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H3807 · Hebrew · Old Testament
כָּתַת
Kathath
Verb
Crush; beat down; pound

Definition

The promise of the Messiah includes imagery of kathath — the serpent's head crushed (Genesis 3:15 uses a related concept), swords beaten into plowshares, and the wicked shattered. Isaiah 2:4 uses a related image: "they shall beat their swords into plowshares." Kathath also describes the pulverizing of the golden calf by Moses (Deuteronomy 9:21), an act showing the total destruction of false worship.

Usage & Theological Significance

Kathath means to crush, shatter, or beat small — as in grinding grain or hammering metal into submission. It appears in contexts of warfare, divine judgment, and the crushing of idols or enemies.

Key Bible Verses

Deuteronomy 9:21 Then I took the sinful thing, the calf that you had made, and burned it with fire and crushed it, grinding it very small.
Isaiah 30:14 Its breaking is like that of a potter's vessel that is smashed so ruthlessly.
Judges 10:8 They crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year — eighteen years.
Micah 4:3 He shall judge between many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks.
2 Kings 18:4 He broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had been making offerings to it.

Related Words

External Resources

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