מְכוּרָה
𐤌𐤊𐤅𐤓𐤄
mᵉkûwrâh
H4351 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A place of origin, specifically referencing one's birthplace, native location, or point of origin, often with connotations of kinship or ancestral ties. In various contexts, it can also indicate the region or community with which a person is associated or from which they hail.
Semantic Range
place of origin, natal region, birthplace, native country, ancestry, habitation (rarely), nativity, point of origination
Root / Etymology
From the root כור (k-w-r), 'to dig, bore, excavate.' The noun derives from the idea of an original location or a site that 'produces,' metaphorically extending from a mine (source/origin of minerals) to the natal place (source/origin of a person). While related to the sense of excavation (such as 'furnace' or 'crucible'), the word here metaphorically applies to the place or context one is 'brought forth' from.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, מְכוּרָה occurs rarely (e.g., Ezekiel 16:3, 45), specifically referencing a person's natal region and ancestral background. It carries implications of kinship and inherited identity, particularly in texts reflecting on the origins or background of Jerusalem or a person. While the core imagery relates to 'origin,' later English translations sometimes obscure the nuances by using 'nativity,' 'birthplace,' or even 'habitation.' It is not interchangeable with more common terms for 'land' (אֶרֶץ, אֲדָמָה) or 'house' (בֵּית), as it centers on the concept of source and lineage. Its metaphorical origin in 'mine' or 'source' never refers to an actual mine in biblical texts but expresses an abstract sense of deriving or coming forth from a place of origination. The term does not appear in earlier Patriarchal narratives but is found in later prophetic writings, reflecting an increasing focus on lineage and communal identity in exilic and post-exilic literature. In later Jewish and Christian translation traditions, the nuance of the term may be collapsed into broader concepts of birth or habitation, further distancing it from its concrete Hebrew metaphor.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or מְכֹרָה; from the same as כּוּר in the sense of dipping; origin (as if a mine); birth, habitation, nativity.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
כור (k-w-r) — to dig, to excavate, to bore
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1615 | גִּר | burned lime |
| H3564 | כּוּר | in smelting-furnace of |
| H3565 | כּוֹר עָשָׁן | in Furnace-of-Smoke |
| H3595 | כִּיּוֹר | the hollowed basin |
| H3600 | כִּיר | pair of cooking-stones |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4351-02 |
מְכֽוּרָתָ֑/ם | mekhuratam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
of their origin | their origin-place | 1 |
H4351-01 |
מְכֹרֹתַ֨יִ/ךְ֙ | mekhorotayikhe | HNcfpc/Sp2fs |
origins-your | your birthplaces | 1 |
H4351-03 |
מְכֻרוֹתַ֖יִ/ךְ | mekhurotayikhe | HNcfpc/Sp2fs |
of your origin | your places of origin | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4351-01 |
Ezekiel 16:3 | מְכֹרֹתַ֨יִ/ךְ֙ | mekhorotayikhe | HNcfpc/Sp2fs |
origins-your | your birthplaces |
H4351-03 |
Ezekiel 21:35 | מְכֻרוֹתַ֖יִ/ךְ | mekhurotayikhe | HNcfpc/Sp2fs |
of your origin | your places of origin |
H4351-02 |
Ezekiel 29:14 | מְכֽוּרָתָ֑/ם | mekhuratam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
of their origin | their origin-place |