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מְעָרָה

𐤌𐤏𐤓𐤄

mᵉʻârâh

H4631 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A natural or artificial subterranean chamber or hollow place in rock or earth; primarily used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to a cave, grotto, or large underground space, often as a place of dwelling, refuge, burial, or concealment. The word can denote both naturally occurring caves and those used for human purposes such as tombs or hiding places. In poetry or figurative language, it may refer to a place of darkness or isolation.

Semantic Range

cave, cavern, grotto, den, underground chamber, burial cave, hiding place, hole, place of refuge, place of concealment, (poetically) place of darkness or isolation

Root / Etymology

Root: ערה (ʿ-r-h), but the precise root connection is debated. Some link it to the root עוּר ('to be naked, exposed'), suggesting a connection to an open or hollowed place; others relate it to the idea of exposure or bareness within a rocky or earthen context. Overall, the etymology is uncertain and debated among scholars.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מְעָרָה is widely attested in the Hebrew Bible, most often in narratives describing caves as places of burial (e.g., the Cave of Machpelah in Genesis 23), refuge (e.g., David hiding from Saul), or dwelling (e.g., Lot with his daughters, Judges 6:2). In the patriarchal and monarchic periods, caves and subterranean spaces served important functions for burial and safety, often in limestone-rich terrain where such features are common. By the exilic and post-exilic periods, the term retains its basic meaning and continues to denote natural and utilitarian subterranean spaces. English translations often render מְעָרָה as 'cave,' 'den,' or 'hole,' but sometimes do not fully capture its function as a burial site or significant place of refuge. Unlike מִנְהָרָה (minharah, 'tunnel'), which denotes a man-made passage, מְעָרָה typically refers to a chamber not predominantly shaped by human hands, even if sometimes modified for use. Usage may be literal (for physical caves) or figurative (as places of shelter, hiding, darkness, isolation). The word should not be confused with other terms for graves or tombs, though overlap appears in practice when מְעָרָה serves as a burial cave.

Translation Consistency

primary "cave" 36 occurrences

"Cave" is the most natural, commonly used English equivalent and matches the majority of existing renderings. It covers the full semantic range (natural or artificial underground chamber, burial place, den/hiding place, figurative darkness) while allowing normal English inflection (caves, cave’s). Other options (cavern, grotto, den) are rarer or more specialized, so "cave" gives consistent, easily understandable translation across contexts.

Alternatives (4 occurrences):
"hollowed caverns" (1x) "caverns" (1x) "hollowed cavern" (1x) "den of" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from עוּר; a cavern (as dark); cave, den, hole.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

ערה (Mearah) — to bare, to expose, to empty

Root ערה to be bare, exposed; to strip (related to hollowness or bareness)
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4626 מַעַר like the exposed part of
H4630 מַעֲרָה bare clearings of
H4632 מְעָרָה and Mearah
H6169 עָרָה bare marsh-tracts
H6172 עֶרְוָה exposed nakedness

Word Forms

15 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4631-05 הַ/מְּעָרָ֖ה hamearah HTd/Ncfsa the cave the hollowed cave the cave 10
H4631-01 בַּ/מְּעָרָ֔ה bamearah HRd/Ncfsa in the cave in the cave in the cave 7
H4631-10 מְעָרַ֖ת mearat HNcfsc cave cave of cave of 6
H4631-15 וְ/הַ/מְּעָרָ֥ה vehamearah HC/Td/Ncfsa and the cave and the cave and the cave 4
H4631-12 מֵ/הַ/מְּעָרָ֖ה mehamearah HR/Td/Ncfsa from the cave from the cave from the cave 2
H4631-14 בַ/מְּעָרָ֖ה vamearah HRd/Ncfsa in the cave in the cave in the cave 2
H4631-02 בַּ/מְּעָר֤וֹת bamearot HRd/Ncfpa in caves in caverns in caverns 1
H4631-03 בִּ/מְעָרַ֖ת bimearat HR/Ncfsc in the cave in cave-of in the cave of 1
H4631-04 בִּ/מְעָר֣וֹת bimearot HR/Ncfpc into caves in caves of into caves 1
H4631-06 הַ/מְעָרַ֣ת hamearat HTi/Ncfsc a den the hollowed cave of the den of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

40 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4631-01 Genesis 19:30 בַּ/מְּעָרָ֔ה bamearah HRd/Ncfsa in a cave in the cave in the cave
H4631-10 Genesis 23:9 מְעָרַ֤ת mearat HNcfsc the cave cave of cave of
H4631-15 Genesis 23:11 וְ/הַ/מְּעָרָ֥ה vehamearah HC/Td/Ncfsa and the cave and the cave and the cave
H4631-15 Genesis 23:17 וְ/הַ/מְּעָרָ֣ה vehamearah HC/Td/Ncfsa and the cave and the cave and the cave
H4631-10 Genesis 23:19 מְעָרַ֞ת mearat HNcfsc the cave cave of cave of
H4631-15 Genesis 23:20 וְ/הַ/מְּעָרָ֧ה vehamearah HC/Td/Ncfsa and the cave and the cave and the cave
H4631-10 Genesis 25:9 מְעָרַ֖ת mearat HNcfsc cave cave of cave of
H4631-05 Genesis 49:29 הַ֨/מְּעָרָ֔ה hamearah HTd/Ncfsa the cave the hollowed cave the cave
H4631-01 Genesis 49:30 בַּ/מְּעָרָ֞ה bamearah HRd/Ncfsa in the cave in the cave in the cave
H4631-15 Genesis 49:32 וְ/הַ/מְּעָרָ֥ה vehamearah HC/Td/Ncfsa and the cave and the cave and the cave
H4631-03 Genesis 50:13 בִּ/מְעָרַ֖ת bimearat HR/Ncfsc in the cave in cave-of in the cave of
H4631-14 Joshua 10:16 בַ/מְּעָרָ֖ה vamearah HRd/Ncfsa in the cave in the cave in the cave
H4631-01 Joshua 10:17 בַּ/מְּעָרָ֖ה bamearah HRd/Ncfsa in the cave in the cave in the cave
H4631-05 Joshua 10:18 הַ/מְּעָרָ֑ה hamearah HTd/Ncfsa the cave the hollowed cave the cave
H4631-05 Joshua 10:22 הַ/מְּעָרָ֑ה hamearah HTd/Ncfsa of the cave the hollowed cave the cave
H4631-05 Joshua 10:22 הַ/מְּעָרָֽה hamearah-2 HTd/Ncfsa the cave the hollowed cave the cave
H4631-05 Joshua 10:23 הַ/מְּעָרָ֑ה hamearah HTd/Ncfsa the cave the hollowed cave the cave
H4631-05 Joshua 10:27 הַ/מְּעָרָ֖ה hamearah HTd/Ncfsa the cave the hollowed cave the cave
H4631-05 Joshua 10:27 הַ/מְּעָרָ֔ה hamearah-2 HTd/Ncfsa of the cave the hollowed cave the cave
H4631-07 Judges 6:2 הַ/מְּעָר֖וֹת hamearot HTd/Ncfpa the caves the hollowed caverns the hollowed caverns
H4631-02 1 Samuel 13:6 בַּ/מְּעָר֤וֹת bamearot HRd/Ncfpa in caves in caverns in caverns
H4631-10 1 Samuel 22:1 מְעָרַ֣ת mearat HNcfsc cave cave of cave of
H4631-09 1 Samuel 24:4 מְעָרָ֔ה mearah HNcfsa a cave hollowed cavern hollowed cavern
H4631-05 1 Samuel 24:4 הַ/מְּעָרָ֖ה hamearah HTd/Ncfsa the cave the hollowed cave the cave
H4631-12 1 Samuel 24:8 מֵ/הַ/מְּעָרָ֖ה mehamearah HR/Td/Ncfsa from the cave from the cave from the cave
H4631-08 1 Samuel 24:9 ה/מערה hmrh HTd/Ncfsa the cave the cave the cave
H4631-12 1 Samuel 24:9 מֵֽ/הַ/מְּעָרָ֔ה mehamearah HR/Td/Ncfsa from the cave from the cave from the cave
H4631-01 1 Samuel 24:11 בַּ/מְּעָרָ֔ה bamearah HRd/Ncfsa in the cave in the cave in the cave
H4631-10 2 Samuel 23:13 מְעָרַ֖ת mearat HNcfsc cave of cave of cave of
H4631-01 1 Kings 18:4 בַּ/מְּעָרָ֔ה bamearah HRd/Ncfsa in a cave in the cave in the cave
H4631-01 1 Kings 18:13 בַּ/מְּעָרָ֔ה bamearah HRd/Ncfsa in a cave in the cave in the cave
H4631-05 1 Kings 19:9 הַ/מְּעָרָ֖ה hamearah HTd/Ncfsa the cave the hollowed cave the cave
H4631-05 1 Kings 19:13 הַ/מְּעָרָ֑ה hamearah HTd/Ncfsa of the cave the hollowed cave the cave
H4631-04 Isaiah 2:19 בִּ/מְעָר֣וֹת bimearot HR/Ncfpc into caves in caves of into caves
H4631-11 Isaiah 32:14 מְעָרוֹת֙ mearot HNcfpa dens caves caves
H4631-06 Jeremiah 7:11 הַ/מְעָרַ֣ת hamearat HTi/Ncfsc a den the hollowed cave of the den of
H4631-13 Ezekiel 33:27 וּ/בַ/מְּעָר֖וֹת uvamearot HC/Rd/Ncfpa and in the caves and in the hollowed caves and in the caves
H4631-01 Psalms 57:1 בַּ/מְּעָרָֽה bamearah HRd/Ncfsa in the cave in the cave in the cave
H4631-14 Psalms 142:1 בַ/מְּעָרָ֣ה vamearah HRd/Ncfsa in the cave in the cave in the cave
H4631-10 1 Chronicles 11:15 מְעָרַ֖ת mearat HNcfsc cave cave of cave of
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