קָבַץ
qa.vats
to gather
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Supported# Qavats: The Hebrew Word for Gathering The Hebrew verb *qavats* (קָבַץ) denotes the action of gathering or collecting things together. With 127 occurrences throughout the Bible, it represents a foundational concept in Hebrew vocabulary for bringing dispersed items or people into a unified group or location. The word's frequency suggests it was essential for expressing a common human activity across diverse contexts. The broad definition—simply "to gather"—indicates that *qavats* functioned as a general-purpose term without inherent limitation to specific types of objects or purposes. Whether the biblical text concerned gathering physical materials, assembling people, or collecting abstract things, this single verb served as the primary linguistic vehicle. This versatility made it valuable for narrating everything from practical domestic or agricultural scenes to significant communal or spiritual assemblies. The word's prominence in biblical literature (occurring more than once per chapter on average across the entire text) underscores how central the concept of gathering was to ancient Hebrew thought and daily life. Rather than requiring multiple specialized terms, Hebrew speakers employed *qavats* to communicate the essential idea of bringing separate elements into unified wholes—a concept foundational to both material survival and community formation in ancient contexts.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
127 total occurrences across the text — showing 50
Judah gathered themselves together to seek help from Yahweh. They came out of all the cities of Judah to seek Yahweh.
2 Chronicles 23:2They went around in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the heads of fathers’ households of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 24:5He gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather money to repair the house of your God from all Israel from year to year. See that you expedite this matter.” However the Levites didn’t do it right away.
2 Chronicles 24:5He gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather money to repair the house of your God from all Israel from year to year. See that you expedite this matter.” However the Levites didn’t do it right away.
2 Chronicles 25:5Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and ordered them according to their fathers’ houses, under captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, even all Judah and Benjamin. He counted them from twenty years old and upward, and found that there were three hundred thousand chosen men, able to go out to war, who could handle spear and shield.
2 Chronicles 32:4So, many people gathered together and they stopped all the springs and the brook that flowed through the middle of the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find abundant water?”
2 Chronicles 32:6He set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the wide place at the gate of the city, and spoke encouragingly to them, saying,
Ezra 7:28and has extended loving kindness to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. I was strengthened according to Yahweh my God’s hand on me, and I gathered together chief men out of Israel to go up with me.
Ezra 8:15I gathered them together to the river that runs to Ahava; and there we encamped three days: and I looked around at the people and the priests, and found there were none of the sons of Levi.
Ezra 10:1Now while Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before God’s house, there was gathered together to him out of Israel a very great assembly of men and women and children; for the people wept very bitterly.
Ezra 10:7They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together to Jerusalem;
Ezra 10:9Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together to Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the wide place in front of God’s house, trembling because of this matter, and because of the great rain.
Nehemiah 1:9but if you return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there.’
Nehemiah 4:20Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us.”
Nehemiah 5:16Yes, I also continued in the work of this wall. We didn’t buy any land. All my servants were gathered there to the work.
Nehemiah 7:5My God put into my heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be listed by genealogy. I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found this written in it:
Nehemiah 13:11Then I contended with the rulers, and said, “Why is God’s house forsaken?” I gathered them together, and set them in their place.
Esther 2:3Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the citadel of Susa, to the women’s house, to the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women. Let cosmetics be given them;
Esther 2:8So, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to the citadel of Susa, to the custody of Hegai, Esther was taken into the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
Esther 2:19When the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate.
Psalms 41:6If he comes to see me, he speaks falsehood. His heart gathers iniquity to itself. When he goes abroad, he tells it.
Psalms 102:22when the peoples are gathered together, the kingdoms, to serve Yahweh.
Psalms 106:47Save us, Yahweh, our God, gather us from among the nations, to give thanks to your holy name, to triumph in your praise!
Psalms 107:3And gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
Proverbs 13:11Wealth gained dishonestly dwindles away, but he who gathers by hand makes it grow.
Proverbs 28:8He who increases his wealth by excessive interest gathers it for one who has pity on the poor.
Isaiah 11:12He will set up a banner for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
Isaiah 13:14It will happen that like a hunted gazelle, and like sheep that no one gathers, they will each turn to their own people, and will each flee to their own land.
Isaiah 22:9You saw the breaches of David’s city, that they were many; and you gathered together the waters of the lower pool.
Isaiah 34:15The arrow snake will make her nest there, and lay, hatch, and gather under her shade. Yes, the kites will be gathered there, every one with her mate.
Isaiah 34:16Search in the book of Yahweh, and read: not one of these will be missing. None will lack her mate. For my mouth has commanded, and his Spirit has gathered them.
Isaiah 40:11He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom. He will gently lead those who have their young.
Isaiah 43:5Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. I will bring your offspring from the east, and gather you from the west.
Isaiah 43:9Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled. Who among them can declare this, and show us former things? Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified, or let them hear, and say, “That is true.”
Isaiah 44:11Behold, all his fellows will be disappointed; and the workmen are mere men. Let them all be gathered together. Let them stand up. They will fear. They will be put to shame together.
Isaiah 45:20“Assemble yourselves and come. Draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations. Those have no knowledge who carry the wood of their engraved image, and pray to a god that can’t save.
Isaiah 48:14“Assemble yourselves, all of you, and hear! Who among them has declared these things? He whom Yahweh loves will do what he likes to Babylon, and his arm will be against the Chaldeans.
Isaiah 49:18Lift up your eyes all around, and see: all these gather themselves together, and come to you. As I live,” says Yahweh, “you shall surely clothe yourself with them all as with an ornament, and dress yourself with them, like a bride.
Isaiah 54:7“For a small moment I have forsaken you, but I will gather you with great mercies.
Isaiah 56:8The Lord Yahweh, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, “I will yet gather others to him, in addition to his own who are gathered.”
Isaiah 56:8The Lord Yahweh, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, “I will yet gather others to him, in addition to his own who are gathered.”
Isaiah 56:8The Lord Yahweh, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, “I will yet gather others to him, in addition to his own who are gathered.”
Isaiah 60:4“Lift up your eyes all around, and see: they all gather themselves together. They come to you. Your sons will come from far away, and your daughters will be carried in arms.
Isaiah 60:7All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered together to you. The rams of Nebaioth will serve you. They will be accepted as offerings on my altar; and I will beautify my glorious house.
Isaiah 62:9but those who have harvested it will eat it, and praise Yahweh. Those who have gathered it will drink it in the courts of my sanctuary.”
Isaiah 66:18“For I know their works and their thoughts. The time comes that I will gather all nations and languages, and they will come, and will see my glory.
Jeremiah 23:3“I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they will be fruitful and multiply.
Jeremiah 29:14I will be found by you,” says Yahweh, “and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you, says Yahweh. I will bring you again to the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive.”
Jeremiah 31:8Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth, along with the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her who travails with child together. They will return as a great company.
Jeremiah 31:10“Hear Yahweh’s word, you nations, and declare it in the distant islands. Say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd does his flock.’