כַּרְכָּרָה
𐤊𐤓𐤊𐤓𐤄
karkârâh
H3753 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A type of fast-moving animal, commonly interpreted as a dromedary (one-humped camel), featured especially in poetic and prophetic passages as a metaphor for speed or agility. The word is used to denote a swift, running beast, with reference to its rapid and energetic motion.
Semantic Range
swift beast, dromedary (one-humped camel), fast-moving animal, lively or spirited riding animal
Root / Etymology
Root כּרר (karar), meaning 'to dance, whirl, move around rapidly.' כַּרְכָּרָה is a derived feminine noun form, emphasizing quick, turning movement. Its application to an animal suggests one known for energetic or lively motion. The precise zoological identification is debated, but the cameline context is probable due to the associated sense of speed and endurance in the ancient Near East.
Historical & Contextual Notes
כַּרְכָּרָה appears primarily in poetic contexts (such as Isaiah 66:20), where it is distinguished from other pack or riding animals. Ancient translators (LXX, Vulgate) often rendered it with terms for camels or swift beasts, which was later followed in early English translations. The term likely refers to a domesticated animal valued for speed, such as a dromedary, but the Hebrew encompasses the idea of dance-like movement more broadly than the later technical sense. The word is distinct from more general terms for camel (גָּמָל gamal) or donkey, focusing on the animal’s rapid motion. In post-biblical Hebrew and some Near Eastern sources, similar forms continue to denote spirited or quick-footed livestock. The use of the term for later groups identified as 'Jews' in English translation occurs through interpretive tradition; the original context fits the world of Israelite and, later, Judean animal husbandry.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from כָּרַר; a dromedary (from its rapid motion as if dancing); swift beast.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
כרר (k-r-r) — to whirl, to dance, to turn quickly
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3603 | כִּכָּר | in a round tract |
| H3733 | כַּר | in a plump-ram of |
| H3769 | כָּרַר | whirling one |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3753-01 |
וּ/בַ/כִּרְכָּר֗וֹת | uvakirekarot | HC/Rd/Ncfpa |
and-on-dromedaries | and on whirling dromedaries | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3753-01 |
Isaiah 66:20 | וּ/בַ/כִּרְכָּר֗וֹת | uvakirekarot | HC/Rd/Ncfpa |
and-on-dromedaries | and on whirling dromedaries |