1. line, measuring line — A cord or line used for measuring, surveying, or marking boundaries. Central to construction and judgment imagery: the measuring line of Samaria stretched over Jerusalem (2 Kgs 21:13), the line and plummet of destruction (Isa 34:11, 17), the measuring line in Ezekiel's temple vision (Ezek 47:3), the line of justice and righteousness (Isa 28:17, 44:13), and the surveying line over Jerusalem restored (Zech 1:16, Lam 2:8). In Ps 19:4 'their line' (qawwam) refers to the heavens' measuring reach across the earth. Consistently rendered Arabic khayt (خَيْط, cord/thread), Korean jul (줄, line/cord), Hindi dori (डोरी, string/cord), Spanish cordel/cuerda/linea, German Linie/Richtschnur. The semantic range spans literal building measurement to metaphorical divine judgment. 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"]
Senses
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…