כֹּה H3541
Demonstrative adverb: thus, so, in this manner; also spatial 'here/there'; rarely temporal 'now'.
A small but versatile demonstrative adverb, כֹּה most often means 'thus' or 'so,' introducing the content of a message or decree—supremely in the prophetic messenger formula כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה, 'thus says the LORD.' Spanish 'así,' French 'ainsi,' and German 'so' all converge on this manner-demonstrative force. Yet the word retains an older spatial sense, 'here' or 'there,' visible in the paired expression כֹּה וָכֹּה ('here and there, this way and that,' Exod 2:12). One unique occurrence in Exodus 7:16 may carry temporal force: 'until now.'
1. thus, so, in this manner — The adverb of manner: 'thus, so, in this way'—the overwhelmingly dominant sense, found 569 times. Nearly always points forward to what follows, especially in the prophetic messenger formula 'thus says the LORD' (כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה), which alone accounts for hundreds of occurrences. Also used in reported speech ('thus he said,' Gen 32:4) and comparative descriptions ('thus shall your seed be,' Gen 15:5). Spanish 'así,' French 'ainsi,' and German 'so' consistently capture this deictic-of-manner function. 569×
AR["هكَذا","هَكَذَا","هٰكَذا","هٰكَذَا"]·ben["এই-রকম","এইপাশে","এইভাবে","এইভাবে-","এইরকম","এইরূপ"]·DE["so","so-"]·EN["thus"]·FR["ainsi"]·heb["כה"]·HI["इधर","इस-प्रकार","उधर","एेसे","ऐसा","ऐसे","यू̃","यों"]·ID["Demikianlah","demikian","demikianlah","di-sana","di-sini"]·IT["cosi","così"]·jav["Mekaten","makaten","makaten-","mekaten","mriki","mriku"]·KO["그렇게","그쪽으로","이같이","이렇게","이와-같이","이쪽으로"]·PT["Assim","assim"]·RU["Так","так"]·ES["Así","aquí","así"]·SW["Kh","hapa","hivyo","kama"]·TR["Böyle","Böyle-","böyle"]·urd["اس-طرف","ایسے","یوں"]
Gen 15:5, Gen 24:30, Gen 31:8, Gen 31:8, Gen 32:4, Gen 32:4, Gen 45:9, Exod 3:14, Exod 4:22, Exod 5:10, Exod 5:15, Exod 7:17 (+38 more)
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
2. here, there, hither — Spatial demonstrative: 'here, there, hither, thither.' Found in the paired idiom כֹּה וָכֹּה meaning 'here and there' or 'on this side and on that side' (Exod 2:12, where Moses looks 'this way and that'). Also appears independently as 'here' (Gen 22:5, 'stay here with the donkey') or directionally as 'hither' (Num 23:15). The multilingual evidence splits revealingly: Spanish uses both 'aquí' (here) and 'allá' (there), French 'ici' and 'là,' German 'hier' and 'dorthin'—confirming a genuine spatial sense distinct from the manner adverb. 7×
AR["هُنا","هُنَا","هُنَاكَ","هٰكَذَا","وَ-هُنَاكَ"]·ben["এখানে","এদিকে","ও-ওদিকে","সেখানে"]·DE["dorthin","hier","ueber-dort","und-dort"]·EN["and-there","here","over-there","there"]·FR["et-là","ici","là","sur-là"]·heb["ו-כה","כה"]·HI["इधर","और-उधर","यहाँ","वहाँ"]·ID["dan-ke-sana","di-sana","di-sini","ke-sini","sana"]·IT["e-là","là","qui","sopra-la"]·jav["ing-ngriki","lan-mrika","mrika","mriki","wonten-ing-ngriki","wonten-ing-ngriku"]·KO["거기","그리고-보았다","여기서","여기에","이리저리","이와-같이"]·PT["aqui","assim","e-assim","lá"]·RU["здесь","и-сюда","там","туда"]·ES["allá","aquí","y-allí"]·SW["hapa","huko","huku","na-huku","pale"]·TR["burada","buraya","orada","oraya","ve-böyle","öyle"]·urd["اور-اُدھر","اِدھر","یہاں"]
3. now, at this point — A rare temporal extension: 'now, at this point,' attested at Exodus 7:16 where God's message includes the statement that Pharaoh has not listened 'עַד־כֹּה'—'until now.' The demonstrative force shifts from spatial proximity to temporal immediacy. Multilingual glosses confirm with 'ahora' (Spanish), 'maintenant' (French), and 'nun' (German), all standard temporal adverbs rather than manner or spatial terms. 1×
AR["الآنَ"]·ben["এইভাবে"]·DE["nun"]·EN["now"]·FR["maintenant"]·heb["כה"]·HI["यहाँ"]·ID["sekarang"]·IT["ora"]·jav["punika"]·KO["지금"]·PT["aqui"]·RU["сих-пор"]·ES["ahora"]·SW["sasa"]·TR["kadar"]·urd["اب"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H3117 1. day, specific time (2231×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H5704 1. until, unto, as far as (1238×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8141 1. year, unit of time (880×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
כֹּה demonstr. adv. thus, here (BA כָּה; 𝔗 𝔖Jerus. Mand. כָּא here: in Syriac with prefixes ܠܟܳܐ hither, ܡܶܟܳܐ (𝔖Jerus. ܡܶܢ ܟܳܐ) hence, ܐܰܝܟܳܐ where? cf. אֵיכָה, p. 32, and Köii. 1, 252)— 1. of manner, thus (so most freq., and usually pointing to what is to follow, while כֵּן points commonly to what has preceded), Gn 15:5 כה יהיה זרעך thus shall thy seed be, Nu 6:23 1 K 2:30 כֹּה דִבֶּר יוֹאָב…