Original Word: כָּכָה
Part of Speech: Adverb
Transliteration: kakah
Pronunciation: kä-kä'
Phonetic Spelling: (kaw'-kaw)
KJV: after that (this) manner, this matter, (even) so, in such a case, thus
NASB: thus, so, just so, this manner, even so, like this, this
Word Origin: [from H3541 (כּוֹה - thus)]

1. just so, referring to the previous or following context

after that this manner, this matter, even so, in such a case, thus

From koh; just so, referring to the previous or following context -- after that (this) manner, this matter, (even) so, in such a case, thus.

see HEBREW koh

Word Origin
from koh
Definition
thus
NASB Translation
even so (1), just so (3), like this (1), so (5), this (1), this manner (2), this regard (1), thus (21).

כָּ֫כָה₃₇ adverb thus (Late Hebrew abbreviated to כָּךְ, with prepositions בֵּין כָּךְ meanwhile, לְפִיכָךְ therefore; probably either from כָה and כְּ, literally as thus, Ol^{§ 223 h}; or from כָּה כָה Kö^{ii. 1, 253}), somewhat more emphatic than כֹּה, usually prefixed to word which it qualifies: — Exodus 12:11 וככה תאכלו אתו and thus shall ye eat it, Exodus 29:35; Numbers 8:26; Numbers 11:15 ואם ככה את עשׂה לי, Numbers 15:11,12,13; Deuteronomy 25:9; Deuteronomy 29:23 (compare 1 Kings 9:8; Jeremiah 22:8); so often with עשׂה: 1 Samuel 19:17 למה ככה רמיתני why hast thou thus deceived me ? 2 Samuel 17:21; 1 Kings 1:6,48; Jeremiah 13:9; Jeremiah 19:11; Jeremiah 28:11; Jeremiah 51:64; once with an adjective 2 Samuel 13:4 מדוע אתה כָכָה דל why art thou thus lean ? Ecclesiastes 11:5 answering to כַּאֲשֶׁר; Psalm 144:15 העם שֶׁכָּכָה לוֺ the people to which it is thus. Once 2 Chronicles 18:19 repeated, in this way . . . in that way ("" 1 Kings 22:20 בְּכֹהבְּ֗֗֗כֹה). compare the synonym כָּזֹאת. With a preposition once, in late Hebrew, Esther 9:26 עַלכָּֿ֫כָה concerning such a matter. With the interrogative אי, אֵיכָכָה how ? (p. 32).

Overview

The adverb כָּכָה appears about thirty-seven times throughout the Old Testament to express “thus,” “in this way,” or “so.” It functions as a pivot of comparison, linking what is seen or commanded with what must follow. Whether used by God, a prophet, or a narrator, the word signals certainty, prescribed pattern, and the continuity of divine purpose.

Patterns and Obedience in Covenant Instructions

When the Lord establishes ordinances, כָּכָה marks the precise manner His people are to follow. In Exodus 12:11 He says of the Passover meal, “This is how you are to eat it…,” anchoring Israel’s memory of redemption in a perpetual rite. Numbers 15:11 extends the pattern to every future offering: “This is how everyone who offers a bull or a ram is to present a grain offering and a drink offering with each animal.” The repetition underscores that worship is not a human improvisation but a response ordered by God Himself.

Liturgical and Ritual Contexts

Leviticus repeatedly couples כָּכָה with priestly duties, reinforcing sacred order. Leviticus 7:7 declares, “The guilt offering is like the sin offering; the same law applies to both.” Through such formulas, the term ties sacrifices across categories, pointing to coherency in the atonement system. By binding ritual detail to divine word, Scripture guards Israel from empty ritualism and directs attention to the holiness of God who sets the terms of reconciliation.

Leadership and Example

When leaders embody God’s instruction, כָּכָה becomes exemplary. In Joshua 10:25, after subduing opposing kings, Joshua declares, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Be strong and courageous, for the Lord will do this to all the enemies you fight.” The word “this” (kakhah) assures Israel that what they have witnessed is an illustrative pledge of future victories. Similarly, David’s encounter with Goliath echoes the motif when the people report, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him” (1 Samuel 17:27), forging a link between royal deliverance and rewards for covenant faithfulness.

Prophetic Declarations and Affirmations

Prophets wield כָּכָה to certify that God’s word corresponds exactly to its fulfillment. Hosea 10:10 proclaims impending judgment: “When I please, I will discipline them, and nations will be gathered against them to put them in bonds for their double iniquity.” The underlying adverb connects prophetic speech with historical outcome. Conversely, Isaiah 66:22 offers hope: “Just as the new heavens and the new earth that I will make endure before Me… so your descendants and your name will endure.” The comparison guarantees permanence grounded in God’s creative power.

Didactic Usage in Wisdom Literature

Wisdom texts employ כָּכָה to reinforce moral cause and effect. Job 34:24 observes, “He shatters the mighty without inquiry and sets others in their place,” implying that God acts consistently in this manner toward human pride. The adverb thus stabilizes ethical instruction by rooting it in observable divine governance.

Christological Reflections

The Old Testament’s repetitive “so shall it be” anticipates the certainty of Messianic fulfillment. Genesis 15:5 prefigures the Gospel: “Then He said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’” Paul later grounds justification by faith on this very promise (Galatians 3:6-9). Every usage of כָּכָה that highlights unwavering fulfillment points forward to the reliability of God’s ultimate promise in Jesus Christ, “For as many as are the promises of God, in Christ they are ‘Yes’” (echoing 2 Corinthians 1:20).

Practical Ministry Application

1. Preaching and Teaching: Employ the term’s thematic weight to show congregations that God not only speaks but prescribes. Stress that biblical commands come with built-in illustrations of obedience.
2. Discipleship: Encourage believers to adopt the principle of patterned living—Scripture provides both instruction and example. “In this way” gestures toward tangible, imitable conduct.
3. Counseling: When addressing doubt, point counselees to verses like Genesis 15:5 and Isaiah 66:22; the same God who said “so shall it be” has proven faithful across generations.

Conclusion

כָּכָה threads through redemptive history as a verbal assurance that God’s words and works correspond perfectly. In covenant statutes, prophetic utterances, and historical narratives, it signals that what God prescribes, predicts, or models will occur exactly “in this way.” The believer, therefore, may rest in the unbroken harmony between divine promise and performance, confident that the Lord will continue to act “so” for His glory and for the good of His people.

וְכָ֛כָה וְכָכָה֮ וככה כָ֗כָה כָ֛כָה כָּ֔כָה כָּ֖כָה כָּ֗כָה כָּ֙כָה֙ כָּ֚כָה כָּ֛כָה כָּ֠כָה כָּ֣כָה כָּ֣כָה ׀ כָּֽכָה׃ ככה ככה׃ שֶׁכָּ֖כָה שֶׁכָּ֣כָה שככה Chachah kā·ḵāh ḵā·ḵāh Kachah kāḵāh ḵāḵāh šek·kā·ḵāh šekkāḵāh shekKachah vechaChah wə·ḵā·ḵāh wəḵāḵāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts