H3738b H3738b
To dig, excavate, bargain, or pierce; primarily digging wells, pits, and graves, with extensions into commerce and figurative opening.
At its heart a verb of the earth — digging wells, excavating pits, and preparing tombs. The patriarchs dig wells (Gen 26:25), Moses' law addresses an uncovered pit (Exod 21:33), and the nobles of Israel 'dug' the well celebrated in the ancient Song of the Well (Num 21:18). Spanish 'cavar' and French 'creuser' track the physical sense consistently. But the root extends in surprising directions: in Job 6:27 and 41:6, it appears in commercial contexts — bargaining or trading — suggesting that 'digging into' a negotiation shares semantic ground with excavating soil. Most strikingly, Psalm 40:6 uses it for opening or piercing the ears, a passage the author of Hebrews cites to speak of Christ's prepared body, making this earthy verb a bridge to some of Scripture's deepest theology.
Senses
1. dig, excavate — The primary Qal sense of digging or excavating — wells, pits, cisterns, and graves. This accounts for the large majority of occurrences and spans the full narrative arc: Abraham's servant digs a well (Gen 26:25), Jacob prepares his own tomb (Gen 50:5), the Law regulates open pits (Exod 21:33), Israel's leaders dig the well in the wilderness song (Num 21:18), and Asa is buried in a tomb he 'had dug' (2 Chr 16:14). Spanish 'cavar' and French 'creuser' both reflect straightforward earthwork. The Psalms add a moral dimension: the wicked dig pits for the righteous (Ps 7:15; Jer 18:20, 22). 12×
AR["حَفَروا", "حَفَرَ", "حَفَرَهَا-", "حَفَرُوا", "حَفَرُوا-", "حَفَرْتُهُ", "كَرَوْهَا", "مَنْ-يَحْفُرُ-", "وَ-حَفَرَ", "يَحْفِرُ"]·ben["আমি-খুঁড়েছি", "আর-খুড়লেন-", "খুঁড়ে", "খুঁড়েছিল-", "খুঁড়েছে-তাকে", "খোঁড়ে", "তারা-খুঁড়েছে", "তারা-খুঁড়েছে-", "যে-খোঁড়ে-", "সে-খনন-করেছে"]·DE["[כרה]", "[כרו]", "digs", "er-dug", "geschnitzt-es", "haben-dug", "ich-gegraben-habe", "sie-dug", "und-gruben-"]·EN["and-dug", "carved-it", "digs", "dug", "have-dug", "he-dug", "he-had-cut-", "one-who-digs", "they-dug"]·FR["[כרה]", "[כרו]", "carved-cela", "comme-creuser", "digs", "dug", "et-dug", "כרה"]·heb["ו-יכרו", "יכרה", "כורה", "כורה-", "כרה", "כרו", "כרוה", "כריתי"]·HI["उसने-खोदा", "और-खोदे-", "खोदता-है", "खोदने-वाला-", "खोदा-उन्होंने", "खोदा-मैंने", "खोदा-है-उन्होंने", "खोदी-", "खोदी-उसे", "खोदेगा"]·ID["Siapa-menggali", "aku-gali", "dan-menggali", "digali", "ia-gali", "menggali", "mereka-menggali", "yang-dikorek"]·IT["[כרה]", "[כרו]", "digs", "dug", "e-dug", "one-chi-digs", "scavarono", "scavo'", "scolpito-esso"]·jav["Lan-ngedhuk-", "Sami-ndhèdhèl-", "[luwangan]", "dipun-dhèdhèl", "dipunkèdhuk-", "kula-kedhuk", "ngeduk", "piyambakipun-ndhudhuk", "sami-ngusung-piyambakipun", "sedaya", "tiyang-kang-ngedhuk", "tiyang-ndhudhuk"]·KO["그리고-판다", "내가-파놓았다", "파냈다-그것을", "파느니라", "파는-자는-", "파다", "파도다", "파면", "판-것", "팠나이다", "팠도다"]·PT["Cavador-de-", "Cavaram", "cava", "cavar", "cavaram", "cavei", "cavou", "e-cavaram", "escavaram-o"]·RU["Вырыли-", "выкопает", "выкопали", "вырубил-", "вырыл", "вырыли-его", "и-выкопали", "копает", "копал", "копающий-"]·ES["Cavaron", "El-que-cava-", "cava", "cavaron", "cave", "cavé", "cavó", "cavó-", "excavaron-lo", "y-cavaron"]·SW["alichimba", "alichimba-", "ambaya", "anachimba", "anayechimba-", "atachimba", "na-wakachimba", "walichimba", "wamechimba", "wamechimba-"]·TR["kazan-", "kazar", "kazarsa", "kazdlar", "kazdı", "kazdı-", "kazdılar", "kazdım", "kazı-onu", "kazıdılar-", "ve-kazdılar"]·urd["اور-کھودا", "اُس-نے-کھودا", "کَھودا", "کھودا", "کھودا-اُسے", "کھودتا-ہے", "کھودنے-والا", "کھودی-تھیں-", "کھودی-میں-نے", "کھودے"]
2. bargain, trade — A secondary sense of bargaining, trading, or negotiating, attested in Job 6:27 and 41:6. In the first, Job accuses his friends of being willing to 'bargain over' an orphan; in the second, the question is whether traders will 'bargain' over Leviathan. Spanish uses both 'negociar' and 'cavar trampa,' reflecting the ambiguity between a commercial transaction and a trap. The semantic link to digging may lie in the notion of 'digging into' a deal or extracting value, a metaphorical extension attested also in cognate Semitic roots. 2×
AR["وَتَحْفُرونَ", "يَحْفِرُونَ"]·ben["এবং-তোমরা-গর্ত-খোঁড়বে", "তারা-খনন-করবে"]·DE["[ותכרו]", "[יכרו]"]·EN["Will-bargain", "and-you-bargain"]·FR["et-ותכרו", "יכרו"]·heb["ו-תכרו", "יכרו"]·HI["और-खोदते-हो", "क्या-वे-खरीदेंगे"]·ID["Menawar", "dan-kalian-menggali-lubang"]·IT["Will-bargain", "e-e-you-bargain"]·jav["Punapa-badhé-tawar-tinawar", "lan-panjenengan-ndhudhuk"]·KO["그리고-파느냐", "파겠느냐"]·PT["Negociarão", "e-cavareis"]·RU["будут-ли-торговать", "и-роете-яму"]·ES["y-caváis-trampa", "¿Negociarán"]·SW["na-mnajadiliana", "watabishana"]·TR["Pazarlık-yaparlar-mı", "ve-çukur-kazarsınız"]·urd["اور-گڑھا-کھودتے-ہو", "کیا-سودا-کریں-گے"]
3. be dug — A Nifal passive sense of being dug, attested in Psalm 94:13 — giving rest from days of trouble 'until a pit is dug for the wicked.' Spanish 'sea cavada' preserves the passive voice clearly. The passive form highlights the result rather than the agent, fitting a context where divine providence quietly prepares judgment while the righteous wait. 1×
AR["تُحْفَرَ"]·ben["খোঁড়া-হবে"]·DE["ist-dug"]·EN["is-dug"]·FR["creuser"]·heb["ייכרה"]·HI["खोदी-जाए"]·ID["digali"]·IT["[יכרה]"]·jav["dipun-kèdhuken"]·KO["파여지리라"]·PT["seja-cavada"]·RU["будет-вырыта"]·ES["sea-cavada"]·SW["itachimbwa"]·TR["kazılacak"]·urd["کھودا-نہ-جائے"]
4. open, pierce — A figurative extension meaning to open or pierce, used in Psalm 40:6 (MT 40:7) where God 'dug open' the psalmist's ears — a vivid image of making someone receptive to hearing. Spanish renders this 'abriste' (you opened), shifting from excavation language to the language of revelation. This verse is cited in Hebrews 10:5 (via the LXX's 'a body you prepared for me'), making this single occurrence theologically momentous: the physical verb of earthwork becomes a metaphor for divine disclosure and obedient hearing. 1×
AR["فَتَحْتَ"]·ben["খুলে-দিয়েছ"]·DE["du-haben-dug"]·EN["You-have-dug"]·FR["comme-creuser"]·heb["כרית"]·HI["तूने-खोदे"]·IT["[כרית]"]·jav["Panjenengan-sampun-mbikak"]·KO["열어-주셨도다"]·PT["abriste"]·RU["открыл"]·ES["abriste"]·SW["umenitobolea"]·TR["açtın"]·urd["تُو-نے-کھودے"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)H5414 1. give, bestow (1855×)H3947 1. take, seize, grasp (Qal) (940×)G2192 1. possess / have (680×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)G1325 1. give, bestow (336×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H5159 1. inherited land or property (170×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)G2983 1. receive, obtain (134×)H3423 1. Qal: take possession of land (130×)G2983 2. take, take up (113×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)G2398 1. one's own, belonging to oneself (91×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. כָּרָה vb. dig (NH id.; Aramaic כְּרָא, Ethiopic ከረየ Arabic كَرَا (c. و and especially ى, Dozy ii. 461); Syriac ܟܪܳܐ is be short, cut off (i.e. rounded off ?), Arabic كُرَةٌ ball; 𝔗 כְּרֵי heap Dalm Gr 109; Syriac ܟܰܪܝܳܐ, Mish. כרי id.; Assyrian karê, large vessels for holding corn, etc., DlHWB 353, cf. kirû (dub.) Wkl Tel Am. Vocab.; Ba ZMG 1887, 615 conjectures be round as orig. √…