Original Word: קָשַׁח
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: qashach
Pronunciation: kah-SHAKH
Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-shakh')
KJV: harden
NASB: harden, treats her cruelly
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to be (causatively, make) unfeeling

harden

A primitive root; to be (causatively, make) unfeeling -- harden.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to make hard, treat roughly
NASB Translation
harden (1), treats her cruelly (1).

[קָשַׁח] verb Hiph`il 1. make hard.

2 treat hardly (Arabic be hard, firm, tough; Sabean קסח hardness, severity, cruelty, SabDenkm³⁷); —

1 make hard, stubborn, Imperfect2masculine singular תַּקְשִׁיחַ (subject ׳י), with accusative לֵב Isaiah 63:17 (+ מִיִּרְאָתֶ֑ךָ).

2 treat hardly, roughly (of ostrich), Perfect3masculine singular הִקְשִׁיחַ Job 39:16 (with accusative בָּנֶיהָ; read 3 feminine singular הִקְשִׁיחָה Hi Siegf Du); < (Di) Infinitive absolute (Ges^{§ 113z}) הַקְשֵׁיח Ew, or Imperfect3feminine singular תַּקְשִׁיח Hirz Bae^Kau Bu.

Occurrences in Scripture

Job 39:16; Isaiah 63:17

Contextual Overview

In the divine soliloquy of Job 38–41, the verb surfaces in God’s description of the ostrich (Job 39:13-18). The bird’s seemingly callous treatment of her young—“She treats her young harshly, as if they were not her own” (Job 39:16)—is cited as evidence of a wisdom higher than man’s. The word returns in Isaiah 63:17 where the prophet laments, “LORD, why do You make us stray from Your ways and harden our hearts from fearing You?”. Both scenes place the term within questions of divine sovereignty: one in creation, the other in redemptive history.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Sovereignty and Hardness
• Job 39:16 portrays an apparently cruel instinct built into creation, yet God claims responsibility for it, underscoring that even what humans call harsh serves His purposes (compare Romans 11:33).
• Isaiah 63:17 wrestles with God’s role in the moral realm. Judicial hardening—God allowing a heart to become obstinate—appears as a covenant warning (see Exodus 7:13; Romans 9:18) and drives the plea for renewed mercy.

2. Human Obligation to Compassion and Reverence
• By spotlighting the ostrich’s indifference, Scripture implicitly calls God’s people to the opposite posture: attentive care for the vulnerable (Deuteronomy 10:18-19; James 1:27).
• The petition in Isaiah invites worshippers to examine their own hardness and seek repentance, anticipating the new-covenant promise of a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).

3. Mystery of Providence
• The same term covers both natural instinct and covenantal discipline, reminding readers that God’s ways are often inscrutable yet always righteous (Psalm 145:17).

Historical and Cultural Insights

Job reflects a patriarchal era when the ostrich was proverbial for negligence. Ancient observers noted its desert habitat and heedless nesting habits, making it an apt picture of severity without remorse. Isaiah 63 is set after devastating judgment on Judah; the remnant grapples with exile-induced spiritual torpor, interpreting their condition through the lens of covenant curses (Leviticus 26:41).

Ministry and Pastoral Implications

• Preaching: Both occurrences warn against presuming upon God’s patience. They encourage sermons on the danger of a calloused heart and the need for divine renewal.
• Counseling: Situations involving relational harshness (parent-child, spouse-spouse, leader-congregant) can draw on Job 39:16 as a negative example, steering believers toward Christlike gentleness (Colossians 3:12-14).
• Intercession: Isaiah 63:17 models honest lament that does not excuse sin yet boldly appeals to God’s covenant mercy—useful for corporate prayer gatherings seeking revival.

Practical Application for Believers

1. Examine personal attitudes for traces of spiritual callousness; pray Psalm 139:23-24.
2. Cultivate compassion in daily interactions, remembering that the Creator who allows severity in nature calls His people to reflect His kindness (Ephesians 4:32).
3. When experiencing collective or personal discipline, respond with humble confession rather than deeper obstinacy (Hebrews 3:7-15).

In both the wilderness scene of an unfeeling bird and the sanctuary prayer of a penitent prophet, Scripture warns of hardness yet points toward the God who can soften the most obstinate heart.

הִקְשִׁ֣יחַ הקשיח תַּקְשִׁ֥יחַ תקשיח hikShiach hiq·šî·aḥ hiqšîaḥ takShiach taq·šî·aḥ taqšîaḥInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts