Hebrew

Preposition

כְּ־ • ‎(k'-)

1. Like, as.
   • Psalms 92:12:

     צַדִּיק כַּתָּמָר יִפְרָח כְּאֶרֶז בַּלְּבָנוֹן יִשְׂגֶּה׃

     tsadík katamár yifrákh k'érez bal'vanón yisgé.

     The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.^[1]

2. About, approximately.

Usage notes

• Like all one-letter words in Hebrew, כ־ functions as a clitic, attaching to the word that follows it. Since it is a preposition, this means it attaches to the first word of its object.
• כ־ undergoes the same vowel changes as לְ־ ‎(l'-, “to”) and בְּ־ ‎(b'-, “in”), including the merger with הַ־ ‎(ha-, “the”).
• In colloquial Hebrew, כ־ is relatively uncommon, the synonymous preposition כְּמוֹ ‎(k'mó) usually being used instead. The main exception is in the idiom כְּשֶׁ־ ‎(k'she-, “as, when”), since כְּמוֹ שֶׁ־ ‎(k'mó, “like, as”) does not share the idiomatic sense.
• כ־ does not have its own object-containing forms; those of the synonymous preposition כְּמוֹ ‎(k'mó) are used instead.

Synonyms

• כְּמוֹ ‎(k'mó)

Derived terms

• כַּאֲשֶׁר ‎(ka'ashér)
• כְּמוֹ ‎(k'mó)
• כְּשֶׁ־ ‎(k'she-)

References

1. ↑ (1611) Authorized King James translation.