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.
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"]
Gen 26:25, Gen 50:5, Exod 21:33, Num 21:18, 2 Chr 16:14, Ps 7:15, Ps 57:6, Ps 119:85, Prov 16:27, Prov 26:27, Jer 18:20, Jer 18:22
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
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"]
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. √…