Strong's Hebrew · H7185

קָשָׁה

qâshâh · kaw-shaw'

be cruel, be fiercer, make grievous, be ((ask a), be in, have, seem, would) hard(-en, (labour), -ly, thing), be sore, (be, make) stiff(-en, (-necked)).

Definition

properly, to be dense, i.e. tough or severe (in various applications)

Derivation

a primitive root;

Appears 28 times in Scripture

Deuteronomy 1:17

Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.”

Exodus 7:3

But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I will multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,

Jeremiah 19:15

“This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I am about to bring on this city and on all the villages around it every disaster I have pronounced against them, because they have stiffened their necks so as not to heed My words.’”

Deuteronomy 10:16

Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and stiffen your necks no more.

Exodus 13:15

And when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both of man and beast. This is why I sacrifice to the LORD the firstborn male of every womb, but I redeem all the firstborn of my sons.’

Genesis 49:7

Cursed be their anger, for it is strong, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will disperse them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

Genesis 35:16

Later, they set out from Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult.

Psalms 95:8

do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, in the day at Massah in the wilderness,

Genesis 35:17

During her severe labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you are having another son.”

2 Chronicles 36:13

He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. But Zedekiah stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD, the God of Israel.

Explore qâshâh in Scripture

On the Doxa App you can have a personal interaction about any Scripture, original words included.

Lexicon: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890, public domain), digital edition by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). Verse mappings: Berean Standard Bible interlinear tables (public domain).

Doxa, Engage God's Encouragement

God's encouragement is not only for the moment you first receive it. It's for the whole journey.

Strong's concordance data derived from the Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA) Hebrew and Greek lexicons. Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2020 by Bible Hub. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

© 2026 The Doxa Way Ltd

Get the Doxa app