H6957b H6957b
A line or measuring cord; used literally for construction and surveying, and figuratively for divine judgment or creation.
Refers to a cord or line stretched for measurement, whether in building, boundary-marking, or divine action. In construction contexts, Solomon's molten sea measured thirty cubits around by a line (1 Kgs 7:23; 2 Chr 4:2), and Ezekiel sees an angel measuring with a line (Ezek 47:3). The image becomes powerfully figurative when God 'stretches a line' over a city—sometimes for building (Zech 1:16), sometimes for destruction (2 Kgs 21:13; Lam 2:8; Isa 34:11). Job 38:5 depicts creation itself as an act of cosmic surveying: 'Who stretched a line upon it?'
Senses
1. line, measuring line — A measuring line or cord used for construction, surveying, or marking boundaries, frequently deployed in figurative language for divine judgment and creation. Literally, it describes the circumference of Solomon's bronze sea (1 Kgs 7:23; 2 Chr 4:2) and Ezekiel's visionary measuring (Ezek 47:3). Figuratively, 'stretching the line' can signify either building ('a measuring line shall be stretched over Jerusalem,' Zech 1:16) or demolition and judgment ('I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria,' 2 Kgs 21:13; cf. Isa 34:11, 17; Lam 2:8). Most strikingly, God asks Job: 'Who stretched the line upon it?'—depicting the earth's creation as an act of divine surveying (Job 38:5). Isaiah 28:17 uses the line as a standard of justice. 10×
AR["بِـ-الْخَيْطِ","خَطًّا","خَطُّهُمْ","خَيْطًا","خَيْطًا؟","خَيْطَ","وَ-خَيْطٌ"]·ben["আর-রেখা","এবং-মাপার-দড়ি","তাদের-রেখা","মাপকাঠি","রেখা","রেখা-রূপে","সূতা","সূতা-","সূতা-দিয়ে","সূত্র"]·DE["Linie","[בקו]","[וקו]","[קו]","ihr-line","line-von","zur-Richtschnur"]·EN["a-line","a-measuring-line","and-a-line","and-line","by-the-line","line-of","their-line"]·FR["[בקו]","[וקו]","[לקו]","[קו]","et-mesure","ligne-de","se-lever","קו"]·heb["ב-קו","ו-קו","ל-קו","קו","קוום"]·HI["उनकी-रेखा","और-डोरी","काव","के-लिए-रेखा","डोरी","डोरी-","डोरी-से"]·ID["dan-tali","dan-tali-ukur","dengan-tali-ukur","garis-ukur-mereka","sebagai-tali-pengukur","tali","tali ukur","tali-pengukur","tali-ukur"]·IT["[וקו]","[קום]","a-riga","in-riga","linea-di","riga","un-line"]·jav["Samaria","dados-tali-ukur","garis-ipun","lan-tali","lan-tali-ukur","tali","tali-ukur"]·KO["그리고-줄","그리고-줄이","에-줄로","줄-을","줄-이","줄을","줄을-"]·PT["com-a-linha","e-linha","e-linha-de","linha","linha-de","linha?","por-linha","sua-linha"]·RU["за-правило","и-линия","и-шнур","линию-","линия-их","мерило","мерную-линию","по-мере","шнур"]·ES["con-cordel","cordel","cordel-de","cuerda","por-cordel","su-línea","un-cordel","y-cordel","y-una-línea-de"]·SW["kamba","kamba-","kuwa-kamba-ya-kupimia","kwa-kamba","na-kamba","sauti-yao"]·TR["ip","ipi-","ipini-","iple","olcu-icin","ve-ip","ve-ölçü-ipi","ölçü-ipi","ölçü-ipini"]·urd["اور-ڈوری","اُن-کی-آواز","سطر-کے-لیے","سوت","پیمانہ","ڈوری","ڈوری-سے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)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×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)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×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. קַו n.m. Zc 1:16 line (cf. Köii 1, 40 Anm. 2);—abs. קַו Ez 47:3 + Zc 1:16 Qr (Kt קוה), קָ֑ו Is 34:17 +; cstr. קַו (קָ K3) 2 K 21:13 +;—measuring-line (ק׳ מִדָּה Je 31:39): 1 K 7:23 (Qr; Kt קוה, v. infr.) = 2 Ch 4:2, Ez 47:3; for marking off a possession in land Is 34:17 (fig.); especially נָטָה ק׳ עַל, in building, Jb 38:5 (fig. of earth), Zc 1:16 (יִנָּטֶה; ‖ יִבָּנֶה), so יָצָא ק׳ Je…