H3543a H3543a
kahah -- to grow dim or faint; of eyes failing, fire waning, or spirit weakening
The verb kahah captures the gradual dimming or weakening of something once bright or vigorous. Its primary application is to eyes growing dim with age: Isaac's eyes were too dim to see (Gen 27:1), yet remarkably, Moses' eye 'was not dim' even at 120 (Deut 34:7). Job laments that his eye 'has grown dim from grief' (Job 17:7). In Zechariah 11:17, the worthless shepherd's eye will be 'utterly dimmed' -- divine judgment expressed through the same vocabulary of failing sight. The word extends beyond vision: Isaiah's Servant of the LORD 'will not grow faint' (Isa 42:4), where the image shifts from a dimming lamp to a person who perseveres. In Ezekiel 21:7, 'every spirit will grow faint.' Arabic cognate kaha carries a similar range of weakness.
Senses
1. grow dim, become faint — To grow dim, become faint, or lose strength -- used primarily of eyes failing from old age (Gen 27:1; Deut 34:7), grief (Job 17:7), or divine judgment (Zech 11:17), and figuratively of a person not growing faint under trial (Isa 42:4, of the Servant of the LORD, compared to a lamp that will not be quenched) and of the human spirit weakening in dismay (Ezek 21:7). Spanish oscurecerse, French obscurcir, and English 'grow dim' all capture the core image of light or vitality gradually fading. The Arabic cognate kaha ('to be weak, cowardly') confirms the broader semantic field of diminished vigor. 7×
AR["تَكِلَّ", "تَكِلُّ", "كَلَّتْ", "وَ-كَلَّت", "وَ-كَلَّتْ", "وَتَخْمُدُ", "يَخْبُو"]·ben["অন্ধকার-হবে", "অন্ধকার-হয়ে", "আর-ক্ষীণ-হল", "এবং-ক্ষীণ-হবে", "এবং-ক্ষীণ-হয়েছে", "মলিন-হবে", "ম্লান-হয়েছিল"]·DE["[וכהתה]", "[ותכה]", "[יכהה]", "[כהה]", "[תכהה]", "und-trübe-wurden", "wuchs-dim"]·EN["and-grows-dim", "and-shall-be-faint", "and-were-dim", "dimming", "grew-dim", "he-will-grow-dim", "will-dim"]·FR["[יכהה]", "et-obscurcir", "et-étaient-obscurci", "et-ותכה", "grew-dim", "obscurcir"]·heb["ו-כהתה", "ו-תכהה", "ו-תכהין", "יכהה", "כהה", "כהתה", "תכהה"]·HI["और-धुंधली-हो-गई", "और-धुंधली-हो-गईं", "और-मूर्छित-होगी", "धुंधलाएगा", "धुंधली", "धुंधली-होते-हुए", "वह-धुंधली-हो-जाएगी"]·ID["akan-menjadi-gelap", "akan-redup", "dan-akan-padam", "dan-menjadi-kabur", "gelap", "kabur"]·IT["[וכהתה]", "[יכהה]", "[כהה]", "[תכהה]", "crebbe-dim", "e-e-grows-dim", "e-furono-dim"]·jav["badhé-mak-makan", "lan-dados-peteng", "lan-ringkih", "lan-suda", "peteng", "pucet"]·KO["그리고-기죽으리라", "그리고-흐려졌나니", "그리고-흐려졌다", "꺼져가며", "어두워지리라", "완전히", "흐려졌다"]·PT["E-escureceu", "desfalecerá", "e-desfalecerá", "e-escureceram", "escurecer", "escurecerá", "escureceu"]·RU["дух", "и-померкнет", "и-потускнели", "ослабеет", "померкающий", "померкнет", "потускнел"]·ES["Y-se-ha-oscurecido", "desfallcerá", "oscurecerse", "se-oscurecerá", "se-oscureció", "y-desfallecerá", "y-se-oscurecieron"]·SW["kuwa-hafifu", "litatiwa-giza", "na-itadhoofika", "na-limekuwa-hafifu", "na-zikatia-giza", "zima"]·TR["kararak", "kararan", "karardı", "ve-karardı", "ve-soldu", "ve-zayıflayacak", "zayiflayacak"]·urd["اور-بیہوش-ہو-گی", "اور-دھندلی ہو گئی", "اور-دھندلی-ہوئیں", "دھندلی-ہو-جائے-گی", "دھندلی-ہوئی", "دھندھلائے-گا"]
Related Senses
H4325 1. water, waters (582×)H6965b 1. Qal: to rise, arise, get up (432×)H2091 1. gold (the metal) (389×)H0068 1. stone, rock (material/object) (267×)H5178a 1. bronze/copper as metal (131×)H6083 1. dust, dry earth, soil (108×)H8313 1. burn, set fire to (94×)H2734 1. anger was kindled (82×)G5204 1. water (80×)H2822 1. darkness, absence of light (80×)G5457 1. light (illumination) (71×)G0450 1. rise, stand up (physical) (69×)H6965b 2. Qal: to stand firm, endure, be valid (50×)H6999a 2. burn sacrifice on altar (Hifil) (45×)H5553 1. rock, cliff (physical feature) (43×)H6965b 4. Hifil: to establish, confirm (covenant/kingdom/word) (40×)H1197a 1. burn, be on fire (39×)H4306 1. rain, showers (38×)H1653 1. rain, precipitation (34×)G4655 1. darkness (30×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. [כָּהָה] vb. be or grow dim, faint (NH id.; Aramaic כְּהָא; cf. Arabic كَهِىَ be أَكْهَى, i.e. weak, cowardly)— Qal Pf. 3 fs. כָּֽהֲתָה Dt 34:7; Impf. יִכְהֶה Is 42:4; 3 fs. תִּכְהֶה Zc 11:17; וַתֵּ֫כַהּ Jb 17:7; וַתִּכְהֶיןָ Gn 27:1: Inf. abs. כָּהֹה Zc 11:17;—grow dim, of eye Gn 27:1 (J), Dt 34:7 Jb 17:7; of violent putting out of eye Zc 11:17(×2); he shall not grow dim Is 42:4, of servant…