מִקְרָא23 H4744
A holy convocation or sacred assembly; also, the act of reading or recitation of Scripture.
From the root qara' ('to call, to read'), miqra' carries two distinct senses shaped by which nuance of the root is active. In its dominant usage, it denotes a 'convocation' -- a gathering called together for worship. The technical phrase miqra'-qodesh ('holy convocation') appears throughout the festival calendar of Leviticus 23 and Numbers 28-29, marking Sabbaths, Passover, Weeks, and Tabernacles as occasions of sacred assembly (Exod 12:16; Lev 23:2). Spanish convocación and German Versammlung both reflect this assembling-by-summons. In Nehemiah 8:8, uniquely, the word means 'reading' -- the public recitation of Torah by Ezra, pointing to the post-exilic shift toward Scripture as the center of worship.
Senses
1. convocation, sacred assembly — A convocation or sacred assembly, especially in the technical Priestly phrase miqra'-qodesh ('holy convocation') designating Israel's solemn festival gatherings on Sabbath and appointed feasts (Exod 12:16; Lev 23:2-37; Num 28-29). Spanish convocación and French convocation both preserve the root sense of 'calling together.' Isaiah 1:13 and 4:5 use the term outside the Priestly corpus, showing its wider liturgical currency. 22×
AR["المَحفِلِ", "مَحْفَلَاتُ", "مَحْفَلَاتِ", "مَحْفَلُ-", "مَحْفِلُ"]·ben["পবিত্র-", "পবিত্র-সমাবেশ-", "পবিত্র-সমাবেশগুলো", "মিকরা", "সভা", "সমাবেশ"]·DE["Versammlung-", "[מקרא]", "convocation-von-", "convocations-von", "ein-Versammlung-von-"]·EN["a-convocation-of-", "assembly", "convocation-", "convocation-of-", "convocations-of"]·FR["[מקרא]", "convocation-", "convocation-de-", "convocations-de", "une-convocation-de-"]·heb["מקרא", "מקראי"]·HI["पवित्र-सभा", "पवित्र-सभा-", "पवित्र-सभाएं", "सभा"]·ID["pertemuan", "pertemuan-", "pertemuan-pertemuan-kudus"]·IT["[מקרא]", "convocation-di-", "convocations-di", "convocazione-", "un-convocazione-di-"]·jav["pakempalan", "pangibadah-", "panimbalan", "panimbalan-", "panimbalan-suci,", "pasamuwan-"]·KO["거룩한-회합이", "거룩한-회합이니", "부름-의", "부름들-의", "성회", "성회를"]·PT["convocação", "convocação-", "convocação-de", "convocação-de-", "convocações-de"]·RU["священное-собрание-", "собрание-", "собрания", "собраниями"]·ES["asamblea", "convocaciones-de", "convocación-", "convocación-de", "convocación-de-"]·SW["kusanyiko-", "kusanyiko-la-", "makusanyiko-ya-", "mkutano", "mkutano-"]·TR["toplanma-", "toplantı", "toplantı-", "toplantılar-"]·urd["اجتماع", "اجلاس", "پاک-اجتماع-", "پاک-اجتماعات"]
2. reading, recitation — The act of reading or recitation of Scripture, from the same root qara' in its sense 'to read aloud.' Attested uniquely in Neh 8:8, where Ezra and the Levites read from the book of the Law and gave the sense (ba-miqra'). Spanish en-la-lectura and English in-the-reading both capture this post-exilic sense, which anticipates the synagogue tradition of public Torah reading. 1×
AR["فِي-ال-قِراءَةِ"]·ben["পাঠে"]·DE["[במקרא]"]·EN["in-the-reading"]·FR["[במקרא]"]·heb["ב-ה-מקרא"]·HI["पाठ"]·ID["dalam-bacaan-itu"]·IT["[במקרא]"]·jav["ing-pamaosan-punika"]·KO["그-읽음-에서"]·PT["na-leitura"]·RU["читаемое"]·ES["en-la-lectura"]·SW["usomaji"]·TR["okunanı"]·urd["پڑھنے-میں"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
מִקְרָא23 n.m. Ex 12:16 convocation, convoking, reading;—מ׳ abs. Is 1:13; Ne 8:8; cstr. Ex 12:16 +; pl. cstr. מִקְרָאֵי Lv 23:2 +; sf. מִקְרָאֶהָ (Ges§ 91 k) Is 4:5;— 1. convocation, sacred assembly Is 1:13 (after קְרֹא), 4:5; usually explicitly מ׳ קֹדֶשׁ, term. techn. in P for religious gathering on Sabbath and certain sacred days, Ex 12:16(×2) + 14 times Lv 23; Nu 28, 29, + (pl.) Lv 23:2, 4,…