What does כָּרָה (kā’ărî) mean in the Bible?
כָּרָה (kā’ărî): Digging action extends figuratively to plotting or scheming; opening implies penetrative action toward concealment or revelation.
Hebrew · H3738
כָּרָה
Properly, to dig ; figuratively, to plot ; generally, to bore or open
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כָּרָה H3738
Pronunciation kā’ărî
What does כָּרָה (kā’ărî) mean in the Bible?
כָּרָה (kā’ărî): Digging action extends figuratively to plotting or scheming; opening implies penetrative action toward concealment or revelation.
Full entry for כָּרָה (H3738) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3738?
The BSB source-word alignment has 14 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include they have dug (2), also dug (1), digs (1), digs up (1), have dug (1).
Where does כָּרָה (kā’ărî) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 26:25. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (5), Genesis (2), Jeremiah (2), Proverbs (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It they have dug 2× Jeremiah 18:20, Jeremiah 18:22
also dug 1× Genesis 26:25
digs 1× Exodus 21:33
digs up 1× Proverbs 16:27
have dug 1× Psalms 119:85
he had cut out 1× 2 Chronicles 16:14
He has dug 1× Psalms 7:15
He who digs 1× Proverbs 26:27
hollowed it out 1× Numbers 21:18
I dug 1× Genesis 50:5
is dug 1× Psalms 94:13
They dug 1× Psalms 57:6
You have opened 1× Psalms 40:6
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 26:25 וַיִּכְרוּ־ to also dug Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Genesis 50:5 כָּרִ֤יתִי to I dug Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular Exodus 21:33 יִכְרֶ֥ה to digs Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Numbers 21:18 כָּר֙וּהָ֙ to hollowed it out Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural | third person feminine singular 2 Chronicles 16:14 כָּֽרָה־ to he had cut out Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Psalms 7:15 כָּ֭רָֽה to He has dug Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Psalms 40:6 כָּרִ֣יתָ to You have opened Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular Psalms 57:6 כָּר֣וּ to They dug Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Psalms 94:13 יִכָּרֶ֖ה to is dug Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Psalms 119:85 כָּֽרוּ־ to have dug Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 26:25
Aligned rows 14
Books represented 7
Genesis 2 Exodus 1 Numbers 1 2 Chronicles 1 Psalms 5 Proverbs 2 Jeremiah 2
Source forms
וַיִּכְרוּ־ 1x way·yiḵ·rū- Genesis 26:25
יִכְרֶ֥ה 1x yiḵ·reh Exodus 21:33
יִכָּרֶ֖ה 1x yik·kā·reh Psalms 94:13
כָּ֭רָֽה 1x kā·rāh Psalms 7:15
כֹּרֶ֣ה 1x kō·reh Proverbs 16:27
כָּֽרָה־ 1x kā·rāh- 2 Chronicles 16:14
כֹּֽרֶה־ 1x kō·re·hō·ša- Proverbs 26:27
כָר֥וּ 1x ḵā·rū Jeremiah 18:20
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 4x Psalms 57:6, Psalms 119:85, Jeremiah 18:20, Jeremiah 18:22
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 2x Proverbs 16:27, Proverbs 26:27
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 2x 2 Chronicles 16:14, Psalms 7:15
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1x Genesis 26:25
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 1x Psalms 94:13
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 1x Exodus 21:33
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular 1x Genesis 50:5
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular 1x Psalms 40:6
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Digging action extends figuratively to plotting or scheming; opening implies penetrative action toward concealment or revelation.
Strong's H3738
Lexical occurrences 17 verses Word forms 2 forms 13 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Psalms 22:12–18 Source Gloss
properly, to dig ; figuratively, to plot ; generally, to bore or open
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Digging action extends figuratively to plotting or scheming; opening implies penetrative action toward concealment or revelation.
properly, to dig; figuratively, to plot; generally, to bore or open BDB: bore Usage: dig, × make (a banquet), open.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 13
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 12×
Perfect Jer 18:20 · Jer 18:22 · Ps 57:7 · Ps 119:85 · 2Chr 16:14 · Ps 7:16 · Gen 50:5 · Ps 40:7 8×
Participle active Prov 16:27 · Prov 26:27 2×
Imperfect Exod 21:33 · Job 40:30 2×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 1×
Imperfect Ps 94:13 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Trad: 'like a lion'; variant/LXX: 'they pierced' or 'they dug'; refers to the violent binding or piercing of the extremities
Showing 1 selected witness from 17 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
כָּרָה is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain