קִרְיָא
𐤒𐤓𐤉𐤀
qiryâʼ
H7149 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Aramaic term for a city, town, or urban settlement; generally refers to an inhabited place with established civic, administrative, or structural characteristics, as opposed to a rural village or settlement. In Biblical Aramaic, used predominantly to denote a recognized, organized population center.
Semantic Range
city, town, urban settlement, organized population center, fortified city
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root קרי (Aramaic), cognate with Hebrew קריה, itself from the root קרה (qarah), meaning 'to meet' or 'to assemble,' signifying a place where people gather. The noun form reflects the concept of a place where a community is established.
Historical & Contextual Notes
קִרְיָא appears in Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Daniel, Ezra), always with reference to an urban settlement or city. Its usage parallels the Hebrew קריה (qiryah), but is restricted to contexts where Aramaic is the narrative or official language. Unlike עִיר (ʿîr, the more common Hebrew word for 'city'), קריה/qiryâʾ often connotes an organized, perhaps fortified urban area, though distinctions are not rigid. In post-exilic contexts, as Aramaic became the lingua franca, this term designated urban centers under Persian administration. English translations generally render קִרְיָא as 'city,' but this may overlook nuances such as administrative or structural implications in imperial or local contexts. The word should not be confused with Hebrew forms like עֵיר, which have a broader usage in Hebrew literature.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) or קִרְיָה; (Aramaic), corresponding to קִרְיָה; {building; a city}; city.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
קרה (q-r-h) — to meet, to assemble, to encounter
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4745 | מִקְרֶה | like a chance-occurrence of |
| H4746 | מְקָרֶה | the beam-framing one |
| H7136 | קָרָה | the one bringing about |
| H7137 | קָרֶה | accidental occurrence of |
| H7147 | קְרִי | in adversarial encounter |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7149-03 |
קִרְיְתָ֨/א | qireyeta | ANcfsd/Td |
city | the gathering-city | 6 |
H7149-01 |
בְּ/קִרְיָ֖ה | beqireyah | AR/Ncfpa |
in the cities | in organized cities | 1 |
H7149-02 |
קִרְיָ֣א | qireya | ANcfsa |
city | assembly-city | 1 |
H7149-04 |
וְ/קִרְיְתָ֥/א | veqireyeta | AC/Ncfsd/Td |
and city-the | the assembly-city | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
9 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7149-01 |
Ezra 4:10 | בְּ/קִרְיָ֖ה | beqireyah | AR/Ncfpa |
in the cities | in organized cities |
H7149-03 |
Ezra 4:12 | קִרְיְתָ֨/א | qireyeta | ANcfsd/Td |
city | the gathering-city |
H7149-03 |
Ezra 4:13 | קִרְיְתָ֥/א | qireyeta | ANcfsd/Td |
city | the gathering-city |
H7149-03 |
Ezra 4:15 | קִרְיְתָ֨/א | qireyeta | ANcfsd/Td |
the city | the gathering-city |
H7149-02 |
Ezra 4:15 | קִרְיָ֣א | qireya | ANcfsa |
city | assembly-city |
H7149-03 |
Ezra 4:15 | קִרְיְתָ֥/א | qireyeta-2 | ANcfsd/Td |
the city | the gathering-city |
H7149-03 |
Ezra 4:16 | קִרְיְתָ֥/א | qireyeta | ANcfsd/Td |
city | the gathering-city |
H7149-03 |
Ezra 4:19 | קִרְיְתָ֣/א | qireyeta | ANcfsd/Td |
this city | the gathering-city |
H7149-04 |
Ezra 4:21 | וְ/קִרְיְתָ֥/א | veqireyeta | AC/Ncfsd/Td |
and city-the | the assembly-city |