קַרְקַע (qar.qa)
qar.qa
Karka
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The word qarqa appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, serving as a proper noun for a specific location in Joshua 15:3. It marks a landmark on the southern boundary of the tribe of Judah, situated at the extreme southern edge of their territory.
Its meaning is straightforward: "floor" or "ground." This concrete image likely describes a flat, open area or a distinct patch of earth that served as a recognizable marker for travelers and surveyors defining tribal borders. The term grounds the abstract concept of land ownership in a tangible, physical feature.
Because it occurs just once, qarqa does not carry broad theological weight or develop a range of meanings across Scripture. Instead, it functions as a precise geographical signpost, helping readers visualize the specific limits of Judah’s inheritance. Its rarity reminds us that biblical geography often relies on everyday terms to anchor sacred history in real places.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word qarqa appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, serving as a proper noun for a specific location in Joshua 15:3. It marks a landmark on the southern boundary of the tribe of Judah, situated at the extreme southern edge of their territory. Its meaning is straightforward: "floor" or "ground." This concrete image likely describes a flat, open area or a distinct patch of earth that served as a recognizable marker for travelers and surveyors defining tribal borders.
The term grounds the abstract concept of land ownership in a tangible, physical feature. Because it occurs just once, qarqa does not carry broad theological weight or develop a range of meanings across Scripture. Instead, it functions as a precise geographical signpost, helping readers visualize the specific limits of Judah’s inheritance. Its rarity reminds us that biblical geography often relies on everyday terms to anchor sacred history in real places.
When we read about these boundaries, we see God’s care for order and provision. The land was not given as a vague idea but as a defined home. This specificity shows that God knows the details of our lives and the places we inhabit. It invites us to trust in His faithful guidance, just as He guided the tribes to their allotted portions with precision and purpose.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- <the>/ Karka/ towards1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/קַּרְקָֽעָ/ה\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Joshua 15:3
and it went out southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and went up by the south of Kadesh Barnea, and passed along by Hezron, went up to Addar, and turned toward Karka;
This verse uses qarqa to mark a specific turning point in the southern border of Judah, showing how everyday landscape features served as divine markers for tribal inheritance.