Lexical Summary
kachad: To hide, conceal, cut off, destroy
Original Word:כָּחַד
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:kachad
Pronunciation:kah-khad'
Phonetic Spelling:(kaw-khad')
KJV: conceal, cut down (off), desolate, hide
NASB:hide, conceal, hidden, annihilated, concealed, cut off, destroyed
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to secrete, by act or word
2. hence (intensively) to destroy
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
conceal, cut down off, desolate, hide
A primitive root; to secrete, by act or word; hence (intensively) to destroy -- conceal, cut down (off), desolate, hide.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto hide
NASB Translationannihilated (3), blot (1), completely destroy (1), conceal (4), concealed (2), cut off (2), denied (1), desolate (1), destroyed (2), hid (1), hidden (4), hide (7), hides (1), perishing (1), wipe (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] not in
;
(usually) passive (Aramaicbe effacedJob 4:7;
isrevere, Participlevenerable, Pa`elput to shame, Ethpa`albe ashamed; Ethiopic
deny, apostatize) —
Perfect3masculine singularHosea 5:3 2t.; 3 pluralJob 4:7;Psalm 69:6;Imperfect3masculine singular2 Samuel 18:13, etc.;ParticipleZechariah 11:9; pluralZechariah 11:16;Job 15:28; —
be hidden, followed by person,2 Samuel 18:13;Hosea 5:3;Psalm 69:6;Psalm 139:15.
be effected, destroyedZechariah 11:9;Job 4:7;Job 15:28 (),Job 22:20, followed byExodus 9:15 (J);Participle intransitive of incomplete process =going to ruinZechariah 11:9,16.
Perfect1 Samuel 3:18; 1singularJob 6:10;Psalm 40:11; 3pluralJob 15:18;Isaiah 3:9;Imperfect2masculine singularJoshua 7:19 4t.; 2 feminine singular2 Samuel 14:18; 1singularJob 27:11; 2masculine pluralJeremiah 50:2; 1pluralGenesis 47:18;Psalm 78:4; —hide, followed by personGenesis 47:18 (J),Joshua 7:19 (JE),1 Samuel 3:17 (twice in verse);1 Samuel 3:18;2 Samuel 14:18;Jeremiah 38:14,25;Psalm 78:4; followed by personPsalm 40:11conceal toward, with reference to, i.e.from; without prepositionIsaiah 3:9;Jeremiah 50:2;Job 15:18;Job 27:11; =disownJob 6:10.
Perfect1singular consecutive suffixExodus 23:23;Imperfect3masculine singular 2Chronicles 32:21, suffixJob 20:12; 1singularZechariah 11:8; 1plural suffixPsalm 83:5;Infinitive construct1 Kings 13:34; —
hide, in figureJob 20:12 (object wickedness).
efface, annihilateExodus 23:23 (E),1 Kings 13:34 ("" ),Zechariah 11:8; 2Chronicles 32:21; followed byPsalm 83:5, i.e.from being (so that they be not)a nation.
(√ assumed by Thes Buhl and others for following BaNB 79 proposes √ ).
Topical Lexicon
Overview of UsageThe verb כָּחַד appears about thirty-two times in the Old Testament, always in the Hebrew Qal or Piel stems. Its core idea is deliberate concealment—of information, intentions, guilt, or persons. The action may be undertaken by human beings or (negatively) attributed to God when He withholds knowledge for His own righteous purposes. The contexts range from patriarchal narrative (Genesis), covenant history (Samuel–Kings), poetry (Psalms), and wisdom or prophetic literature (Job, Nahum).
Representative Passages
•Genesis 18:17 “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?”
•Joshua 7:19 “My son, give glory to the LORD… tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me.”
•1 Samuel 3:17–18; 20:2, 13 “Do not hide it from me… Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing.”
•2 Kings 4:27 “The LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.”
•Psalm 32:5 “I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not hide my iniquity.”
•Psalm 40:10 “I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have proclaimed Your faithfulness and Your salvation.”
•Psalm 119:19 “I am a sojourner on the earth; do not hide Your commandments from me.”
•Job 27:11 “I will teach you about the power of God; I will not conceal the ways of the Almighty.”
•Nahum 3:11 “You too will become drunk; you will go into hiding.”
Concealing Sin Versus Confessing It
The most frequent moral application concerns the secrecy of wrongdoing. Achan’s attempt to keep his theft unknown (Joshua 7) brought judgment until confession lifted the curse. David’s testimony inPsalm 32 describes the spiritual agony of keeping sin hidden and the relief that followed open confession: “You forgave the guilt of my sin” (Psalm 32:5). Scripture presents confession as the God-ordained antidote to spiritual rot; concealment invites discipline.
Integrity in Prophetic Ministry
Samuel serves as the paradigmatic prophet who “hid nothing” of the divine word from Eli (1 Samuel 3:18). In contrast, false prophets are condemned elsewhere for covering up truth. This sets a standard for all who handle God’s message: nothing essential may be suppressed for fear of offense or personal cost. Paul later mirrors this principle, declaring, “I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), a New-Testament echo of כָּחַד’s ethical thrust.
Divine Non-Concealment and Progressive Revelation
Genesis 18:17 portrays the LORD voluntarily disclosing His plans to Abraham on the basis of covenant friendship. God’s self-revelation is entirely gracious; He is not obligated but chooses not to “hide” His ways from His servants.Psalm 119:19 turns this dynamic into prayer, asking that God refrain from hiding His commandments. The prophetic vision ofIsaiah 45:19 reinforces the same character trait: “I, the LORD, speak the truth; I declare what is right.” God’s nature is antithetical to deception, guaranteeing the reliability of His Word.
Withholding Knowledge for Testing
While God is fundamentally truthful, He may temporarily conceal information to refine faith. Elisha laments, “The LORD has hidden it from me” (2 Kings 4:27), and the Chronicler records that God left Hezekiah “to test him” (2 Chronicles 32:31). Such holy reticence is never malicious but educative, teaching dependence upon revelation rather than presumption.
Eschatological and Judicial Hiding
Nahum 3:11 pictures Nineveh forced into hiding under divine judgment. What the wicked tried to conceal becomes the very ground of their exposure; they end by fleeing from the wrath they once ignored. This motif foreshadows the final judgment when “there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed” (cf.Luke 12:2).
Practical Ministry Implications
1. Preachers and teachers must resist the temptation to suppress hard truths; pastoral faithfulness imitates Samuel, not Eli’s sons.
2. Discipleship involves transparency before God and others. Small-group accountability and corporate confession of sin reflect thePsalm 32 pattern and cultivate spiritual health.
3. Prayer should include requests for divine illumination (Psalm 119:18–19). Expect seasons when God withholds immediate explanations yet trust His character.
4. Evangelism gains credibility when believers “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7), refusing the self-protective instinct to hide failures.
Christological Reflection
Jesus Christ embodies perfect openness: “I have spoken openly to the world… I said nothing in secret” (John 18:20). On the cross He bore the judgment for every hidden sin, tearing away the veil that concealed God’s holiness from sinners. His resurrection vindicates the promise that truth ultimately triumphs over every attempt at concealment.
Summary
כָּחַד exposes the futility of hiding from an omniscient God and champions candid confession, fearless proclamation, and trusting submission to divine timing. Whether warning the unrepentant, guiding the prophetic office, or comforting the penitent, its thread weaves through Scripture to affirm that “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”
Forms and Transliterations
אֲכַחֵֽד׃ אכחד׃ הַנִּכְחָד֤וֹת הנכחדות וְהִכְחַדְתִּֽיו׃ וְהַנִּכְחֶ֙דֶת֙ וְנַכְחִידֵ֣ם וַיַּכְחֵ֞ד וַתִּכָּחֵ֖ד וָאַכְחִ֛ד וּלְהַכְחִיד֙ ואכחד והכחדתיו׃ והנכחדת ויכחד ולהכחיד ונכחידם ותכחד יִכָּחֵ֣ד יַ֝כְחִידֶ֗נָּה יכחד יכחידנה כִ֝חַ֗דְתִּי כִֽ֝חֲד֗וּ כִחֵ֑דוּ כִחֵ֖ד כִחַ֥דְתִּי כחד כחדו כחדתי נְכַחֵ֣ד נְכַחֵ֨ד ׀ נִכְחַ֣ד נִכְחַ֥ד נִכְחָֽדוּ׃ נִכְחָד֗וֹת נכחד נכחדו׃ נכחדות תְּכַחֵ֑דוּ תְּכַחֵ֖ד תְּכַחֵ֤ד תְּכַחֵ֥ד תְכַחֲדִ֤י תְכַחֵ֖ד תִּכָּחֵ֔ד תכחד תכחדו תכחדי ’ă·ḵa·ḥêḏ ’ăḵaḥêḏ achaChed chiChadti chichaDu chiChed chiChedu han·niḵ·ḥā·ḏō·wṯ hannichchaDot hanniḵḥāḏōwṯ ḵi·ḥă·ḏū ḵi·ḥaḏ·tî ḵi·ḥê·ḏū ḵi·ḥêḏ ḵiḥaḏtî ḵiḥăḏū ḵiḥêḏ ḵiḥêḏū nə·ḵa·ḥêḏ nechaChed nəḵaḥêḏ nichChad nichchaDot nichChadu niḵ·ḥā·ḏō·wṯ niḵ·ḥā·ḏū niḵ·ḥaḏ niḵḥaḏ niḵḥāḏōwṯ niḵḥāḏū ṯə·ḵa·ḥă·ḏî tə·ḵa·ḥê·ḏū tə·ḵa·ḥêḏ ṯə·ḵa·ḥêḏ techachaDi techaChed techaChedu ṯəḵaḥăḏî təḵaḥêḏ ṯəḵaḥêḏ təḵaḥêḏū tik·kā·ḥêḏ tikkaChed tikkāḥêḏ ū·lə·haḵ·ḥîḏ ulehachChid ūləhaḵḥîḏ vaachChid vaiyachChed vattikkaChed vehannichChedet vehichchadTiv venachchiDem wā’aḵḥiḏ wā·’aḵ·ḥiḏ wat·tik·kā·ḥêḏ wattikkāḥêḏ way·yaḵ·ḥêḏ wayyaḵḥêḏ wə·han·niḵ·ḥe·ḏeṯ wə·hiḵ·ḥaḏ·tîw wə·naḵ·ḥî·ḏêm wəhanniḵḥeḏeṯ wəhiḵḥaḏtîw wənaḵḥîḏêm yachchiDennah yaḵ·ḥî·ḏen·nāh yaḵḥîḏennāh yik·kā·ḥêḏ yikkaChed yikkāḥêḏ
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