קיטור

Hebrew

Etymology 1

Root
ק־ט־ר (q-ṭ-r)

From the root ק–ט–ר (q-t-r), referring to smoke, steam, or burning.

Noun

קִיטוֹר • (qitór) m

1. steam, smoke, vapour
   • Tanach, Genesis 19:28, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַיַּשְׁקֵף עַל פְּנֵי סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה וְעַל כָּל פְּנֵי אֶרֶץ הַכִּכָּר וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה עָלָה קִיטֹר הָאָרֶץ כְּקִיטֹר הַכִּבְשָׁן׃

     Va-yashqéf 'al p'néi S'dóm va-'Amorá, v-'al kol p'néi éretz ha-kikkár, va-yar, v-hinéi 'alá qitór ha-arets k-qitór ha-kivshán.

     And he looked out toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the Plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace.

   • Tanach, Psalms 148:8, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     אֵשׁ וּבָרָד שֶׁלֶג וְקִיטוֹר רוּחַ סְעָרָה עֹשָׂה דְבָרוֹ׃

     esh u-varád, shéleg v-qitór, rúaḥ s'ará 'osé d'varó.

     Fire and hail, snow and vapour, Stormy wind, fulfilling His word.

Etymology 2

Action noun of the verb קִיטֵּר (qittér, “burn incense”), from the root ק–ט–ר (q-t-r).

Noun

קיטור / קִטּוּר • (qittúr) m [pattern: קִטּוּל]

1. offering incense
   • a. 500 C.E., Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 65a:

     אֵינוֹ חַיָּב אֶלָּא עַל דָּבָר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ מַעֲשֶׂה כְּגוֹן זִבּוּחַ קִטּוּר וְנִסּוּךְ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוָאָה

     einó ḥayyáv elá 'al davár she-yesh bo ma'aséh k-gon zibbúaḥ, qittúr, v-nissuḱh, v-hishtaḥavaah

     one is only liable for idolatry performed actively, such as sacrificing, offering incence, pouring libations, and prostrating.

References

• “קיטור” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language