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קָרָה

𐤒𐤓𐤄

qârâh

H7136 verb

SILEX Entry

Root קרה to meet, encounter, happen

Definition

To encounter, meet, or befall—especially in the sense of coming across something or someone by chance or accident (not as a deliberate or expected act). This verbal root also develops specialized senses such as 'to happen' (especially an event happening to someone), and in a causative stem, 'to bring about', 'to cause to happen', or, in a specific construction, 'to lay timbers' (for roofing or flooring). The baseline meaning involves the coincidence of events or meeting, whether orchestrated or by happenstance.

Semantic Range

to meet (by chance), to encounter unexpectedly, to happen, to occur by chance, to befall, to bring about (in a causative sense), to arrange beams/timbers for a roof or floor (in technical contexts)

Root / Etymology

From the root ק-ר-ה (קרה), whose core sense is 'to meet, encounter, happen.' The word appears in the qal stem (simple active) to describe the act of encountering, meeting, or experiencing something, especially by chance. The piel (intensive/causative) stem gives the nuance 'to bring about, cause to happen', and sometimes develops the technical sense of 'to lay beams' as part of house construction (possibly from the idea of things coming together).

Historical & Contextual Notes

קָרָה (qârâh) is frequently used in narrative texts (Genesis, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Esther) to describe encounters or events that appear unexpected or coincidental, sometimes with an ironic undertone when later viewed as divinely orchestrated. The sense of 'to happen' often strikes a balance between randomness and the theological framework of the text, though the term itself carries no inherent theological weight. In technical construction contexts (as in laying beams or flooring), קָרָה uses the piel stem and likely derives its specialized meaning from the sense of 'laying things to connect' or 'joining.' Unlike other verbs for 'meeting' (such as פָּגַע paga‘), קָרָה never implies intention or prior arrangement. In later Hebrew, this root’s happenstance nuance can carry over into Aramaic and post-biblical writings. English translations usually render the basic sense as 'happen', 'befall', or 'meet', but in contexts of building terminology, the meaning is always specialized. The technical architectural usage is rare and context-dependent.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to light upon (chiefly by accident); causatively, to bring about; specifically, to impose timbers (for roof or floor); appoint, lay (make) beams, befall, bring, come (to pass unto), floor, (hap) was, happen (unto), meet, send good speed.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קרה (q-r-h) — meet, encounter, happen

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4745 מִקְרֶה like a chance-occurrence of
H4746 מְקָרֶה the beam-framing one
H7137 קָרֶה accidental occurrence of
H7147 קְרִי in adversarial encounter
H7149 קִרְיָא in organized cities

Word Forms

23 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7136-12 קֵר֔וּ/הוּ qeruhu HVpp3cp/Sp3ms laid they caused it to befall him 2
H7136-10 קָרָ֑/הוּ qarahu HVqp3ms/Sp3ms had happened to him it befell him 2
H7136-15 וַ/יִּקָּ֥ר vayiqar HC/VNw3ms and met and he was met by chance 2
H7136-21 יִקְרֶ֥ה yiqereh HVqi3ms happens he will encounter 2
H7136-20 יִקְרָ֥ה yiqerah HVqi3ms will happen he will encounter 1
H7136-02 הַקְרֵה haqereh HVhv2ms grant me success cause to happen 1
H7136-04 הֲ/יִקְרְ/ךָ֥ hayiqerekha HTi/Vqi3ms/Sp2ms will happen to you will happen to you 1
H7136-06 אִקָּ֥רֶה iqareh HVNi1cs will meet I will be met 1
H7136-13 תִּקְרֶ֑ינָה tiqereynah HVqi3fp shall happen they will happen 1
H7136-16 וַ/יִּ֣קֶר vayiqer HC/Vqw3ms and it happened and he happened upon 1

Occurrences in Scripture

27 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7136-02 Genesis 24:12 הַקְרֵה haqereh HVhv2ms grant me success cause to happen
H7136-05 Genesis 27:20 הִקְרָ֛ה hiqerah HVhp3ms caused it to happen he brought about
H7136-03 Genesis 42:29 הַ/קֹּרֹ֥ת haqorot HTd/Vqrfpa that had happened the happenings
H7136-18 Genesis 44:29 וְ/קָרָ֣/הוּ veqarahu HC/Vqq3ms/Sp3ms and befalls him and he encountered him
H7136-08 Exodus 3:18 נִקְרָ֣ה niqerah HVNp3ms has met with it befell
H7136-04 Numbers 11:23 הֲ/יִקְרְ/ךָ֥ hayiqerekha HTi/Vqi3ms/Sp2ms will happen to you will happen to you
H7136-19 Numbers 23:3 יִקָּרֵ֤ה yiqareh HVNi3ms will meet it will happen
H7136-15 Numbers 23:4 וַ/יִּקָּ֥ר vayiqar HC/VNw3ms and met and he was met by chance
H7136-06 Numbers 23:15 אִקָּ֥רֶה iqareh HVNi1cs will meet I will be met
H7136-15 Numbers 23:16 וַ/יִּקָּ֤ר vayiqar HC/VNw3ms and-met and he was met by chance
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