Lexical Summary
kese or keseh: Full moon
Original Word:כֶּסֶא
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:kece'
Pronunciation:keh-seh
Phonetic Spelling:(keh'-seh)
KJV: (time) appointed
NASB:full moon
Word Origin:[apparently fromH3680 (כָּסָה - covered)]
1. (properly) fulness or the full moon, i.e. its festival
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
time appointed
Or keceh {keh'-seh}; apparently fromkacah; properly, fulness or the full moon, i.e. Its festival -- (time) appointed.
see HEBREWkacah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originof uncertain derivation
Definitionfull moon
NASB Translationfull moon (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Proverbs 7:20,
Psalm 81:4 (compare Aramaic
; origin dubious, compare Lag
Symn. i. 93; perhaps Assyrian loan-word; compare Assyrian
kusêu,
headdress or
cap, =
agû, id., and also
full moon (as tiara of moon-god ?), Dl
HWB, subkusêu, kubšu, agû; yet see Brock) —
Proverbs 7:20; as a feast-day,
Psalm 81:4 (opposed to ,
at the new moon).
Topical Lexicon
OverviewThe term denotes the full moon and functions in Scripture as a temporal marker that frames both sacred celebration and moral instruction. Its limited appearances heighten the vividness with which the biblical writers connect lunar fullness to covenant worship and to the rhythm of daily life.
Occurrences in Scripture
1.Psalm 81:3 presents the full moon as an appointed moment for covenantal rejoicing: “Sound the ram’s horn at the new moon, and at the full moon on the day of our Feast.”
2.Proverbs 7:20 employs the same celestial signal to measure an illicit interval: “He has taken a bag of money with him and will not return until the moon is full.”
Historical and Liturgical Context
• The worship calendar given inLeviticus 23 relied on the lunar cycle. Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread began on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the first month—nights illumined by the full moon, facilitating nationwide travel to Jerusalem (Exodus 12:6;Numbers 28:17;1 Kings 8:2).
• Trumpets sounded at the new moon (Numbers 10:10), and again at the full moon (Psalm 81:3), bracketing the first half of a sacred month with audible reminders of God’s sovereignty.
• The brightness of the full moon reflected the covenant concept of divine faithfulness “established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky” (Psalm 89:37).
Theological Themes
• Order and sovereignty:Genesis 1:14–18 introduced the luminaries as “signs to mark seasons,” underscoring that times and festivals belong to the Lord.
• Joyous obedience:Psalm 81 links the full moon with deliverance from Egypt (verses 5–10), fusing lunar grandeur with redemptive memory.
• Faithful witness: The unchanging cycle of the moon models the reliability of God’s promises (Jeremiah 31:35–36).
Moral and Wisdom-School Usage
Proverbs 7:20 contrasts sacred timing with secret sin. While Israel gathered by moonlight for worship, the adulteress exploited the same time span for treachery. The passage warns that ignoring God’s appointed rhythms invites moral disarray (cf.Proverbs 6:28–29).
Typological and Prophetic Dimensions
• Feast symbolism foreshadows the Messiah. Paul writes, “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ” (Colossians 2:17). The full moon that crowned Israel’s deliverance prefigures the fullness of redemption accomplished at the cross (Matthew 26:18–19, 26–28).
• Eschatological worship:Isaiah 66:23 anticipates monthly and Sabbath gatherings “before Me,” hinting that lunar cycles will continue to signal corporate praise in the new creation.
Practical Ministry Implications
• Establish rhythms of remembrance: Congregations can draw on the lunar imagery ofPsalm 81 to schedule periodic celebrations of salvation history, reinforcing the link between God’s deeds and specific times.
• Teach moral vigilance:Proverbs 7 encourages pastors to expose the danger of seemingly small intervals given over to sin; unchecked periods can culminate in catastrophe as predictably as the moon reaches fullness.
• Reinforce God’s reliability: In pastoral care, the visible moon serves as a ready illustration of God’s unchanging character amid fluctuating circumstances.
Related Concepts and Cross-References
New moon:Numbers 28:11–15;1 Chronicles 23:31.
Festal trumpets:Leviticus 23:24;Psalm 98:6.
Moon as witness:Psalm 104:19;Revelation 12:1.
Forms and Transliterations
בַּ֝כֵּ֗סֶה בכסה הַ֝כֵּ֗סֶא הכסא bak·kê·seh bakKeseh bakkêseh hak·kê·se hakKese hakkêse
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