Original Word: קֵא
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: qe'
Pronunciation: keh
Phonetic Spelling: (kay)
KJV: vomit
NASB: vomit
Word Origin: [from H6958 (קוֹא קָיָה - Line)]

1. vomit

vomit

Or qiys {kee}; from qow'; vomit -- vomit.

see HEBREW qow'

Word Origin
from qi
Definition
what is vomited up, vomit
NASB Translation
vomit (1).

[קֵא] noun [masculine] what is vomited up, vomit (see Ba^{NB 79}); — suffix קֵאוֺ Proverbs 26:11 (of dog).

קִיא noun masculine id. (see Ba^{NB 80}); — absolute ׳ק Isaiah 28:8; suffix קִיאוֺ Isaiah 19:14 (simile); figurative Jeremiah 48:26 (of Moab).

Definition and Scope

The Hebrew noun קֵא denotes the regurgitated contents of the stomach—“vomit.” Scripture employs the unpleasant image literally and metaphorically to depict moral repulsion, spiritual corruption, and divine judgment.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Proverbs 26:11
2. Isaiah 19:14
3. Isaiah 28:8
4. Jeremiah 48:26

Literary and Prophetic Imagery

Vomit symbolizes what is unclean, shameful, and detestable before God. Each passage uses the picture to shock the reader, underscoring how sin debases people and nations.
• In wisdom literature (Proverbs 26:11) the act of a dog returning to its vomit illustrates the cyclical folly of sinners who disregard correction: “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly”.
• Isaiah 19:14 compares Egypt’s political turmoil to the staggering of a drunkard immersed in his own vomit, portraying confusion that incapacitates a nation.
• Isaiah 28:8 depicts priests and prophets blinded by indulgence: “For all their tables are covered with vomit; there is not a place without filth”. The contamination reaches even religious institutions, warning against hypocrisy.
• Jeremiah 48:26 exposes Moab’s arrogance: “Make him drunk, because he has exalted himself against the LORD. Moab will wallow in his vomit, and he will also become a laughingstock”. National pride culminates in humiliating disgrace.

Historical and Cultural Background

Ancient Near Eastern societies viewed bodily emissions as ritual impurity. Prophets leveraged that cultural revulsion to communicate Yahweh’s abhorrence of idolatry, injustice, and self-reliance. The image also evoked covenant vocabulary regarding clean and unclean distinctions in Leviticus, reminding Israel that moral defilement incurs divine censure.

Moral and Spiritual Lessons

• Sin’s cyclical nature: Like a dog revisiting vomit, unrepentant hearts recycle destructive patterns.
• Self-inflicted judgment: Nations intoxicated with power (Egypt, Moab) drown in their own corruption, demonstrating “whatever a man sows, he will reap” (Galatians 6:7).
• Defiled worship: Religious leaders who indulge fleshly appetites contaminate sacred spaces, calling believers to pursue holiness both privately and corporately.

New Testament Parallels and Fulfillment

2 Peter 2:22 cites Proverbs 26:11 when describing apostates who abandon truth for corruption, linking the Old Testament proverb to Christian warning. Christ’s message to Laodicea—“I am about to spit you out of My mouth” (Revelation 3:16)—echoes the same revulsion toward lukewarm faith, affirming canonical unity on God’s intolerance of moral compromise.

Pastoral and Homiletical Applications

1. Call to repentance: Graphic imagery confronts congregations with the ugliness of sin, prompting heartfelt confession.
2. Guarding against relapse: Discipleship must address root issues, not merely surface behaviors, to prevent a return to prior sins.
3. Leadership integrity: Ministers must avoid excess and corruption lest their “tables” become defiled and their witness nullified.

Corporate and Societal Implications

Nations that exalt themselves above divine authority risk the shame depicted for Egypt and Moab. Public policy divorced from righteousness eventually collapses under its own moral filth, a timeless warning for civic leaders.

Conclusion

Strong’s Hebrew 6892, קֵא, serves as a vivid scriptural emblem of sin’s repulsiveness and its inevitable consequences. Whether addressing individual folly, religious hypocrisy, or national arrogance, the image of vomit summons God’s people to purity, humility, and steadfast obedience.

בְּקִיא֔וֹ בְּקִיאֽוֹ׃ בקיאו בקיאו׃ קִ֣יא קֵא֑וֹ קאו קיא bə·qî·’ōw bekiO bəqî’ōw keO ki qê’ōw qê·’ōw qîInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts