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כִּכָּר

𐤊𐤊𐤓

kikkâr

H3603 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A round object or area; specifically, (1) a circular or disc-shaped loaf of bread, (2) a region or tract of land of circular formation (notably the area of the Jordan valley, especially south of Jericho), (3) a unit of weight for precious metals (talent), likely referencing a round shape. The word kikkâr thus designates objects (loaf, coin), geographic formations (plain, especially the Jordan valley), and measures (talent) that share a basic quality of roundness or circuit.

Semantic Range

circular loaf of bread, round piece or morsel, a circumscribed fertile tract of land (especially of the Jordan valley), talent (unit of weight), round coin or ingot

Root / Etymology

From the root כָּרַר (karar), 'to make round, encircle,' indicating rounding or circling. כִּכָּר is a noun formation representing a thing that is round, whether physical (loaf, coin) or conceptual (a circumscribed region, tract of land).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early Israelite usage, כִּכָּר described (a) the distinctive 'circle' of fertile land surrounding the lower Jordan valley, the area known as the 'kikkâr ha-Yarden,' often translated as the 'plain of the Jordan'; (b) in material culture, it referred to flat, round loaves of bread, reflecting staple dietary practices; (c) as economic vocabulary, it served as a term for the talent, a large weight (approx. 30-34 kg), suggesting an original shape like a flattened disk or round ingot. In biblical narrative, use as a geographic term often conveys the notion of a distinctive fertile enclosure, not simply a 'plain.' Use as a weight appears predominantly in texts related to temple commerce or tribute (esp. Kings, Chronicles). Later English translations sometimes collapse these distinct senses, notably rendering the Jordan tract as simply 'plain' without emphasizing its circumscribed quality. The meaning did not substantially shift over the biblical period, but usage as a weight (talent) becomes more common in exilic and post-exilic contexts than in the earlier monarchic narratives. The Greek LXX often renders it with terms meaning 'region,' 'loaf,' or 'talent,' mapping to the context. The English word 'plain' for kikkâr has caused some narrowing of sense, since kikkâr is not used for all plains, but for this specific encircled region.

Translation Consistency

primary "talent" 28 occurrences

Most occurrences in the SILEX data refer to the unit of weight/precious-metal value (talent/talents) — a clear majority (≈40 of 68). "Talent" is a natural, familiar English noun for that sense and covers both singular and plural uses. Less common senses (plain, loaf, disk) are minority usages and can be handled contextually; choosing "talent" gives consistent, idiomatic rendering for the typical semantic range.

Alternatives (22 occurrences):
"plain" (6x) "round-circuit of" (4x) "round-tract" (4x) "loaf" (3x) "rounds of" (2x) "round loaf" (1x) "loaf of" (1x) "disk of" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from כָּרַר; a circle, i.e. (by implication) a circumjacent tract or region, especially the Ghor or valley of the Jordan; also a (round) loaf; also a talent (or large [round] coin); loaf, morsel, piece, plain, talent.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

כָּרַר (kikkâr) — to encircle, to make round, to go round

Root כָּרַר to encircle, to make round, to go round
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3733 כַּר in a plump-ram of

Word Forms

12 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3603-05 כִּכַּר kikar HNcbsc talents round-circuit of talents of 28
H3603-03 הַ/כִּכָּ֔ר hakikar HTd/Ncbsa the plain the round-tract the plain 11
H3603-07 כִּכָּרִ֤ים kikarim HNcbpa talents circular units talents 7
H3603-04 כִכַּר khikar HNcbsc talents round-tract of talent of 6
H3603-12 וְ/כִכַּר vekhikar HC/Ncbsc and a talent and round-piece of and talent of 4
H3603-09 כִּכְּרֵ֥י kikerey HNcbpc talents round-circuits of talents of 3
H3603-01 בְּ/כִכַּ֤ר bekhikar HR/Ncbsc in the plain in a round tract in the plain 2
H3603-10 כִּכְּר֣וֹת kikerot HNcbpc loaves rounds of rounds of 2
H3603-11 לְ/כִכָּרִ֖ים lekhikarim HR/Ncbpa talents to round-circles to talents 2
H3603-02 בְּ/כִכְּרַ֣יִם bekhikerayim HR/Ncbda for two talents in two round-units with two talents 1

Occurrences in Scripture

68 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3603-05 Genesis 13:10 כִּכַּ֣ר kikar HNcbsc plain round-circuit of round-circuit of
H3603-05 Genesis 13:11 כִּכַּ֣ר kikar HNcbsc plain round-circuit of round-circuit of
H3603-03 Genesis 13:12 הַ/כִּכָּ֔ר hakikar HTd/Ncbsa of the plain the round-tract the plain
H3603-03 Genesis 19:17 הַ/כִּכָּ֑ר hakikar HTd/Ncbsa the plain the round-tract the plain
H3603-03 Genesis 19:25 הַ/כִּכָּ֑ר hakikar HTd/Ncbsa the plain the round-tract the round-tract
H3603-03 Genesis 19:28 הַ/כִּכָּ֑ר hakikar HTd/Ncbsa of the plain the round-tract the round-tract
H3603-03 Genesis 19:29 הַ/כִּכָּ֔ר hakikar HTd/Ncbsa of the plain the round-tract the plain
H3603-05 Exodus 25:39 כִּכָּ֛ר kikar HNcbsa talent round-circuit of talent of
H3603-12 Exodus 29:23 וְ/כִכַּ֨ר vekhikar HC/Ncbsc and one loaf and round-piece of and round loaf
H3603-05 Exodus 37:24 כִּכָּ֛ר kikar HNcbsa talent round-circuit of talent of
H3603-05 Exodus 38:24 כִּכָּ֔ר kikar HNcbsa talents round-circuit of talents
H3603-05 Exodus 38:25 כִּכָּ֑ר kikar HNcbsa talents round-circuit of talents
H3603-05 Exodus 38:27 כִּכַּ֣ר kikar HNcbsc talents round-circuit of talents of
H3603-03 Exodus 38:27 הַ/כִּכָּ֖ר hakikar HTd/Ncbsa the talents the round-tract talents
H3603-05 Exodus 38:27 כִּכָּ֥ר kikar-2 HNcbsa a talent round-circuit of talent
H3603-05 Exodus 38:29 כִּכָּ֑ר kikar HNcbsa talents round-circuit of talents of
H3603-03 Deuteronomy 34:3 הַ/כִּכָּ֞ר hakikar HTd/Ncbsa Plain the round-tract the round-tract
H3603-10 Judges 8:5 כִּכְּר֣וֹת kikerot HNcbpc loaves rounds of rounds of
H3603-12 1 Samuel 2:36 וְ/כִכַּר vekhikar HC/Ncbsc and a loaf and round-piece of and a loaf of
H3603-10 1 Samuel 10:3 כִּכְּר֣וֹת kikerot HNcbpc loaves rounds of rounds of
H3603-05 2 Samuel 12:30 כִּכַּ֤ר kikar HNcbsc a talent round-circuit of talent of
H3603-03 2 Samuel 18:23 הַ/כִּכָּ֔ר hakikar HTd/Ncbsa the plain the round-tract the plain
H3603-01 1 Kings 7:46 בְּ/כִכַּ֤ר bekhikar HR/Ncbsc in the plain in a round tract in the plain
H3603-05 1 Kings 9:14 כִּכַּ֥ר kikar HNcbsc talents round-circuit of talents
H3603-05 1 Kings 9:28 כִּכָּ֑ר kikar HNcbsa talents round-circuit of talents
H3603-05 1 Kings 10:10 כִּכַּ֣ר kikar HNcbsc talents round-circuit of talents of
H3603-05 1 Kings 10:14 כִּכַּ֥ר kikar HNcbsc talents round-circuit of talents of
H3603-02 1 Kings 16:24 בְּ/כִכְּרַ֣יִם bekhikerayim HR/Ncbda for two talents in two round-units with two talents
H3603-04 1 Kings 20:39 כִכַּר khikar HNcbsc a talent round-tract of talent of
H3603-09 2 Kings 5:5 כִּכְּרֵי kikerey HNcbpc talents round-circuits of talents of
H3603-05 2 Kings 5:22 כִּכַּר kikar HNcbsc talent round-circuit of round-circuit of
H3603-06 2 Kings 5:23 כִּכָּרָ֑יִם kikarayim HNcbda two talents two round-units two talents
H3603-08 2 Kings 5:23 כִּכְּרַ֨יִם kikerayim HNcbda two talents two round units two talents
H3603-05 2 Kings 15:19 כִּכַּר kikar HNcbsc talents round-circuit of talents
H3603-05 2 Kings 18:14 כִּכַּר kikar HNcbsc talents round-circuit of talents of
H3603-05 2 Kings 18:14 כִּכַּ֥ר kikar-2 HNcbsc talents round-circuit of talents of
H3603-04 2 Kings 23:33 כִכַּר khikar HNcbsc talents round-tract of talent of
H3603-12 2 Kings 23:33 וְ/כִכַּ֥ר vekhikar HC/Ncbsc and a talent and round-piece of and talent of
H3603-04 Jeremiah 37:21 כִכַּר khikar HNcbsc loaf round-tract of a loaf
H3603-05 Zechariah 5:7 כִּכַּ֥ר kikar HNcbsc a talent round-circuit of disk of
H3603-05 Proverbs 6:26 כִּכַּ֫ר kikar HNcbsc a loaf round-circuit of a loaf
H3603-05 Esther 3:9 כִּכַּר kikar HNcbsc talents round-circuit of talents
H3603-07 Ezra 8:26 כִּכָּרִים֙ kikarim HNcbpa talents circular units talents
H3603-11 Ezra 8:26 לְ/כִכָּרִ֑ים lekhikarim HR/Ncbpa talents to round-circles to talents
H3603-04 Ezra 8:26 כִכָּֽר khikar HNcbsa talent round-tract of talent of
H3603-03 Nehemiah 3:22 הַ/כִּכָּֽר hakikar HTd/Ncbsa the plain the round-tract the round-tract
H3603-03 Nehemiah 12:28 הַ/כִּכָּר֙ hakikar HTd/Ncbsa the plain the round-tract the plain
H3603-05 1 Chronicles 16:3 כִּכַּר kikar HNcbsc loaf round-circuit of loaf
H3603-05 1 Chronicles 19:6 כִּכַּר kikar HNcbsc talents round-circuit of talents of
H3603-05 1 Chronicles 20:2 כִּכַּר kikar HNcbsc a talent round-circuit of round-circuit of
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