---
title: כָּרָה — dig · The Tanakh dictionary
description: כָּרָה (3738), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 14 times: dig. BDB 1906: vb. dig. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# כָּרָה

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«כָּרָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **dig** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 14 times · **Key:** 3738 · **BDB:** כָּרָה

### Glosses

they.have.dug (3); they.dug (2); I.dug (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

dig [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1499/3738/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. dig [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1499/3738/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. dig (NH id.; Aramaic כְּרָא, Ethiopic ከረየ Arabic كَرَا (c. و and especially ى, Dozy ii. 461); Syriac ܟܪܳܐ is be short, cut off (i.e. rounded off ?), Arabic كُرَةٌ ball; 𝔗 כְּרֵי heap Dalm Gr 109; Syriac ܟܰܪܝܳܐ, Mish. כרי id.; Assyrian karê, large vessels for holding corn, etc., DlHWB 353, cf. kirû (dub.) Wkl Tel Am. Vocab.; Ba ZMG 1887, 615 conjectures be round as orig. √ meaning, and comp. Arabic كَرِيَتِ السَّاقُ the leg is round);— Pf. 3 ms. כָּרָה 2 Ch 16:14 ψ 7:16; 2 ms. כָּרִיתָ ψ 40:7; 1 s. כָּרִיתִי Gn 50:5; 3 pl. כָּרוּ Je 18:20 + 3 times; sf. כָּרוּהָ Nu 21:18; Impf. 3 ms. יִכְרֶה Ex 21:33; 3 mpl. וַיִּכְרוּ Gn 26:25; Pt. כֹּרֶה Pr 16:27; 26:27;—dig a grave, קֶבֶר Gn 50:5 (J), cf. 2 Ch 16:14; a well, בְּאֵר Gn 26:25 (J), Nu 21:18 (song in JE); a pit, בּוֹר Ex 21:33; fig. of plotting against others ψ 7:16; so sq. שׁוּחָה Je 18:20, 22, sq. שִׁיחָה ψ 57:7; 119:85; sq. שַׁחַת Pr 26:27; hence כֹּרֶה רָעָה Pr 16:27 one digging a calamity; אָזְנַיִם כ׳ לִי ψ 40:7 ears hast thou dug (with allusion to the cavity of the ear) for me, thou hast given me the means of hearing and obeying thy will.—On ψ 22:17 v. II. כּוּר. Impf. 3 ms. עַד יִכָּרֶה שַׁחַת ψ 94:13 until the pit be digged for the wicked, fig. of judgment.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 14 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (6 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (6 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «כָּרָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1499/3738/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 7:16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.7.16/)

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בּ֣וֹר כָּ֭רָֽה וַֽיַּחְפְּרֵ֑הוּ וַ֝יִּפֹּ֗ל בְּשַׁ֣חַת יִפְעָֽל׃

*Word for word:* a.pit he.digs and he has.dug.it and he.has.fallen in.\[the\] pit \[which\].he.made

*JPS 1917:* He hath digged a pit, and hollowed it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.

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[Psalms 119:85](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.119.85/)

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כָּֽרוּ־לִ֣י זֵדִ֣ים שִׁיח֑וֹת אֲ֝שֶׁ֗ר לֹ֣א כְתוֹרָתֶֽךָ׃

*Word for word:* they.have.dug for me arrogant.\[people\] pits which not \[are\].according to your.law

*JPS 1917:* The proud have digged pits for me, which is not according to Thy law.

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