Participle הַקֹּפְאִים עַלאשִׁמְרַיהֶם Zephaniah 1:12 the men who are thickening on their lees (easy-going men, under figure of undisturbed wine). Hiph`il Imperfect2masculine singular suffix תַּקְמִּיאֵנִי Job 10:10 didst thou not curdle me like cheese (of formation of foetus) ? Topical Lexicon Word Portrait קָפָא depicts a sudden change from fluidity to rigidity—waters stiffen, milk curdles, wine settles, daylight congeals. The image conveys arrest, suspension, and permanence brought about by an outside force. Canonical Usage Exodus 15:8 shows קָפָא at the Red Sea. “The deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea”. What was pliable becomes immovable under Yahweh’s breath, dramatizing His unrivaled power over creation and history. Job 10:10 moves from sea to womb: “Did You not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese?”. Human life is shaped by the same God who congealed the sea; our very formation depends on His deliberate solidifying work. Zephaniah 1:12 warns of spiritual lethargy: the people who “sit like wine on the dregs” have allowed their hearts to settle into an undisturbed crust. Here קָפָא speaks of complacency—raw material once full of possibility now fixed in disuse. Zechariah 14:6 projects the verb into eschatology: “On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost”. Cosmic forces that normally fluctuate will stand still. The final day suspends nature’s rhythms, signposting the unchallengeable reign of the Lord. Theological Reflections 1. Divine Sovereignty: Only God has the authority to arrest what by nature moves. He can harden seas, solidify life in the womb, and halt cosmic cycles. Historical and Cultural Insights Ancient sailors feared “congealed” seas—ice or sandbars trapping ships. Shepherds watched milk curdle into food. Vintners waited for sediment to settle. Prophets leveraged these everyday images so every listener, from cook to captain, could feel the verb’s tactile force. Ministry Applications Intertextual Correlations קָפָא complements verbs for hardening (חָזַק) and standing (נָצַב), enriching the biblical motif of divine arrest. Exodus 15:8 parallels Exodus 14:21–22 where the sea “became dry ground,” presenting a two–stage miracle: separation followed by solidification. Christological and Eschatological Implications The One who calmed Galilee’s waves (Mark 4:39) wields the same authority that congealed the Red Sea. Zechariah’s stilling of luminaries foreshadows Revelation 21:23 where heavenly light comes directly from the Lamb, making sun and moon obsolete. Thus קָפָא ultimately directs hope toward the consummated kingdom where God’s decisive “solidifying” ushers in unshakable peace. Forms and Transliterations הַקֹּֽפְאִים֙ הקפאים וְקִפָּאֹֽון׃ וקפאון׃ קָֽפְא֥וּ קפאו תַּקְפִּיאֵֽנִי׃ תקפיאני׃ hakkofeIm haq·qō·p̄ə·’îm haqqōp̄ə’îm kafeU qā·p̄ə·’ū qāp̄ə’ū takpiEni taq·pî·’ê·nî taqpî’ênî vekippaon wə·qip·pā·’ō·wn wəqippā’ōwnLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 15:8 HEB: נֵ֖ד נֹזְלִ֑ים קָֽפְא֥וּ תְהֹמֹ֖ת בְּלֶב־ NAS: The deeps were congealed in the heart KJV: [and] the depths were congealed in the heart INT: A heap the flowing were congealed the deeps the heart Job 10:10 Zephaniah 1:12 Zechariah 14:6 4 Occurrences |
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