כָּרַר
𐤊𐤓𐤓
kârar
H3769 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To whirl, turn around, or spin, especially with energetic movement; most commonly used in the sense of performing a revolving dance or leaping in a whirling fashion. The term often connotes a vigorous, joyful, or celebratory movement, sometimes linked with religious or cultic festivities.
Semantic Range
to whirl, to spin (in place), to dance by turning in circles, to circle repeatedly, to revolve energetically, to perform a whirling dance
Root / Etymology
Root: כרר (K-R-R); core meaning: to turn, revolve, or roll. כָּרַר is the verbal root, denoting the action of rotating, spinning, or making circular movements. This root gives rise to several nouns and verbs around the idea of circularity, rolling up, or moving in a loop. In the intensive or frequentative stems, it conveys the nuance of repeated or energetic circular movement, which gives rise to the usage of 'whirling' as a form of dance.
Historical & Contextual Notes
כָּרַר occurs infrequently in the Hebrew Bible and is preserved mainly in poetic or celebratory contexts. The classic example is found in 2 Samuel 6:14, where it describes David's whirling dance before the Ark of YHWH. The verb underscores ecstatic, looping movements rather than formal or structured dancing. While later translation traditions, particularly the KJV, used 'dance' or 'danced,' the Hebrew nuance is more specifically a vigorous circling or spinning motion. This is distinct from other terms for 'dance' (e.g., חָגַג meaning 'to celebrate a festival' or רקד meaning 'to leap/jump'), highlighting a subset of celebratory movement that visually resembles whirling or circling. In the broader ancient Near Eastern context, similar roots are associated with both ritual performance and communal festivity. Over time, the primary association of כָּרַר in Biblical Hebrew remains with joyfully spinning or circling, most visible in narrative or cultic settings; the meaning does not significantly evolve in later Hebrew periods. English translations as simply 'dance' may lose the specific sense of circular, whirling movement fundamental to the original Hebrew.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to dance (i.e. whirl); dance(-ing).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
כרר (k-r-r) — to turn, to revolve, to circle, to roll
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3603 | כִּכָּר | in a round tract |
| H3733 | כַּר | in a plump-ram of |
| H3753 | כַּרְכָּרָה | and on whirling dromedaries |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3769-01 |
מְכַרְכֵּ֥ר | mekhareker | HVlrmsa |
was whirling | whirling one | 1 |
H3769-02 |
וּ/מְכַרְכֵּר֙ | umekhareker | HC/Vlrmsa |
and dancing | and whirling in circles | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3769-01 |
2 Samuel 6:14 | מְכַרְכֵּ֥ר | mekhareker | HVlrmsa |
was whirling | whirling one |
H3769-02 |
2 Samuel 6:16 | וּ/מְכַרְכֵּר֙ | umekhareker | HC/Vlrmsa |
and dancing | and whirling in circles |