כָּרַת
To cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume ; specifically, to covenant (i.e. make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces)
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
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Canonical witness: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
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What does כָּרַת (karat) mean in the Bible?
כָּרַת (karat) is a Hebrew word meaning "to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume ; specifically, to covenant (i.e. make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces)". to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant (i. The term reflects the ultimate consequence of corrupt speech.
Meaning
Covenant-making through cutting; the ritual severing of flesh ratifies binding obligation before God.
to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant (i.e. make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces) BDB: cut off Usage: be chewed, be con-(feder-) ate, covenant, cut (down, off), destroy, fail, feller, be freed, hew (down), make a league (covenant), × lose, perish, × utterly, × want.
Why This Word Matters
The term reflects the ultimate consequence of corrupt speech. Isaiah 18:1-7
It emphasizes the thorough and intentional nature of divine purification. Micah 5:10-15
The verb conveys intentional intervention before human plans mature. Proverbs 10:31
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 43×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 67×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 19×
Pual intensive passive — intensive action received by the subject 2×
Hophal causative passive — the subject is caused to perform the action 1×
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
Showing 8 of 290 occurrences in the biblical text.
Appears In
Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.