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קָרַע

𐤒𐤓𐤏

qâraʻ

H7167 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To tear or rip apart by force, most commonly referring to physical tearing of clothing, documents, or other objects, but also used figuratively for acts of division, disruption, or the expression of intense emotion such as grief or outrage. Less commonly, employed in idiomatic or extended senses to describe actions that resemble tearing (e.g., dramatic alteration or violation of something established).

Semantic Range

to tear apart physically (garments, objects); to express grief or outrage by tearing; to divide or break up a group or kingdom; to ruin or destroy symbolically; (rare) to revile or insult; (very rare/uncertain) to paint the eyes (as if making them appear larger, textual difficulty); to cut out

Root / Etymology

From the root קרע, which denotes the idea of splitting or breaking apart by force. This root is used primarily for physical rending but is also extended to abstract concepts of disruption or violation. The core root meaning is 'to tear, split, rend.' The verb form קָרַע retains this basic sense in all its usages.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, קָרַע is used predominantly for the literal act of tearing garments, often as a sign of grief, mourning, or despair (Genesis 37:29, 34; 2 Samuel 1:11). This symbolic action became formalized as a response to tragic news or calamity, especially in narratives involving the Israelite monarchy and priesthood. The verb also describes other acts of tearing, such as rending scrolls or written decrees (Jeremiah 36:23), and is used metaphorically for the 'tearing' or dividing of a kingdom or covenant (1 Kings 11:30-31). In a few contexts, the root underlies idiomatic expressions or is used figuratively, e.g., to signify verbal reviling or insult (as a strong act of social division). The possible reference to painting the eyes (cf. 2 Kings 9:30) arises from a textual difficulty and is not securely attested as a core meaning. Later translation traditions, including the Septuagint and some English versions, occasionally render the verb with broader implications (e.g., 'to destroy'), but this generally exceeds the word's primary semantic sphere. The core focus remains on physical or symbolic acts of rending. In post-biblical usage, derivatives remain associated with rending clothing in mourning, a custom that persists into modern Jewish mourning practice (kriah).

Translation Consistency

primary "tear" 14 occurrences

'Tear' best matches the dominant, natural English rendering in the corpus (most occurrences are forms of 'tore'/'torn') and covers the full SILEX range: physical ripping (clothes, documents), expressive tearing (signs of grief/outrage), and figurative breaking or ruining. It is more natural than formal options like 'rend' and more versatile than 'rip' for idiomatic uses.

Alternatives (49 occurrences):
"tore" (25x) "tore apart" (10x) "torn" (8x) "torn ones of" (2x) "tore them (the garments)" (1x) "torn garments" (1x) "cuts out" (1x) "torn ones" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to rend, literally or figuratively (revile, paint the eyes, as if enlarging them); cut out, rend, [idiom] surely, tear.

Bantu Hebrew

Language Bantu Word Transliteration Meaning
Chichewa dzula tear apart
Kaonde zula tear
Kinyarwanda kura pull out (kura mo, related semantic field)
Kirundi kura pull out
Lamba zula rip
Lozi zula tear
Luganda zula tear away (rare dialectal)
Shona dzura tear
Sukuma kuzula to tear apart, to separate by force (often with twisting/wrenching)
Swahili chuna peel, strip (related semantic field)
Swahili zua pull apart (dialectal)
Tumbuka zura pull apart
Xhosa zula pull away
Zulu zula pull, remove forcefully (rare)
+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

קרע (q-r-ʿ) — to tear, to split, to rend

Root קרע to tear, to split, to rend
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7086 קְעָרָה the hollowed bowl
H7168 קֶרַע torn pieces
H7172 קַרְקַע in the supporting-surface of
H7173 קַרְקַע the Qarqaʿ

Word Forms

31 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7167-22 וַ/יִּקְרַ֖ע vayiqera HC/Vqw3ms and he tore he called out and he tore 15
H7167-20 וַ/תִּקְרַ֤ע vatiqera HC/Vqw3fs and she tore and she called and she tore 4
H7167-05 קָרַ֨ע qara HVqp3ms had torn he called he tore 3
H7167-09 קָרְע֖וּ qareu HVqp3cp they tore they tore apart they tore apart 3
H7167-12 קְרֻעֵ֥י qeruey HVqsmpc torn torn ones of torn ones of 3
H7167-27 וְ/קָרַ֣ע veqara HC/Vqq3ms and cuts out and he tore and he cuts out 2
H7167-25 וַֽ/יִּקְרְע֖וּ vayiqereu HC/Vqw3mp and they tore and they tore apart and they tore apart 2
H7167-24 וַ/יִּקְרָעֵ֑/ם vayiqeraem HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3mp and-he-tore-them and he tore them and he tore them 2
H7167-04 נִקְרָ֔ע niqera HVNp3ms shall-be-torn was called shall be torn 2
H7167-01 אֶקְרַ֤ע eqera HVqi1cs I will tear I call out I will tear 2

Occurrences in Scripture

63 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7167-22 Genesis 37:29 וַ/יִּקְרַ֖ע vayiqera HC/Vqw3ms and he rent/tore he called out and he tore
H7167-22 Genesis 37:34 וַ/יִּקְרַ֤ע vayiqera HC/Vqw3ms tore he called out and he tore
H7167-25 Genesis 44:13 וַֽ/יִּקְרְע֖וּ vayiqereu HC/Vqw3mp they tore and they tore apart and they tore apart
H7167-30 Exodus 28:32 יִקָּרֵֽעַ yiqarea HVNi3ms be torn he will be torn apart be torn
H7167-30 Exodus 39:23 יִקָּרֵֽעַ yiqarea HVNi3ms it-would-be-torn he will be torn apart it would be torn
H7167-27 Leviticus 13:56 וְ/קָרַ֣ע veqara HC/Vqq3ms and he shall tear and he tore and he shall tear
H7167-09 Numbers 14:6 קָרְע֖וּ qareu HVqp3cp tore they tore apart they tore apart
H7167-22 Joshua 7:6 וַ/יִּקְרַ֨ע vayiqera HC/Vqw3ms and tore he called out and he tore
H7167-22 Judges 11:35 וַ/יִּקְרַ֣ע vayiqera HC/Vqw3ms and he tore he called out and he tore
H7167-13 1 Samuel 4:12 קְרֻעִ֔ים qeruim HVqsmpa torn torn ones torn
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