קְבֻצָה
a hoard
Definition
The Hebrew noun קְבֻצָה (qᵉbutsâh) refers to a gathered collection or hoard of items, specifically metals in its sole biblical occurrence. It denotes a mass that has been assembled or accumulated into one place. The word carries a passive sense, indicating something that has been gathered together, often implying a purposeful collection. In Ezekiel 22:20, it describes the gathered mass of metals—silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin—that God metaphorically places in a furnace for judgment.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Ezekiel 22:20. It appears in a prophetic judgment oracle where God describes gathering the people of Israel like metals into a furnace. The context is one of divine refining and purification through severe trial. The usage is metaphorical, applying the concept of a gathered hoard of metal to the assembled people of Israel under God's judgment.
Etymology
קְבֻצָה is the feminine passive participle form of the root verb קָבַץ (qāvats, H6908), which means 'to gather, assemble, collect.' The root conveys the action of bringing scattered items or people together into one group or location. As a participle used as a noun, qᵉbutsâh specifically denotes 'that which is gathered'—the resulting collection or hoard.
Semantic Range
Though used only once, this word contributes to the powerful metaphor of divine judgment as a refining fire. In Ezekiel 22:20, God is portrayed as a metalsmith gathering Israel (the 'hoard') into the furnace of Jerusalem's siege for purification. This connects to biblical themes of God's holiness, the necessity of judgment for sin, and the hope of refinement. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the image, emphasizing that God intentionally assembles His people for this severe, purifying process.
In ancient Near Eastern culture, the smelting of metals was a common and vital process for creating tools, weapons, and currency. A 'hoard' or gathered mass of raw metal represented significant material value and potential. The process involved intense heat to separate pure metal from impurities (dross). Ezekiel's audience would immediately grasp the metaphor: just as base metals must be melted to remove impurities, so must Israel pass through the fire of judgment to be purified.
אָסַף (ʾāsaph, H622) — a more general verb for 'to gather, collect, remove'; עֵדָה (ʿēdâh, H5712) — an assembly or congregation, typically of people; כְּנִישָׁה (kᵉnîshâh) — a later Hebrew term for an assembly or gathering.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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