קָבַע

From the study of Malachi 3:8

Range of meaning

A very rare verb. Its only other biblical use is Proverbs 22:23: 'the LORD will plead their case and will qābaʿ the life of those who qābaʿ them'. There it parallels gāzal ('seize, rob', 22:22) and describes defrauding the poor. Standard lexicons (BDB, HALOT) give 'rob, defraud, take by force'. Some scholars connect it with an Arabic-type usage meaning 'to take away'.

Against the English

Most English versions have 'rob' (KJV, NIV, ESV, NASB, BSB, WEB). NLT has 'cheat'. YLT has 'deceive', which follows the Greek tradition. 'Rob' fits Proverbs 22:23 well. 'Cheat' or 'defraud' may catch better what is happening here: goods that are owed are being held back, not stolen by breaking in.

Used elsewhere in the period

Proverbs 22:23 (the parallel with gāzal makes 'rob' secure there). The Babylonian Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 26b) says the meaning of this obscure word was learned from how it was used in Arabia, which shows it was already rare and puzzling in antiquity. The Septuagint renders it pternizō, 'to trip by the heel, supplant, outwit', the verb used of Jacob in Genesis 27:36. This suggests the translators read or heard עקב (ʿqb). Jerome's Vulgate has affigo / configo, 'fasten to, pierce'.

From the study of Malachi 3:9

Range of meaning

To rob, take by force, or defraud. The meaning has to be worked out from very few occurrences: Proverbs 22:23 (the LORD 'will rob of life those who rob' the poor) and Malachi 3:8–9.

Against the English

Most versions say 'rob' (KJV, BSB, WEB, ESV, NASB, NIV). NLT has 'cheating' and YLT 'deceiving'. These last two lean toward the Jacob wordplay and the Septuagint reading, where it is fraud, not open theft.

Used elsewhere in the period

Proverbs 22:23 supports a meaning like 'rob, despoil'. A Talmudic tradition (b. Rosh Hashanah 26b) reports that in one Arabian dialect qavaʿ meant 'rob'. The Septuagint uses pternizō, 'to trip up by the heel, supplant, cheat': the verb tied to Jacob in Genesis 27:36 ('he has supplanted me these two times'). The Vulgate has configere, 'to pierce, fix', which looks like a guess at a rare word.

From the study of Proverbs 22:23

Range of meaning

Only four occurrences, all in Proverbs 22:23 and Malachi 3:8–9. Context in both places points to "rob, defraud, take what belongs to another." The Babylonian Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 26b) says the word was used in Arabia for "rob," which supports that sense. In later Hebrew a root with the same letters means "to fix, set," which is probably a different word.

Against the English

BSB, WEB and ESV render it with "rob/plunder." KJV "spoil" meant plunder in 1611, but today it means ruin or pamper. NLT's "ruin" softens the robbery picture.

How it drifted

Only KJV is affected: English "spoil" (from Latin spoliare, "to strip, plunder") has drifted toward "damage" or "indulge."

Used elsewhere in the period

Malachi 3:8: "Will a man rob (qāḇaʿ) God? Yet you are robbing me... in tithes and offerings." The ancient versions struggled with the word. The Greek of Malachi seems to read it as ʿāqaḇ, "to cheat, supplant" (the root behind the name Jacob). Jerome's Latin of Proverbs renders it configo, "pierce, transfix." The parallel in 22:22 (gāzal, "rob by force") strongly favours a robbery sense here.