3739. karah

Lexicon

karah: To dig, to make a pit, to prepare

Original Word: כָּרָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: karah
Pronunciation: kah-RAH
Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-raw')
Definition: To dig, to make a pit, to prepare
Meaning: to purchase

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

buy, prepare

Usually assigned as a primitive root, but probably only a special application of karah (through the common idea of planning implied in a bargain); to purchase -- buy, prepare.

see HEBREW karah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to trade, get by trade
NASB Translation
bargain (1), barter (1), bought (1), purchase (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

II. [כָּרָה] verb get by trade, trade (Late Hebrew כִּירָה act of buying, purchase (so 'in den Küstenländern,' Levy^{NWB ii. 323 f.}); Arabic let for hire); — only

Qal Imperfect1singular suffix וָאֶכְּרֶהָ Hosea 3:2 (dagesh forte dirimens, si vera punctat., Ges^{§ 20}. 2, b; but compare We); 3 masculine plural יִכְרוּ Job 40:30; 2masculine plural תִּכְרוּ Deuteronomy 2:6; Job 6:27; — get by trade, buy, with accusative Hosea 3:2; Deuteronomy 2:6; followed by -עַל trade in, make trade of Job 6:27; Job 40:30.

III. [כָּרָה] verb give a feast (literally perhaps bring (guests), invite; compare Assyrian karû, bring, kirêtu, feast, kireti iškun, he gave a feast, Dl :HWB 352); — only

Qal Imperfect. with accusative of congnate meaning with verb, לָהֶם כֵּרָה גְדוֺלָהוַיִּכְרֶה 2 Kings 6:23 and he gave a great feast for them (the context requires this sense, but text dubious, Nö^{ZMG 1886, 724}, compare Klo).

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: A primitive root

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The concept of purchasing or buying in the Hebrew Bible, as expressed by כָּרָה, can be related to several Greek terms in the New Testament, such as ἀγοράζω (agorazo • Strong's Greek 59), which means "to buy" or "to purchase." This Greek term is used in various New Testament passages to describe the act of buying, often in a marketplace context.

Usage: The verb כָּרָה (karah) is used in the context of acquiring or purchasing, often involving a transaction or exchange. It is typically used in the context of buying goods or services.

Context: The Hebrew verb כָּרָה (karah) is a primitive root that primarily means "to purchase" or "to buy." This term is used in the Hebrew Bible to describe the act of acquiring something through a transaction. The concept of purchasing in the ancient Near Eastern context often involved bartering or exchanging goods, services, or currency.

In the Berean Standard Bible, the usage of כָּרָה can be seen in various contexts, illustrating the economic and social practices of the time. For example, in Genesis 50:5, Joseph speaks of purchasing a burial site: "My father made me swear an oath when he said, ‘I am about to die; you must bury me in the tomb that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.’ Now let me go and bury my father; then I will return."

The act of purchasing in biblical times was not merely a commercial transaction but often carried significant social and familial implications. The purchase of land, for instance, was a matter of inheritance and legacy, as seen in the patriarchal narratives.

The verb כָּרָה is distinct from other Hebrew terms for buying or acquiring, such as קָנָה (qanah), which also means to acquire or possess. The nuances of כָּרָה emphasize the formal and often contractual nature of the transaction.

Forms and Transliterations

וַיִּכְרֶ֨ה וָאֶכְּרֶ֣הָ ואכרה ויכרה תִּכְר֧וּ תכרו tichRu tiḵ·rū tiḵrū vaekkeReha vaiyichReh wā’ekkərehā wā·’ek·kə·re·hā way·yiḵ·reh wayyiḵreh

Englishman's Concordance

Deuteronomy 2:6
HEB: וְגַם־ מַ֜יִם תִּכְר֧וּ מֵאִתָּ֛ם בַּכֶּ֖סֶף
NAS: and you shall also purchase water
KJV: that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water
INT: shall also water purchase money you may drink

2 Kings 6:23
HEB: וַיִּכְרֶ֨ה לָהֶ֜ם כֵּרָ֣ה
KJV: And he prepared great provision
INT: prepared like feast

Hosea 3:2
HEB: וָאֶכְּרֶ֣הָ לִּ֔י בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֥ה
NAS: So I bought her for myself for fifteen
KJV: So I bought her to me for fifteen
INT: bought fif teen

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 3739
3 Occurrences

tiḵ·rū — 1 Occ.
wā·’ek·kə·re·hā — 1 Occ.
way·yiḵ·reh — 1 Occ.