Original Word: כְּוִיָּה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: kviyah
Pronunciation: keh-vee-YAH
Phonetic Spelling: (kev-ee-yaw')
KJV: burning
NASB: burn
Word Origin: [from H3554 (כָּוָה - scorched)]

1. a branding

burning

From kavah; a branding -- burning.

see HEBREW kavah

Word Origin
from kavah
Definition
a burning
NASB Translation
burn (2).

כְּוִיָּה noun feminine id.; ׳תַּחַת כ ׳כ Exodus 21:25.

Biblical setting

Exodus 21 places כְּוִיָּה within the so-called lex talionis, the “law of retaliation.” After listing fines for accidental harm to a pregnant woman, Moses records: “eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe” (Exodus 21:24-25). The double use of כְּוִיָּה underscores the inclusion of thermal injuries—whether by fire, acid, or scalding—within the larger framework of measured, proportionate justice. In an agrarian society that cooked over open flames and forged tools in communal kilns, burns were a common and sometimes malicious form of assault. The statute guaranteed that the victim’s suffering would not be ignored, yet it simultaneously restrained vengeance by limiting retribution to the severity of the offense.

Terminology within ancient Near Eastern justice

Parallels exist in the Code of Hammurabi, which also prescribes “burn for burn” (e.g., §196-200). Scripture, however, couches the principle in covenantal ethics rather than mere royal decree. Whereas pagan codes often privileged social class, the Mosaic law applies equally to all Israelites, slave or free (Exodus 21:20-27). The inclusion of כְּוִיָּה therefore reflects Yahweh’s insistence that bodily integrity is sacred irrespective of status and that every injury bears moral weight before Him.

Theological themes and significance

1. Sanctity of the human body. By legislating specifically for burns, the law affirms that even seemingly minor parts of the body (skin and flesh) fall under divine protection (Genesis 1:26-27).
2. Proportional justice. כְּוִיָּה forms part of a measured legal response that bars both savage revenge and negligent leniency, foreshadowing the balanced scales praised in Proverbs 11:1.
3. Restrained retribution as mercy. While the law appears stern, it mercifully limits punishment to the injury incurred. In so doing it curbs escalating cycles of violence typical of clan feuds (cf. Genesis 4:23-24).

Practical ministry implications

• Advocacy for victims. Exodus 21:25 legitimizes a victim’s complaint and demands proper restitution; modern ministry can likewise champion those scarred—physically or emotionally—by abuse, assault, or negligence.
• Legal ethics. Christian lawyers and legislators can draw on the principle behind כְּוִיָּה to craft statutes that are just, proportionate, and protective of the vulnerable.
• Compassionate correction. Parents and church leaders may find in the text a reminder that discipline must never exceed the offense or degrade the image of God in the person corrected.

Christological fulfillment

Jesus cites the lex talionis in Matthew 5:38-39: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.” He does not abolish the righteousness behind כְּוִיָּה but moves personal relationships from courtroom equity to radical grace. At the cross He bears wounds and burns (figuratively, the full wrath of God) without demanding retribution, thereby satisfying the justice Exodus 21 anticipates while opening the way for forgiveness (1 Peter 2:23-24).

Contemporary application

Believers are called to uphold lawful proportionate justice in society while, on a personal level, embodying Christ’s higher mercy. כְּוִיָּה therefore reminds the church that (1) God takes every bodily harm seriously, (2) justice and mercy are not enemies but sequential partners, and (3) ultimate healing of every burn—physical or spiritual—finds completion in the wounds of the Savior who “poured out His life unto death” (Isaiah 53:12).

כְּוִיָּ֔ה כְּוִיָּה֙ כויה kə·wî·yāh keviYah kəwîyāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts