H7186 H7186
Hard, severe, harsh — describing difficult circumstances, obstinate character, cruel treatment, or fierce intensity.
A versatile adjective covering a spectrum from the physically laborious to the morally unyielding. In Exodus 1:14 the Egyptians impose 'hard' servitude, while in Exodus 32:9 God diagnoses Israel as 'stiff-necked' — the same root painting both external oppression and internal stubbornness. Spanish consistently renders it 'duro/dura,' capturing the concrete hardness, while English splits between 'hard,' 'harsh,' and 'fierce' depending on context. Whether describing Nabal's cruel disposition (1 Sam 25:3), a grueling legal case (Exod 18:26), or God's fierce wind (Isa 27:8), the word always signals resistance — something or someone that will not easily yield.
Senses
1. harsh, severe (of treatment/manner) — Harsh or severe treatment of others — rough, cruel, or oppressive conduct. Joseph speaks 'harshly' to his brothers (Gen 42:7, 30), and Nabal is described as 'hard' in his dealings (1 Sam 25:3). French and German both reach for 'dur/hart,' the most concrete sense of unyielding hardness applied to human interaction. The multilingual glosses consistently pair this with words for cruelty and severity. 11×
AR["بِقَسَاوَةٍ","شَدِيدَةً","قاسٍ","قَاسٍ","قَاسِيًا","قَاسِيَةٌ","قَاسِيَةٍ","قَسوَةً"]·ben["কঠিন","কঠিনভাবে","কঠোরভাবে"]·DE["[קשה]","hard","harsh","harshly","hart"]·EN["hard","harsh","harshly"]·FR["[קשה]","dur","harsh","harshly","inflexible"]·heb["קָשָׁה","קשה","קשות"]·HI["कठिन","कठोर","कठोरता-से","कधअ","प्रेम"]·ID["dengan-kasar","dengan-keras","keras","sangat-sengit","yang-kejam","yang-keras"]·IT["[קשה]","duramente","duro","harshly"]·jav["awrat","ingkang-awrat","ingkang-keras","kanthi-keras","kasar","keras","saru"]·KO["가혹하게","거친","거칠게","고된","잔인하네","혹독한"]·PT["dura","duramente","duro","duros"]·RU["жестока","жестокая","жестокий","жестокого","жёстко","сурово","тяжёлое"]·ES["con-duro","cruel","dura","duramente","duro","duros"]·SW["kali","kwa-ukali","kwetu","magumu","mgumu","mkali","ngumu","vikali"]·TR["sert","sert-haberle","şiddetli"]·urd["سخت","سخت-خبر-کے-ساتھ","سختی-سے","سخت۔"]
2. stiff-necked, obstinate — Stiff-necked or obstinate character — stubborn refusal to yield, especially toward God. Almost always appears in the construct phrase 'hard of neck' (Exod 32:9; 33:3, 5; 34:9; Deut 9:6) or 'hard of face/heart' (Ezek 2:4; 3:7). Spanish 'duro de cerviz' and German 'halsstarrig' both preserve the vivid body metaphor. This sense dominates the Pentateuchal narratives of Israel's wilderness rebellion. 11×
AR["الصَّعْبَةِ","الصَّلْبَةَ","صَليبُ-","صَلْبُ-","صُلبَ-","صُلبُ-","قَاسٍ","قُساةُ","وَ-قُساةُ"]·ben["আর-কঠিন-","কঠিন","কঠিন-","সেই-কঠিন"]·DE["[וקשי]","[קשי]","der-halsstarrig","der-stur","halsstarrig-von","halsstarrig-von-","hart"]·EN["and-hard-of-","hard-of","obstinate","stiff-of","stiff-of-","the-stiff","the-stubborn"]·FR["dur","et-dur","le-stiff","le-stubborn","raide-de-","stiff-de"]·heb["ה-קשה","ו-קשי","קשה","קשי"]·HI["और-कठोर-","कठिन।","कठोर","कठोर-","कड़ी-"]·ID["dan-keras","keras","keras-","keras-kepala","yang-keras","yang-keras-kepala"]·IT["[וקשי]","[קשי]","duro","duro-di-collo-di","il-duro-di-collo","il-stubborn","stiff-di-"]·jav["atos","ingkang-atos","ingkang-wangkot","lan-keras-ing","wangkot","wangkot-"]·KO["굳은","그-뭘는","그-완고한","그리고-굳은-","목이-","목이-뽃뽃한","완고한"]·PT["a-dura","dura-","duro-de-","duros-de","e-duros-de","o-obstinado","obstinado"]·RU["-жестоковыйный-","жестоковыйный-","жестокого","жестокую","жёсткие","и-жёсткие-","упрям"]·ES["dura","duro","duro-de","duros-de","el-duro","la-dura","y-duros-de"]·SW["mkaidi","na-wagumu-","ngumu","wagumu-wa","wenye-shingo-"]·TR["alın","de-inatçı","inatci","sert","sert-"]·urd["اکڑی","سخت","سخت-","ضدی","و-مضبوط-"]
3. hard, difficult (of circumstances) — Hard or difficult circumstances — burdensome tasks, grievous conditions, or painful life situations. Describes the 'hard service' of Egyptian slavery (Exod 1:14; 6:9), a legal case too 'difficult' for ordinary judges (Exod 18:26), and the crushing shortness of spirit from bondage (Deut 26:6). In 1 Samuel 1:15, Hannah calls herself 'hard of day' — one whose life is bitter. The cross-linguistic evidence uniformly uses words for difficulty and heaviness. 9×
AR["الصَّعْبِ","الـ-قَاسِيَةِ","القاسي","شَاقٍّ","صَعْبَةُ-","قسوَةً","قَاسِيَةً","قَاسِيَةٍ","لِ-صَعبِ"]·ben["কঠিন","কঠিন-"]·DE["[הקשה]","[לקשה]","der-difficult","der-hard","hard-","hardship","hart"]·EN["for-hard-of-","hard","hard-","hardship","the-difficult","the-hard"]·FR["[הקשה]","dur","dur-","hard","le-difficult","le-dur","à-לקשה"]·heb["ה-קשה","הַ-קָּשָׁה","ל-קשה","קשה","קשת"]·HI["कठिन","कठिन-","कठिन-के-लिए","कठिन-बातें","कठोर"]·ID["keras","keras-","sulit","untuk-yang keras-","yang-berat"]·IT["[הקשה]","[קשה]","duro","duro-","hard","il-difficult","il-duro","per-duro"]·jav["awrat","awrat-","ingkang-angel","ingkang-awrat","kanggé-tiyang-ingkang-angel","kula-sedaya"]·KO["가혹한","고난의","고된","곤고한-","그-혹독한","그-힘든","어려운","혹독한-것을","힘든"]·PT["dura-de-","dureza","duro","o-difícil","o-duro","o-pesado","pelo-de-duro"]·RU["о-тяжком-","трудное","тяжкого","тяжкое","тяжёлая-","тяжёлой","тяжёлую"]·ES["dura-de","dureza","duro","el-difícil","el-duro","por-el-de-duro-"]·SW["gumu","kwa-mwenye-siku-ngumu","mambo-magumu","mgumu","mgumu-","ngumu"]·TR["ağır","sert","sert-","zor","zor-günü-için-","zorluğu"]·urd["ال-سخت","دکھی ہوئی","سخت","سَختی","مشکل"]
4. fierce, intense (of force/anger) — Fierce or intense force — describing overwhelming power in battle, wind, or divine wrath. Judges 4:24 depicts Israel's hand growing 'harder and harder' against Jabin; Isaiah 27:1 speaks of God's 'hard, great sword'; Isaiah 27:8 references a 'fierce east wind.' Spanish sometimes shifts to 'fuerte' (strong), revealing how this sense edges from hardness into raw power. It captures forces that cannot be withstood. 5×
AR["أَشَدُّ","الْعَاصِفَةِ","الْقَاسِي","الْقَاسِيَةِ","وَ-ثِقلاً"]·ben["-কঠিন","এবং-কঠিন","কঠিন"]·DE["der-Harte","harder","und-hart"]·EN["and-hard","harder","the-hard","with-His-fierce"]·FR["dur","et-dur","harder"]·heb["ה-קשה","ו-קשה","קשים"]·HI["और-कठोर","कठिन","कठोर"]·ID["-keras","dan-keras","terlalu-keras","yang-keras"]·IT["duro","e-hard","harder"]·jav["awrat","ingkang-atos","lan-rosa"]·KO["강하다","강한","그리고-강하게","혹독한"]·PT["a-dura","duros","e-pesando","o-duro"]·RU["и-усиливаясь","сильнее","сильным","тяжкого","тяжёлым"]·ES["dura","duros","fuerte","la-dura","y-haciendose-dura"]·SW["mgumu","mkali","na-kuwa-mgumu","wagumu"]·TR["sert","ve-ağırlaşarak"]·urd["اور-سخت","سخت"]
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
† קָשֶׁה adj. hard, severe;—abs. ק׳ Ex 18:26 +; cstr. 32:9 +; fs. קָשָׁה Dt 26:6 +; cstr. קְשַׁת 1 S 1:15; mpl. קָשִׁים 2 S 3:39; cstr. קְשֵׁי Ez 2:4; 3:7; fpl. קָשׁוֹת Gn 42:7, 30;— 1. hard, difficult, of a legal question (דָּבָר) Ex 18:26 (E). 2. a. severe, of battle 2 S 2:17, wind Is 27:8, servitude (עֲבֹדָה) 1 K 12:4 = 2 Ch 10:4; Dt 26:6; Is 14:3; Ex 1:14; 6:9 (both P); as n.coll. הִרְאִית��…