Original Word: קָמָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: qamah
Pronunciation: kah-MAH
Phonetic Spelling: (kuw-maw')
KJV: (standing) corn, grown up, stalk
NASB: standing grain, grown
Word Origin: [feminine of active participle of H6965 (קוּם - arose)]

1. something that rises, i.e. a stalk of grain

standing corn, grown up, stalk

Feminine of active participle of quwm; something that rises, i.e. A stalk of grain -- (standing) corn, grown up, stalk.

see HEBREW quwm

Word Origin
from qum
Definition
standing grain
NASB Translation
grown (2), standing grain (8).

קָמָה noun feminine standing grain; — absolute ׳ק Exodus 22:5 +; construct קָמַת Deuteronomy 23:26 (twice in verse); plural construct קָמוֺת Judges 15:5; — standing grain (mature) Exodus 22:5 (E), Deuteronomy 16:9; Deuteronomy 23:26 (twice in verse); Judges 15:5 (twice in verse); Isaiah 17:5; ׳לִפְנֵי ק 2 Kings 19:26 = Isaiah 37:27 **dubious, < read לְפָנַי קֻמְךָ ֗֗֗ and join to Isaiah 37:28: before me is thy rising up and thy sitting down We Bur Du Che^Hpt and others; compare below שְׁדֵפָה. (i.e. before maturity); in figure Hosea 8:7. — compare Vogelst^{Landwirthsch. 51}.

Agricultural Context in Ancient Israel

קָמָה describes ripened grain that still stands in the field. It marks the short but crucial window between the end of growth and the beginning of harvest, a season celebrated each spring in the Feast of Weeks (Deuteronomy 16:9). Because the crop is already vulnerable to weather, fire, and theft, Scripture often mentions it when highlighting both God’s provision and His people’s responsibility to safeguard the results of labor.

Legal Safeguards and Ethical Boundaries

Standing grain receives specific protection in the Torah. Should a careless fire destroy it, “the one who started the fire must surely make restitution” (Exodus 22:6). At the same time, compassion tempers ownership rights: “When you enter your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you must not put a sickle to your neighbor’s standing grain” (Deuteronomy 23:25). The law thus balances generosity toward the hungry with respect for another’s livelihood. These statutes anticipate Christ-like stewardship—freedom to meet needs without exploiting resources entrusted to others.

Historical Narratives and Divine Deliverance

Standing grain can represent the economic lifeblood of a nation, making it a strategic target in warfare. Samson burns the Philistines’ “shocks and standing grain” (Judges 15:5) to cripple their food supply and expose their powerlessness before the LORD. Centuries later, Assyrian boastfulness is checked when God likens their conquests to plants “blighted before it is grown” (2 Kings 19:26; Isaiah 37:27), underscoring His sovereignty over both crops and kingdoms.

Prophetic Imagery of Judgment and Harvest

Kāmah functions as a vivid metaphor in the prophets. Isaiah foresees Israel reduced to a meager gleaning, “as a reaper gathers grain in the Valley of Rephaim” (Isaiah 17:5). Hosea warns that empty religion will yield emptier produce: “They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no bud; it will yield no flour” (Hosea 8:7). In each case standing grain symbolizes potential—either flourishing under divine blessing or withering under divine displeasure.

Ministry and Devotional Application

1. Accountability: Restitution laws remind believers that negligence toward another’s livelihood offends God as surely as direct theft.
2. Compassionate restraint: Plucking by hand illustrates benevolence without greed, an ethic echoed in Jesus’ disciples gathering grain on the Sabbath.
3. Spiritual harvest: Paul’s maxim, “whatever one sows, that will he also reap,” echoes Hosea’s warning; faithfulness in seedtime leads to joy at harvest, while empty sowing yields emptiness.
4. Divine sovereignty: Fields can be leveled overnight, but the LORD of the harvest remains constant. Trust lies not in abundance of kāmah but in the God who gives increase.

Selected References

Exodus 22:6; Deuteronomy 16:9; Deuteronomy 23:25; Judges 15:5; 2 Kings 19:26; Isaiah 17:5; Isaiah 37:27; Hosea 8:7

בְּקָמ֣וֹת בְּקָמַ֣ת בַּקָּמָ֔ה בקמה בקמות בקמת הַקָּמָ֖ה הקמה קָמַ֥ת קָמָ֔ה קָמָ֖ה קָמָ֣ה קָמָֽה׃ קמה קמה׃ קמת bakkaMah baq·qā·māh baqqāmāh bə·qā·maṯ bə·qā·mō·wṯ bekaMat bekaMot bəqāmaṯ bəqāmōwṯ hakkaMah haq·qā·māh haqqāmāh kaMah kaMat qā·māh qā·maṯ qāmāh qāmaṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts