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מִקְרֶה

𐤌𐤒𐤓𐤄

miqreh

H4745 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

An occurrence or event, usually emphasizing its nature as something that happens without obvious purpose, design, or discernible causality; often associated with what seems to be an accident, happening, or chance event. The term can refer generally to anything that occurs, especially in circumstances outside human intentionality, either positive or negative. In wisdom literature, it frequently signifies what is perceived as random or inexplicable within human experience.

Semantic Range

event, occurrence, chance happening, accident, thing that befalls, fortune, contingency

Root / Etymology

From the root קָרָה (קר-ה), meaning 'to encounter, meet, happen upon'. מִקְרֶה is a noun formation denoting 'that which is met' or 'what befalls one'. The word thus derives from the verbal action of encountering or happening, emphasizing its sense as a thing that happens or is met with.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, מִקְרֶה appears most prominently in wisdom texts such as Ecclesiastes (e.g., 9:11-12), where it expresses the unpredictability of human experience, and in the story of Ruth (2:3), where an event is described as occurring 'by chance'. The term does not inherently imply randomness or lack of divine involvement; rather, it marks human inability to discern causality or purpose behind an event. In some passages, מִקְרֶה may refer to occurrences that are fortuitous, accidental, or simply unplanned from a human perspective. English translations often render it as 'chance', 'event', or 'accident', but these can obscure the word's broader semantic range, including both positive and negative occurrences. Unlike other terms that may imply fate or destiny, מִקְרֶה retains a flavor of happenstance or unpredictability, making it distinct within the lexical field of 'events' and 'happenings' in biblical Hebrew. Later Jewish traditions sometimes nuance this word with theological reflection, but in biblical usage, it is descriptive of observable reality rather than expressive of theology.

Translation Consistency

primary "event" 7 occurrences

“Event” is a natural, neutral English noun that covers the typical SILEX range (occurrence, chance happening, accident) without implying purpose or intent. It reads well in varied contexts—wisdom literature, narrative, positive or negative outcomes—and provides a consistent, idiomatic rendering across all forms of מִקְרֶה.

Alternatives (3 occurrences):
"chance" (1x) "that the occurrence" (1x) "like a chance-occurrence of" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from קָרָה; something met with, i.e. an accident or fortune; something befallen, befalleth, chance, event, hap(-peneth).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קרה (q-r-h) — to encounter, to happen, to meet by chance

Root קרה to encounter, to happen, to meet by chance
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4746 מְקָרֶה the beam-framing one
H7136 קָרָה the one bringing about
H7137 קָרֶה accidental occurrence of
H7147 קְרִי in adversarial encounter
H7149 קִרְיָא in organized cities

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4745-02 מִקְרֶ֥ה miqereh HNcmsa a chance chance-occurrence of event of 5
H4745-05 וּ/מִקְרֶ֣ה umiqereh HC/Ncmsa and a chance event and a chance event 2
H4745-01 כְּ/מִקְרֵ֤ה kemiqereh HR/Ncmsc like a chance-occurrence of like a chance-occurrence of 1
H4745-04 שֶׁ/מִּקְרֶ֥ה shemiqereh HTr/Ncmsa chance occurrence that the occurrence 1
H4745-03 מִקְרֶ֔/הָ miqereha HNcmsc/Sp3fs her chance her chance-happening by chance 1

Occurrences in Scripture

10 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4745-02 1 Samuel 6:9 מִקְרֶ֥ה miqereh HNcmsa a chance chance-occurrence of event of
H4745-02 1 Samuel 20:26 מִקְרֶ֣ה miqereh HNcmsa an accident chance-occurrence of event of
H4745-03 Ruth 2:3 מִקְרֶ֔/הָ miqereha HNcmsc/Sp3fs her chance her chance-happening by chance
H4745-04 Ecclesiastes 2:14 שֶׁ/מִּקְרֶ֥ה shemiqereh HTr/Ncmsa chance occurrence that the occurrence
H4745-01 Ecclesiastes 2:15 כְּ/מִקְרֵ֤ה kemiqereh HR/Ncmsc like a chance-occurrence of like a chance-occurrence of
H4745-02 Ecclesiastes 3:19 מִקְרֶ֨ה miqereh HNcmsa chance-occurrence of event of
H4745-05 Ecclesiastes 3:19 וּ/מִקְרֶ֣ה umiqereh HC/Ncmsa and a chance event and a chance event
H4745-05 Ecclesiastes 3:19 וּ/מִקְרֶ֤ה umiqereh-2 HC/Ncmsa and a chance event and a chance event
H4745-02 Ecclesiastes 9:2 מִקְרֶ֨ה miqereh HNcmsa chance-occurrence of event of
H4745-02 Ecclesiastes 9:3 מִקְרֶ֥ה miqereh HNcmsa event chance-occurrence of event of
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