קִרְיָה (qir.yah)
qir.yah
town
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 28 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun qiryah refers to a town or city, functioning as a general term for a settled community. While it is synonymous with the more common word ir, qiryah appears almost exclusively in poetic and prophetic literature rather than historical narratives. This distribution suggests a stylistic choice by biblical authors who used it to evoke a specific literary tone in books such as Isaiah, Proverbs, and Habakkuk.
Etymologically, the word derives from a root meaning to build or frame, pointing to the constructed nature of the settlement. Its usage often carries significant weight beyond mere geography. In Proverbs 10:15, for instance, the wealth of the righteous is described as a strong city, while in Isaiah 24:10, the desolation of the land is marked by the silence of these towns. The term also anchors proper names like Kiriath-arba, the ancient name for Hebron.
Translators consistently render qiryah as city or town, preserving its concrete sense of a human habitation. It serves as a powerful symbol in Scripture, representing both human achievement and vulnerability. When prophets speak of cities falling or standing, they are addressing the collective fate of the people within those walls.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word qiryah simply means town or city, yet it carries a heavy weight in Scripture. It appears mostly in poetry and prophecy to describe human settlements as symbols of both strength and fragility. When the text speaks of a city falling or standing, it is addressing the collective fate of the people within those walls.
This word reminds us that our security often rests on fragile things. Proverbs 10:15 describes the rich man’s wealth as a strong city, an unscalable wall in his own imagination. Yet Isaiah 24:10 shows how quickly such confidence can crumble into silence and ruin. The text invites us to look beyond our own fortified walls.
We find our true stability not in stone or strategy, but in God’s faithfulness. While towns rise and fall, the hope of resurrection remains constant for all who trust in Christ. This perspective frees us from anxiety over our circumstances and directs our hearts toward eternal security.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 28 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a town12×
- [the] town of3×
- [the] town3×
- the/ town2×
- [is] a town of2×
- from/ [the] town of1×
- from/ [the] town1×
- a town of1×
- [is] more than/ a town of1×
- [is] [the] town of1×
- O town1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- קִרְיָ֖ה8×
- קִרְיַ֖ת4×
- קִרְיָ֑ה3×
- קִרְיָ֔ה2×
- קִרְיַ֣ת2×
- קִרְיָֽה\׃\ \ס1×
- קִרְיָ֥ה1×
- קִרְיַת\־1×
- קִרְיַ֛ת1×
- מִ/קִּרְיָ֜ה1×
- מִ/קִּרְיַת\־1×
- מִ/קִּרְיַ֣ת1×
Key Verses
-
Proverbs 10:15
The rich man’s wealth is his strong city. The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
This verse uses the word to illustrate the false sense of security that wealth creates in the mind of the rich.
-
Isaiah 24:10
The confused city is broken down. Every house is shut up, that no man may come in.
Here the term marks the desolation of the land, showing how judgment brings silence to once-bustling settlements.
-
Proverbs 18:19
A brother offended is more difficult than a fortified city. Disputes are like the bars of a fortress.
The author compares an offended brother to a fortified city to show how difficult reconciliation can be.
-
Isaiah 1:21
How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She was full of justice. Righteousness lodged in her, but now there are murderers.
This occurrence highlights the moral decline of Jerusalem, contrasting its past justice with current violence.