מִקְרֶה (miq.reh)
miq.reh
accident
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 8 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun miqreh refers to an unforeseen event, often translated as "accident," "chance," or "fortune." It describes occurrences that happen without prior planning or predictable cause, highlighting the unpredictable nature of daily life. In the Hebrew Bible, this word captures the sense of things happening by coincidence or mere circumstance rather than through deliberate design.
This term appears eight times in Scripture, with a notable concentration in Ecclesiastes, where it underscores the theme of life’s randomness. For instance, Ecclesiastes 9:11 observes that "the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong... but time and chance [miqreh] happen to them all." It also appears in Ruth 2:3, where Naomi’s daughter-in-law happens upon the field of Boaz by chance, setting the stage for their meeting. The word suggests that while events may appear random to human observers, they often serve as the context for deeper divine purposes.
Unlike words that imply fate or deterministic destiny, miqreh emphasizes the element of surprise and lack of control. It reminds readers that life is not always orderly or predictable. Yet, even in these moments of uncertainty, the biblical narrative suggests that God’s providence works through the unexpected, turning accidental meetings into pivotal moments of redemption and provision.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word miqreh describes an event that occurs by chance or accident, without prior planning or predictable cause. It captures the unpredictable nature of daily life, where things happen by coincidence or mere circumstance rather than through deliberate design. In Ecclesiastes, this term underscores the theme of life’s randomness, reminding readers that life is not always orderly or predictable.
Yet, even in these moments of uncertainty, the biblical narrative suggests that God’s providence works through the unexpected. For instance, Ruth 2:3 records how Naomi’s daughter-in-law happened upon the field of Boaz by chance, setting the stage for their meeting and ultimately her place in the lineage of Christ. This word reminds us that while events may appear random to human observers, they often serve as the context for deeper divine purposes.
Unlike words that imply fate or deterministic destiny, miqreh emphasizes the element of surprise and lack of control. It invites us to trust that God’s providence works through the unexpected, turning accidental meetings into pivotal moments of redemption and provision. This perspective offers comfort in seasons of uncertainty, affirming that no event is truly outside of God’s care.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 8 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- fate2×
- that/ fate1×
- like/ [the] fate of1×
- chance/ her1×
- chance1×
- and/ fate1×
- and/ [the] fate of1×
- [the] fate of1×
- [is] an accident1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מִקְרֶ֨ה2×
- מִקְרֶ֥ה2×
- שֶׁ/מִּקְרֶ֥ה1×
- מִקְרֶ֣ה1×
- מִקְרֶ֔/הָ1×
- כְּ/מִקְרֵ֤ה1×
- וּ/מִקְרֶ֤ה1×
- וּ/מִקְרֶ֣ה1×
Key Verses
-
Ruth 2:3
She went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.
This occurrence matters because it shows how a chance meeting becomes the pivotal moment for Ruth's redemption and her inclusion in the lineage of Christ.
-
Ecclesiastes 9:2
All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath.
Here, the word highlights the shared human experience that all people, regardless of righteousness, face the same unpredictable events and ultimate fate.
-
I Samuel 6:9
Behold, if it goes up by the way of its own border to Beth Shemesh, then he has done us this great evil; but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us. It was a chance that happened to us.”
The Philistines use this concept to discern whether a plague is divine judgment or merely a random occurrence, showing its use in testing providence.