H7110a H7110a
wrath, fierce anger — intense indignation, overwhelmingly attributed to God's furious displeasure in judgment
Qetseph denotes a sharp, fierce anger — a sudden flaring of indignation rather than slow-burning resentment. Of its 28 occurrences, the vast majority describe divine wrath, making it one of the Bible's primary vocabulary items for God's punitive fury. The word first appears in the Priestly legislation, where the Levites camp around the tabernacle 'so that there may be no qetseph upon the congregation' (Num 1:53; 18:5) — wrath conceived as a dangerous force unleashed by ritual trespass. It surfaces at moments of communal crisis: the plague after Korah's rebellion (Num 16:46), Achan's sin at Jericho (Josh 22:20), and the census David should not have taken (1 Chr 27:24). The Chronicler uses it repeatedly to explain national calamity — why exile came (2 Chr 29:8; 32:25-26; 36:16). Isaiah deploys it memorably: 'in overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment' (Isa 54:8). Only twice does it describe human anger, both in late texts: the Persian nobles' frustration (Est 1:18) and the sage's observation about frustration (Eccl 5:17). German 'Grimm/Zorn' and French 'colere' capture its severity.
Senses
1. wrath, anger, fury — Intense divine wrath or indignation, typically provoked by covenant violation or ritual trespass and resulting in devastating punishment. The Priestly literature treats it as a quasi-physical force that Levitical faithfulness must avert (Num 1:53; 18:5). It erupts at Korah's rebellion (Num 16:46), Achan's trespass (Josh 22:20), and explains the exile's necessity (2 Chr 29:8; 36:16). Isaiah's 'overflowing qetseph' from which God relents (Isa 54:8) and Zechariah's 'great wrath' against the forefathers (Zech 1:2, 15; 7:12) round out the prophetic usage. Only Esther 1:18 and Ecclesiastes 5:17 apply it to human anger. 28×
AR["أَنْ-يَأْكُلَ","الْغَضَبُ","سَخَطٌ","سَخَطُ","سَخْطٌ-","غَضَبٌ","غَضَبُ","مِنْ-غَضَبِ","مِنْ-غَضَبِهِ","وَ-غَضَبٌ","وَغَضَبًا"]·ben["এবং-ক্রোধ","এবং-রাগ","ও-ক্রোধ","ক্রোধ","ক্রোধে-তাঁর-থেকে","ক্রোধের-কারণে","রাগ"]·DE["Grimm","Zorn","[מקצף]","[מקצפו]","[קצף]","der-Zorn","und-Zorn"]·EN["At-His-wrath","and-anger","and-wrath","because-of-the-wrath-of","the-wrath","wrath","wrath-of"]·FR["[וקצף]","[קצף]","colère","courroux","et-colère","et-וקצף","fureur","le-courroux"]·heb["ה-קצף","ו-קצף","מ-קצף","מ-קצפו","קצף"]·HI["उसके-क्रोध-से","और-क्रोध","क्रोध","से-क्रोध"]·ID["Dan-dengan-murka","dan-kemarahan","dari-murka-Nya","karena-murka","murka","murka-itu"]·IT["collera","e-collera","e-ira","furore","il-ira","ira"]·jav["bebendu","bendu","deduka","duka","lan-duka","murka-punika","saking-dukanipun","saking-dukané"]·KO["그리고-분노","그리고-분노라","그리고-분노를","그의-진노-에서","분노","분노가","에서-진노","진노","진노-가","진노가"]·PT["De-sua-ira","E-ira","Por-causa-de-ira-de","a-ira","e-ira","ira","ira-de"]·RU["Из-за-гнева","гнев","гнев-","гнева","и-гнев.","и-гневом","от-гнева-Его","презрения"]·ES["Y-con-ira","de-ira-su","e-ira","indignación","ira","ira-de","la-ira","por-la-ira-de","y-furia"]·SW["Kwa-sababu-ya-ghadhabu-ya","ghadhabu","ghadhabu-","hasira","ketsep","kwa-hasira-yake","na-ghadhabu","na-hasira"]·TR["-den-öfkeden","gazabından-","gazap","ofke","ofke-","ve-ofkedir","ve-öfke","öfke","öfke-"]·urd["اور-خفگی","اور-غصہ","اور-غضب","اُس-کے-غضب-سے","غضب","غضب-کی-وجہ-سے","قہر","پر-"]
Num 1:53, Num 16:46, Num 18:5, Deut 29:28, Josh 9:20, Josh 22:20, 2 Kgs 3:27, 1 Chr 27:24, 2 Chr 19:2, 2 Chr 19:10, 2 Chr 24:18, 2 Chr 29:8 (+16 more)
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
† I. קֶ֫צֶף n.m. 2 K 3:27 wrath;—abs. ק׳ Nu 1:53 +; קָ֑צֶף Jos 22:20 +; cstr. קֶצֶף Je 50:13 +; sf. קִצְפִּי Is 60:10; קֶצְפְּךָ ψ 38:2, קִצְפֶּ֑ךָ 102:11, קִצְפּוֹ Je 10:10;— 1. of God: abs. Nu 17:11 (P), Dt 29:27 Is 60:10 Je 10:10; 21:5; 32:37; 50:13 ψ 38:2; 102:11 Zc 7:12; c. עַל against Nu 1:53; 18:5 Jos 9:20; 22:20 (P), 2 K 3:27 1 Ch 27:24 2 Ch 19:2, 10; 24:18; 29:8; 32:25, 26 Is 34:2 Zc…