H7117 H7117
End, extremity (of space or time); in partitive use, 'some of, a portion of.'
A noun that captures the idea of an edge, boundary, or terminal point — whether spatial or temporal. In Exodus 38:5, it describes the four corners of the bronze grating, while in Daniel 1:5 and 1:15 it marks the end of a period of days ('at the end of'). But the word also developed a distinctive partitive use, especially in late biblical Hebrew: 'some of the vessels' (Dan 1:2), 'some of the heads of families' (Neh 7:70). Arabic evidence is instructive — nihayah (نِهَايَة) for the spatial/temporal sense, ba'da (بَعْضَ) for the partitive — confirming that these are genuinely distinct semantic functions rather than contextual variations of one meaning.
Senses
1. end, extremity (spatial/temporal) — The spatial and temporal sense of 'end, extremity, edge.' Used of the physical corners or sides of the altar grating (Exod 38:5; cf. 37:8; 39:4), the uttermost parts of the earth (Ps 65:9), and temporal endpoints ('at the end of ten days,' Dan 1:15; 'at the end of them,' Dan 1:5). Arabic nihayah (نِهَايَة, 'end') and French 'extrémités' both confirm the boundary-marking function. The construct form with min (מִקְצָת) in temporal usage means 'at the end of.' 6×
AR["[الاِرشاد]", "الْأَطْرَافِ", "طَرَفَيهِ", "وَ-لِ-نِهَايَةِ", "وَ-مِنْ-نِهَايَةِ", "وَ-مِنْ-نِهَايَتِهِمْ"]·ben["এবং-তাদের-শেষে", "এবং-শেষে", "প্রান্ত", "প্রান্তগুলো"]·DE["-", "[ולמקצת]", "[ומקצת]", "[ומקצתם]", "der-ends"]·EN["-", "and-at-end-of", "and-at-end-of-them", "the-ends"]·FR["-", "et-partie", "le-extrémités"]·heb["ה-קצוות", "ו-ל-מקצת", "ו-מ-קצת", "ו-מ-קצתם", "קצוותיו"]·HI["उसके-सिरों", "और-से-अंत", "और-से-अंत-में", "सिरों-पर", "सिरों-से"]·ID["dan-dari-mereka", "dan-pada-akhir", "ujung-ujung", "ujung-ujungnya"]·IT["-", "[ולמקצת]", "[ומקצת]", "[ומקצתם]", "il-ends"]·jav["Lan-ing-pungkasanipun", "Lan-sasampunipun", "[K]", "lan-saking-piyambakipun", "pojok"]·KO["그-끝들에", "그것의-끝들", "그리고-끝에", "그리고-끝에-그들의"]·PT["E-no-fim-de", "[suas-extremidades]", "as-extremidades", "e-no-fim-deles"]·RU["[ктив]", "и-по-окончании", "концах"]·ES["Y-al-final-de", "[qere]", "los-extremos", "y-al-final-de-ellos"]·SW["Na-mwishoni-mwa", "na-mwishoni-mwao", "ncha-zake", "pembe"]·TR["-uçlarında", "Ve-sonunda", "uçlarından", "ve-sonunda-onların"]·urd["[اُس-کے-سروں]", "اور-آخر-میں", "اور-ان-میں-سے-آخر", "کناروں", "کونوں-پر"]
2. some of, a part of (partitive) — The partitive use meaning 'some of, a portion of,' indicating an indefinite subset drawn from a larger whole. Daniel 1:2 says God gave into Nebuchadnezzar's hand 'some of the vessels' of the temple, and Nehemiah 7:70 records that 'some of the heads of families' contributed to the work. This usage — מִקְצָת with min — is characteristic of late biblical and post-biblical Hebrew. Arabic ba'da (بَعْضَ, 'some') and Spanish 'parte de' independently corroborate the partitive reading. 2×
AR["وَ-بَعْضَ", "وَبَعْضُ"]·ben["এবং-কিছু"]·DE["[ומקצת]"]·EN["and-some-of"]·FR["[ומקצת]", "et-partie"]·heb["ו-מ-קצת", "ו-מקצת"]·HI["और-कुछ"]·ID["dan-sebagian"]·IT["[ומקצת]"]·jav["Lan-sawetawis", "lan-sawetawis"]·KO["그리고-일부", "그리고-일부를"]·PT["E-parte-de", "e-parte-de"]·RU["и-часть"]·ES["Y-parte-de", "y-parte-de"]·SW["na-baadhi-ya", "na-sehemu-ya"]·TR["ve-bir-kısmını", "ve-kısmı"]·urd["اور-کچھ"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† קְצָת n.f. end (LagBN 10 Ges§ 95 n);—cstr. ק׳ Ne 7:69 (Gi Baer, v 70 van d. H.) +; sf. קְצָתָם Dn 1:5; pl. abs. קְצָוֹת Ex 38:5 ψ 65:9 (+ perhaps קצוותו Ex 37:8; 39:4 Kt. v. קָצָה; Köii. 1, 61 der. these pl. forms from [קָ֫צוּ]);— 1. end, of corners of grating Ex 38:5 (‖ קְצוֹתָיו 27:4), cf. Ex 37:8; 39:4 supr. (all P); ends of earth ψ 65:9. 2. מִקְצָת (some) from the end of, some of (מִן 3 b) Ne 7:69 (so NH), Dn 1:2. 3. מִק׳ at the end of a certain time Dn 1:5, 15, 18.