הַ֨/מְּעָרָ֔ה
𐤄/𐤌𐤏𐤓𐤄
mᵉʻârâh
the cave
A natural or artificial subterranean chamber or hollow place in rock or earth; primarily used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to a cave, grotto, or large underground space, often as a place of dwelling, refuge, burial, or concealment. The word can denote both naturally occurring caves and those used for human purposes such as tombs or hiding places. In poetry or figurative language, it may refer to a place of darkness or isolation.
Genesis 49:29 · Word #14
Lexicon H4631
| Lemma | מְעָרָה |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤌𐤏𐤓𐤄 |
| Transliteration | mᵉʻârâh |
| Strong's | H4631 |
| Definition | A natural or artificial subterranean chamber or hollow place in rock or earth; primarily used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to a cave, grotto, or large underground space, often as a place of dwelling, refuge, burial, or concealment. The word can denote both naturally occurring caves and those used for human purposes such as tombs or hiding places. In poetry or figurative language, it may refer to a place of darkness or isolation. |
Morphology HTd/Ncfsa
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | c — Common — Common noun |
| Gender | f — Feminine — Feminine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
| State | a — Absolute — The noun stands independently |
Common Translation
| Phrase | the cave |
SIBI-P1 Translation H4631-05
the hollowed cave
| Morphological Notes | Noun, common; feminine singular absolute with definite article ("the"). |
| Rendering Rationale | The noun denotes a subterranean hollow space, and rendering it as "hollowed cave" reflects the root idea of bareness or exposure forming a cavity. The definite article and feminine singular absolute form are preserved as "the" and singular "cave." |
View full lexicon entry for H4631 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
the cave
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | P1 has 'the hollowed cave,' but the SILEX definition and common usage here is 'the cave.' The adjective 'hollowed' is unnecessary, as the Hebrew refers directly to the burial site known as 'the cave.' |