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קָבַר

𐤒𐤁𐤓

qâbar

H6912 verb

SILEX Entry

Root קבר to bury, to place in a grave, to inter

Definition

To bury, to place a deceased person in a grave or tomb; more broadly, to conduct funeral rites associated with placing a body in the ground or cave. The verb encompasses the acts of interring or entombing the dead, whether by individuals or groups, and sometimes by implication, the honoring or care for the dead through burial.

Semantic Range

to bury a corpse, to inter remains (in ground or cave), to conduct a burial, to act as a burier, to be buried, to assign a burial place, to bury (metaphorically, e.g. forget or cover something, rare)

Root / Etymology

From the root קבר, which has the core sense of 'to bury.' It is a primitive root in Hebrew, with cognates in other Semitic languages (e.g., Akkadian 'qabaru'). The verb qâbar, therefore, is directly derived from the root without internal derivational modification.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, קָבַר (qâbar) is the standard term for the act of burying the dead and appears throughout various Israelite periods, from Genesis through the post-exilic books. Burial was considered both a familial and communal responsibility, often accompanied by mourning rites. To be deprived of burial (cf. Jeremiah 16:4; 22:19) signified misfortune or disgrace, highlighting burial’s cultural and religious significance. The verb applies to both ordinary and notable individuals (e.g., Abraham, Sarah, kings, and the general population). Unlike other terms—for example, טָמַן (tāman, 'to hide, to conceal')—קָבַר refers specifically to the recognized social and ritual act of burial, not merely the act of hiding something in the ground. There is a notable distinction between 'to bury' (קָבַר) and 'to mourn' (אֵבֶל, ’ēvel), underscoring that קָבַר is about the physical interment, not the associated emotions or ceremonies. Later English translations sometimes render the participial form as 'burier.' In some post-exilic or Second Temple texts, alternative burial customs and terminology may appear, but קָבַר remains the core verb in biblical usage. The development of developed funerary practices is suggested by the word’s collocation with specific burial places, like family tombs or fields bought for burial.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to inter; [idiom] in any wise, bury(-ier).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קבר (q-b-r) — to bury, to place in a grave, to inter

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6900 קְבוּרָה in a burial-place
H6913 קֶבֶר in the graves

Word Forms

45 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6912-35 וַ/יִּקָּבֵ֣ר vayiqaver HC/VNw3ms and was buried he was buried 27
H6912-36 וַ/יִּקְבְּר֨וּ vayiqeberu HC/Vqw3mp and they buried and they buried 23
H6912-37 וַ/יִּקְבְּרֻ֥/הוּ vayiqeberuhu HC/Vqw3mp/Sp3ms and they buried him and they buried him 15
H6912-12 קָֽבְר֞וּ qaveru HVqp3cp they buried they buried 6
H6912-44 יִקָּבֵ֔רוּ yiqaveru HVNi3mp they-shall-be-buried they will be buried 5
H6912-41 וְ/קָבְר֣וּ veqaveru HC/Vqp3cp and they will bury and they buried 4
H6912-05 לִ/קְבֹּ֤ר liqebor HR/Vqc to bury to bury 4
H6912-16 קְבֹ֖ר qevor HVqv2ms bury bury! 3
H6912-40 וְ/אֶקְבְּרָ֥ה veeqeberah HC/Vqh1cs and bury and let me bury 3
H6912-33 וַ/תִּקָּבֵ֛ר vatiqaver HC/VNw3fs and was buried and she was buried 3

Occurrences in Scripture

133 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6912-23 Genesis 15:15 תִּקָּבֵ֖ר tiqaver HVNi2ms you shall be buried you will be buried
H6912-40 Genesis 23:4 וְ/אֶקְבְּרָ֥ה veeqeberah HC/Vqh1cs that I may bury and let me bury
H6912-16 Genesis 23:6 קְבֹ֖ר qevor HVqv2ms bury bury!
H6912-08 Genesis 23:6 מִ/קְּבֹ֥ר miqevor HR/Vqc from burying from burying
H6912-05 Genesis 23:8 לִ/קְבֹּ֤ר liqebor HR/Vqc to bury to bury
H6912-16 Genesis 23:11 קְבֹ֥ר qevor HVqv2ms bury bury!
H6912-40 Genesis 23:13 וְ/אֶקְבְּרָ֥ה veeqeberah HC/Vqh1cs and I will bury and let me bury
H6912-16 Genesis 23:15 קְבֹֽר qevor HVqv2ms bury bury!
H6912-09 Genesis 23:19 קָבַ֨ר qavar HVqp3ms buried he buried
H6912-36 Genesis 25:9 וַ/יִּקְבְּר֨וּ vayiqeberu HC/Vqw3mp buried and they buried
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