---
title: מְעָרָה — cave · The Tanakh dictionary
description: מְעָרָה (4631), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 39 times: cave. BDB 1906: n.f. cave. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# מְעָרָה

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«מְעָרָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **cave** — 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:** 39 times · **Key:** 4631 · **BDB:** מְעָרָה²

### Glosses

cave (20); the.cave (12); caves (4)

### Meaning (OSHB)

cave [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4631/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. cave [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4631/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. cave;—abs. מ׳ Gn 19:30 +; cstr. מְעָרַת 23:19 +; pl. מְעָרוֹת Ju 6:2 +, cstr. id. Is 2:19;—cave, especially as place of sojourn or refuge Gn 19:30 (J), 1 S 24:3(×2), 7, 8, 10 (Ginsb v 4, 8, 9, 11 van d. H. Baer), 1 K 19:1; 13, Ez 33:27; Jos 10:16 (מ׳ בַמַּקֵּדָה) + 7 times Jos 10; Ju 6:2; 1 S 13:6; 1 K 18:4, 13; cf. ψ 57:1; 142:1; מְעָרוֹת צֻרִים Is 2:19, hence מ׳ פָּרִצִים Je 7:11 robbers’ cave; Is 32:14 den (of wild beasts);—מ׳ עֲדֻלָּם 1 S 22:1; 2 S 23:13, whence in ‖ 1 Ch 11:15, read prob. מְצֻדַת ע׳ or מְצָדַת We, cf. Dr, Bu Kit HPS;—as burial place, מ׳ הַמַּכְפֵּלָה Gn 23:9 + (v. מַכְפֵּלָה) = מ׳ alone 23:11, 17, 20; 49:29, 32 (all P). מ׳ אֲשֶׁר לַצִּידֹנִים Jos 13:4 (D), cave-region in Lebanon E. of Sidon, mod. Mughâr Ǧezzîn, according to most, but dub.; perhaps, rather, near Tyre BuhlMDPV 1895, 55.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 27 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (3 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (4 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «מְעָרָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4631/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 142:1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.142.1/)

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מַשְׂכִּ֥יל לְדָוִ֑ד בִּהְיוֹת֖וֹ בַמְּעָרָ֣ה תְפִלָּֽה׃

*Word for word:* a.poem of David when was he in the cave a.prayer

*JPS 1917:* Maschil of David, when he was in the cave; a Prayer.

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[Genesis 49:32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/GEN.49.32/)

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מִקְנֵ֧ה הַשָּׂדֶ֛ה וְהַמְּעָרָ֥ה אֲשֶׁר־בּ֖וֹ מֵאֵ֥ת בְּנֵי־חֵֽת׃

*Word for word:* the.livestock of the.field and the cave which \[is\].in it from with the.sons of.Heth

*JPS 1917:* The field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth.'

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