קוּר
(only plural) trenches, i.e. a web (as if so formed)
Definition
The Hebrew noun קוּר (qûwr) appears only in the plural form (קוּרִים, qûrîm) and refers to a 'web' or 'spider's web.' It is used metaphorically in the Bible to describe something fragile, insubstantial, and useless for protection or covering. In Isaiah 59:5-6, the prophet uses the image of a spider's web to illustrate the futility and moral corruption of the people's works; their deeds are like a web that cannot serve as proper clothing or a covering for sin, highlighting the inadequacy of human efforts apart from God.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in two consecutive verses in the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 59:5 and 59:6). In both instances, it is employed in a vivid metaphorical context. The prophet Isaiah contrasts the destructive acts of the people (hatching adders' eggs and weaving spiders' webs) with the inability of such works to provide any real covering or righteousness. The usage is poetic and serves to underscore a theme of moral and spiritual failure.
Etymology
The noun קוּר (qûwr) is derived from the root verb קוּר (qûr, H6979), which means 'to bore' or 'to dig.' This root connection suggests the idea of forming something by intertwining or hollowing out, which conceptually aligns with the process of a spider spinning its web. The development from a verb meaning to dig or bore to a noun meaning a web likely reflects the intricate, dug-out or woven structure of a spider's silk trap.
Semantic Range
The word קוּר is theologically significant in its context in Isaiah 59. It serves as a powerful metaphor for human self-righteousness and the utter inadequacy of our own works to cover sin or achieve salvation. The prophet declares that the people's deeds are like a spider's web—flimsy, temporary, and utterly useless as a garment before God. This imagery enriches the reading of this passage by vividly contrasting human failure with the divine solution of God's own righteousness and redemption that the chapter goes on to proclaim.
In the ancient Near East, spiders and their webs were common observations of nature. A spider's web was universally recognized as a marvel of intricate construction but also as something extremely fragile and easily swept away. This cultural understanding makes the metaphor in Isaiah immediately accessible: human efforts, no matter how cleverly constructed, are ultimately insubstantial and cannot withstand God's judgment. The web was not seen as a source of strength but as a symbol of fragility.
עַכָּבִישׁ (ʿakkābîš, H5908) — This is the actual Hebrew word for 'spider.' While קוּר is the 'web,' עַכָּבִישׁ is the creature that spins it.
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.
Full methodology & sources →