קֶ֫רֶת (qe.ret)
qe.ret
town
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun qereṯ denotes a town or city, serving as a general term for an urban settlement in the Old Testament. It appears only five times in Scripture, with the majority of occurrences found in the wisdom literature of Proverbs and Job. In these contexts, it functions simply to identify a place of human habitation without carrying the specific theological weight often associated with Jerusalem or other named cities.
Unlike qiryah, which can imply a fortified stronghold, qereṯ is a straightforward designation for a populated center. Its limited usage suggests it was a common word in everyday speech but less frequent in formal historical narratives. Translators typically render it as "town" or "city," reflecting its basic meaning as a community distinct from the open countryside.
The scarcity of this word in the biblical text highlights the focus of the Hebrew Bible on specific, named locations rather than generic urban centers. When Proverbs or Job mention a qereṯ, they are referring to a standard settlement, grounding their wisdom teachings in the reality of daily life within these communities.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word qereṯ refers to a town or city, a place where people gather, work, and live out their daily lives. In the Old Testament, it appears only five times, mostly in Proverbs and Job. It does not carry heavy theological weight like Jerusalem; instead, it simply marks a community distinct from the open countryside. This simplicity grounds wisdom teachings in the reality of ordinary life.
For your faith, this reminds us that God’s guidance is relevant to everyday settings. Whether you are at a city gate or in a bustling street, divine wisdom meets you there. The upright bring stability to these communities through their blessings, showing that personal integrity shapes the world around us. You do not need to seek distant places for meaning; it is present in your local context.
When we consider how cities are exalted by the righteous, we see that our actions matter beyond ourselves. This word invites us to view our own towns as places where wisdom can take root and flourish through faithful living.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] town4×
- a town1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- קָ֑רֶת3×
- קָֽרֶת\׃2×
Key Verses
-
Proverbs 11:11
By the blessing of the upright, the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
This verse shows how the moral character of upright people directly impacts the stability and honor of the entire community.
-
Proverbs 8:3
Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entry doors, she cries aloud:
Wisdom is depicted as calling out publicly at city entrances, emphasizing that divine guidance is accessible to everyone in daily life.
-
Job 29:7
when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
This passage recalls a time of honor and public respect, using the city gate as a symbol of social standing and community engagement.