קָרָא
to call
also: call out, recite, read, cry out fuller range ↓
H7121
Strong's Hebrew
qârâʼ
Transliteration
/kaw-raw'/
Pronunciation
Usage in the Hebrew Bible
739
appearances
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
BDB Definition
to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim
- (Qal)
- to call, cry, utter a loud sound
- to call unto, cry (for help), call (with name of God)
- to proclaim
- to read aloud, read (to oneself), read
- to summon, invite, call for, call and commission, appoint, call and endow
- to call, name, give name to, call by
- (Niphal)
- to call oneself
- to be called, be proclaimed, be read aloud, be summoned, be named
- (Pual) to be called, be named, be called out, be chosen
Where this word appears
See every Qal verb in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Verb
- An action or state-of-being word.
- Preposition
- A relational word (e.g. “in,” “to,” “from”) governing a noun.
Stem
- Qal
- The basic, simple active stem — the plain form of the verb (“he wrote”). Here: ‘call’
- Niphal
- Usually the simple passive or reflexive of the Qal (“he was written”). Here: ‘reflex.’
- Pual
- The passive counterpart of the Piel.
Form
- Sequential Imperfect
- An imperfect with prefixed waw — the standard past-narrative form (waw-consecutive imperfect).
- Perfect
- A completed action or state — Hebrew marks aspect (completeness) more than strict tense (“he wrote”).
- Imperfect
- An incomplete, ongoing, or future action (“he will / would write”).
- Infinitive Construct
- A bound verbal noun, frequently with prepositions (“to write / in writing”).
- Imperative
- A direct command (“write!”).
- Participle Active
- A verbal adjective expressing ongoing or characteristic action (“writing / one who writes”).
- Sequential Perfect
- A perfect with prefixed waw continuing a preceding imperfect or command (waw-consecutive perfect).
- Participle Passive
- A verbal adjective expressing action received (“written”).
- Jussive
- A third- or second-person volitional form expressing wish or command (“let him write”).
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
Person
- 3rd Person
- The one spoken about (“he / she / it / they”).
- 1st Person
- The speaker (“I / we”).
- 2nd Person
- The one addressed (“you”).
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
- Feminine
- Grammatically feminine.
- Common
- Either gender — not distinguished for this form.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
Grammatical forms 57 distinct
- Verb, Qal, Sequential Imperfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular 208 times (28%)
- Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular 48 times (6%)
- Verb, Qal, Perfect, 1st Person, Common, Singular 37 times (5%)
- Verb, Qal, Infinitive Construct 36 times (5%)
- Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular 33 times (4%)
- Verb, Qal, Sequential Imperfect, 3rd Person, Feminine, Singular 32 times (4%)
- Verb, Qal, Sequential Imperfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Plural 29 times (4%)
- Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 1st Person, Common, Singular 29 times (4%)
+49 more forms (287 occurrences)
Parsed forms decoded from the imported morphology (morphhb / Westminster Leningrad Codex — WLC text public domain, morphhb tagging CC BY 4.0), counted across 739 parsed occurrences — not distinct verses.
Page 1 of 4 — showing verses 1–200 of 689 distinct verses where H7121 appears, across 37 books. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Genesis 102 verses
- Genesis 1:5 וַ/יִּקְרָ֨א קָ֣רָא conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Qal pf 3ms God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. There was evening and there was morning, one day.
- Genesis 1:8 וַ/יִּקְרָ֧א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms God called the expanse sky. There was evening and there was morning, a second day.
- Genesis 1:10 וַ/יִּקְרָ֨א קָרָ֣א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Qal pf 3ms God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters he called Seas. God saw that it was good.
- Genesis 2:19 יִּקְרָא יִקְרָא Qal impf 3ms Qal impf 3ms Out of the ground Yahweh God formed every animal of the field, and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.
- Genesis 2:20 וַ/יִּקְרָ֨א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field; but for man there was not found a helper suitable for him.
- Genesis 2:23 יִקָּרֵ֣א Niphal impf 3ms The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."
- Genesis 3:9 וַ/יִּקְרָ֛א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Yahweh God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"
- Genesis 3:20 וַ/יִּקְרָ֧א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms The man called his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
- Genesis 4:17 וַ/יִּקְרָא֙ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Cain knew his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Enoch. He built a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.
- Genesis 4:25 וַ/תִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3fs Adam knew his wife again. She gave birth to a son, and named him Seth. For, she said, "God has appointed me another child instead of Abel, for Cain killed him."
- Genesis 4:26 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א לִ/קְרֹ֖א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms prep + Qal inf.cs There was also born a son to Seth, and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on Yahweh's name.
- Genesis 5:2 וַ/יִּקְרָ֤א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms He created them male and female, and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
- Genesis 5:3 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Adam lived one hundred thirty years, and became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
- Genesis 5:29 וַ/יִּקְרָ֧א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms and he named him Noah, saying, "This same will comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, because of the ground which Yahweh has cursed."
- Genesis 11:9 קָרָ֤א Qal pf 3ms Therefore the name of it was called Babel, because Yahweh confused the language of all the earth, there. From there, Yahweh scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.
- Genesis 12:8 וַ/יִּקְרָ֖א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms He left from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to Yahweh, and called on the name of Yahweh.
- Genesis 12:18 וַ/יִּקְרָ֤א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Pharaoh called Abram, and said, "What is this that you have done to me? Why didn't you tell me that she was your wife?
- Genesis 13:4 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms to the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first. There Abram called on the name of Yahweh.
- Genesis 16:11 וְ/קָרָ֤את conj + Qal wpf 2fs The angel of Yahweh said to her, "Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your affliction.
- Genesis 16:13 וַ/תִּקְרָ֤א conj + Qal wimpf 3fs She called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees," for she said, "Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?"
- Genesis 16:14 קָרָ֣א Qal pf 3ms Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
- Genesis 16:15 וַ/יִּקְרָ֨א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Hagar bore a son for Abram. Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.
- Genesis 17:5 יִקָּרֵ֥א Niphal impf 3ms Neither will your name any more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made you.
- Genesis 17:15 תִקְרָ֥א Qal impf 2ms God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah.
- Genesis 17:19 וְ/קָרָ֥אתָ conj + Qal wpf 2ms God said, "No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.
- Genesis 19:5 וַ/יִּקְרְא֤וּ conj + Qal wimpf 3mp They called to Lot, and said to him, "Where are the men who came in to you this night? Bring them out to us, that we may have sex with them."
- Genesis 19:22 קָרָ֥א Qal pf 3ms Hurry, escape there, for I can't do anything until you get there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
- Genesis 19:37 וַ/תִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3fs The firstborn bore a son, and named him Moab. The same is the father of the Moabites to this day.
- Genesis 19:38 וַ/תִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3fs The younger also bore a son, and called his name Ben Ammi. The same is the father of the children of Ammon to this day.
- Genesis 20:8 וַ/יִּקְרָא֙ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ear. The men were very scared.
- Genesis 20:9 וַ/יִּקְרָ֨א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, "What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done!"
- Genesis 21:3 וַ/יִּקְרָ֨א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Abraham called his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
- Genesis 21:12 יִקָּרֵ֥א Niphal impf 3ms God said to Abraham, "Don't let it be grievous in your sight because of the boy, and because of your handmaid. In all that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice. For from Isaac will your seed be called.
- Genesis 21:17 וַ/יִּקְרָא֩ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms God heard the voice of the boy. The angel of God called to Hagar out of the sky, and said to her, "What ails you, Hagar? Don't be afraid. For God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.
- Genesis 21:31 קָרָ֛א Qal pf 3ms Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because they both swore there.
- Genesis 21:33 וַ/יִּ֨קְרָא conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and called there on the name of Yahweh, the Everlasting God.
- Genesis 22:11 וַ/יִּקְרָ֨א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms The angel of Yahweh called to him out of the sky, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" He said, "Here I am."
- Genesis 22:14 וַ/יִּקְרָ֧א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Abraham called the name of that place Yahweh-Jireh. As it is said to this day, "In Yahweh's mountain it will be provided.
- Genesis 22:15 וַ/יִּקְרָ֛א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms The angel of Yahweh called to Abraham a second time out of the sky,
- Genesis 24:57 נִקְרָ֣א Qal impf 1cp They said, "We will call the young lady, and ask her."
- Genesis 24:58 וַ/יִּקְרְא֤וּ conj + Qal wimpf 3mp They called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go."
- Genesis 25:25 וַ/יִּקְרְא֥וּ conj + Qal wimpf 3mp The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau.
- Genesis 25:26 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau's heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
- Genesis 25:30 קָרָֽא Qal pf 3ms Esau said to Jacob, "Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am famished." Therefore his name was called Edom.
- Genesis 26:9 וַ/יִּקְרָ֨א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Abimelech called Isaac, and said, "Behold, surely she is your wife. Why did you say, 'She is my sister?'" Isaac said to him, "Because I said, 'Lest I die because of her.'"
- Genesis 26:18 וַ/יִּקְרָ֤א קָרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Qal pf 3ms Isaac dug again the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father. For the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham. He called their names after the names by which his father had called them.
- Genesis 26:20 וַ/יִּקְרָ֤א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms The herdsmen of Gerar argued with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water is ours." He called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.
- Genesis 26:21 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms They dug another well, and they argued over that, also. He called the name of it Sitnah.
- Genesis 26:22 וַ/יִּקְרָ֤א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms He left that place, and dug another well. They didn't argue over that one. He called it Rehoboth. He said, "For now Yahweh has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land."
- Genesis 26:25 וַ/יִּקְרָא֙ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms He built an altar there, and called on the name of Yahweh, and pitched his tent there. There Isaac's servants dug a well.
- Genesis 26:33 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms He called it Shibah. Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.
- Genesis 27:1 וַ/יִּקְרָ֞א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms It happened, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, "My son?" He said to him, "Here I am."
- Genesis 27:36 קָרָ֨א Qal pf 3ms He said, "Isn't he rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright. See, now he has taken away my blessing." He said, "Haven't you reserved a blessing for me?"
- Genesis 27:42 וַ/תִּקְרָ֤א conj + Qal wimpf 3fs The words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rebekah. She sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, "Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you.
- Genesis 28:1 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, "You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
- Genesis 28:19 וַ/יִּקְרָ֛א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first.
- Genesis 29:32 וַ/תִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3fs Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, "Because Yahweh has looked at my affliction. For now my husband will love me."
- Genesis 29:33 וַ/תִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3fs She conceived again, and bare a son, and said, "Because Yahweh has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this son also." She named him Simeon.
- Genesis 29:34 קָרָֽא Qal pf 3ms She conceived again, and bare a son. Said, "Now this time will my husband be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore was his name called Levi.
- Genesis 29:35 קָרְאָ֥ה Qal pf 3fs She conceived again, and bare a son. She said, "This time will I praise Yahweh." Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
- Genesis 30:6 קָרְאָ֥ה Qal pf 3fs Rachel said, "God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son." Therefore called she his name Dan.
- Genesis 30:8 וַ/תִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3fs Rachel said, "With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed." She named him Naphtali.
- Genesis 30:11 וַ/תִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3fs Leah said, "How fortunate!" She named him Gad.
- Genesis 30:13 וַ/תִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3fs Leah said, "Happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy." She named him Asher.
- Genesis 30:18 וַ/תִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3fs Leah said, "God has given me my hire, because I gave my handmaid to my husband." She named him Issachar.
- Genesis 30:20 וַ/תִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3fs Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good dowry. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons." She named him Zebulun.
- Genesis 30:21 וַ/תִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3fs Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.
- Genesis 30:24 וַ/תִּקְרָ֧א conj + Qal wimpf 3fs She named him Joseph, saying, "May Yahweh add another son to me."
- Genesis 31:4 וַ/יִּקְרָ֖א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock,
- Genesis 31:47 וַ/יִּקְרָא קָ֥רָא conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Qal pf 3ms Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.
- Genesis 31:48 קָרָֽא Qal pf 3ms Laban said, "This heap is witness between me and you this day." Therefore it was named Galeed
- Genesis 31:54 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night in the mountain.
- Genesis 32:2 וַ/יִּקְרָ֛א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms When he saw them, Jacob said, "This is God's host." He called the name of that place Mahanaim.
- Genesis 32:30 וַ/יִּקְרָ֧א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for, he said, "I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
- Genesis 33:17 קָרָ֥א Qal pf 3ms Jacob traveled to Succoth, built himself a house, and made shelters for his cattle. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
- Genesis 33:20 וַ/יִּ֨קְרָא conj + Qal wimpf 3ms He erected an altar there, and called it El Elohe Israel.
- Genesis 35:7 וַ/יִּקְרָא֙ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms He built an altar there, and called the place El Beth El; because there God was revealed to him, when he fled from the face of his brother.
- Genesis 35:8 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak; and the name of it was called Allon Bacuth.
- Genesis 35:10 יִקָּרֵא֩ וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א Niphal impf 3ms conj + Qal wimpf 3ms God said to him, "Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be Jacob any more, but your name will be Israel." He named him Israel.
- Genesis 35:15 וַ/יִּקְרָ֨א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him "Bethel."
- Genesis 35:18 וַ/תִּקְרָ֥א קָֽרָא conj + Qal wimpf 3fs Qal pf 3ms It happened, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni, but his father named him Benjamin.
- Genesis 38:3 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms She conceived, and bore a son; and he named him Er.
- Genesis 38:4 וַ/תִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3fs She conceived again, and bore a son; and she named him Onan.
- Genesis 38:5 וַ/תִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3fs She yet again bore a son, and named him Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bore him.
- Genesis 38:29 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms It happened, as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out, and she said, "Why have you made a breach for yourself?" Therefore his name was called Perez.
- Genesis 38:30 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Afterward his brother came out, that had the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.
- Genesis 39:14 וַ/תִּקְרָ֞א וָ/אֶקְרָ֖א conj + Qal wimpf 3fs conj + Qal wimpf 1cs that she called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, "Behold, he has brought in a Hebrew to us to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice.
- Genesis 39:15 וָ/אֶקְרָ֑א conj + Qal wimpf 1cs It happened, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by me, and ran outside."
- Genesis 39:18 וָ/אֶקְרָ֑א conj + Qal wimpf 1cs and it happened, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by me, and ran outside."
- Genesis 41:8 וַ/יִּקְרָ֛א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms It happened in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men of it. Pharaoh told them his dream, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
- Genesis 41:14 וַ/יִּקְרָ֣א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. He shaved himself, changed his clothing, and came in to Pharaoh.
- Genesis 41:43 וַ/יִּקְרְא֥וּ conj + Qal wimpf 3mp and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had. They cried before him, "Bow the knee!" He set him over all the land of Egypt.
- Genesis 41:45 וַ/יִּקְרָ֨א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On as a wife. Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
- Genesis 41:51 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, "For," he said, "God has made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house."
- Genesis 41:52 קָרָ֣א Qal pf 3ms The name of the second, he called Ephraim: "For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."
- Genesis 45:1 וַ/יִּקְרָ֕א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Then Joseph couldn't control himself before all those who stood before him, and he cried, "Cause every man to go out from me!" There stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
- Genesis 46:33 יִקְרָ֥א Qal impf 3ms It will happen, when Pharaoh summons you, and will say, 'What is your occupation?'
- Genesis 47:29 וַ/יִּקְרָ֣א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms The time drew near that Israel must die, and he called his son Joseph, and said to him, "If now I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please don't bury me in Egypt,
- Genesis 48:6 יִקָּרְא֖וּ Niphal impf 3mp Your issue, who you become the father of after them, will be yours. They will be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
- Genesis 48:16 וְ/יִקָּרֵ֤א conj + Niphal impf 3ms the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. Let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."
- Genesis 49:1 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Jacob called to his sons, and said: "Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come.
- Genesis 50:11 קָרָ֤א Qal pf 3ms When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, "This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians." Therefore, the name of it was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.
Exodus 34 verses
- Exodus 1:18 וַ/יִּקְרָ֤א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive?"
- Exodus 2:7 וְ/קָרָ֤אתִי conj + Qal wpf 1cs Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Should I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?"
- Exodus 2:8 וַ/תִּקְרָ֖א conj + Qal wimpf 3fs Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." The maiden went and called the child's mother.
- Exodus 2:10 וַ/תִּקְרָ֤א conj + Qal wimpf 3fs The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, and said, "Because I drew him out of the water."
- Exodus 2:20 קִרְאֶ֥ן Qal impv 2fp He said to his daughters, "Where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread."
- Exodus 2:22 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms She bore a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, "I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land."
- Exodus 3:4 וַ/יִּקְרָא֩ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms When Yahweh saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said, "Moses! Moses!" He said, "Here I am."
- Exodus 7:11 וַ/יִּקְרָא֙ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers. They also, the magicians of Egypt, did in like manner with their enchantments.
- Exodus 8:8 וַ/יִּקְרָ֨א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, "Entreat Yahweh, that he take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to Yahweh."
- Exodus 8:25 וַ/יִּקְרָ֣א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God in the land!"
- Exodus 9:27 וַ/יִּקְרָא֙ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "I have sinned this time. Yahweh is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.
- Exodus 10:16 לִ/קְרֹ֖א prep + Qal inf.cs Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and he said, "I have sinned against Yahweh your God, and against you.
- Exodus 10:24 וַ/יִּקְרָ֨א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, "Go, serve Yahweh. Only let your flocks and your herds stay behind. Let your little ones also go with you."
- Exodus 12:21 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said to them, "Draw out, and take lambs according to your families, and kill the Passover.
- Exodus 12:31 וַ/יִּקְרָא֩ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms He called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, "Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel; and go, serve Yahweh, as you have said!
- Exodus 15:23 קָרָֽא Qal pf 3ms When they came to Marah, they couldn't drink from the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.
- Exodus 16:31 וַ/יִּקְרְא֧וּ conj + Qal wimpf 3mp The house of Israel called the name of it Manna, and it was like coriander seed, white; and its taste was like wafers with honey.
- Exodus 17:7 וַ/יִּקְרָא֙ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms He called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because the children of Israel quarreled, and because they tested Yahweh, saying, "Is Yahweh among us, or not?"
- Exodus 17:15 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Yahweh our Banner.
- Exodus 19:3 וַ/יִּקְרָ֨א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Moses went up to God, and Yahweh called to him out of the mountain, saying, "This is what you shall tell the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:
- Exodus 19:7 וַ/יִּקְרָ֖א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which Yahweh commanded him.
- Exodus 19:20 וַ/יִּקְרָ֨א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Yahweh came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
- Exodus 24:7 וַ/יִּקְרָ֖א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms He took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, "All that Yahweh has spoken will we do, and be obedient."
- Exodus 24:16 וַ/יִּקְרָ֧א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms The glory of Yahweh settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. The seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
- Exodus 31:2 קָרָ֣אתִֽי Qal pf 1cs "Behold, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:
- Exodus 32:5 וַ/יִּקְרָ֤א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation, and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to Yahweh."
- Exodus 33:7 וְ/קָ֥רָא conj + Qal pf 3ms Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it outside the camp, far away from the camp, and he called it "The tent of meeting." It happened that everyone who sought Yahweh went out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp.
- Exodus 33:19 וְ/קָרָ֧אתִֽי conj + Qal wpf 1cs He said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of Yahweh before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy."
- Exodus 34:5 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Yahweh descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of Yahweh.
- Exodus 34:6 וַ/יִּקְרָא֒ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Yahweh passed by before him, and proclaimed, "Yahweh! Yahweh, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth,
- Exodus 34:15 וְ/קָרָ֣א conj + Qal pf 3ms Don't make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, lest they play the prostitute after their gods, and sacrifice to their gods, and one call you and you eat of his sacrifice;
- Exodus 34:31 וַ/יִּקְרָ֤א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them.
- Exodus 35:30 קָרָ֥א Qal pf 3ms Moses said to the children of Israel, "Behold, Yahweh has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.
- Exodus 36:2 וַ/יִּקְרָ֣א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whose heart Yahweh had put wisdom, even everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to the work to do it:
Leviticus 9 verses
- Leviticus 1:1 וַ/יִּקְרָ֖א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Yahweh called to Moses, and spoke to him out of the Tent of Meeting, saying,
- Leviticus 9:1 קָרָ֣א Qal pf 3ms It happened on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel;
- Leviticus 10:4 וַ/יִּקְרָ֣א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, "Draw near, carry your brothers from before the sanctuary out of the camp."
- Leviticus 13:45 יִקְרָֽא Qal impf 3ms "The leper in whom the plague is shall wear torn clothes, and the hair of his head shall hang loose. He shall cover his upper lip, and shall cry, 'Unclean! Unclean!'
- Leviticus 23:2 תִּקְרְא֥וּ Qal impf 2mp "Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'The set feasts of Yahweh, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my set feasts.
- Leviticus 23:4 תִּקְרְא֥וּ Qal impf 2mp "'These are the set feasts of Yahweh, even holy convocations, which you shall proclaim in their appointed season.
- Leviticus 23:21 וּ/קְרָאתֶ֞ם conj + Qal wpf 2mp You shall make proclamation on the same day: there shall be a holy convocation to you; you shall do no regular work. This is a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
- Leviticus 23:37 תִּקְרְא֥וּ Qal impf 2mp "'These are the appointed feasts of Yahweh, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh, a burnt offering, and a meal offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, each on its own day;
- Leviticus 25:10 וּ/קְרָאתֶ֥ם conj + Qal wpf 2mp You shall make the fiftieth year holy, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee to you; and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family.
Numbers 17 verses
- Numbers 1:16 קְרוּאֵ֣י Qal ptcp.pass mp cs These are those who were called of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel.
- Numbers 11:3 וַ/יִּקְרָ֛א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms The name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of Yahweh burnt among them.
- Numbers 11:34 וַ/יִּקְרָ֛א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms The name of that place was called Kibrothhattaavah, because there they buried the people who lusted.
- Numbers 12:5 וַ/יִּקְרָא֙ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Yahweh came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forth.
- Numbers 13:16 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms These are the names of the men who Moses sent to spy out the land. Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua.
- Numbers 13:24 קָרָ֖א Qal pf 3ms That place was called the valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the children of Israel cut down from there.
- Numbers 16:12 לִ/קְרֹ֛א prep + Qal inf.cs Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, We won't come up:
- Numbers 21:3 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Yahweh listened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and the name of the place was called Hormah.
- Numbers 22:5 לִ/קְרֹא prep + Qal inf.cs He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the surface of the earth, and they abide over against me.
- Numbers 22:20 לִ/קְרֹ֤א prep + Qal inf.cs God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, If the men are come to call you, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that shall you do.
- Numbers 22:37 לִ/קְרֹא prep + Qal inf.cs Balak said to Balaam, Didn't I earnestly send to you to call you? why didn't you come to me? am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?
- Numbers 24:10 קְרָאתִ֔י/ךָ Qal pf 1cs + sfx pers 2ms Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have altogether blessed them these three times.
- Numbers 25:2 וַ/תִּקְרֶ֣אןָ conj + Qal wimpf 3fp for they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods; and the people ate, and bowed down to their gods.
- Numbers 26:9 קרואי Qal ptcp.pass mp cs The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. These are that Dathan and Abiram, who were called of the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against Yahweh,
- Numbers 32:38 וַ/יִּקְרְא֣וּ conj + Qal wimpf 3mp and Nebo, and Baal Meon, (their names being changed), and Sibmah: and they gave other names to the cities which they built.
- Numbers 32:41 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the towns of it, and called them Havvoth Jair.
- Numbers 32:42 וַ/יִּקְרָ֧א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages of it, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
Deuteronomy 21 verses
- Deuteronomy 2:11 יִקְרְא֥וּ Qal impf 3mp these also are accounted Rephaim, as the Anakim; but the Moabites call them Emim.
- Deuteronomy 2:20 יִקְרְא֥וּ Qal impf 3mp (That also is accounted a land of Rephaim: Rephaim lived therein before; but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim,
- Deuteronomy 3:9 יִקְרְא֥וּ יִקְרְאוּ Qal impf 3mp Qal impf 3mp ([which] Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir;)
- Deuteronomy 3:13 יִקָּרֵ֖א Niphal impf 3ms and the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, gave I to the half-tribe of Manasseh; all the region of Argob, even all Bashan. (The same is called the land of Rephaim.
- Deuteronomy 3:14 וַ/יִּקְרָא֩ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Jair the son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob, to the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called them, even Bashan, after his own name, Havvoth Jair, to this day.)
- Deuteronomy 4:7 קָרְאֵ֖/נוּ Qal inf.cs + sfx pers 1cp For what great nation is there, that has a god so near to them, as Yahweh our God is whenever we call on him?
- Deuteronomy 5:1 וַ/יִּקְרָ֣א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Moses called to all Israel, and said to them, Hear, Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I speak in your ears this day, that you may learn them, and observe to do them.
- Deuteronomy 15:2 קָרָ֥א Qal pf 3ms This is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother; because Yahweh's release has been proclaimed.
- Deuteronomy 15:9 וְ/קָרָ֤א conj + Qal wpf 3ms Beware that there not be a base thought in your heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and your eye be evil against your poor brother, and you give him nothing; and he cry to Yahweh against you, and it be sin to you.
- Deuteronomy 17:19 וְ/קָ֥רָא conj + Qal wpf 3ms and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life; that he may learn to fear Yahweh his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them;
- Deuteronomy 20:10 וְ/קָרָ֥אתָ conj + Qal wpf 2ms When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it.
- Deuteronomy 24:15 יִקְרָ֤א Qal impf 3ms in his day you shall give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down on it; for he is poor, and sets his heart on it: lest he cry against you to Yahweh, and it be sin to you.
- Deuteronomy 25:8 וְ/קָֽרְאוּ conj + Qal wpf 3cp Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak to him: and if he stand, and say, I don't want to take her;
- Deuteronomy 25:10 וְ/נִקְרָ֥א conj + Niphal wpf 3ms His name shall be called in Israel, The house of him who has his shoe untied.
- Deuteronomy 28:10 נִקְרָ֣א Niphal pf 3ms All the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of Yahweh; and they shall be afraid of you.
- Deuteronomy 29:2 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Moses called to all Israel, and said to them, You have seen all that Yahweh did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land;
- Deuteronomy 31:7 וַ/יִּקְרָ֨א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Moses called to Joshua, and said to him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of good courage: for you shall go with this people into the land which Yahweh has sworn to their fathers to give them; and you shall cause them to inherit it.
- Deuteronomy 31:11 תִּקְרָ֞א Qal impf 2ms when all Israel is come to appear before Yahweh your God in the place which he shall choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
- Deuteronomy 31:14 קְרָ֣א Qal impv 2ms Yahweh said to Moses, Behold, your days approach that you must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may give him a charge. Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tent of meeting.
- Deuteronomy 32:3 אֶקְרָ֑א Qal impf 1cs For I will proclaim the name of Yahweh: Ascribe greatness to our God.
- Deuteronomy 33:19 יִקְרָ֔אוּ Qal impf 3mp They shall call the peoples to the mountain; There shall they offer sacrifices of righteousness: For they shall suck the abundance of the seas, The hidden treasures of the sand.
Joshua 15 verses
- Joshua 4:4 וַ/יִּקְרָ֣א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
- Joshua 5:9 וַ/יִּקְרָ֞א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Yahweh said to Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Therefore the name of that place was called Gilgal, to this day.
- Joshua 6:6 וַ/יִּקְרָ֞א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of Yahweh.
- Joshua 7:26 קָרָ֞א Qal pf 3ms They raised over him a great heap of stones, to this day; and Yahweh turned from the fierceness of his anger. Therefore the name of that place was called "The valley of Achor" to this day.
- Joshua 8:34 קָרָא֙ Qal pf 3ms Afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law.
- Joshua 8:35 קָרָ֜א Qal pf 3ms There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua didn't read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the foreigners who were among them.
- Joshua 9:22 וַ/יִּקְרָ֤א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, Why have you deceived us, saying, We are very far from you; when you dwell among us?
- Joshua 10:24 וַ/יִּקְרָ֨א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms It happened, when they brought forth those kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who went with him, Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings. They came near, and put their feet on the necks of them.
- Joshua 19:47 וַ/יִּקְרְא֤וּ conj + Qal wimpf 3mp The border of the children of Dan went out beyond them; for the children of Dan went up and fought against Leshem, and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and lived therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.
- Joshua 21:9 יִקְרָ֥א Qal impf 3ms They gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are [here] mentioned by name:
- Joshua 22:1 יִקְרָ֣א Qal impf 3ms Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh,
- Joshua 22:34 וַֽ/יִּקְרְא֛וּ conj + Qal wimpf 3mp The children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar [Ed]: For, [said they], it is a witness between us that Yahweh is God.
- Joshua 23:2 וַ/יִּקְרָ֤א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and for their heads, and for their judges and for their officers, and said to them, I am old and well stricken in years:
- Joshua 24:1 וַ/יִּקְרָא֩ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.
- Joshua 24:9 וַ/יִּקְרָ֛א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel: and he sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you;
Judges 26 verses
- Judges 1:17 וַ/יִּקְרָ֥א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they struck the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. The name of the city was called Hormah.
- Judges 1:26 וַ/יִּקְרָ֤א conj + Qal wimpf 3ms The man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called the name of it Luz, which is the name of it to this day.
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
“to call” is the headline sense of the Hebrew verb קרא (qârâʼ). Across 4 stems, its meaning turns on the binyan (Qal, Niphal). It turns up in 689 verses across 37 books, one of the most common footprint. First canonically at Genesis 1:5, it enters the text early. From the same root come קרא, קראה and מקרא. See the sense tree, 689-verse concordance, and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
Strong's · 1890
bewray
Modern gloss
to call
Strong's 1890 sometimes compressed multiple senses — or homonymous roots — under one number, and used 19th-century English phrasing that no longer carries the same connotation. The modern gloss reflects current BDB scholarship; open the Lexicon Entry tab for the full sense breakdown.
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About this word
Strong's H7121 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 689
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 689 distinct verses.
- 37 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 37 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #69
- by frequency
- Top 100 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 69 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 689 occurrences in the concordance →
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 689 distinct verses.
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 359 verses · 52%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 183 verses · 27%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 147 verses · 21%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
BDB lists this Strong’s number as 2 distinct words (homographs). Each count above pools all of them and is not split by sense — see the Senses section below. A low-frequency rendering may belong to a different one of those words, not the primary meaning.
- King James Version†: Called 156×, Call 52×, He called 40×
- American Standard Version†: Called 146×, Call 46×, He called 35×
- Berean Standard Bible†: Called 53×, Call 35×, Summoned 34×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text†: Called 117×, He called 81×, And 66×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H7121 across 736† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 144 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 1 further occurrence.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H7121 across 734† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 174 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H7121 across 708† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 195 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 24 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H7121 across 839† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 125 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
45 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
Hebrew verbs can shift meaning by stem (binyan): Qal is the basic action, Niphal is often passive or reflexive, Piel often intensifies or makes it factitive, and Hiphil is typically causative. The senses below are grouped under the stem BDB assigns to each. This entry also uses Pual (the passive of Piel).
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 45 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
קרא I call, proclaim, read (NH id., read aloud, read
Qal
- Pf. ק׳ Gn 11:9 +, 3 fs. consec. וְקָרָאת Is 7:14 (Ges§ 74 g); 2 ms. קָרָאתָ Ju 12:1 +, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִקְרָא Gn 2:19 +; sf. יִקְרְאוֹ Je 23:6, -אֵהוּ Is 41:2 +; 1 s. אֶקְרָא Dt 32:3 +, וָאֶקְרָאֶה 1 S 28:15 (Ges§ 48 d NesMarg. 15); 3 fpl. וַתִּקְרֶאנָה Ru 4:17(×2), וַתִּקְרֶאן Nu 25:2; 2 fpl. תִּקְרֶאנָה Ru 1:20, 21, etc.; Imv. ms. קְרָא Ju 7:3 +, sf. קְרָאֵנִי ψ 50:15, etc.; Inf. cstr. קְרֹא 1 S 3:6 +, קְרֹאות (Baer -אֹת) Ju 8:1 (Ges§ 74 h); sf. קָרְאִי ψ 4:2 +, etc.; Pt. act. קוֹרֵא Am 5:8 +, קֹרֵא Je 1:15 +; pl. קֹרִאים ψ 99:6 (Ges§§ 74 i; 75 oo); pass. קָרוּא Est 5:12; pl. קְרוּאִים 1 S 9:22; Ez 23:23, קְרֻאִים 1 S 9:13 +; cstr. קְרוּאֵי Nu 1:16 Qr (Kt קריאי), 26:9 Kt (Qr קְרִיאֵי, v. קָרִיא);— e.g. Genesis 11:9
- 1.
- a. call, cry, utter a loud sound, Ju 9:7; 2 S 18:25 (in v 28 read וַיִּקְרַב We, confirmed by 𝔊L, so Dr and all recent Comm.), Je 4:5 Dn 8:16 (all + אמר), 2 K 7:11 (on text v. Kit Benz), Is 6:4; for help Gn 39:15, 18 (J); of pleading in court Is 59:4 (ב of manner); explicitly בְּקוֹל גָּדוֹל Gn 39:14 (J), 1 K 18:27, 28; 2 K 18:28 = Is 36:13 = 2 Ch 32:18, קוֹל גָּדוֹל Ez 9:1 (+ בְּאָזְנֵי); c. אַחֲרֵי pers. 1 S 20:37 (+ אָמַר), 24:8 (Gi; v 9 van d. H. Baer; + לֵאמֹר), Je 12:6. e.g. Judges 9:7
- b. call, cry, obj. in orat. recta Ju 7:20 1 S 3:4 (read שְׁמוּאֵל שְׁמוּאֵל; 𝔊 Th We Dr Kit Bu HPS), v 6 (cf. 𝔊), v 8 (agst. accents), v 10 (v. שְׁמוּאֵל), 20:38; 2 S 20:16; 2 K 11:14; Je 20:8; Lv 13:45; = utter, speak Je 36:18; of command Gn 45:1 (E). e.g. Judges 7:20
- 2.
- a. call unto some one: אֶל pers. (often + אָמַר; sometimes c. מִן loc.), Gn 3:9; 19:5; Ex 3:4 Is 6:3 + often; c. עַל (for אֶל) of satyrs Is 34:14 (so Vrss Ges CheComm. al. > recent Comm. from ii. קָרָא or קָרָה which (in Qal) always take accus.); unto (אֶל) י׳ (God), in praise †ψ 66:17 1 Ch 4:10, usually for help, Ju 15:18; 1 S 12:17, 18; Ho 7:7 ψ 3:5; 4:4 +, + עַל pers. against Dt 15:9; 24:15; to (ל) י׳ (God) †Jb 12:4 ψ 57:3; 141:1; to (ל) a servant (for service) 2 K 4:36; Jb 19:16, so (ל) 2 S 1:15; call to (ל) one Je 3:4 (+ orat. rect.), La 4:15 (id.), Pr 2:3 (לְבִינָה); subj. י׳ Mi 6:8; Je 35:17. e.g. Genesis 3:9
- b. cry for help, abs., (poet. and late) Zc 7:13; Is 58:9; 65:24; Jb 5:1; 9:16; Pr 21:13 ψ 4:2; 20:10 + 10 times ψψ (147:9 of young ravens); בְּאָזְנֵי Ez 8:18. e.g. Zechariah 7:13
- c. ק׳ בְּשֵׁם י׳ call with name of י׳ (i.e. use it in invocation): Gn 4:26; 12:8; 2 K 5:11; Je 10:25 = ψ 79:6 + 16 times (1 K 18:24 of specif. appeal to י׳ to display his power), + Is 65:1 (v. Pu.); with name of Baal †1 K 18:24, 25, 26. e.g. Genesis 4:26
- d. late, c. acc. dei Is 43:22 ψ 14:4 + 4 times ψψ; abs. ψ 116:2. e.g. Isaiah 43:22
- 3. proclaim:
- a. c. acc. rei procl. Am 4:5; Gn 41:43; Dt 15:2; Je 31:6; Lv 25:10 +; ק׳ צוֹם proclaim a fast 1 K 21:9, 12 Je 36:9 +, ק׳ מוֹעֲדֵי י׳ Lv 23:2, 4; ק׳ sq. orat. rect. Ex 34:6, etc.; sq. ל pers. Je 34:8, 15, 17(×2) Is 61:1, עַל pers. (against, concerning) 1 K 13:4, 32; Je 49:29; La 1:15; proclaim peace to (ל pers.) Ju 21:13; cf. ק׳ אֵלֶיהָ לְשָׁלוֹם Dt 20:10; ק׳ c. acc. cogn. מִקְרָא Is 1:13, הַקְרִיאָה Jon 3:2 (+ אֶל). e.g. Amos 4:5
- b. ק׳ שֵׁם י׳ Dt 32:3 ψ 99:6; so (earlier) ק׳ בְשֵׁם י׳ Ex 33:19; 34:5 (JE); cf. ק׳ בְּשֵׁם יַעֲקֹב Is 44:5 (but read יִקָּרֵא, Lo Che and most). e.g. Deuteronomy 32:3
- c. ק׳ בְּשׁ׳ עֲלֵי ψ 49:12 proclaim (with) name over landed estates, claim possession (Hup Bae); proclaim one’s own name Ru 4:11 = become famous; pt. pass. proclaimed, i.e. renowned Ez 23:23. e.g. Psalms 49:12
- d. abs. make proclamation (sometimes + אָמַר, לֵאמֹר) Ju 7:3; Je 2:2 (בְּאָזְנֵי) Zc 1:14, 17; Jon 3:4; Is 40:3, 6 +, c. עַל concerning Ne 6:7, against 1 K 13:2 Jon 1:2. e.g. Judges 7:3
- 4.
- a. read aloud, often בְּאָזְנֵי, less often לִפְנֵי, c. ב of roll, book Je 36:6, 8, 14; Ne 8:3, 8, 18; 9:3; 2 Ch 34:18, + acc. of words Je 36:8, 10; obj. om. Ex 24:7 (E) Je 36:15; c. acc. of roll, book v 15, 21; 51:63; 2 K 22:10; 2 Ch 34:24, of letter (סֵפֶר), writing 2 K 5:7 Is 29:11, 12; Je 29:29, columns of manuscript Je 36:23; c. acc. of words Jos 8:34, 35; Je 36:6; 51:61; 2 K 23:2 = 2 Ch 34:30, cf. Dt 31:11. e.g. Jeremiah 36:6
- b. read, to oneself, in (ב) a roll, book, Dt 17:19, so of vision written on tablets Hb 2:2; c. acc. of letter (סֵפֶר) 2 K 19:14 = Is 37:14, book 2 K 22:8; abs. Is 34:16. e.g. Deuteronomy 17:19
- c. read, for hear read, 2 K 22:16. e.g. 2 Kings 22:16
- 5. summon: usually
- a. c. ל pers.: Gn 12:18; 20:8, 9; Nu 22:5, 20, 37; Ju 8:1 1 S 3:5, 6, 8(×2) + often (c. 100 times), + ל reflex. 1 K 1:28, 32, + אֶל loc. Ex 19:20, + אֶל pers. 2 S 9:2, + inf. purpose Jos 24:9; Ju 12:1; 14:15; 1 S 28:15, + מִן loc. Ho 11:1 Ju 4:6; + בִּשְׁמֶ֑ךָ Is 45:4 summon by thy name; specif. summon = invite (especially to feast) Ex 34:15 Ju 14:15 (+ inf. purpose) 1 S 16:3 (+ בַּזָּבַ֑ח, read prob. לַזּ׳ v. HPS), v 5 (+ לַזּ׳), 1 K 1:9, 26 + (c. 17 times). e.g. Genesis 12:18
- b. c. אֶל pers. Ex 10:24 Jos 4:4; 10:24 1 K 13:21 + (c. 20 times); אֶל pers. + ל pers. (diff. persons in same relation) Ex 8:21 Je 42:8; = call for (demand to see), c. אֶל pers. 2 K 18:18; c. ל rei = demand, require Pr 18:6 cf. 27:16 (prob. corrupt, v. Toy). e.g. Exodus 10:24
- c. c. acc. pers. Gn 41:8, 14 Ex 2:7 (+ ל pers.), v 7 Am 5:16 (+ אֶל rei), Is 13:3 (ל rei), 1 S 3:16; 22:11 + (c. 33 times), ins. וַיִּקְרָא in this sense also 2 S 15:12 𝔊L We Dr and most; + inf. purpose Nu 24:10, ק׳ מִמִּזְרָח עַיִט Is 46:11; in weakened sense (to bring response, or bring pers. near) Ct 5:6; specif. invite, 1 S 9:24 (but corrupt, v. especially HPS), 1 K 1:9 (also + ל, MT), v 10; 12:20 (+ אֶל loc), Dt 33:19 (acc. loc.); אֲנִי קָרוּא לָהּ Est 5:12, pt. pass. elsewhere pl., invited ones, guests 1 S 9:13, 22 2 S 15:11 1 K 1:41, 49 Zp 1:7 Pr 9:18; invite or summon (acc. pers.) for help, succour, Ho 7:11; usually obj. י׳ (poet. and late) Je 29:12 2 S 22:4, 7 = ψ 18:4, 7 Is 55:6 La 3:57 Jb 27:10 ψ 50:15; 86:5 + 8 times ψψ, acc. שֵׁם י׳ La 3:55; acc. חכמה Pr 1:28. e.g. Genesis 41:8
- d. abs. call, summon Am 7:4 (+ ל rei), Is 22:12 (id.), 1 S 3:5, 6; Zc 7:13; subj. י׳ (God) Is 50:2; 65:12; 66:4; Jb 13:22; 14:15, קְרוּאֵי הָעֵדָה Nu 1:16 Qr (Kt קְרִיאֵי), 26:9 Kt (Qr קְרִיאֵי!). e.g. Amos 7:4
- e. call and commission, appoint, acc. pers., Is 48:15; 49:1, + בְּשֵׁם by name, specifically, Ex 31:2; 35:30 Is 43:1; 45:3. e.g. Isaiah 48:15
- f. call and endow (with privilege) Is 51:2; 54:6; 55:5. e.g. Isaiah 51:2
- 6. call = name:
- a. (eárly and most common usage), call one’s name (שֵׁם) so and so, 2 acc.: of pers. Gn 3:20; 4:25, 26; 5:2, 3, 29 + 34 times Gn, Ex 2:10, 22 Ho 1:4, 6, 9 Is 7:14; 8:3; 9:5 + 10 times (Je 46:17 read קִרְאוּ שֵׁם 𝔊 Gie al.); of places, etc., Gn 4:17; 11:9 + 17 times Gn, Ju 1:17, 26; 2:5; 15:19; 18:29 + 21 times e.g. Genesis 3:20
- b. c. acc. of appellation only, Ez 39:11. e.g. Ezekiel 39:11
- c. acc. pers. vel loc. + acc. appell. Ho 2:18 Dt 3:14 Je 23:6 Is 58:5 Nu 32:41. e.g. Hosea 2:18
- d. acc. pers. + cl. ψ 89:27. e.g. Psalms 89:27
- e. = give name to, acc. appell. + ל pers. (loc., velrei): (1) pers. Ho 2:18; Gn 35:18; 1 S 4:21; Je 3:19; 30:17; 33:16 + 9 times; (2) loc., vel rei, Ju 18:12 2 S 2:16; 5:9; 6:8 Jos 22:34 (name lost, 𝔖 Heb. Codd. ins. עֵד; cf. DiSteuern), Gn 1:5(×2), 8; 2:19(×2) Ex 33:7 + 30 times + Jb 17:14 (ל + sentence incl. name). e.g. Hosea 2:18
- f. c. בְּשֵׁם + ל Is 40:26, cf. 65:11 (שֵׁם אַחֵר), ψ 147:4 (שֵׁמוֹת), Ru 4:17 (שֵׁם + לֵאמֹר), Gn 2:20; 26:18(×2) (all c. שֵׁם). e.g. Isaiah 40:26
- g. c. ל rei + עַל־שֵׁם 2 S 18:18. e.g. 2 Samuel 18:18
- h. call by (ב) names the names (acc.) of cities Nu 32:38; call to (ל) city, + appell., + בִּשְׁמוֹ v 42. e.g. Numbers 32:38
- i. call cities (acc.) בְּשֵׁם, i.e. specify them, Jos 21:9; 1 Ch 6:50 (בְּשֵׁמוֹת). e.g. Joshua 21:9
Niphal
- Pf. 3 ms. נִקְרָא Je 4:20 +, 1 s. נִקְרֵאתִי Est 4:11, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִקָּרֵא Gn 2:23 +, וַיִּקָּרֵא Ez 20:29 +, etc.; Pt. נִקְרָא Is 43:7; Je 44:26; pl. נִקְרָאִים Is 48:1 Est 6:1;— e.g. Jeremiah 4:20
- 1. reflex., מֵעִיר הַקֹּדֶשׁ נִק׳ Is 48:2 from the holy city they call themselves. e.g. Isaiah 48:2
- 2. pass. be called:
- a. be proclaimed (cf. Qal 3), of שֵׁם י׳ Je 44:26 (בְּפֶה instr.); of man’s name = be famous Ru 4:14; = be announced Je 4:20. e.g. Jeremiah 44:26
- b. be read aloud (cf. Qal 4): impers. c. ב of book, + בְּאָזְנֵי Ne 13:1; subj. records Est 6:1 (לִפְנֵי). e.g. Nehemiah 13:1
- c. be summoned (cf. Qal 5): Is 31:4 (עַל against); Est 3:12; 4:11(×2); 8:9; †בְּשֵׁם, i.e. specifically, 2:14. e.g. Isaiah 31:4
- d. be named (cf. Qal 6): (1) appell. subj. + ל pers. Gn 2:23 to her shall be called ‘woman,’ 1 S 9:9; Is 32:5; 62:4, 12; Pr 16:21; + ל loc. 2 S 18:18; Is 1:26; 35:8; Je 19:6. (2) וְנִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ וגו׳ Dt 25:10, so Gn 35:10 Dn 10:1; Ez 20:29 (of place); אֶת־שִׁמְךָ Ez 20:29. (3) וְנִקְרְאָה יְרוּשׁ׳ וגו׳ Zc 8:3, so of land Dt 3:13, temple Is 56:7. (4) especially נִקְרָא שֵׁם י׳ עַל, denoting ownership, of pers. Je 15:16, people Dt 28:10; Je 14:9; Am 9:12; Is 63:19; 2 Ch 7:14, ark 2 S 6:2 (del. 2nd שֵׁם 𝔅 We Dr al.), = 1 Ch 13:6 (adding עָלָיו Oettli Kau; > KitHpt שְׁמוֹ שָׁם), temple 1 K 8:43 = 2 Ch 6:33; Je 7:10, 11, 14, 30; 32:34; 34:15, city Je 25:29; Dn 9:18, city + people v 19; so name of man 2 S 12:28, as given to his wife Is 4:1. (5) be called עַל שֵׁם, i.e. reckoned to, Gn 48:6; Is 54:5; 61:6; עַל־שֵׁבֶט 1 Ch 23:14, cf. Ezr 2:61 = Ne 7:63. (6) be called בְּשֵׁם Is 43:7; 48:1. (7) בְּיִצְחָק יִקּ׳ לְךָ זָ֑רַע Gn 21:12, i.e. in (through) יִצ׳ shall seed be reckoned to thee; וְיִקָּרֵא בָהֶם שְׁמִי 48:16 through them shall my name be called, i.e. perpetuated. (8) be named = mentioned, of pers. Is 14:20. (9) subj. שֵׁם Ec 6:10, i.e. thing is known. e.g. Genesis 2:23
Pual
- (Ez and Is 2) Pf. 3 ms. קֹרָא be called, subj. appell. + ל pers. vel rei = be named, Is 48:8 Ez 10:13 (קוֹ׳); וְקֹרָא consec. Is 58:12; 61:3; 62:2 (שֵׁם חָדָשׁ); גּוֹי לֹא קֹרָא בִּשְׁמִי 65:1 (קָרָא or קֹרֵא [Qal 2 c], Vrss Lo Ew Che Di al.); be called and privileged (cf. Qal 5 f), Pt. יִשׂ׳ מְקֹרָאִי 48:12. e.g. Isaiah 48:8
קרא II encounter, befall (‖ form of קָרָה, q.v.
Qal
- Pf.5 3 ms. sf. קְרָאַנִי Je 13:22 Jb 4:2; 3 fs. קָרָאת Dt 31:29; Je 44:23, etc.; Impf.4 3 ms. יִקְרָא Gn 49:1, sf. יִקְרָאֶנּוּ Gn 42:4; 3 fpl. וַתִּקְרֶאנָה Lv 10:19; Ex 1:10 read 3 fs. sf. תִּקְרָאֵנוּ (Sam Vrss Di Ges§ 47 k SoKau Baen); Inf. cstr.121 לִקְרַאת (Ges§ 19 k Ol§ 137), Gn 15:10 +, etc.; Pt. fpl. sf. קֹרְאֹתַיִךְ Is 51:19;— e.g. Jeremiah 13:22
- 1. meet, encounter, only inf. cstr. לִקְרַאת often = prep. toward, against (Köii. 1, 317), almost always c. acc. pers., after vb. of motion, Is 7:3; Gn 19:1; 24:17; Ju 4:18, 22; 1 K 2:8 +; in war, battle, Ju 7:24; 20:25, 31; 1 S 4:1; 1 K 20:27 +, after עָרַךְ 2 S 10:9, 10, 17 +, ψ 35:3 v. I. סגר 2 b; לְחַזֵּק לִבָּם לִק׳ הַמִּלְחָמָה Jos 11:20 to harden their heart to encounter the war with Isr.; after הִנֵּה (without vb. of motion), †1 S 10:10; 2 S 15:32; 16:1; 1 K 18:7; Pr 7:10; in constr. prægn. וַיִּשְׂמַח לִק׳ Ju 19:3 he rejoiced to meet him, + 1 S 6:13 (𝔊 We Dr al.); חרד לִק׳ 1 S 16:4; 21:2; so c. שׁאג Ju 14:5, הריע 15:14, מצא 2 K 10:15, נצב Ex 5:20; 7:15 Nu 22:34, etc.; redund. יִקָּרֶה י׳ לִק׳ Nu 23:3; implic. of helping, Is 21:14 ψ 59:5 (fig.); לִק׳ נְחָשִׁים Nu 24:1 he did not go to encounter (in expectation of) signs of divination; in metaph. Is 14:9, לִק׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ Am 4:12. e.g. Isaiah 7:3
- 2. fig. befall c. acc. pers., bad sense Gn 42:4, 38; Dt 31:29; Je 13:22; 44:23; Is 51:19; Jb 4:14; Lv 10:19; of war Ex 1:10 (v. supr.); in gen., Gn 49:1. e.g. Genesis 42:4
Niphal
- meet unexpectedly; Pf. 3 ms. נִקְרָא, c. עַל pers. Ex 5:3; Impf. 3 ms. וַיִּקָּרֵא, c. לִפְנֵי pers. 2 S 18:9; Pf. 20:1, c. שָׁם, chanced to be there; Impf. of bird’s nest Dt 22:6 (לִפְנֵי); Inf. abs. נִקְרֹא v. קרה. e.g. Exodus 5:3
Hiphil
- Impf. 2 ms. וַתַּקְרֵא Je 32:23 thou didst cause all this evil to befall them (acc. pers. et rei). e.g. Jeremiah 32:23
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
I. vb. call, proclaim, read (NH id., read aloud, read; Ph. קרא call; Arabic قَرَأَ read aloud, recite (the ‘Ḳorʾān’), القُرْآنُ the Ḳorʾān; Aramaic קְרָא, ܩܪܳܐ call, etc., so Old Aramaic קרא, Nab. id., Palm. id., קרה);—
II. vb. encounter, befall (‖ form of קָרָה, q.v.; SI 4 לקרת to meet, opposite; Arabic قَرَأَ, put part to part; Min. קרא set opposite, HomChrest. 127);—
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from קרא (qârâʼ) (H7122) — to meet.
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
קָרָא I
- (קְרַר II) pumpkin, gourd. Succ. 56ᵇ; Keth. 83ᵇ, a. e. טב מק׳, v. בּוּצִין. Yoma 78ᵃ מצטנן בק׳ cooled his hands with a pumpkin. Ker. 6ᵃ; Hor. 12ᵃ; a. fr.—Pl. קָרֵי, קָרַיָּא. Meg. 12ᵃ, v. בּוּצִין; Sot. 10ᵃ קָארֵי. Ned. 51ᵃ Rashi (ed. קרא, corr. acc.). B. Mets. 64ᵃ ק׳ בני זרתא pumpkins of the size of a fist. B. Bath. 88ᵃ קארי. Sabb. 129ᵇ מאה ק׳, v. קַרְנָא I; a. e.—קָרַיָּיא וְקָרָוָותָא large and small gourds, all kinds of gourds. Y. Ned. VII, beg. 40ᵇ (not וכרובתא); Y. Orl. III, 63ᵇ top קירייא וקרותוא (corr. acc.).
קָרָא II
- to call, v. קרי.
קְרָא I
- v. קְרֵי
קְרָא II
- (preced.) = h. מִקְרָא, Biblical verse. Targ. Esth. VI, 1.—Ber. 2ᵃ אק׳ קאי, v. קָאֵי. Ib. 27ᵃ אמר ק׳ וכ׳ the text reads babboḳer &c. Ib. 29ᵇ מאי קראה where is the Biblical passage to prove it? Snh. 45ᵇ; 71ᵃ, a. e. בעינן ק׳ וכ׳, v. כְּתַב I. Ker. 11ᵇ bot. ק׳ בעי do we need a Bible verse for it?; a. v. fr.—Ber. 30ᵇ פוק קרא קְרָאָיךְ לברא go out, read thy verse in the street, i.e. thy authority is not recognized at college; Keth. 56ᵃ; Yeb. 40ᵃ קַרְיָיךְ, v. קַרְיָיא.—Pl. קְרָאֵי. M. Kat. 3ᵇ והני … ק׳ נינהו are these traditional rulings? are they not intimated in the Biblical text? Pes. 4ᵇ תרי ק׳ כתיבי there are two verses (seemingly contradictory); a. v. fr.
קַרָא
- (preced.) a Biblical scholar, Bible teacher. Kidd. 49ᵃ אבל אמר לה ק׳ אנא וכ׳ but if he said to her, (thou art betrothed unto me under the condition that) I am a Biblical scholar, she is not betrothed unless he can read the Pentateuch, Prophets and Hagiographa correctly (understandingly), contrad. to קַרְיָנָא. Ber. 30ᵇ, a. e. ר׳ חנינא ק׳ R. Ḥanina, the Bible teacher.—Pl. (h. form) קַרָאִים; (ch.) קַרָאֵי. Pesik. Shubah, p. 165ᵇ ק׳ טובים וכ׳ good Bible teachers, good preachers, like Levi &c.; Yalk. Hos. 533. Ab. Zar. 40ᵃ מתלתא ק׳ שמיע לי (Ar. קיראי) I have it from three authorities (as reliable as the Scriptures, Rashi).—V. קַרָיָיא.—[Meg. 24ᵇ in Mish. דרך הקראים, a censorial change for המינות, as in Mish. ed. IV, 8, a. Ms. M., v. Rabb. D. S. a. l.—In later literature קראים Karaites, a Jewish sect recognizing the Bible as sole authority.]
קרי ²
- (b. h.)
- 1. to call, name; to invite. Ber. 7ᵇ מיום שברא … שקְרָאוֹ … וּקְרָאוֹ אדון from the day that the Lord created the world there was no man that called the Holy One, blessed be He, lord, until Abraham came and called him lord (Gen. XV, 2 אדני). Gen. R. s. 56 אברהם קראו יראה Abraham called it (the Temple site) yeraëh (Gen. XXII, 14), שם ק׳ אותו שלם Shem called it Salem (ib. XIV, 18), הריני קוֹרֵא אותו ירושלם I will call it Jerusalem. Snh. 70ᵇ אין … לִקְרוֹא אבא וכ׳ no sooner does a child know to call ‘father’ and ‘mother’, than it tastes grain food. Num. R. s. 15, beg. ק׳ אותו אוהב he invited that friend. Ib. והיה קורא אומניות, v. אוּמָנוּת; a. v. fr.—Part. pass. קָרוּא, קָרוּי; f. קְרוּאָה, קְרוּיָה; Pl. קְרוּאִים, קְרוּאִין, קְרוּיִים, קְרוּיִם, קְרוּיִין, קְרוּיִן; קְרוּאוֹת, קְרוּיוֹת. B. Mets. 114ᵇ, a. e. (ref. to Ez. XXXIV, 31) אתם ק׳ אדם וכ׳ you are called men, but idolaters &c. Sifra Aḥăré, end כל העריות ק׳ טומאה all illicit connections are called uncleanness; a. fr.—Esp. קְרוּאִים, קְרוּיִין those called up to read from the Torah (v. infra). Gen. R. s. 70 (ref. to Gen. XXIX, 2) אלו שלשה ק׳ this is typical of the three persons called up to read from the Torah (priest, Levite, and Israelite). Y. Meg. III, 74ᵇ ולא שבעה ק׳ אינון are not seven persons called up (on the Sabbath)?; a. fr.—V. קְרוּיוֹת.—2) to read, recite (esp. from the Scriptures). Yoma I, 6 אם רגיל לִקְרוֹת … קוֹרִין לפניו if he (the high priest) is accustomed to read (the Scriptures), he reads himself, if not, they read to him; ובמה קורין לפניו and from what books do they read to him? Ib. פעמים הרבה קָרִיתִי וכ׳ many a time I read to him from Daniel. Meg. II, 1 הקורא את המגילה וכ׳, v. מִפְרֵעַ. Ib. 2 קְרָאָהּ סירוגין, v. סֵירוּג. Ib. 3 קורא כמקומו he must read in accordance with the usage of the place he came from. Ib. 4 הכל כשרין לִקְרוֹת וכ׳ all persons are qualified to recite the Book of Esther (before the congregation). Y. Meg. IV, 74ᵈ bot. וקְרָיָיהּ and read from it; a. fr.—Esp. to read from the Torah at public services. Ib. III, 4 קורין בפרשת שקלים they (those who are called up, v. supra) read the section of Sheḳalim (Ex. XXX, 11-16). Ib. 6 אחד קורא את כולן one person must read the entire chapter (of the curses). Ib. IV, 1 בשני … קורין שלשה on Mondays … three persons read. Ib. 4 הקורא בתורה לא יפחות וכ׳ he who is designated to read from the Torah must read no less than three verses; לא יִקְרָא למתורגמן וכ׳ he must read to the interpreter one verse at a time, but from the Prophets, three verses. Bicc. I, 1 יש מביאין … וקורין וכ׳ there are those who are bound to bring the first-fruits and to read (Deut. XXVI, 5-10), and those who must bring but not read &c. Ib. 4; a. v. fr.—Esp. (את שמע) ק׳ to recite the Sh’mʿa in the morning and in the evening prayer. Ber. I, 1 לא קָרִינוּ וכ׳ we omitted to read the Sh’mʿa. Ib. II, 3 ק׳ וטעה if one read the Sh’mʿa and made a mistake. Ib. 4 האומנין קוֹרְאִין וכ׳ (Bab. ed. 16ᵃ קורין) workingmen read the Sh’mʿa on top of a tree, or on the scaffolding; a. v. fr.—אל תִּקְרֵי … אלא (or תִּיקְרִי Chald. form; abbrev. א"ת) read not … but—, i.e. change the traditional (Massoretic) reading (for homiletical purposes). Ib. 64ᵃ (ref. to Is. LIV, 13 א"ת בָּנַיִךְ אלא בּוֹנַיִךְ read not banayikh (thy children) but bonayikh (thy builders, the scholars). M. Kat. 9ᵇ (ref. to Ps. XLIX, 12) א"ת קִרְבָּם אלא קִבְרָם read not ḳirbam (their innermost) but ḳibram (their grave); a. fr. e.g. Genesis 15:2
- same, to call, invite. Part. pass. מְקוֹרָא, pl. מְקוֹרָאִים, מְקוֹרָאִין. Num. R. s. 13 יש חתן … למק׳ וכ׳ does a bridegroom give a banquet for the invited guests and not sit with them?; a. e.
- 1. to be called. Lev. R. s. 1, beg. נִקְרְאוּ הנביאים וכ׳, v. בַּיִת. Ex. R. s. 1 (ref. to Ex. II, 13) מכאן … נ׳ רשע from here we learn that when a man lifts up his hand to strike his neighbor, even if he does not strike, he is called a wicked man; Snh. 58ᵇ. Ab. Zar. 19ᵃ (ref. to Ps. I, 2) בתחלה נִקְרֵאת … נקראת וכ׳ first it (the Law) is called the Lord’s, and then his (the student’s); a. fr.— to be read, recited. Meg. I, 1 מגלה נקראת וכ׳ the Book of Esther may be read at public service on the eleventh &c. Ib. IV, 10 מעשה ראובן נ׳ ולא וכ׳ the story of Reuben (Gen. XXXV, 22) is read at public service but not translated. Ib. לא נִקְרָאִין וכ׳ (Y. ed. נִיקְרִין) must be neither read nor interpreted. Tosef. ib. IV (III), 31 יש נקראין ומתרגמין וכ׳ certain verses are read but not interpreted &c.; Meg. 25ᵃ נִקְרִין; a. v. fr. e.g. Exodus 2:13
- to cause to call, to lead in reading. Sot. 10ᵃ sq. (ref. to Gen. XXI, 33) א"ת וַיִּקְרָא אלא וַיַּקְרִיא read not vayiḳra (and he called) but vayaḳri (and he made call), מלמד שה׳ וכ׳ intimating that Abraham caused the name of the Lord to be called by the mouth of every passer-by. Y. ib. V, 20ᶜ top קטן שהוא מַקְרֵא וכ׳ a child that reads the Hallel at school, and they (the class) respond by repeating each sentence (v. עָנָה I); גדול שהוא מקרא וכ׳ an adult that leads in reciting …, when the congregation responds with the first sentence (as refrain). Succ. III, 10 מי שהיה … מַקְרִין אותו וכ׳ if a slave, a woman, or a child reads to him, he responds with Hallelujah. Gitt. III, 1 שמע קול סופרים מקרין וכ׳ heard the teaching scribes as they made the practicing children read, ‘such and such … divorces &c.’—Esp. to teach the Scriptures (מִקְרָא). Lam. R. to I, 6 הַקְרינִי דף אחד … השניני וכ׳ teach me a page of the Scriptures, teach me a chapter of the Mishnah; a. fr.—[Erub. 104ᵇ שהקרו, v. קָרַר I.] e.g. Genesis 21:33
קרי ³
- (b. h.) to join.—Denom. קוֹרָה III.—לִקְרַאת to meet. Sabb. 31ᵃ ויצא לִקְרָאתוֹ and came out to meet him. Ib. 119ᵃ; B. Kam. 32ᵃ top לקראת כלה to meet the bride (the Sabbath); a. fr.
- to meet, join, esp. נִקְרֵי, נִיקְרֵי (denom. of קֶרִי) to lose semen. Gen. R. s. 52; s. 74, a. e. אין הלשון הזה וַיִּקָּר אלא לשון טומאה this expression vayiḳḳar (Num. XXIII, 4) has the meaning of uncleanness (by analogy from Deut. XXIII, 11).—Meg. 15ᵃ; Taan. 5ᵇ. Yeb. 76ᵃ e.g. Numbers 23:4
- same, to have (nocturnal) pollution; to lose semen. Y. Snh. II, 20ᵇ top; Midr. Sam. ch. XXIII (ref. to I Sam. XXV, 20) ותפגש אותם הוּקְרוּ כולן ‘she struck them’ (with her charms), all of them met with &c. e.g. 1 Samuel 25:20
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 334 distinct written forms H7121 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that stem’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
The 60 most common forms are shown; 274 rarer forms follow in the full concordance.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H7121, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Shares the same root
Derived from this word
- מקרא miqrâʼ H4744 convocation
- קרא qᵉrâʼ H7123 to call
- קרא qôrêʼ H7124 partridge
- קריא qârîyʼ H7148 called
- קריאה qᵉrîyʼâh H7150 proclamation
Proper names from this root
People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 9 — not the complete family. 1 of the same-root words is a proper name (a person or place). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 653 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 689 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Genesis 1:5
- Exodus 1:18
- Leviticus 1:1
- Numbers 1:16
- Deuteronomy 2:11
- Joshua 4:4
- Judges 1:17
- Ruth 1:20
- 1 Samuel 1:20
- 2 Samuel 1:7
- 1 Kings 1:9
- 2 Kings 3:10
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
