What does קָרַע (qāraʿ) mean in the Bible?
קָרַע (qāraʿ): Tearing as violent rupture: rending garments signals covenant grief; eye-painting as enlargement embodies seductive deception.
Hebrew · H7167
קָרַע
To rend , literally or figuratively (revile, paint the eyes, as if enlarging them)
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קָרַע H7167
Pronunciation qāraʿ
What does קָרַע (qāraʿ) mean in the Bible?
קָרַע (qāraʿ): Tearing as violent rupture: rending garments signals covenant grief; eye-painting as enlargement embodies seductive deception.
Full entry for קָרַע (H7167) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7167?
The BSB source-word alignment has 63 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include tore (11), he tore (7), torn (7), tear (3), and I will tear (2).
Where does קָרַע (qāraʿ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 37:29. Its strongest book concentrations include 2 Kings (11), 1 Kings (10), 2 Samuel (7), Jeremiah (5).
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 tore 11× Genesis 37:34, Numbers 14:6, Joshua 7:6, 2 Samuel 13:31
he tore 7× Genesis 37:29, Judges 11:35, 1 Kings 21:27, 2 Kings 5:7
torn 7× 1 Samuel 4:12, 2 Samuel 13:31, 2 Samuel 15:32, 2 Kings 18:37
tear 3× Exodus 28:32, Exodus 39:23, 2 Samuel 3:31
and I will tear 2× Ezekiel 13:20, Hosea 13:8
away 2× 1 Kings 11:11, 1 Kings 14:8
has torn 2× 1 Samuel 15:28, 1 Samuel 28:17
I will tear 2× 1 Kings 11:11, 1 Kings 11:31
[the LORD] had torn 1× 2 Kings 17:21
and because you have torn 1× 2 Kings 22:19
and have torn 1× 2 Chronicles 34:27
and it tore 1× 1 Samuel 15:27
and tore 1× 2 Samuel 13:19
and tore them 1× 2 Samuel 1:11
away from him 1× 1 Kings 11:13
had torn 1× 2 Kings 5:8
have you torn 1× 2 Kings 5:8
he must cut the contaminated section out 1× Leviticus 13:56
he tore them 1× 2 Kings 2:12
I tore 1× Ezra 9:3
I will also tear off 1× Ezekiel 13:21
I will tear it 1× 1 Kings 11:12
Jehoiakim would cut [them off] 1× Jeremiah 36:23
or tear 1× Jeremiah 36:24
slandered me 1× Psalms 35:15
So he cuts 1× Jeremiah 22:14
So rend 1× Joel 2:13
Then they all tore 1× Genesis 44:13
to tear 1× Ecclesiastes 3:7
tore it 1× 1 Kings 11:30
was split apart 1× 1 Kings 13:5
will be split apart 1× 1 Kings 13:3
with torn 1× 2 Samuel 1:2
you enlarge 1× Jeremiah 4:30
You would rend 1× Isaiah 64:1
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 37:29 וַיִּקְרַ֖ע to he tore Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 37:34 וַיִּקְרַ֤ע to tore Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 44:13 וַֽיִּקְרְע֖וּ to Then they all tore Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Exodus 28:32 יִקָּרֵֽעַ׃ to tear Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 39:23 יִקָּרֵֽעַ׃ to tear Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Leviticus 13:56 וְקָרַ֣ע to he must cut the contaminated section out Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Numbers 14:6 קָרְע֖וּ to tore Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Joshua 7:6 וַיִּקְרַ֨ע to tore Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Judges 11:35 וַיִּקְרַ֣ע to he tore Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1 Samuel 4:12 קְרֻעִ֔ים to torn Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 37:29
Aligned rows 63
Books represented 21
Genesis 3 Exodus 2 Leviticus 1 Numbers 1 Joshua 1 Judges 1 1 Samuel 4 2 Samuel 7 1 Kings 10 2 Kings 11 2 Chronicles 3 Ezra 2 Esther 1 Job 2 Psalms 1 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 3 Jeremiah 5 Ezekiel 2 Hosea 1 Joel 1
Source forms
וַיִּקְרַ֖ע 5x way·yiq·ra‘ Genesis 37:29, 2 Kings 19:1, 2 Kings 22:11, 2 Chronicles 34:19
וַיִּקְרַ֣ע 5x way·yiq·ra‘ Judges 11:35, 1 Kings 21:27, 2 Kings 5:7, 2 Kings 6:30
וַיִּקְרַ֤ע 2x way·yiq·ra‘ Genesis 37:34, Esther 4:1
וַיִּקְרַ֨ע 2x way·yiq·ra‘ Joshua 7:6, 1 Samuel 28:17
וַתִּקְרַ֤ע 2x wat·tiq·ra‘ 2 Kings 11:14, 2 Chronicles 23:13
יִקָּרֵֽעַ׃ 2x yiq·qā·rê·a‘ Exodus 28:32, Exodus 39:23
נִקְרָ֔ע 2x niq·rā‘ 1 Kings 13:3, 1 Kings 13:5
קְרוּעֵ֣י 2x qə·rū·‘ê 2 Kings 18:37, Isaiah 36:22
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 15x Genesis 37:29, Genesis 37:34, Joshua 7:6, Judges 11:35
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 3x Numbers 14:6, Psalms 35:15, Jeremiah 36:24
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 3x 1 Samuel 15:28, 2 Kings 5:8, 2 Kings 17:21
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural construct 3x 2 Samuel 13:31, 2 Kings 18:37, Isaiah 36:22
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular 2x Ezekiel 13:20, Ezekiel 13:21
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular 2x Leviticus 13:56, Jeremiah 22:14
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular 2x 2 Kings 22:19, 2 Chronicles 34:27
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular 2x 2 Kings 11:14, 2 Chronicles 23:13
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Tearing as violent rupture: rending garments signals covenant grief; eye-painting as enlargement embodies seductive deception.
Strong's H7167
Lexical occurrences 63 verses Word forms 2 forms 26 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Genesis 44:1-17 Source Gloss
to rend , literally or figuratively (revile, paint the eyes, as if enlarging them)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Tearing as violent rupture: rending garments signals covenant grief; eye-painting as enlargement embodies seductive deception.
to rend, literally or figuratively (revile, paint the eyes, as if enlarging them) BDB: tear Usage: cut out, rend, × surely, tear.
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 26
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 22×
Perfect 1Sam 15:28 · 2Kgs 5:8 · 2Kgs 17:21 · Jer 36:24 · Num 14:6 · Ps 35:15 · Isa 63:19 · 2Sam 13:19 · Ezra 9:3 10×
Participle passive 1Sam 4:12 · 2Kgs 18:37 · 2Sam 1:2 · 2Sam 13:31 · 2Sam 15:32 · Isa 36:22 6×
Imperfect 1Kgs 11:11 · 1Kgs 11:13 · Jer 4:30 3×
Infinitive absolute 1Kgs 11:11 1×
Participle active 1Kgs 11:31 1×
Sequential imperfect 2Sam 3:31 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 4×
Perfect 1Kgs 13:3 · 1Kgs 13:5 2×
Imperfect Exod 28:32 · Exod 39:23 2×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
literal rending of garments as sign of distress or emotion
figurative tearing or splitting open of heavens in divine action
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 63 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
קָרַע 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