Hebrew word · H6978

קַוְקָו

kav

might

Obscure. The proposals are: (1) 'strength, might', from an Arabic cognate quwwa (the gloss in the supplied data and in some lexicons); (2) 'line', i.e.

Appears 4 times in 2 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

might

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Isaiah 18:7

Range of meaning

Obscure. The proposals are: (1) 'strength, might', from an Arabic cognate quwwa (the gloss in the supplied data and in some lexicons); (2) 'line', i.e. measuring line (qav elsewhere, Isa 28:17; 34:11; 44:13), hence 'a nation of measuring line', a people that measures out or apportions others' land; (3) a sound-imitation of unintelligible foreign speech, like the 'qav laqav' mocking babble of Isa 28:10, 13, followed by 'another tongue' (28:11); (4) 'hope/waiting', from qavah 'to wait' (Septuagint, Vulgate).

Against the English

BSB 'powerful … of strange speech' combines (1) and (3). WEB 'measures out' and KJV 'meted out' follow (2). ESV 'mighty' follows (1). NIV 'of strange speech' follows (3).

Used elsewhere in the period

The doubled form occurs only in Isa 18:2 and 18:7. The closest parallel is the deliberately babbling 'tsav latsav, tsav latsav, qav laqav, qav laqav' of Isa 28:10, 13, which Isaiah explains in 28:11 as foreigners' 'stammering lips and another tongue'. The ancient translators already did not know what it meant: the Vulgate has 'a nation waiting, waiting'.

From the study of Isaiah 18:2

Range of meaning

qav usually means 'measuring line' (1 Kgs 7:23; Isa 28:17; 34:11). The doubled form here is unique. Three main proposals: (1) 'line-line', meaning a nation that measures out or marks off (by conquest); (2) 'strength, might', explained from a word in Arabic, a related language, meaning 'strength' (compare HALOT); (3) a sound effect for unintelligible foreign speech, like the 'tsav latsav qav laqav' mocking babble of Isa 28:10, 13.

Against the English

KJV 'meted out'. WEB/YLT 'that measures out' / 'meting out by line'. ESV/NRSV 'mighty'. NASB 'powerful'. NIV and BSB bring in 'strange speech'. BSB has both 'powerful' and 'of strange speech', apparently combining options (2) and (3) across this phrase and the next word.

How it drifted

No real drift. The word is simply obscure, and each translation is a reasoned guess. The supplied lexical data glosses it 'might', following proposal (2).

Used elsewhere in the period

Isa 28:10, 13 is the only other place qav is doubled and repeated, and there it imitates foreign or childish speech. The Septuagint guessed at it ('without hope'), and so did the Vulgate ('expectantem expectantem', taking it from qavah, 'to wait').

Where it appears

Isaiah · 4

  1. Isaiah 18:2 קַו־ קָ֣ו strength of, strength

    which sends couriers by sea, in papyrus vessels on the waters. Go, swift messengers, to a people tall and smooth-skinned, to a people widely feared, to a powerful nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers.

    Here: First half of the doubled qav-qav. The meaning is uncertain: 'line-line', 'might', or the sound of a foreign language. See the study below.

  2. Isaiah 18:7 קַו־ קָ֣ו strength of, strength

    At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD of Hosts—from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people widely feared, from a powerful nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers—to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the LORD of Hosts.

    Here: First half of the doubled 'qav-qav', one of the most puzzling expressions in Isaiah. The doubling is deliberate and sounds strange.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.