קַרְקַע (qar.qa)
qar.qa
floor
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Definition
Definition
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word qarqa refers to the solid ground beneath our feet, specifically the floor or earth. In the Old Testament, this term often marks the boundary between the sacred and the common. For instance, in Numbers, dust from the tabernacle floor was mixed with water for a ritual of reconciliation. This suggests that even the physical ground held spiritual significance, reminding Israel that God’s presence was not distant but intimately connected to their daily surroundings.
When we consider Solomon’s temple, the text notes that the floor was overlaid with gold (1 Kings 6:30). This detail highlights how the ordinary act of walking on a surface could become an encounter with divine glory. The floor supported the weight of worship and judgment, serving as a stable foundation for what mattered most in Israel’s life.
Today, this word invites us to see our own ground as sacred space. Whether we are working, resting, or praying, the place where we stand is where God meets us. We do not need to travel far to find holiness; it is often right beneath us, waiting to be acknowledged in gratitude and reverence.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ floor2×
- [the] floor of2×
- on/ [the] floor of1×
- from/ the/ floor1×
- from/ [the] floor of1×
- at/ [the] bottom of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- קַרְקַ֥ע2×
- בְּ/קַרְקַ֣ע2×
- מֵ/הַ/קַּרְקַ֖ע1×
- מִ/קַּרְקַ֤ע1×
- הַ/קַּרְקָֽע\׃1×
- הַ/קַּרְקַ֖ע1×
Key Verses
-
Numbers 5:17
The priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and the priest shall take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water.
This verse shows the floor as a source of ritual dust, linking the physical ground to the process of resolving suspicion and restoring trust.
-
Amos 9:3
Though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out from there; and though they be hidden from my sight in the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent, and it will bite them.
Although this verse uses 'bottom of the sea' in English, the Hebrew context implies hiding from God’s reach even in the deepest places, contrasting the security of the earth with divine omnipresence.