H3598 H3598
Pleiades, a cluster of stars (Job 9:9, 38:31; Amos 5:8)
This astronomical term refers to the Pleiades star cluster, known as Kimah in Hebrew. The prophets and wisdom writers mention it alongside other constellations like Orion (כְּסִיל) as evidence of God's creative power and sovereign control over the cosmos. In Job 38:31, God challenges Job with rhetorical questions about binding the chains of the Pleiades, highlighting divine authority over even the celestial realm.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The Pleiades star cluster appears in three poetic passages celebrating God's creative majesty. Job 9:9 lists it among the Bear, Orion, and the southern chambers; Job 38:31 speaks of its 'chains' or 'bonds' (מַעֲדַנּוֹת); Amos 5:8 parallels it with Orion in praising the Creator. Across languages, transliterations dominate (Spanish Pléyades, French kept the Hebrew), showing recognition of this as a proper astronomical name. 3×
AR["الثُرَيّا", "الثُّرَيَّا", "وَالثُرَيّا"]·ben["ও-কৃত্তিকামণ্ডল", "কৃত্তিকা", "কৃত্তিকার"]·DE["[וכימה]", "[כימה]"]·EN["Kimah", "Pleiades", "and-Pleiades"]·FR["comme-vers-l'ouest", "et-וכימה", "כימה"]·heb["ו-כימה", "כימה"]·HI["और-कृत्तिका-को", "कृतिका", "कृत्तिका-के"]·ID["Bintang-Tujuh", "Pleiades", "dan-Bintang-Tujuh"]·IT["Pleiadi", "[כימה]", "e-Pleiadi"]·jav["Pleiades", "Plèyadès", "lan-Pleiades"]·KO["묘성-과", "묘성과", "브레아데스의"]·PT["Plêiades?", "as-Plêiades", "e-Plêiades"]·RU["Плеяд", "Плеяды", "и-Плеяды"]·ES["Pléyades", "y-las-Pléyades,"]·SW["Kilimia", "na-Pleiades", "vya-Kilimia"]·TR["ve-Ülker'i", "Ülker'i", "Ülker'in"]·urd["اور-ثریا-کو", "ثریا", "پروین کے"]
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† כִּימָה n.f. perhaps Pleiades (v. supr. NH id.; 𝔗 כִּימָא, 𝔖 ܟܻܝܡܳܐ )—as made by י׳, Am 5:8 (‖ כְּסִיל), Jb 9:9 (‖ עָשׁ, כְּסִיל, חַדְרֵי תֵמָן); and under his control, מַעֲדַנּוֹת כ׳ Jb 38:31 (‖ משְׁכוֹת כְּסִיל).—(SternJüd. Zeitschr. f. Wissen. u. Leben. iii. (1864–65) 258 ff. Nö in SchenkelBL HoffmZAW iii. 107 ff. interpret עשׁ as Pleiades, and כימה as Sirius).