קָרַח
𐤒𐤓𐤇
qârach
H7139 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To become bald, to make oneself bald; to remove hair, especially from the scalp. The verb depicts the act of hair loss, whether natural (balding) or intentional (shaving bald as a physical act), with particular reference to the head. In ritual, mourning, or punitive contexts, it can describe the act of making oneself bald as an outward sign.
Semantic Range
to become bald, to make oneself bald, to remove hair (especially from the scalp), to shave the head in mourning, to appear hairless
Root / Etymology
Root: קרח. Derived directly from the root meaning 'baldness' or 'to be bald,' referring to the lack or removal of hair, especially on the scalp. The root denotes the state or action of being hairless due to natural causes or deliberate removal.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The verb קָרַח (qârach) appears infrequently in the Hebrew Bible, most notably in connection with mourning practices (e.g. Micah 1:16), where shaving the head bald was a sign of grief or calamity. In Israelite society, bodily modification in response to grief was strictly regulated (cf. Deut 14:1), and shaving the head, especially making oneself bald, appears in polemical contexts; in some passages, this act is prohibited as an adoption of foreign mourning rites. In most contexts, the term focuses on the external, physical appearance rather than a symbolic state. The related noun קֵרֵחַ (qērēaḥ) denotes a 'bald man' or the state of being bald, offering a noun counterpart. English translations sometimes render this verb simply as 'make bald' or 'shave the head,' but the nuance of mourning or deliberate ritual action may be underrepresented in such renderings. The term is distinct from those for cutting, shearing, or shaving more generally (e.g., גָּזַז, גָּלַח), with קָרַח emphasizing the resulting baldness rather than the act of cutting per se.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to depilate; make (self) bald.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
קרח (q-r-ḥ) — to be bald, to make bald, to remove hair
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7140 | קֶרַח | the ice |
| H7141 | קֹרַח | like Qorach |
| H7142 | קֵרֵחַ | bald-headed man |
| H7143 | קָרֵחַ | Bald-one |
| H7144 | קׇרְחָה | bald patch |
Word Forms
6 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7139-03 |
וְ/הִקְרִ֤יחוּ | vehiqerichu | HC/Vhq3cp |
and they will make bald | and they made bald | 1 |
H7139-05 |
יִקְרְח֤וּ | yiqerechu | HVqi3mp |
they shall make bald | they will become bald | 1 |
H7139-04 |
יִקָּרֵ֖חַ | yiqarecha | HVNi3ms |
one will shave bald | he will become bald | 1 |
H7139-06 |
יקרחה | yqrchh | HVqi3fs |
make baldness | she will become bald | 1 |
H7139-01 |
מֻקְרָ֔ח | muqerach | HVHsmsa |
was made bald | one made bald | 1 |
H7139-02 |
קָרְחִ֣י | qarechi | HVqv2fs |
make yourself bald | Make yourself bald | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7139-06 |
Leviticus 21:5 | יקרחה | yqrchh | HVqi3fs |
make baldness | she will become bald |
H7139-05 |
Leviticus 21:5 | יִקְרְח֤וּ | yiqerechu | HVqi3mp |
they shall make bald | they will become bald |
H7139-04 |
Jeremiah 16:6 | יִקָּרֵ֖חַ | yiqarecha | HVNi3ms |
one will shave bald | he will become bald |
H7139-03 |
Ezekiel 27:31 | וְ/הִקְרִ֤יחוּ | vehiqerichu | HC/Vhq3cp |
and they will make bald | and they made bald |
H7139-01 |
Ezekiel 29:18 | מֻקְרָ֔ח | muqerach | HVHsmsa |
was made bald | one made bald |
H7139-02 |
Micah 1:16 | קָרְחִ֣י | qarechi | HVqv2fs |
make yourself bald | Make yourself bald |