Lexical Summary
qatsah: End, extremity, border, edge
Original Word:קָצָה
Part of Speech:Noun
Transliteration:qatsah
Pronunciation:kaw-tsaw'
Phonetic Spelling:(kaw-tsaw')
KJV: coast, corner, (selv-)edge, lowest, (uttermost) participle
NASB:ends, end, all, among, corners, fringes, outermost
Word Origin:[feminine ofH7097 (קָצֶה קֵצֶה - End)]
1. a termination (used like H7097)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
coast, corner, lowest, uttermost participle
Feminine ofqatseh; a termination (used likeqatseh) -- coast, corner, (selv-)edge, lowest, (uttermost) participle
see HEBREWqatseh
see HEBREWqatseh
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
qatsahDefinitionan end
NASB Translationall (2), among (1), corners (1), end (7), ends (19), fringes (1), outermost (1), outermost* (1), whole number (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(plural)
Exodus 25:18 (plural 4 t. [with masculine number], Albr
ZAW xvi (1896), 93 changes Gender of number in all, or regards as irregular agreement in Gender (Ges
§ 97c); otherwise Kö
ii. 1, 61, 176); — absolute
Exodus 25:19 +; plural construct
1 Kings 12:31 +; suffix
Exodus 27:4 + (so also
Exodus 37:8;
Exodus 39:4 Qr; Kt , compare below), etc.; —
end, singular of in tabernacleExodus 25:19 (twice in verse) =Exodus 37:8 (twice in verse); of curtainExodus 26:4 =Exodus 36:11; elsewhere plural,Exodus 25:18 =Exodus 37:7, compareExodus 25:19 =Exodus 37:8; of ephodExodus 28:7 =Exodus 39:4, breast-plateExodus 28:23,24,26 =Exodus 39:16;Exodus 39:17;Exodus 39:19, chinsExodus 28:25 =Exodus 39:18, gratingExodus 27:4 (apparently =corners);tips of wings1 Kings 6:24 (twice in verse); of vineEzekiel 15:4;ends of the earthIsaiah 40:28;Isaiah 41:5,9;Job 28:24;Jeremiah 49:36, comparePsalm 19:7;Job 26:14, i.e. the mere edge, minute part, of his doings.
=from the whole of (from among)the people,1 Kings 12:31;1 Kings 13:33, compareJudges 18:2;2 Kings 17:32 (see also Ecclus 16:17; and ).
Topical Lexicon
Summary of Usageקָצָה appears roughly thirty-four times across the Old Testament to describe an “extremity”—the outermost limits of space, the border of an object, the fringe of a community, or the farthest point of human experience. Whether literal or figurative, the word consistently marks the point at which one realm ends and another begins, reminding the reader that every boundary exists under the sovereign rule of the LORD.
Physical Edges in Tabernacle Construction
In the Tabernacle instructions the term designates the four “corners” or “edges” that receive rings or clasps (for example,Exodus 25:12; 26:4; 36:11; 37:3). By highlighting these extremities Scripture underscores the painstaking attention Yahweh gives to every detail of His dwelling place. Holiness reaches outward to the very limits; nothing is left undefined or unordered. The completed structure therefore proclaims that God governs not merely the holy of holies but also the furthest border of sacred space.
Outskirts of Israel’s Camp
Numbers 11:1 records that “fire from the LORD blazed among them and consumed the outskirts of the camp.” Judgment falls, tellingly, at the perimeter—where devotion is thinnest and watchfulness easily lapses. A similar emphasis appears inNumbers 31:2-12, where the spoils of Midian are brought “to the edge of the camp” for purification. Life at the margin of the congregation is never outside divine concern; obedience and purity must reach the limits of communal life.
Ends of Cities and Peoples
Genesis 19:4 speaks of “every man from every quarter” of Sodom surrounding Lot’s house. The passage underscores total depravity: sin pervades from center to circumference. Conversely,Nehemiah 12:31-42 describes two thanksgiving choirs marching “to the far end of the wall,” symbolically stretching praise across the entire rebuilt city. Whether rebellion or worship, the influence is portrayed as comprehensive.
Borders of Promised Territory
Several conquest texts employ קָצָה to identify boundary lines (Joshua 15:5; 15:8; 15:21; 18:15, 17). The word therefore participates in Israel’s title deed: the land belongs to the LORD from one extremity to another. Promises, like geography, have definable edges; yet within those edges God’s people enjoy freedom and rest (Joshua 21:44).
The Ends of the Heavens and the Earth
Poets and prophets adopt the term to voice faith that reaches beyond sight. “From the ends of the earth I call to You” (Psalm 61:2).Deuteronomy 4:32 invites reflection “from one end of the heavens to the other” on the uniqueness of God’s acts.Isaiah 41:5 pictures distant coastlands trembling at the LORD’s approach. The vocabulary of extremity magnifies divine immensity: even the remotest limit is present to Him.
Eschatological Overtones
By definition, an “end” suggests completion. Texts such asJeremiah 25:31—“The clamor reaches the ends of the earth, for the LORD brings a charge against the nations”—anticipate a final reckoning in which no corner of creation remains unaffected. The same horizon hosts salvation: “He will proclaim peace to the nations; His dominion will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth” (Zechariah 9:10). Every border becomes the stage for messianic rule.
Ministry and Discipleship Implications
1. Vigilance at the Margins: The burnt outskirts inNumbers 11 warn congregations not to allow indifference at the fringes of fellowship.
2. Whole-Life Sanctification: Tabernacle corners were as holy as the ark’s center, calling believers to consecrate the neglected edges of personal life.
3. Mission to the Furthest Reach: If divine compassion spans to the extremity, so must evangelical concern (Acts 1:8 draws on the same Hebrew concept through its Greek equivalent).
4. Assurance in Distant Places: Saints who feel exiled or peripheral echo the psalmist’s cry from “the ends of the earth,” trusting the God whose presence fills all spaces.
Christological Trajectory
Jesus embodies the principle that God inhabits every boundary. At His crucifixion the outer curtain of the Temple tears, opening access from center to edge. His gospel is proclaimed “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 13:47, citingIsaiah 49:6, where the underlying Hebrew root is kindred to קָצָה). In Him the far-off are brought near, and new-covenant peace knows no territorial limitation.
Selected Key References
•Genesis 19:4; 47:2
•Exodus 25:12; 26:4; 36:11; 37:3
•Numbers 11:1; 22:41; 31:12
•Deuteronomy 4:32; 13:7
•Joshua 15:5-21; 18:15-17
•1 Samuel 14:2
•2 Samuel 24:5
•Nehemiah 12:31-42
•Psalm 61:2
•Isaiah 41:5
•Jeremiah 25:31
•Zechariah 9:10
Through each occurrence קָצָה reminds readers that every limit—spatial, moral, temporal—lies open before the Creator, who rules and redeems to the very edge.
Forms and Transliterations
לִקְצוֹת־ לקצות־ מִקְצ֣וֹת מִקְצ֤וֹת מִקְצ֥וֹת מִקְצוֹתָם֙ מִקְצוֹתָם֩ מִקָּצָ֖ה מִקָּצָה֙ מקצה מקצות מקצותם קְ֭צָוֹת קְצ֖וֹת קְצ֣וֹת קְצ֥וֹת קְצ֬וֹת קְצוֹת֙ קְצוֹתָ֑ם קְצוֹתָ֖יו קְצוֹתָ֜יו קְצוֹתָֽיו׃ קצות קצותיו קצותיו׃ קצותם Ketzavot keTzot ketzoTam ketzoTav liktzot liq·ṣō·wṯ- liqṣōwṯ- mikkaTzah mikTzot miktzoTam miq·qā·ṣāh miq·ṣō·w·ṯām miq·ṣō·wṯ miqqāṣāh miqṣōwṯ miqṣōwṯām qə·ṣā·wōṯ qə·ṣō·w·ṯām qə·ṣō·w·ṯāw qə·ṣō·wṯ qəṣāwōṯ qəṣōwṯ qəṣōwṯām qəṣōwṯāw
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