כָּרַע
ka.ra (H3766)
to bow
AI Word Study
# כָּרַע (kara): The Language of Bowing The Hebrew word *kara* denotes the physical action of bowing, appearing thirty-six times throughout the biblical text. This verb describes a gesture of the body—lowering oneself by bending the knees or crouching—that could serve multiple purposes depending on context. The word's consistent focus on this specific physical posture suggests it was a fundamental gesture in ancient Hebrew culture with meaningful social and religious implications. Given its frequency in the biblical record, *kara* functioned as a primary term for expressing deference, respect, or submission through bodily positioning. The variety of contexts across thirty-six occurrences indicates the gesture could communicate different relationships: submission to authority, respect before persons of higher status, reverence in religious settings, or acts of supplication. This linguistic prominence suggests that bowing was not merely an incidental action but a culturally significant form of nonverbal communication that conveyed one's posture—both literal and relational—toward another person or deity. Without access to the specific biblical passages where *kara* appears, the scope of its range remains bounded by what the lexical data indicates: it is a term describing physical lowering of the body. Its prevalence in the biblical corpus demonstrates that such gestures held enough importance to merit consistent terminology and were worth recording across diverse narrative and religious contexts.
AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.
Judah is a lion’s cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion, as a lioness. Who will rouse him up?
He couched, he lay down as a lion, as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Everyone who blesses you is blessed. Everyone who curses you is cursed.”
At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay. At her feet he bowed, he fell. Where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
So he brought down the people to the water; and Yahweh said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, like a dog laps, you shall set him by himself; likewise everyone who bows down on his knees to drink.”
The number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water.
When he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are one of those who trouble me; for I have opened my mouth to Yahweh, and I can’t go back.”
His daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to giving birth. When she heard the news that God’s ark was taken and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth; for her pains came on her.
For you have armed me with strength for the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
It was so, that when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to Yahweh, he arose from before Yahweh’s altar, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread out toward heaven.
Yet I reserved seven thousand in Israel, all the knees of which have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth which has not kissed him.”
Again he sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. The third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, and said to him, “Man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty of your servants, be precious in your sight.
Jehu drew his bow with his full strength, and struck Joram between his arms; and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.
All the children of Israel looked on, when the fire came down, and Yahweh’s glory was on the house. They bowed themselves with their faces to the ground on the pavement, worshiped, and gave thanks to Yahweh, saying, “For he is good; for his loving kindness endures forever.”
When they had finished offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped.
At the evening offering I arose up from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn; and I fell on my knees, and spread out my hands to Yahweh my God;
All the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate bowed down, and paid homage to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai didn’t bow down or pay him homage.
When Haman saw that Mordecai didn’t bow down, nor pay him homage, Haman was full of wrath.
Your words have supported him who was falling, You have made firm the feeble knees.
then let my wife grind for another, and let others sleep with her.
They bow themselves. They bear their young. They end their labor pains.
Arise, Yahweh, confront him. Cast him down. Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword;
For you have armed me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
They are bowed down and fallen, but we rise up, and stand upright.
All the rich ones of the earth shall eat and worship. All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him, even he who can’t keep his soul alive.
Those who dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him. His enemies shall lick the dust.
when the anger of God went up against them, killed some of their fattest, and struck down the young men of Israel.
Oh come, let’s worship and bow down. Let’s kneel before Yahweh, our Maker,
They will only bow down under the prisoners, and will fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
I have sworn by myself. The word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and will not be revoked, that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.
Bel bows down. Nebo stoops. Their idols are carried by animals, and on the livestock. The things that you carried around are heavy loads, a burden for the weary.
They stoop and they bow down together. They could not deliver the burden, but they have gone into captivity.
I will destine you to the sword, and you will all bow down to the slaughter; because when I called, you didn’t answer. When I spoke, you didn’t listen; but you did that which was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I didn’t delight.”