HARSH/RUTHLESS/SEVERE: perek, masculine noun (Strong’s 6531); qashah, verb (Strong’s 7185); qasheh, adjective (Strong’s 7186).
Root: קָשָׁה & פֶרֶךְ
Sounds like: pair-ek & ka-shaw
Today we’re going to explore two Hebrew words that denote harshness, ruthlessness and severity. They are parek and qashah.
Severity, harshness, ruthlessness, these are descriptor words that were never used to describe YHWH. But there was a group that was routinely described as harsh…
…the Egyptians
Exodus 1:13-14
They [the Egyptians] worked the Israelites ruthlessly/harshly/severely [qashah קָשָׁ֗ה] and made their lives bitter with hard labour in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh [b-parek בְּפָֽרֶךְ].
The Pharaoh of Egypt was also described as a man of a harsh heart (Exodus 13:5) and YHWH had no problem encouraging the harshness of some of these rulers as a ticket to their downfall (Exodus 7:3, Deuteronomy 2:30).
Throughout the Bible we are reminded of Egyptians harshness:
Deuteronomy 26:6-9 (Giving of the First Fruits Offering)
And the Egyptians treated us badly and oppressed us, and imposed hard [harsh: qashah קָשָֽׁה] labour on us. Then we cried out to YHWH, the God of our fathers, and YHWH heard our voice and saw our wretched condition, our trouble, and our oppression; and YHWH brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand, an outstretched arm, and with great terror, and with signs and wonders; and He has brought us to this place, and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
In their thankfulness they offered the giving of the first fruits. They remembered YHWH’s kindness and they wanted to give back a little of what they had been freely given. They were no longer slaves in Egypt, or slaves to anybody for that matter. As free followers of YHWH, there was a lot to be thankful for.
Eventually the severity of Egypt was punished. They would go under servitude and their status as a dominant world power would fall:
Isaiah 19:1-4
The pronouncement concerning Egypt:
Behold, YHWH is riding on a swift cloud and is about to come to Egypt; the idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.
So I will incite Egyptians against Egyptians; and they will fight, each against his brother and each against his neighbour, city against city and kingdom against kingdom. Then the spirit of the Egyptians will be demoralized within them; and I will confuse their strategy, so that they will resort to idols and ghosts of the dead, and to mediums and spiritists.
Furthermore, I will hand the Egyptians over to a cruel [qasheh קָשֶׁ֑ה] master, and a mighty king will rule over them,” declares the Lord YHWH of armies.
Don’t be like the Harsh Egyptians
Because the Israelites had been slaves to the Egyptians, and were treated harshly, YHWH prohibited them from enslaving each other and treating each other with harshness:
Leviticus 25:43, 46b (see also Lev 25:53)
You shall not rule over him [fellow Israelite] with severity [b-parek בְּפָ֑רֶךְ], but are to revere your God… in respect to your countrymen, the sons of Israel, you shall not rule with severity [b-parek בְּפָֽרֶךְ] over one another.
However, when YHWH commanded the Israelites to restrain from doing something, it seems that, inevitably, they did that very thing. The leaders (or shepherds) of the Hebrew people had failed their flock, and YHWH took notice:
Ezekiel 34:4-6, 11-12, 15-16
[YHWH to the leaders:] “You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bound up the injured, brought back the strays, or searched for the lost. Instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty [u-v-parek וּבְפָֽרֶךְ].”
For this is what the Lord YHWH says: ‘Behold, I Myself will search for My flock and seek them out. As a shepherd looks for his scattered sheep when he is among the flock, so I will look for My flock.
I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness…
…I will tend My flock and make them lie down, declares the Lord YHWH. I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the broken, and strengthen the weak; but the sleek and strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them with justice.’
But it wasn’t just the leaders; eventually all of God’s chosen people became hardened and harsh. Translators have often translated qasheh as “obstinate” or “stubborn” to describe the people of Israel:
Judges 2:18-20a
And when YHWH raised up judges for them, YHWH was with the judge and saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for YHWH was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who tormented and oppressed them. But it came about, when the judge died, that they would turn back and act more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and bow down to them; they did not abandon their practices or their obstinate [ha-qashah הַקָּשָֽׁה] ways. So the anger of YHWH burned against Israel…
Here are other examples of where the Israelites were described as qashah (obstinate/stubborn/harsh): Exodus 32:9; Exodus 33:3,5; Exodus 34:9; Deuteronomy 9:6; Deuteronomy 9:13; Deuteronomy 31:27; Judges 2:18-19; 2 Kings 17:14; Isaiah 48:4; Ezekiel 2:4; Ezekiel 3:7; Nehemiah 9:16-17, 29
As the Proverbs warned: How blessed is the person who fears always, but one who hardens his heart [u-ma-q’sheh libbow וּמַקְשֶׁ֥ה לִ֝בֹּ֗ו] will fall into disaster (Proverbs 28:14). Because of their harsh hearts and stiff necks, Israel eventually fell, first to the Assyrians, then to the Babylonians, and the Romans, and on and on it went.
People of Harshness
In the eye of the reader, being obstinate and severe was looking very much like an Israeli character trait. Even the dedicated Hannah could feel herself becoming hardened by her circumstances:
1 Samuel 1:12-18
Now it came about, as she [Hannah] continued praying before YHWH, that Eli was watching her mouth. As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were quivering, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought that she was drunk.
Eli said to her, “How long will you behave like a drunk? Get rid of your wine!”
But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman despairing harsh/stubborn [q’shat קְשַׁת] in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before YHWH. Do not consider your bond-servant a useless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation.”
Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your request that you have asked of Him.” She said, “Let your bond-servant find favour in your sight.” So the woman went on her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
What Hannah did right was to go to YHWH in prayer when she felt her spirit heading towards severity. YHWH would heal Hannah’s hardened spirit and give her a son, and that son would grow up to become one of YHWH’s greatest prophets.
In complete opposition to Hannah was Nabal, Abigail’s husband. He was described as, “harsh [qasheh קָשֶׁ֛ה] and evil in his dealings” (1 Samuel 25:3). His harshness certainly caused him to fall to disaster.
David described his nephews (the sons of his sister Zeruiah) as, “harsh/severe [qa’shim קָשִׁ֣ים]” (Samuel 3:39) after they killed Abner. YHWH would repay them for their ruthelessness.
One of the most blatantly ruthless people was Solomon’s son, Rehoboam. Rehoboam had the chance to choose mercy over harshness, but with a little bad advice, he held onto his severity with an iron fist:
1 Kings 12:3-5 (see also 2 Chronicles 10:4)
Then they sent word and summoned him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, “Your father made our yoke hard [hi-q’shah הִקְשָׁ֣ה]; but now, lighten the hard [harsh/severe: ha-qashah הַקָּשָׁ֗ה] labour imposed by your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” Then he said to them, “Depart for three days, then return to me.” So the people departed…
After ignoring the advice from the elders and listening to the advice of his young friends, Rehoboah made his decision:
1 Kings 12:12-14 (see also 2 Chronicles 10:13)
…Then Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had directed, saying, “Return to me on the third day.” And the king answered the people harshly [qashah קָשָׁ֑ה], for he ignored the advice of the elders which they had given him, and he spoke to them according to the advice ofthe young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions!”
YHWH never chose harshness over mercy. Neither did Yeshua, so Rehoboam’s decision was not a righteous decision. His decision was fueled by a desire for power, wealth and prestige. There were darker forces at play here and Rehoboam aligned himself with the Adversary of God. Harshness, cruelty, and power-moves are never the way of YHWH.
Many character traits had their root sin in ruthlessness. According to the Song of Solomon, jealousy was “as severe [qashah קָשָׁ֥ה] as Sheol!” (Songs 8:6). We can say, with some certainty, that many of the harshest world leaders have been pushed to cruelty by fear and jealousy.
However there were certainly times when a harsh message or a harsh lesson could be beneficial:
In 1 Kings 14:6, the prophet Ahijah delivered a message to Jeroboam’s wife that was described as qashah (harsh). And it was severe; she would hear the message that her son would die. The moment she stepped back into her hometown, her son would pass away. Anyone who has lost a loved one (in particular, a child) would understand just how harsh that experience is… there’s no way to make that message pleasant.
In Genesis 42:7, 30, we also can read about Joseph when his brothers visited him in Egypt (they, of course, didn’t recognize him, but he recongnized them). When the begged for food, Joseph disguised himself and responded harshly to his brothers (which is what they would have expected from a high Egyptian official). Joseph spoke harshly to them to keep up the pretense, but in the end he forgave his brothers and showed extreme mercy.
Living in a Ruthless World
Although YHWH was never personally harsh, He did step back and allow His people to experience the severity of living in a damaged world:
Psalm 60:1-5
[David:] God, You have rejected us. You have broken us; You have been angry; restore us! You have made the land quake, You have split it open; heal its cracks, for it sways.
You have made Your people experience hardship [severity/harshness: qashah קָשָׁ֑ה]; You have given us wine to drink that makes us stagger. You have given a banner to those who fear You, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah
So that Your beloved may be rescued, save us with Your right hand, and answer us!
Job, who experienced severity more than, perhaps, anyone else in the Tanakh, lamented about the harshness of his life:
Job 30:25-28
[Job to YHWH:] “Have I not wept for the one whose life is hard ruthless day [li-q’sheh yom לִקְשֵׁה־יֹ֑ום]? Was my soul not grieved for the needy? When I expected good, evil came; when I waited for light, darkness came. I am seething within and cannot rest; days of misery confront me. I go about mourning without comfort; I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help.
This passage is often translated far outside the confines of a literal translation:
Have I not wept for the one whose life is hard? (NASB)
Have I not wept for those in trouble? (NIV, BSB)
Did not I weep for him whose day was hard? (ESV)
Have I not wept for the unfortunate? (NET)
Literally, there is no “him” to weep for in this passage. Job was mourning how each day was harsh and severe. He called out to YHWH, saying, “Have I not wept for this ruthless day?” Job felt the cruelty of each day and he was heartbroken because of it. He grieved for the needy in those dark days. There was no comfort to be had and the only thing to do was cry out to YHWH for help.
But there would be redemption. There would be a rescue! The harshness of life in this world would be lifted:
Isaiah 14:3-7
And it will be on the day when YHWH gives you rest from your hardship, your turmoil, and from the harsh [ha-qashah הַקָּשָׁ֖ה] service in which you have been enslaved, that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say,
“How the oppressor has ceased, and how the onslaught has ceased! YHWH has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers, which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes, which subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution.
The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; they break forth into shouts of joy.”
We are sojourners in this ruthless world, and each day seems more and more severe, but there is a place with YHWH that awaits us, and it will be cruelty-free! Whatever you’re going through, hold onto that hope!
Until that day, let’s listen to, and obey, YHWH’s words:
Deuteronomy 10:16-21
[YHWH:] “So circumcise your heart, and do not stiffen [ta-q’shu תַקְשׁ֖וּ] your neck any longer. For YHWH your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe. He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the stranger by giving him food and clothing. So show your love for the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall fear YHWH your God; you shall serve Him, and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. He is your glory and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen.”
Next week: A Sermon on Dirt
Hebrew Word Lessons 