What does קָרָא mean in the Bible?
קָרָא is a Hebrew word meaning "to encounter , whether accidentally or in a hostile manner".
Hebrew · H7122
קָרָא
To encounter , whether accidentally or in a hostile manner
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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Where it appears: 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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קָרָא H7122
What does קָרָא mean in the Bible?
קָרָא is a Hebrew word meaning "to encounter , whether accidentally or in a hostile manner".
Full entry for קָרָא (H7122) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7122?
The BSB source-word alignment has 138 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include to meet (22), to meet him (12), against (11), . . . (7), to meet them (7).
Where does קָרָא appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 14:17. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Samuel (20), 2 Kings (16), 2 Samuel (16), Genesis (14).
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 to meet 22× Genesis 46:29, Exodus 19:17, Numbers 21:33, 1 Samuel 4:1
to meet him 12× Genesis 14:17, Genesis 29:13, Genesis 30:16, Exodus 7:15
against 11× Judges 7:24, Judges 20:31, 1 Samuel 4:2, 1 Samuel 17:2
. . . 7× Genesis 33:4, Exodus 18:7, Numbers 24:1, Judges 4:18
to meet them 7× Genesis 18:2, Genesis 19:1, Numbers 31:13, Joshua 9:11
to meet you 4× Genesis 32:6, Exodus 4:14, 2 Kings 5:26, Proverbs 7:15
against us 3× Deuteronomy 2:32, Deuteronomy 29:7, Joshua 8:5
met him 3× 1 Samuel 10:10, 1 Samuel 16:4, 1 Kings 18:7
to confront 3× Numbers 21:23, 1 Samuel 15:12, 1 Samuel 17:55
to engage 3× Joshua 8:14, Joshua 11:20, 2 Samuel 18:6
to meet me 3× 1 Samuel 25:32, 1 Samuel 25:34, 1 Kings 2:8
to meet us 3× Genesis 24:65, Deuteronomy 3:1, 2 Kings 1:6
- 2× Exodus 14:27, Isaiah 21:14
against them 2× Joshua 8:22, Judges 20:25
met 2× 1 Samuel 21:1, 2 Samuel 18:9
to confront him 2× 2 Kings 23:29, 2 Chronicles 35:20
to meet her 2× Genesis 24:17, 2 Kings 4:26
[and] 1× 1 Samuel 30:21
against him 1× Judges 15:14
against you 1× Deuteronomy 1:44
and confront you 1× Numbers 20:18
and meet 1× Exodus 4:27
and so You have brought 1× Jeremiah 32:23
at him 1× Judges 14:5
breaks out 1× Exodus 1:10
came out to meet him 1× Proverbs 7:10
came over me 1× Job 4:14
follows 1× Jeremiah 51:31
happened 1× 2 Samuel 20:1
happened to me 1× Jeremiah 13:22
has befallen you 1× Jeremiah 44:23
has met 1× Exodus 5:3
have befallen 1× Isaiah 51:19
have happened to me 1× Leviticus 10:19
I happened 1× 2 Samuel 1:6
If any harm comes 1× Genesis 42:38
meet 1× 2 Samuel 19:15
messengers to meet them 1× 1 Chronicles 19:5
might befall him 1× Genesis 42:4
opposite 1× Genesis 15:10
or grasping 1× Proverbs 27:16
to 1× 1 Kings 18:16
to attack 1× 1 Samuel 17:48
to confront [the Israelites] 1× Numbers 20:20
to confront me 1× Numbers 22:34
to engage [them] 1× 1 Chronicles 19:17
to greet her 1× 1 Kings 2:19
to greet him 1× Judges 4:22
to greet me 1× Judges 11:31
to help me 1× Psalms 59:4
to meet [Elisha] 1× 2 Kings 4:31
to meet [the men] 1× 2 Samuel 10:5
to meet Elisha 1× 2 Kings 8:9
to meet Jehu 1× 2 Kings 9:18
toward her 1× 1 Samuel 25:20
toward them 1× 1 Samuel 9:14
vvv 1× 1 Samuel 13:10
waiting to meet them 1× Exodus 5:20
welcomed him 1× Judges 19:3
who was coming to meet him 1× 2 Kings 10:15
will befall 1× Deuteronomy 31:29
will happen 1× Genesis 49:1
will meet with me 1× Numbers 23:3
you come across 1× Deuteronomy 22:6
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 14:17 לִקְרָאתוֹ֒ to to meet him Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular Genesis 15:10 לִקְרַ֣את to opposite Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Genesis 18:2 לִקְרָאתָם֙ to to meet them Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural Genesis 19:1 לִקְרָאתָ֔ם to to meet them Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural Genesis 24:17 לִקְרָאתָ֑הּ to to meet her Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular Genesis 24:65 לִקְרָאתֵ֔נוּ to to meet us Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common plural Genesis 29:13 לִקְרָאתוֹ֙ to to meet him Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular Genesis 30:16 לִקְרָאת֗וֹ to to meet him Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular Genesis 32:6 לִקְרָֽאתְךָ֔ to to meet you Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular Genesis 33:4 לִקְרָאתוֹ֙ to . . . Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 14:17
Aligned rows 138
Books represented 20
Genesis 14 Exodus 9 Leviticus 1 Numbers 9 Deuteronomy 6 Joshua 5 Judges 11 1 Samuel 20 2 Samuel 16 1 Kings 7 2 Kings 16 1 Chronicles 4 2 Chronicles 1 Job 2 Psalms 2 Proverbs 3 Isaiah 4 Jeremiah 6 Amos 1 Zechariah 1
Source forms
לִקְרַ֣את 22x liq·raṯ Genesis 15:10, Exodus 18:7, Numbers 24:1, Judges 4:18
לִקְרַ֥את 11x liq·raṯ Exodus 4:27, Exodus 19:17, 1 Samuel 15:12, 1 Samuel 17:2
לִקְרַ֖את 7x liq·raṯ 1 Samuel 18:6, 2 Samuel 10:10, 2 Samuel 19:16, 2 Samuel 19:20
לִקְרָאת֑וֹ 6x liq·rā·ṯōw Exodus 14:27, Judges 15:14, 1 Samuel 10:10, 2 Samuel 16:1
לִקְרָאת֔וֹ 6x liq·rā·ṯōw Numbers 20:20, Judges 4:22, Judges 11:34, 1 Samuel 16:4
לִקְרָאתָ֔ם 5x liq·rā·ṯām Genesis 19:1, Joshua 8:22, 1 Samuel 9:14, 2 Samuel 10:5
לִקְרָאתוֹ֙ 4x liq·rā·ṯōw Genesis 29:13, Genesis 33:4, 2 Samuel 15:32, 2 Kings 4:31
לִקְרָאת֖וֹ 4x liq·rā·ṯōw Exodus 7:15, 1 Samuel 13:10, 2 Kings 5:21, 2 Chronicles 35:20
Parsing patterns
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct 52x Genesis 15:10, Genesis 46:29, Exodus 4:27, Exodus 18:7
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular 29x Genesis 14:17, Genesis 29:13, Genesis 30:16, Genesis 33:4
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural 15x Genesis 18:2, Genesis 19:1, Exodus 5:20, Numbers 21:33
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singular 7x Numbers 22:34, Numbers 23:3, Judges 11:31, 1 Samuel 25:32
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common plural 6x Genesis 24:65, Deuteronomy 2:32, Deuteronomy 3:1, Deuteronomy 29:7
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular 5x Genesis 32:6, Exodus 4:14, Numbers 20:18, 2 Kings 5:26
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular 4x Genesis 24:17, 1 Samuel 25:20, 1 Kings 2:19, 2 Kings 4:26
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine plural 2x Deuteronomy 1:44, 2 Kings 1:7
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. to encounter , whether accidentally or in a hostile manner
Source Gloss
to encounter , whether accidentally or in a hostile manner
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
to encounter, whether accidentally or in a hostile manner BDB: encounter Usage: befall, (by) chance, (cause to) come (upon), fall out, happen, meet.
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 7
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 4×
Perfect 2Sam 20:1 · Exod 5:3 2×
Infinitive absolute 2Sam 1:6 1×
Imperfect Deut 22:6 1×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 3×
Imperfect Exod 1:10 · Gen 49:1 2×
Perfect Jer 44:23 1×
Word Origins
קָרָא 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