Lexical Summary
kavah: To wait, to hope, to look for, to expect
Original Word:כָּוָה
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:kavah
Pronunciation:kah-VAH
Phonetic Spelling:(kaw-vaw')
KJV: burn
NASB:scorched
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. (properly) to prick or penetrate
2. (hence) to blister (as smarting or eating into)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
burn
A primitive root; properly, to prick or penetrate; hence, to blister (as smarting or eating into) -- burn.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto burn, scorch, brand
NASB Translationscorched (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] (Late Hebrew
id.; Aramaic
especially Pa`el; Arabic
cauterize) —
Imperfect2masculine singularIsaiah 43:2 thou shalt notbe scorched (figurative of Israel, "" ); 3 feminine pluralProverbs 6:28 shall a man walk on the coalsand his feet not be burned ? ("" of garmentsProverbs 6:27).
Topical Lexicon
Concept and ImageryThe verb כָּוָה describes the intense effect of fire on the human body—being scorched or burned. Scripture uses the word not only for literal physical damage but also for a vivid moral and spiritual analogy: the inevitable impact of sin and the preserving power of God.
Occurrences and Literary Context
1.Proverbs 6:28—Solomon places כָּוָה in a series of rhetorical questions that expose the folly of adultery. “Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet?”. The scorching is certain; the warning is that moral trespass brings unavoidable pain.
2.Isaiah 43:2—The Lord’s covenant assurance to Israel employs the same verb for an opposite purpose: “When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze”. The certainty here lies not in inevitable harm but in unbreakable divine protection.
The juxtaposition of these two passages—one in Wisdom literature, one in Prophetic comfort—creates a balanced biblical testimony: God has ordered creation so that disobedience scorches, yet He is powerful to keep His people from ultimate harm when they trust Him.
Theological Themes
• Moral Cause and Effect:Proverbs 6 links sexual sin with physical scalding, reinforcing the broader biblical principle that sin naturally yields pain (Galatians 6:7).
• Covenant Preservation:Isaiah 43 places protection from scorching within the framework of redemption (“For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior,”Isaiah 43:3). The same God who ordains consequences for evil also promises deliverance to His redeemed.
• Fire as Judgment and Purification: Throughout Scripture fire symbolizes both wrath (Genesis 19;Revelation 20) and refinement (Malachi 3:2-3;1 Peter 1:7). כָּוָה captures either outcome—harm for the unrepentant, purification or protection for the faithful.
Historical and Cultural Background
In ancient Near Eastern daily life an open hearth, cooking fires, and smelting furnaces made scorching a familiar danger. Proverbs’ imagery of hot coals is grounded in domestic reality. In Isaiah’s era, Israel’s memory of Egyptian brick kilns (Exodus 5) and Babylonian furnaces (later illustrated inDaniel 3) rendered the promise of not being scorched especially poignant. The term therefore bridges concrete experience and divine revelation.
Connections with Wider Biblical Fire Imagery
•Exodus 3: A bush burns but is not consumed—anticipating Isaiah’s promise.
•Daniel 3: The faithful walk unharmed in the furnace—historical validation ofIsaiah 43.
•1 Corinthians 3:13-15: Works tested “by fire” to reveal quality—scorching loss versus eternal preservation.
•Revelation 20:15: Final fire for the unredeemed—ultimate, irreversible scorching.
Each passage deepens the meaning of כָּוָה: the righteous may feel heat yet remain untouched, while the unrepentant suffer lasting burn.
Pastoral and Ministry Application
1. Purity Teaching:Proverbs 6:28 urges clear boundaries; counselors can illustrate the inevitability of damage when believers “play with fire” morally.
2. Encouragement in Trials:Isaiah 43:2 comforts congregations facing persecution or severe testing. The promise that flames cannot scorch reinforces perseverance and hope (Romans 8:37).
3. Assurance of Salvation: God’s ability to spare from scorching undergirds confidence in Christ’s atonement, who endured the fiery wrath so His people would not (2 Corinthians 5:21).
4. Discipleship Framework: Small groups can examine both passages together, contrasting self-inflicted burns with Spirit-guarded resilience, fostering wise living and resilient faith.
Questions for Reflection and Teaching
• Where do I risk being “scorched” by tolerating seemingly small sins?
• How does God’s past faithfulness in protecting His people from fire bolster my trust today?
• In what ways does the refining aspect of fire shape my understanding of current trials?
• How can I point others to the Savior who faced the full blaze so that we might never be consumed?
Forms and Transliterations
תִכָּוֶ֔ה תִכָּוֶֽינָה׃ תכוה תכוינה׃ ṯik·kā·we·nāh ṯik·kā·weh tikkaVeh tikkaVeinah ṯikkāweh ṯikkāwenāh
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