Original Word: קַיִט
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: qayit
Pronunciation: kah-yeets
Phonetic Spelling: (kah'-yit)
KJV: summer
NASB: summer
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H7019 (קַיִץ - Summer)]

1. harvest

summer

(Aramaic) corresponding to qayits; harvest -- summer.

see HEBREW qayits

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to qayits
Definition
summer
NASB Translation
summer (1).

קַ֫יִט noun [masculine] summer (ᵑ7 Syriac; see Biblical Hebrew II. קיץ); — absolute ׳ק Daniel 2:35.

קְיָם, קְיָּם see קוּם. above

Meaning and Imagery

קַיִט evokes the height of the growing season when grain and fruit have reached maturity and are gathered in. The word therefore carries undertones of completion, ripeness, and the moment when what has been sown is finally evaluated and stored—or discarded.

Old Testament Context

Daniel 2:35: “Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were crushed together and became like chaff on the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away and no trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”

In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream the “summer threshing floors” provide a vivid backdrop: at that hot, dry time of year the winnowed chaff is light enough to be blown away entirely, leaving only the good grain. Daniel’s interpretation sets Israel’s God over every empire, emphasizing that His kingdom alone endures, just as usable grain endures when worthless chaff is driven off.

Historical Background

Israel’s agricultural calendar divides roughly into sowing (autumn), early harvest (spring), and the later summer harvest. By midsummer the land is parched, wind currents are strong, and threshing floors on hilltops become ideal for winnowing. Daniel’s Babylonian setting shared similar conditions along the Euphrates plains, so the imagery resonated with both Israelite exiles and Mesopotamian hearers: what is worthless will not survive the season’s winds.

Prophetic and Eschatological Dimensions

1. Judgment: The season of קַיִט mirrors the moment of God’s decisive action. Jeremiah laments, “Harvest is past, summer is ended, and we are not saved” (Jeremiah 8:20). Likewise, Amos sees a “basket of summer fruit,” signaling Israel’s looming reckoning (Amos 8:1-2).
2. Fulfillment: Jesus teaches, “As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near” (Matthew 24:32). The nearing of summer parallels the nearness of His return; the ripeness of fruit points to the culmination of divine purpose.
3. Kingdom Inauguration: In Daniel 2 the scattering of imperial “chaff” stands in contrast to the stone that grows into a mountain, foretelling the Messiah’s universal reign (Daniel 2:44). קַיִט thus contributes to the larger biblical theme of an unshakeable kingdom established when the fullness of time has come.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Readiness and Urgency: As harvest cannot be postponed without loss, so gospel opportunity demands timely faithfulness (John 4:35-38).
• Discernment: Ministries today must distinguish between enduring substance and fleeting chaff, measuring success by eternal fruit rather than temporary display (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).
• Hope and Assurance: Believers facing political or cultural turmoil find confidence in Daniel’s picture of kingdoms reduced to chaff; God’s sovereign process will bring all things to their appointed completion (Hebrews 12:25-29).

Cross-References for Further Study

Daniel 2:35; Daniel 2:44

Jeremiah 8:20

Amos 8:1-2

Matthew 24:32-35

John 4:35-38

1 Corinthians 3:12-15

Hebrews 12:25-29

קַ֔יִט קיט Kayit qa·yiṭ qayiṭInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts