7089. qephadah

Lexical Summary

qephadah: Shrinking, contraction

Original Word: קְפָדָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: qphadah
Pronunciation: keh-fah-DAH
Phonetic Spelling: (kef-aw-daw')
KJV: destruction
NASB: anguish
Word Origin: [from H7088 (קָפַד - rolled)]

1. shrinking, i.e., terror

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

destruction

From qaphad; shrinking, i.e., terror -- destruction.

see HEBREW qaphad

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from qaphad
Definition
a shuddering
NASB Translation
anguish (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[קְפָדָה] noun [feminine, Albr^{ZAW xvi (1896), 116} compare Sta^{§ 308 a}] shuddering (compare , of skin, = סָמַר Psalm 119:20, see Thes); — absolute קְפָ֫דָהבָֿא Ezekiel 7:25 (read בָּאָה Co Krae, and on tone see Ges^{§ 29e}).

קפז (√ of following; compare Arabic leap, spring; so ᵑ7 קְפַז (rare), see Syriac id., weasel).

Topical Lexicon

Occurrence and Immediate Context

קְפָדָה appears once, in Ezekiel 7:25: “Destruction is coming! They will seek peace, but there will be none.”. Spoken to the exiles in Babylon circa 592 BC, the oracle announces the irreversible collapse of Jerusalem. קְפָדָה encapsulates the terror of divine judgment—swift, exact, and unstoppable—underscoring that peace cannot be manufactured when God Himself opposes a nation’s unrepentant sin.

Historical Setting

Ezekiel ministered during the final throes of the Judahite monarchy. Nebuchadnezzar had already deported the first wave of captives (including Ezekiel, 597 BC), yet many in Jerusalem clung to false assurances of security (Ezekiel 13:10–16). קְפָדָה functions as a prophetic wake-up call: Babylon’s armies are not merely geopolitical threats but instruments of covenant discipline promised in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28.

Theological Significance

1. Visitation Motif: Derived from the broader biblical idea of “visiting” in judgment, קְפָדָה stresses God’s personal engagement with human rebellion (compare Isaiah 10:3; Jeremiah 11:23).
2. Holiness and Justice: The word reminds readers that the Lord’s holiness demands retribution for persistent idolatry (Ezekiel 8) and violence (Ezekiel 7:23).
3. Inevitability of Judgment: Unlike conditional warnings elsewhere, Ezekiel’s announcement is absolute; once קְפָדָה arrives, intercession is no longer effective (compare Jeremiah 15:1).

Relationship to the Day of the Lord

קְפָדָה previews the eschatological “day of wrath” motif (Joel 2:1–11; Zephaniah 1:14–18). Just as Judah’s fall vindicated God’s word through Ezekiel, so the final judgment will vindicate Christ’s promises (Matthew 24:29–31; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–9).

Ministry Application

• Preaching: Ezekiel 7:25 challenges contemporary proclamation to balance promises of peace with sober warnings of judgment (Acts 20:26–27).
• Pastoral Care: The term cautions against offering false comfort to those persisting in sin; genuine peace follows repentance (Isaiah 57:19–21).
• Discipleship: Believers are urged to live watchfully, remembering that sudden destruction still characterizes unbelieving security (1 Thessalonians 5:3).

Cross-References on Divine Destruction

Isaiah 13:6; Jeremiah 4:6; Hosea 10:8; Revelation 6:15–17. Each passage echoes the inevitability and terror encapsulated in קְפָדָה.

Christological Perspective

The judgment embodied by קְפָדָה fell on Jerusalem, yet ultimate wrath was borne by Christ on the cross (Romans 3:25–26). Those united to Him through faith escape final destruction (John 5:24), while those who reject Him face the greater fulfillment of Ezekiel’s warning (Hebrews 10:26–27).

Forms and Transliterations

קְפָ֖דָה־ קפדה־ keFadah qə·p̄ā·ḏāh- qəp̄āḏāh-

Englishman's Concordance

Ezekiel 7:25
HEB: קְפָ֖דָה־ בָ֑א וּבִקְשׁ֥וּ
NAS: When anguish comes, they will seek
KJV: Destruction cometh;
INT: anguish comes will seek

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 7089
1 Occurrence

qə·p̄ā·ḏāh- — 1 Occ.