Lexical Summary kera: Leg, Thigh Original Word: כָּרָע Strong's Exhaustive Concordance leg From kara'; the leg (from the knee to the ankle) of men or locusts (only in the dual) -- leg. see HEBREW kara' NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom kara Definition a leg NASB Translation legs (9). Brown-Driver-Briggs [כֶּ֫רַע] noun [feminine] leg, (Late Hebrew כֶּרַע, Aramaic כַּרְעָא,  — only dual feminine כְּרָעַיִם Leviticus 11:21 3t.; כְּרָעָ֑יִם Leviticus 9:14; sf כְּרָעָיו Exodus 12:9 3t.; — two (bending) legs, of animals in ritual phrase of P, ראֹשׁוֺ עַלכְּֿרָעָיו Exodus 12:9 his head with his legs, Leviticus 4:11; (ה)קרב(ו) ו(ה)כרע (יוׅ (his) inwards and (his) legs Exodus 29:17; Leviticus 1:9,13; Leviticus 8:21; Leviticus 9:14; Amos 3:12 (of legs of lamb in mouth of lion); of the long bending hinder legs of the Saltatorial Orthoptera (see TristrNat. Hist. Bib. 309; DrJoel 84) Leviticus 11:21 אשׁר לוֺ כְרָעַיִם מִמַּעַל לְרַגְלָיו לְנַתֵּר בָּהֵן עַל הָאָרֶץ which have bending legs above their feet, etc. Topical Lexicon Physical Scope of the Term Strong’s Hebrew 3767 (kārāʿ) designates the lower limb or shank of a creature. In the Pentateuch it is the lower leg of sacrificial animals; in Leviticus 11:21 it denotes the springing legs of certain insects; and in Amos 3:12 it becomes a figure for a remnant rescued from danger. The term therefore ranges from literal anatomy to vivid metaphor. Place within the Sacrificial System 1. Burnt Offering. In the basic olah (Leviticus 1:9, 13) the priest must “wash the entrails and the legs with water” before placing them on the altar. The leg—the part most in contact with earth—had to be cleansed, underscoring that even the simplest contact with a fallen world required purification before drawing near to the Holy One. Passover Perspective “Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roast it over the fire—its head, its legs, and its inner parts” (Exodus 12:9). The Passover lamb was to be kept whole; even the kārāʿ was not to be separated or left uncooked. Wholeness foretold the unbroken body of the true Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ (John 19:36), whose sacrifice was perfect in every part. Ritual Cleansing: Symbolic Implications The persistent washing of the legs taught Israel that earthly defilement accompanies every step. Yet cleansing was possible through water and fire—elements later fulfilled in the believer’s washing of regeneration and the purifying fire of the Spirit. Clean and Unclean Creatures Leviticus 11:21 singles out insects “which have jointed legs above their feet, so that they can leap on the ground.” The distinctive legs marked grasshoppers and locusts as edible. Even here the term mirrors the Creator’s ordering of life: the form of the limb determined ceremonial status, reminding Israel that divine authority extends to the tiniest detail of creation. Prophetic Imagery of Rescue In Amos 3:12 a shepherd retrieves “two legs or a piece of an ear” from a lion’s mouth—a grim picture of the remnant that will survive judgment. The partial remains emphasize both the severity of discipline and the certainty of preservation; God will yet claim His own, no matter how small the fragment. Ministry Applications • Holiness requires attention to the parts most exposed to daily contamination. Thus kārāʿ, though seemingly minor, advances Scripture’s unified testimony: from Exodus to Amos it directs hearts to the cleansing, wholeness, and ultimate deliverance provided by the Lord. Forms and Transliterations הַכְּרָעַ֖יִם הַכְּרָעָ֑יִם הכרעים וְהַכְּרָעַ֖יִם וּכְרָעָ֔יו וּכְרָעָ֖יו והכרעים וכרעיו כְּרָעָ֑יו כְּרָעָ֖יו כְרָעַ֖יִם כְרָעַ֙יִם֙ כרעיו כרעים cheraAyim hak·kə·rā·‘a·yim hak·kə·rā·‘ā·yim hakkərā‘ayim hakkərā‘āyim hakkeraAyim ḵə·rā·‘a·yim kə·rā·‘āw kərā‘āw ḵərā‘ayim keraAv ū·ḵə·rā·‘āw ucheraAv ūḵərā‘āw vehakkeraAyim wə·hak·kə·rā·‘a·yim wəhakkərā‘ayimLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 12:9 HEB: רֹאשׁ֥וֹ עַל־ כְּרָעָ֖יו וְעַל־ קִרְבּֽוֹ׃ NAS: [both] its head and its legs along KJV: his head with his legs, and with the purtenance INT: head along legs along entrails Exodus 29:17 Leviticus 1:9 Leviticus 1:13 Leviticus 4:11 Leviticus 8:21 Leviticus 9:14 Leviticus 11:21 Amos 3:12 9 Occurrences |
    |