Lexical Summary
qashah: To be hard, to be severe, to be difficult, to be stubborn
Original Word:קָשָׁה
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:qashah
Pronunciation:kaw-SHAH
Phonetic Spelling:(kaw-shaw')
KJV: be cruel, be fiercer, make grievous, be ((ask a), be in, have, seem, would) hard(-en, (labour), -ly, thing), be sore, (be, make) stiff(-en, (-necked))
NASB:stiffened, harden, hardens, made our hard, severe, stiffen, cruel
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. (properly) to be dense, i.e. tough or severe (in various applications)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
be cruel, be fiercer, make grievous, be in, have, seem, harden, labor, be sore,
A primitive root; properly, to be dense, i.e. Tough or severe (in various applications) -- be cruel, be fiercer, make grievous, be ((ask a), be in, have, seem, would) hard(-en, (labour), -ly, thing), be sore, (be, make) stiff(-en, (-necked)).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto be hard, severe or fierce
NASB Translationbecame stubborn* (2), cruel (1), defied* (1), hard (1), hard thing (1), hard-pressed (1), harden (2), hardened (1), hardens (2), harsher (1), made our hard (2), seem hard (1), severe (2), stiffen (2), stiffened (6), stubborn (1), suffered severe (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. [] (Late Hebrew
be severe; Arabic
(
)
be hard, dry, III.
endure, struggle against, severity; Aramaic ,
be hard, difficult; Jewish-Aramaic , adjective
hard); —
Perfect3feminine singular1 Samuel 5:7,Genesis 49:7;Imperfect3masculine singularDeuteronomy 1:17;Deuteronomy 15:18,2 Samuel 19:44; —
be hard, difficultDeuteronomy 1:17 (of a legal case; comparative).
be hard, severe, 1Samuel 5:7 (of , in judgement); .Deuteronomy 15:18it shall not be hard in thine eyes (seem a severe trial, an injustice); of wrathGenesis 49:7 (poem in J; "" ); of fierce words2 Samuel 19:44.
ParticipleIsaiah 8:21hardly bestead, hard pressed.
Imperfect3feminine singularGenesis 35:16 (E)she made hard in her bearing (had severe labour).
Perfect3masculine singularExodus 13:15 +, etc.;Imperfect3masculine singular 2Chronicles 36:13; 3 masculine pluralJeremiah 7:26 +, etc.;Infinitive construct suffixGenesis 35:17;ParticipleProverbs 28:14;Proverbs 29:1; —
make difficult, difficulty:Exodus 13:15 Pharaohmade difficulty about sending us away; of travailGenesis 35:17 (E; as
);2 Kings 2:10thou hast made hard to ask, asked a hard thing.
make severe, burdensome, yoke imposed by king1 Kings 12:4 2Chronicles 10:4.
make hard, stiff, stubborn, figurative of obstinacy:2 Kings 17:14they stiffened their neck, soJeremiah 7:26;Jeremiah 17:23;Jeremiah 19:15;Deuteronomy 10:16; 2Chronicles 30:8; 36:13;Nehemiah 9:16,17,29;Proverbs 29:1;Psalm 95:8, compareProverbs 28:14; subject ,Exodus 7:3 (P), accusativeDeuteronomy 2:30,
shew stubbornessJob 9:4 (with person []).
Topical Lexicon
Overview of the Term’s Range of Meaning and Occurrenceקָשָׁה (Strong’s 7185) spans ideas of hardness, severity, stubbornness, or harsh difficulty. About twenty-eight Old Testament verses employ the verb or its adjectival forms, touching the physical realm (painful labor), the social realm (harsh speech or rule), and the spiritual realm (hardened hearts against God). Together these uses trace a theology of resistance to the LORD, the consequences of oppressive leadership, and the call to repentance and softness of heart.
Hardening of Hearts and Divine Sovereignty
1.Exodus 7:3 inaugurates the Exodus drama: “But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.” God’s deliberate hardening displays His sovereignty, magnifies His glory through judgment and redemption, and simultaneously exposes the self-willed obstinacy of Pharaoh (Exodus 8:15, 19, 32; 9:12).
2.Deuteronomy 2:30 shows the theme continuing with Sihon: “The LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate, in order to deliver him into your hand.” Divine hardening here prepares the conquest stage of redemptive history.
3. Later historical reflection confirms both divine initiative and human culpability. Pharaoh “hardened his heart” (1 Samuel 6:6), while King Zedekiah “stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD” (2 Chronicles 36:13). Scripture never portrays hardening as mechanical coercion; rather, the LORD judicially confirms existing rebellion.
Stubbornness in Israel’s Covenant Life
Throughout Israel’s journey the same term characterizes the people themselves:
•Exodus 32:9; 33:3, 5; 34:9 – “a stiff-necked people.”
•Nehemiah 9:16-17, 29 – after the exile the Levites confess, “Our fathers acted presumptuously, stiffened their necks, and did not obey Your commandments.”
•Psalm 95:8 urges worshipers, “Do not harden your hearts, as you did at Meribah.” The New Testament applies this warning directly to the church (Hebrews 3:8, 15; 4:7).
• Jeremiah repeatedly laments Judah’s refusal to listen (Jeremiah 7:26; 17:23; 19:15), illustrating that covenant privilege does not immunize from the danger of hardening.
Harshness in Human Rule and Relationships
The verb also describes severe treatment by human authorities:
•Genesis 42:7 – Joseph “spoke harshly” to his brothers, testing their integrity.
•1 Kings 12:13-14 (paralleled in2 Chronicles 10) – Rehoboam’s “harsh” reply, promising to add to the people’s burdens, precipitates the kingdom’s fracture.
•Isaiah 19:4 – the LORD will give Egypt “into the hand of a cruel master,” illustrating how oppressive rulers become an instrument of judgment.
Such passages warn leaders that harshness alienates subjects and invites divine censure.
Physical Hardship and Pain
קָשָׁה describes bodily distress:
•Genesis 35:16-17 portrays Rachel’s “hard labor” in childbirth—both a concrete use and a theological reminder ofGenesis 3:16.
•Exodus 1:14; 6:9 speak of Israel’s “hard bondage,” setting the stage for Yahweh’s liberating power.
•Job 30:25 (contextually linked) reflects on sharing in another’s “hard day.”
Physical hardship often becomes the canvas upon which God paints deliverance, teaching His people dependence.
Prophetic and Wisdom Warnings
The prophets identify hardened hearts as the root of social injustice and idolatry:
•Zechariah 7:11-12 – “They made their hearts like flint, lest they should hear the law.”
•Jeremiah 3:17 – apostasy flows from “the stubbornness of their evil hearts.”
Wisdom literature personalizes the warning: “A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery” (Proverbs 29:1).
Christological and New Testament Echoes
While קָשָׁה is Hebrew, its thematic burden carries into Greek terms such as σκληρύνω (sklērunō).Hebrews 3–4 repeatedly echoesPsalm 95, urging believers not to harden their hearts against the voice of the Son. By contrast, Jesus embodies the opposite spirit—“gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29)—fulfilling the Scripture by providing rest where hardness once reigned.
Pastoral and Practical Implications
1. Call to Repentance: Regular self-examination and quick repentance prevent progressive hardening (Psalm 139:23-24;Hebrews 3:12-13).
2. Leadership Tone: Shepherds, parents, and civil authorities must eschew harshness (Ephesians 6:4;1 Peter 5:3), mirroring the gentleness of Christ.
3. Sovereignty and Responsibility: Though God may harden in judgment, His revealed will is to soften hearts through the gospel (Ezekiel 36:26;Acts 16:14).
4. Suffering’s School: Hard labor and painful trials, when yielded to God, refine character rather than embitter the soul (Romans 5:3-5;James 1:2-4).
Summary
קָשָׁה threads through the Old Testament as a solemn reminder that resistance to God—whether in rulers, nations, or individuals—carries grave consequences. Yet every occurrence also opens a window onto divine mercy: hearts can be softened, yokes can be lifted, and harsh circumstances can become showcases of redemptive grace. The pastoral task is therefore twofold: warn against the peril of hardness and beckon all who hear to embrace the gentle mastery of Jesus Christ.
Forms and Transliterations
אַקְשֶׁ֖ה אקשה בְהַקְשֹׁתָ֖הּ בהקשתה הִקְשִׁ֣יתָ הִקְשָׁ֣ה הִקְשָׁ֥ה הִקְשָׁה֩ הִקְשׁ֖וּ הִקְשׁוּ֙ הקשה הקשו הקשית וַיִּ֙קֶשׁ֙ וַיֶּ֤קֶשׁ וַיַּקְשׁ֤וּ וַיַּקְשׁוּ֙ וַתְּקַ֥שׁ וּמַקְשֶׁ֥ה ויקש ויקשו ומקשה ותקש יִקְשֶׁ֣ה יקשה מַקְשֶׁה־ מקשה־ נִקְשֶׁ֣ה נקשה קָשְׁתָ֤ה קָשָׁ֑תָה קשתה תַּקְשׁ֣וּ תַּקְשׁ֥וּ תַקְשׁ֖וּ תקשו ’aq·šeh ’aqšeh akSheh ḇə·haq·šō·ṯāh ḇəhaqšōṯāh hikShah hikShita hikShu hiq·šāh hiq·šî·ṯā hiq·šū hiqšāh hiqšîṯā hiqšū kaShatah kasheTah maksheh maq·šeh- maqšeh- nikSheh niq·šeh niqšeh qā·šā·ṯāh qā·šə·ṯāh qāšāṯāh qāšəṯāh takShu taq·šū ṯaq·šū taqšū ṯaqšū ū·maq·šeh umakSheh ūmaqšeh vaiyakShu vaiYekesh vaiYikesh vatteKash vehakshoTah wat·tə·qaš wattəqaš way·yaq·šū way·ye·qeš way·yi·qeš wayyaqšū wayyeqeš wayyiqeš yikSheh yiq·šeh yiqšeh
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