כָּרַר (ka.rar)
ka.rar
to dance
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb karar appears only twice in the Old Testament, both times in the intensive Pilpel stem to mean "to whirl" or "to dance." In 2 Samuel 6:14 and 2 Samuel 6:16, it describes King David’s vigorous movement before the Ark of the Covenant. The form suggests a rapid, spinning motion rather than a slow, ceremonial step, capturing the physical energy of his worship.
This word highlights the bodily expression of joy in ancient Israelite religion. Unlike static reverence, karar implies a dynamic engagement with God, where the dancer’s entire body participates in the celebration. The sources note that this whirling dance was a public act of devotion, marking a distinct moment of unreserved praise in the narrative.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word karar describes a lively, spinning movement that goes beyond simple stepping. In the story of King David, this verb captures his full-body joy as he moved before the Ark of the Covenant. It shows that worship in Scripture can be energetic and physical, involving the whole person rather than just quiet reflection.
When we read about David leaping and dancing with all his might, it invites us to consider how we express gratitude to God. This Hebrew term reminds us that joy is not always still or silent. Sometimes praise involves active participation, where our bodies join in celebrating what God has done.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ dancing1×
- [was] dancing1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מְכַרְכֵּ֥ר1×
- וּ/מְכַרְכֵּר֙1×
Key Verses
-
II Samuel 6:14
David danced before Yahweh with all his might; and David was clothed in a linen ephod.
This verse uses karar to describe David's vigorous movement, emphasizing the physical energy and intensity of his worship before the Ark.
-
II Samuel 6:16
As Yahweh’s ark came into David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out through the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before Yahweh; and she despised him in her heart.
Here the word highlights the public nature of David's celebration, contrasting his uninhibited joy with Michal's quiet disdain from the window.