Lexical Summary qetsaphah: Wrath, Indignation Original Word: קְצָפָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance barked From qatsaph; a fragment -- bark(-ed). see HEBREW qatsaph NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition snapping, splintering NASB Translation splinters (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs קְצָפָה noun feminine a snapping or splintering (on abstract formation see BaNB 87);-Joel 1:7 (of fig-tree; "" שַׁמָּה). Topical Lexicon Meaning and Imagery קְצָפָה denotes the bark or outer covering of a tree. In the only canonical occurrence (Joel 1:7), the stripping away of this layer pictures complete devastation; without bark a tree is exposed, its life–giving channels dry up, and the wood is left bleached and lifeless. Biblical Occurrence Joel 1:7: “It has laid waste My grapevine and splintered My fig tree. It has stripped off their bark and thrown it away, leaving their branches white.” The prophet describes successive swarms of locusts that consume everything from fruit to twig. When even the bark is gone, there is literally nothing left to sustain future growth. קְצָפָה therefore functions as the final, grim stage of loss. Agricultural and Historical Background In the ancient Near East the vine and fig were mainstays of diet, trade, and domestic comfort. A bark-stripped fig tree not only ceases fruiting for several seasons but may die outright. Joel’s audience—farmers and vintners of Judah—would immediately feel the economic terror: seed reserves gone, orchard stock ruined, and no quick remedy available. Archaeological studies from Iron Age Judea confirm that fig wood turns visibly white when its cambium is removed, matching the prophet’s imagery. Prophetic and Theological Significance 1. Covenant Reversal Peace and prosperity are often summarized biblically as “sitting under one’s vine and fig tree” (1 Kings 4:25; Micah 4:4; Zechariah 3:10). Joel’s vision reverses that blessing: the covenant people’s comforts are torn away, underscoring the seriousness of their sin and calling them to repentance (Joel 1:13–14; 2:12–13). The loss of bark is not partial discipline; it is exhaustive judgment. Just as no life remains in a debarked tree, so no self-reliant hope remains for Judah apart from God. Joel moves from agricultural ruin (1:4–12) to cosmic upheaval (2:1–11). The image of whitened branches anticipates future apocalyptic portraits, where earthly security is gone and only divine intervention can restore life (Joel 2:18–27). Canonical Echoes • Jeremiah 8:13 warns of vines without grapes and fig trees without figs, echoing Joel’s earlier picture. Practical Ministry Implications 1. Preaching Repentance: קְצָפָה furnishes a vivid illustration of the cost of unrepentant sin—life support systems are peeled away until only God can save. Christological Perspective Just as the fig tree’s lifeblood dries up when its bark is removed, Jesus “poured out His life unto death” (Isaiah 53:12) to bear the full effect of divine judgment. In Him alone the dead wood of humanity receives new sap (John 15:1–5), reversing the devastation hinted at by קְצָפָה. Summary קְצָפָה, though a single-occurrence term, carries a weighty theological load. The stripped bark of Joel 1:7 dramatizes total covenant loss, presses the call to repentance, prefigures the Day of the Lord, and ultimately points to the One who restores what sin has stripped away. Forms and Transliterations לִקְצָפָ֑ה לקצפה liktzaFah liq·ṣā·p̄āh liqṣāp̄āhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joel 1:7 HEB: לְשַׁמָּ֔ה וּתְאֵנָתִ֖י לִקְצָפָ֑ה חָשֹׂ֤ף חֲשָׂפָהּ֙ NAS: And my fig tree splinters. It has stripped KJV: waste, and barked my fig tree: INT: a waste and my fig splinters has stripped bare 1 Occurrence |
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