Lexical Summary karah: To dig, to make a pit, to prepare Original Word: כָּרָה 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 Origina 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,' LevyNWB 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, NöZMG 1886, 724, compare Klo). Topical Lexicon Overview of Usage כָּרָה appears only three times in the Hebrew Bible, each time depicting the lawful acquisition or provision of food or persons by means of payment. Rather than simple commercial activity, the word regularly carries ethical and redemptive overtones—justice toward outsiders, mercy toward enemies, and love that redeems the unfaithful. Biblical Occurrences 1. Deuteronomy 2:6 – As Israel passes through the territory of Esau, the people are told: “You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.” The verb underscores Israel’s duty to deal honorably with relatives-turned-foreigners, paying full price for necessities instead of seizing them. 2. 2 Kings 6:23 – After Elisha leads blind Aramean soldiers into Samaria, “the king prepared a great feast for them” (literally, “acquired/provided for them a great provision”). Their lives are spared, and the term stresses that the celebration was furnished at the king’s expense rather than at the captives’. 3. Hosea 3:2 – Hosea testifies, “So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley.” The prophet’s costly purchase of Gomer embodies covenant love that pays the price to reclaim the wayward. Historical and Cultural Insights • In the Late Bronze and Iron Age Near East, travel through another nation’s land typically required payment for supplies. Deuteronomy 2:6 fits this milieu and shows Israel acting as a just pilgrim people. Theological Themes Justice and Integrity – כָּרָה demonstrates that God’s people must deal equitably, even with those outside the covenant community. Mercy Over Vengeance – The feast for the Arameans illustrates Proverbs 25:21–22 long before it was penned: feeding one’s enemy testifies to God’s triumph through kindness. Redemptive Purchase – Hosea’s act prefigures the concept of “redemption” (Hebrew גָּאַל, Greek λυτρόω) by portraying love willing to pay a price for restoration. Christological Connections • Hosea’s costly purchase foreshadows Jesus Christ, who “gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:6). Ministry and Practical Application • Economic integrity matters in every transaction; believers should be known for paying what is due and refusing exploitative shortcuts. 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 wayyiḵrehLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman'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 Hosea 3:2 3 Occurrences |
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