H6979a H6979a
I dug; to excavate, particularly for creating a well or water source
This verb describes digging or excavating, specifically for water access. It appears in parallel boasts by Hezekiah (2 Kings) and his Assyrian adversary (Isaiah) about digging wells in foreign lands. The first-person perfect 'I dug' emphasizes personal achievement in securing water supplies during military campaigns. Some scholars suggest textual corruption, proposing karati ('I cut, dug') as original reading. The verb captures the essential survival skill of finding and accessing underground water when campaigning in arid regions.
Senses
1. sense 1 — 2 Kings 19:24 and Isaiah 37:25 preserve identical boasts: 'I dug (wells) and drank foreign waters,' demonstrating military self-sufficiency. The verb stands alone as first-person perfect statement of accomplishment. Spanish 'cavé' (I dug), French and German 'dug' all confirm excavation action. The context contrasts human achievement with divine sovereignty—whether speaker is Hezekiah or the Assyrian boaster, the claim asserts ability to overcome geographical obstacles through engineering. Well-digging represented crucial military logistics, enabling armies to operate far from natural water sources. The parallel passages suggest this may have been proverbial language for military resourcefulness and conquest capability. 2×
AR["حَفَرْتُ"]·ben["খনন-করেছি", "খুঁড়েছি"]·DE["[קרתי]", "dug"]·EN["dug"]·FR["[קרתי]", "dug"]·heb["קרתי"]·HI["खोदा", "खोदा-मैंने"]·ID["menggali"]·IT["[קרתי]", "dug"]·jav["dipun-gèdhuk", "ngedhuk"]·KO["파다", "팔다"]·PT["cavei"]·RU["копал"]·ES["cavé"]·SW["nimechimba"]·TR["kazdim", "kaztım"]·urd["کھودا", "کھودے"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)G2440 1. garment or clothing (general) (54×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. [קוּר] vb. bore, dig (Arabic قَارَ (و) cut a round hole in, scoop out);— Qal Pf. 1 s. קַרְתִּי 2 K 19:24 I have dug (sc. a well) = Is 37:25 (Meinh conj. כָּרִתִי).— Hiph. , Pilp. , v. קָרַר" dir="rtl" >I, קָרַר²" dir="rtl" >II. קרר.