Aramaic word · H7123

קְרָא

kare'

to read

To call, proclaim, read aloud. Reading was normally done aloud, so 'read' and 'pronounce' overlap.

A Biblical Aramaic word, from the parts of the Old Testament written in Aramaic. Why Aramaic?

Appears 11 times in 10 verses of the Aramaic of the Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) to call, read aloud, read out, shout

1a) (P'al)

1a1) to call, proclaim

1a2) to read aloud, read out

1b)(Ithp'el) to be summoned, be called

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Daniel 5:15

Range of meaning

To call, proclaim, read aloud. Reading was normally done aloud, so 'read' and 'pronounce' overlap.

Against the English

English 'read' suggests silent understanding. Here the first task is just to say the words out loud; understanding them is a second, separate task (the pəšar).

Used elsewhere in the period

In biblical Aramaic it appears in Dan 3:4, 4:11, 5:7–8, 5:15–17. Hebrew qārāʾ has the same range ('proclaim,' 'read in the hearing of,' e.g., Neh 8:3).

From the study of Daniel 4:14

Range of meaning

Qərāʾ means to call out, proclaim, summon, or read aloud. Ḥayil means strength, might, or an army. With the preposition bə- ('with'), the phrase means 'loudly, with force'.

Against the English

'He cried aloud' (KJV) and 'called out in a loud voice' (BSB) carry the loudness. What they lose is the echo of a formal herald's announcement.

Used elsewhere in the period

Dan 3:4: 'the herald proclaimed with strength' (kārôzāʾ qārēʾ ḇəḥayil), the same verb and phrase used for Nebuchadnezzar's own herald. The phrase returns in 5:7 for the king's loud cry.

From the study of Daniel 5:7

Range of meaning

To call, cry out, summon; to proclaim; to read (out loud). In the ancient world reading was normally done aloud, so 'call out' and 'read' were closely linked.

Against the English

English needs two different words, 'called' and 'reads', so the echo between the two uses is lost.

Used elsewhere in the period

Used the same way in Ezra's Aramaic (Ezra 4:18, 23) for reading documents aloud. In Daniel 5 it recurs for 'reading' the writing (5:8, 15, 16, 17).

Where it appears

Ezra · 2

  1. Ezra 4:18 קֱרִ֖י it was read aloud

    The letter you sent us has been translated and read in my presence.

  2. Ezra 4:23 קֱרִ֧י it was read aloud

    When the text of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and forcibly stopped them.

Daniel · 9

  1. Daniel 3:4 קָרֵ֣א [was] proclaiming

    Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “O people of every nation and language, this is what you are commanded:

  2. Daniel 4:14 קָרֵ֨א [he was] proclaiming

    He called out in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and chop off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it, and the birds from its branches.

    Here: An ongoing action: the heavenly watcher is calling out, proclaiming. In Daniel the verb is used for a herald making a public announcement (3:4) as well as for reading aloud (5:7). Here it marks what follows as an official proclamation, not a private remark.

  3. Daniel 5:7 קָרֵ֤א יִקְרֵ֞ה [was] calling, he will read aloud

    The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to be brought in, and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and tells me its interpretation will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

    Here: A participle: the king 'is calling out', a vivid present that puts the reader in the hall. The same verb returns later in the verse as 'reads' (yiqrēh), so the king 'cries out' for someone who can 'read out' the writing.

  4. Daniel 5:8 לְמִקְרֵ֔א to read aloud

    So all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or interpret it for him.

  5. Daniel 5:12 יִתְקְרֵ֖י let him be summoned

    did this because Daniel, the one he named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, as well as knowledge, understanding, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Summon Daniel, therefore, and he will give you the interpretation.”

    Here: 'Let him be summoned'. This is a passive form expressing a wish or polite instruction. The same verb means 'to read', which is exactly what the wise men could not do with the writing (v.8). The one to be 'called' is the one who can 'read'.

  6. Daniel 5:15 יִקְר֔וֹן they will read aloud

    Now the wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this inscription and interpret it for me, but they could not give its interpretation.

    Here: To read out, to say aloud what is written. Reading in the ancient world was normally voiced, so the first task was simply to say the words.

  7. Daniel 5:16 לְמִקְרֵ֗א to read aloud

    But I have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

  8. Daniel 5:17 אֶקְרֵ֣א I will read aloud

    In response, Daniel said to the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the inscription for the king and interpret it for him.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.