7110. qetseph
Lexical Summary
qetseph: Wrath, anger, indignation

Original Word: קֶצֶף
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: qetseph
Pronunciation: KEH-tsef
Phonetic Spelling: (keh'-tsef)
KJV: foam, indignation, X sore, wrath
Word Origin: [from H7107 (קָצַף - angry)]

1. a splinter (as chipped off)
2. (figuratively) rage or strife

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
foam, indignation, sore, wrath

From qatsaph; a splinter (as chipped off); figuratively, rage or strife -- foam, indignation, X sore, wrath.

see HEBREW qatsaph

Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. קֶ֫צֶף noun masculine2Kings 3:27 wrath — absolute ׳ק Numbers 1:53 +; קָ֑צֶף Joshua 22:20 +; construct קֶצֶף Jeremiah 50:13 +; suffix קִצְמִּי Isaiah 60:10; קֶצְמְּךָ Psalm 38:2, קִצְמֶּ֑ךָ Psalm 102:11, קִצְמּוֺ Jeremiah 10:10;-

1 of God: absolute Numbers 17:11 (P), Deuteronomy 29:27; Isaiah 60:10; Jeremiah 10:10; Jeremiah 21:5; Jeremiah 32:37; Jeremiah 50:13; Psalm 38:2; Psalm 102:11; Zechariah 7:12; with עַל against Numbers 1:53; Numbers 18:5; Joshua 9:20; Joshua 22:20 (P), 2 Kings 3:27; 1 Chronicles 27:24; 2Chronicles 19:2,10; 24:18; 29:8; 32:25,26; Isaiah 34:2; Zechariah 1:2,15; ׳בְּשֶׁצֶף קIsaiah 54:3.

2 of man (late), Esther 1:18; Ecclesiastes 5:16.—Hos 10:7 see II. קֶצֶף.

II. קצף (√ of following; Arabic break, snap off).

II. קֶ֫צֶף noun [masculine] probably splinter#NAME?׳כְּק עַלמְּֿנֵימָֿ֑יִם Hosea 10:7 (simile of helpless king).

Topical Lexicon
Definition and Semantic Range

קֶצֶף (qetseph) denotes a burst of wrath, anger, or displeasure. In Scripture it may describe the righteous indignation of God, the impulsive rage of political rulers, or the communal fury of a nation. Although momentary in its basic sense (“a splinter” of emotion), its consequences are often weighty and enduring.

Distribution and Literary Settings

The term appears roughly twenty-nine times, spanning Torah (Genesis through Numbers), Former Prophets, Chronicler’s history, Ezra, wisdom literature, and a single prophetic narrative (2 Kings 3:27). This breadth places qetseph at key covenantal junctures: Israel’s wilderness organization (Numbers 1:53; 16:46; 18:5), land settlement (Joshua 9:20; 22:18, 20), royal administration (1 Chronicles 27:24), and reform movements under Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah, and Josiah (2 Chronicles 19; 24; 29; 32; 34).

Divine Wrath: Holy Reaction to Covenant Breach

1. Covenant‐guarding anger. Numbers 1:53 explains that the Levites encamp around the tabernacle “so that wrath may not fall on the congregation.” God’s qetseph is not arbitrary but a measured response to profanation of His dwelling.
2. Outbreak and appeasement. When Korah’s rebellion erupts, Moses tells Aaron, “Quickly take your censer… for wrath has gone out from the LORD” (Numbers 16:46). Intercession and atoning incense stand between guilty people and lethal holiness.
3. Royal apostasy. After Joash abandoned the temple, “wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for their guilt” (2 Chronicles 24:18). Qetseph underscores that national sin invites corporate consequences.
4. Reform and reprieve. Hezekiah’s pride provoked qetseph (2 Chronicles 32:25), yet humility stemmed the tide (32:26). Josiah’s reforms came too late for the generation: “Great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us” (34:21). The Chronicler pairs wrath with potential mercy, urging repentance.

Human Anger: Fallible and Often Self-Serving

Pharaoh embodies political volatility: “Pharaoh was angry with his two officials” (Genesis 40:2; cf. 41:10). His anger contrasts with Yahweh’s holiness; one is capricious, the other judicial. 2 Kings 3:27 portrays Moab’s desperate human fury turning against Israel after a shocking sacrifice: “There was great wrath against Israel, and they withdrew.” Human qetseph proves destructive yet limited, often driving people away rather than bringing renewal.

Communal Consequences and Contagion

Joshua’s elders fear that covenant-breaking with the Gibeonites will unleash wrath on the assembly (Joshua 9:20). Later, the memory of Achan’s sin teaches that one man’s trespass can ignite qetseph against an entire nation (Joshua 22:20). Sin is never isolated; wrath radiates outward unless contained by obedience and atonement.

Intercession and Mediation

Priestly ministry repeatedly shields Israel. Numbers 18:5 assigns the Levites to guard “so that there will be no more wrath on the Israelites.” True worship and proper sacerdotal order become safeguards against divine displeasure. This pattern anticipates the ultimate High Priest whose self-offering absorbs wrath once for all (cf. Romans 5:9).

Chronicler’s Theology of Wrath and Restoration

The Chronicler uses qetseph to frame every major reform:
• Jehoshaphat: “Should you help the wicked…? Because of this, wrath is upon you” (2 Chronicles 19:2, 10).
• Joash: wrath follows idolatry (24:18).
• Hezekiah: wrath suspended by humility (32:25-26).
• Josiah: wrath inevitable yet postponed (34:21, 25).

The pattern forms a sermon: wrath awakens conscience, reform delays judgment, but only lasting fidelity averts it.

Pastoral and Ministry Implications

1. Guard the sanctuary. Right handling of worship prevents corporate judgment (Numbers 1:53; 18:5).
2. Intercede swiftly. Moses and Aaron model urgent, sacrificial prayer that “stands between the dead and the living” (Numbers 16:48).
3. Teach corporate responsibility. Personal sin can provoke communal wrath; conversely, communal repentance can secure mercy.
4. Balance warning with hope. Even when wrath is “great,” humility can find reprieve (2 Chronicles 32:26).

Christological Fulfillment

The Old Testament tension between divine wrath and priestly mediation drives toward the cross, where wrath is neither denied nor merely delayed but satisfied. “God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice… to demonstrate His righteousness” (Romans 3:25). Qetseph identifies the peril; the gospel proclaims the solution.

Eschatological Perspective

While historical outbreaks of wrath punctuate Israel’s story, they preview a final day when wrath will be fully revealed (Zephaniah 1:15, using related terminology). Believers are reassured that, in Christ, they are “rescued from the coming wrath” (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

Application for the Contemporary Church

• Pursue holiness in worship and leadership to avoid inviting divine displeasure.
• Maintain vigilant intercession for nations and congregations.
• Confront sin corporately and individually, remembering Achan and Joash.
• Proclaim both the reality of wrath and the greater reality of grace.

In Scripture, קֶצֶף soberly warns of the cost of covenant infidelity, yet consistently serves the larger redemptive narrative in which wrath is met by mercy and judgment by atonement.

Forms and Transliterations
בְּקֶצְפְּךָ֥ בְקִצְפִּי֙ בקצפי בקצפך הַקֶּ֛צֶף הקצף וְקִצְפֶּ֑ךָ וְקֶ֤צֶף וָקָֽצֶף׃ וּבְקֶ֣צֶף וּבְקֶ֥צֶף ובקצף וקצף וקצף׃ וקצפך כְּקֶ֖צֶף כקצף מִקִּצְפּוֹ֙ מִקֶּ֤צֶף מקצף מקצפו קֶ֔צֶף קֶ֖צֶף קֶ֗צֶף קֶ֣צֶף קֶ֤צֶף קֶ֥צֶף קֶּ֔צֶף קֶצֶף־ קָ֑צֶף קָֽצֶף׃ קצף קצף־ קצף׃ bə·qeṣ·pə·ḵā ḇə·qiṣ·pî beketzpeCha bəqeṣpəḵā ḇəqiṣpî hakKetzef haq·qe·ṣep̄ haqqeṣep̄ Katzef kə·qe·ṣep̄ keKetzef kəqeṣep̄ Ketzef mikKetzef mikkitzPo miq·qe·ṣep̄ miq·qiṣ·pōw miqqeṣep̄ miqqiṣpōw qā·ṣep̄ qāṣep̄ qe·ṣep̄ qe·ṣep̄- qeṣep̄ qeṣep̄- ū·ḇə·qe·ṣep̄ ūḇəqeṣep̄ uveKetzef vaKatzef veKetzef vekitzPecha vekitzPi wā·qā·ṣep̄ wāqāṣep̄ wə·qe·ṣep̄ wə·qiṣ·pe·ḵā wəqeṣep̄ wəqiṣpeḵā
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Numbers 1:53
HEB: וְלֹֽא־ יִהְיֶ֣ה קֶ֔צֶף עַל־ עֲדַ֖ת
NAS: so that there will be no wrath on the congregation
KJV: of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation
INT: will be no become wrath on the congregation

Numbers 16:46
HEB: כִּֽי־ יָצָ֥א הַקֶּ֛צֶף מִלִּפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה
NAS: and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth
KJV: and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out
INT: for has gone wrath off the LORD

Numbers 18:5
HEB: יִהְיֶ֥ה ע֛וֹד קֶ֖צֶף עַל־ בְּנֵ֥י
NAS: longer be wrath on the sons
KJV: of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children
INT: become longer be wrath on the sons

Deuteronomy 29:28
HEB: בְּאַ֥ף וּבְחֵמָ֖ה וּבְקֶ֣צֶף גָּד֑וֹל וַיַּשְׁלִכֵ֛ם
NAS: and in great wrath, and cast
KJV: and in great indignation, and cast
INT: anger fury wrath great and cast

Joshua 9:20
HEB: יִֽהְיֶ֤ה עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ קֶ֔צֶף עַל־ הַשְּׁבוּעָ֖ה
NAS: so that wrath will not be upon us for the oath
KJV: to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath
INT: become that wrath us the oath

Joshua 22:20
HEB: יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הָ֣יָה קָ֑צֶף וְהוּא֙ אִ֣ישׁ
NAS: in the things under the ban, and wrath fall
KJV: in the accursed thing, and wrath fell
INT: Israel fall and wrath he alone

2 Kings 3:27
HEB: הַ֣חֹמָ֔ה וַיְהִ֥י קֶצֶף־ גָּד֖וֹל עַל־
NAS: great wrath against
KJV: And there was great indignation against Israel:
INT: the wall came wrath great against

1 Chronicles 27:24
HEB: וַיְהִ֥י בָזֹ֛את קֶ֖צֶף עַל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
NAS: and because of this, wrath came
KJV: but he finished not, because there fell wrath for it
INT: came it wrath upon Israel

2 Chronicles 19:2
HEB: וּבָזֹאת֙ עָלֶ֣יךָ קֶּ֔צֶף מִלִּפְנֵ֖י יְהוָֽה׃
NAS: and so [bring] wrath on yourself from the LORD?
KJV: therefore [is] wrath upon thee from before
INT: likewise and wrath to meet the LORD

2 Chronicles 19:10
HEB: לַיהוָ֔ה וְהָֽיָה־ קֶ֥צֶף עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם וְעַל־
NAS: before the LORD, and wrath may [not] come
KJV: not against the LORD, and [so] wrath come upon you, and upon your brethren:
INT: the LORD may come and wrath and on

2 Chronicles 24:18
HEB: הָֽעֲצַבִּ֑ים וַֽיְהִי־ קֶ֗צֶף עַל־ יְהוּדָה֙
NAS: and the idols; so wrath came
KJV: and idols: and wrath came upon Judah
INT: and the idols came wrath upon Judah

2 Chronicles 29:8
HEB: וַיְהִי֙ קֶ֣צֶף יְהוָ֔ה עַל־
NAS: Therefore the wrath of the LORD
KJV: Wherefore the wrath of the LORD
INT: become the wrath of the LORD was against

2 Chronicles 32:25
HEB: וַיְהִ֤י עָלָיו֙ קֶ֔צֶף וְעַל־ יְהוּדָ֖ה
NAS: was proud; therefore wrath came
KJV: was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah
INT: came received wrath received Judah

2 Chronicles 32:26
HEB: בָ֤א עֲלֵיהֶם֙ קֶ֣צֶף יְהוָ֔ה בִּימֵ֖י
NAS: of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD
KJV: of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD
INT: come that the wrath of the LORD the days

Esther 1:18
HEB: וּכְדַ֖י בִּזָּי֥וֹן וָקָֽצֶף׃
NAS: of contempt and anger.
KJV: contempt and wrath.
INT: will be plenty of contempt and anger

Psalm 38:1
HEB: יְֽהוָ֗ה אַל־ בְּקֶצְפְּךָ֥ תוֹכִיחֵ֑נִי וּֽבַחֲמָתְךָ֥
NAS: rebuke me not in Your wrath, And chasten
KJV: rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten
INT: LORD nay your wrath rebuke your burning

Psalm 102:10
HEB: מִפְּנֵֽי־ זַֽעַמְךָ֥ וְקִצְפֶּ֑ךָ כִּ֥י נְ֝שָׂאתַ֗נִי
NAS: of Your indignation and Your wrath, For You have lifted
KJV: of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up,
INT: Because of your indignation and your wrath for have lifted

Ecclesiastes 5:17
HEB: הַרְבֵּ֖ה וְחָלְי֥וֹ וָקָֽצֶף׃
NAS: vexation, sickness and anger.
KJV: sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
INT: great sickness and anger

Isaiah 34:2
HEB: כִּ֣י קֶ֤צֶף לַֽיהוָה֙ עַל־
NAS: For the LORD'S indignation is against
KJV: For the indignation of the LORD
INT: for indignation the LORD'S is against

Isaiah 54:8
HEB: בְּשֶׁ֣צֶף קֶ֗צֶף הִסְתַּ֨רְתִּי פָנַ֥י
NAS: In an outburst of anger I hid My face
KJV: thee.In a little wrath I hid my face
INT: A little of anger hid my face

Isaiah 60:10
HEB: יְשָׁרְת֑וּנֶךְ כִּ֤י בְקִצְפִּי֙ הִכִּיתִ֔יךְ וּבִרְצוֹנִ֖י
NAS: will minister to you; For in My wrath I struck
KJV: shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote
INT: will minister in my wrath struck my favor

Jeremiah 10:10
HEB: וּמֶ֣לֶךְ עוֹלָ֑ם מִקִּצְפּוֹ֙ תִּרְעַ֣שׁ הָאָ֔רֶץ
NAS: King. At His wrath the earth
KJV: king: at his wrath the earth
INT: King and the everlasting his wrath quakes the earth

Jeremiah 21:5
HEB: וּבְאַ֥ף וּבְחֵמָ֖ה וּבְקֶ֥צֶף גָּדֽוֹל׃
NAS: and wrath and great indignation.
KJV: and in fury, and in great wrath.
INT: anger and wrath indignation and great

Jeremiah 32:37
HEB: בְּאַפִּ֥י וּבַחֲמָתִ֖י וּבְקֶ֣צֶף גָּד֑וֹל וַהֲשִֽׁבֹתִים֙
NAS: and in great indignation; and I will bring them back
KJV: and in great wrath; and I will bring them again
INT: my anger my wrath indignation great will bring

Jeremiah 50:13
HEB: מִקֶּ֤צֶף יְהוָה֙ לֹ֣א
NAS: Because of the indignation of the LORD
KJV: Because of the wrath of the LORD
INT: of the indignation of the LORD not

29 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 7110
29 Occurrences


bə·qeṣ·pə·ḵā — 1 Occ.
haq·qe·ṣep̄ — 1 Occ.
qā·ṣep̄ — 2 Occ.
kə·qe·ṣep̄ — 1 Occ.
qe·ṣep̄ — 14 Occ.
miq·qe·ṣep̄ — 1 Occ.
miq·qiṣ·pōw — 1 Occ.
ū·ḇə·qe·ṣep̄ — 3 Occ.
wā·qā·ṣep̄ — 2 Occ.
wə·qe·ṣep̄ — 1 Occ.
wə·qiṣ·pe·ḵā — 1 Occ.
ḇə·qiṣ·pî — 1 Occ.

7109
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