קֶרַח
𐤒𐤓𐤇
qerach
H7140 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Ice, frozen water in solid form, including frost. In some contexts, the word may refer to hail or, by extension, to transparent or crystalline rock (crystal). The term is primarily used for natural phenomena involving solid water, with occasional metaphorical or descriptive application to objects resembling ice in appearance.
Semantic Range
ice, frost, hail, (rarely) rock crystal, crystal
Root / Etymology
From the root קָרַח (q-r-ḥ), meaning 'to be bald, bare, to make bare,' the term qerach describes ice as being smooth or bare, lacking covering or foliage (as a bald head is bare of hair). The root idea of 'bareness' or 'smoothness' informs the image of ice as a solid, smooth surface. The lexical development reflects a shift from 'bare' to 'ice' due to the smooth, covering nature of ice.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, קֶרַח typically denotes ice or frost in poetic and wisdom literature, notably in Psalms and Job, often as a marvel of nature displaying the power of the divine. In other occurrences, it may refer to hail—frozen precipitation—as a destructive force. The extension to 'rock crystal' or 'crystal' is rare and mainly appears in later Hebrew or in translations, reflecting an ancient association of transparency and smoothness between ice and certain minerals. Standard English versions translate קֶרַח as 'ice,' 'frost,' or 'hail,' but rarely capture the possible nuance of smoothness or bareness tied to the root concept. The word's semantic range has remained largely consistent through the periods of biblical Hebrew, principally denoting ice and its variants, with some post-biblical expansion to mean 'crystal.' Related terms include שָׁלֶג (sheleg, 'snow') and בַּרָד (barad, 'hail'), which are more specific to snowfall and hailstones, respectively. Qerach is less commonly used than these but serves as a general term for frozen water in solid form.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or קֹרַח; from קָרַח; ice (as if bald, i.e. smooth); hence, hail; by resemblance, rock crystal; crystal, frost, ice.
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 be bare, to make bare, smoothness
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7139 | קָרַח | one made bald |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7140-03 |
קָ֑רַח | qarach | HNcmsa |
ice | bare-smooth ice | 2 |
H7140-01 |
הַ/קָּ֑רַח | haqarach | HTd/Ncmsa |
the ice | the ice | 1 |
H7140-06 |
וְ/קֶ֣רַח | veqerach | HC/Ncmsa |
and the frost | and ice | 1 |
H7140-04 |
קַֽרְח֣/וֹ | qarecho | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his hail | his ice | 1 |
H7140-05 |
וְ/לַ/קֶּ֥רַח | velaqerach | HC/Rd/Ncmsa |
and to the frost | and to the ice | 1 |
H7140-02 |
הַ/קֶּ֣רַח | haqerach | HTd/Ncmsa |
crystal | the ice | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7140-06 |
Genesis 31:40 | וְ/קֶ֣רַח | veqerach | HC/Ncmsa |
and the frost | and ice |
H7140-05 |
Jeremiah 36:30 | וְ/לַ/קֶּ֥רַח | velaqerach | HC/Rd/Ncmsa |
and to the frost | and to the ice |
H7140-02 |
Ezekiel 1:22 | הַ/קֶּ֣רַח | haqerach | HTd/Ncmsa |
crystal | the ice |
H7140-04 |
Psalms 147:17 | קַֽרְח֣/וֹ | qarecho | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his hail | his ice |
H7140-03 |
Job 6:16 | קָ֑רַח | qarach | HNcmsa |
ice | bare-smooth ice |
H7140-03 |
Job 37:10 | קָ֑רַח | qarach | HNcmsa |
ice | bare-smooth ice |
H7140-01 |
Job 38:29 | הַ/קָּ֑רַח | haqarach | HTd/Ncmsa |
the ice | the ice |