H7122 H7122
To meet, encounter, or befall; used of purposeful meeting, chance encounters, and calamities overtaking
A verb of encounter whose meaning ranges from deliberate meeting to unwilled happenstance. In its most frequent usage as the infinitive construct liqra't, it functions almost as a preposition meaning 'toward' or 'to meet,' as when Saul went out 'to meet' Samuel (1 Sam 9:14). Yet the same root describes calamity 'befalling' someone, as Jacob feared evil would 'befall' Benjamin on the journey (Gen 42:38). The semantic tension between intentional approach and passive victimhood gives this word a narrative dynamism found across all major translations: Spanish 'encontrar' versus 'acontecer,' French 'rencontre' versus 'arriver,' each preserving the split between meeting and misfortune.
6. to be encountered, be found — Nifal imperfect with a locative, passive sense: to be encountered or found in a place. Deuteronomy 22:6 speaks of a bird's nest 'being encountered' along the way. This stative usage emphasizes the object's presence awaiting discovery rather than any agent's movement. Spanish 'se encuentre' uses the reflexive-passive construction to mirror this sense. 1×
AR["يُصَادَفُ"]·ben["পাওয়া-যায়"]·DE["ist-encountered"]·EN["is-encountered"]·FR["est-encountered"]·heb["יקרה"]·HI["मिलेगा"]·ID["ditemukan"]·IT["e-encountered"]·jav["kapanggih"]·KO["만나면"]·PT["encontrares"]·RU["попадётся"]·ES["se-encuentre"]·SW["itapatikana"]·TR["karşılaşırsan"]·urd["ملے"]
▼ 6 more senses below
Senses
1. to meet, go to meet — The primary Qal infinitive construct liqra't: to go to meet someone, functioning almost prepositionally as 'toward.' Overwhelmingly used in military and social contexts: going out to meet a king, an army, or a visitor (1 Sam 4:1; 9:14; 13:10). Spanish 'encontrar' and French 'a rencontre' preserve the purposeful, directional character of this most common usage. 21×
AR["لِ-لِقاءِ","لِ-لِقَائِهِ","لِـ-لِقَاءِ","لِـ-لِقَائِهِ","لِـ-مُلَاقَاةِ","لِلِقائي","لِلِقائِها","لِلِقائِهِ","وَ-لِ-لِقاءِ"]·ben["-সামনে-তার","আমার-সাক্ষাতে","এবং-সাক্ষাতে","তাঁর-সাক্ষাতে","তাঁর-সাথে-দেখা-করতে","তার-সাক্ষাতে","সাক্ষাতে","সাক্ষাৎ-করতে"]·DE["und-zu-meet","zu-meet","zu-meet-ihn","zu-meet-ihr","zu-meet-mich"]·EN["and-to-meet","to-meet","to-meet-her","to-meet-him","to-meet-me"]·FR["et-à-rencontre","à-rencontre","à-rencontre-lui","à-rencontre-moi","à-rencontre-sa"]·heb["ו-ל-קראת","ל-קראת","ל-קראת-ה","ל-קראת-ו","ל-קראת-י","ל-קראתו","לִ-קְרָאתוֹ"]·HI["उसकी-ओर","उसकी-भेंट-को","उससे-मिलने-को","और-मिलने","कि-तरफ़","के-लिए-मिलने","मिलने","मिलने-के-लिए","मिलने-के-लिए-मुझे","मिलने-के-लिये"]·ID["bertemu","dan-untuk-bertemu","menghadapi","menyongsongnya","untuk-bertemu","untuk-menemui","untuk-menemuiku","untuk-menemuinya","untuk-menghadapi","untuk-menyambut","untuk-menyambutnya","untuk-menyerang"]·IT["a-incontrare","a-incontrare-lei","a-incontrare-lui","a-incontrare-me","e-a-incontrare"]·jav["kangge-mapag","kangge-mapag-kawula","kangge-mapagaken","kangge-methuk","kangge-methuk-piyambakipun","kanggé-mapag","lan-kangge-methuk","methuking-panjenenganipun"]·KO["그녀를-만나려","그를-만나러","그를-맞으러","그리고-을-맞이하도록","나를-만나려고","만나-","만나러","만나러-","만나러-그를","맞서-에","을-맞이하도록"]·PT["ao-encontro-de","ao-encontro-dela","ao-encontro-dele","ao-encontro-meu","e-ao-encontro-de","para-encontrar","para-encontrá-lo"]·RU["и-навстречу","навстречу","навстречу-ей","навстречу-ему","навстречу-мне"]·ES["a-encontrarla","a-encontrarlo","a-encontrarme","a-su-encuentro","al-encuentro-de","para-encontrarlo","para-encuentro-de","y-al-encuentro-de"]·SW["kukutana-na","kumkuta","kumlaki","kunilaki","na-kuwalaki"]·TR["-karşılamak-için","-karşılamaya-beni","-karşılamaya-onu","karşı","karşılamak-için","karşılamak-için-onu","karşısına-onun","ve-karşılamak-için"]·urd["اور-ملنے-کو","اُس-سے-ملنے","اُس-سے-ملنے-کو","مقابلے-میں","ملنے","ملنے-مجھ-سے","ملنے-مجھ-سے۔","ملنے-کو","ملنے-کو-اُس-کے"]
1 Sam 4:1, 1 Sam 4:2, 1 Sam 9:14, 1 Sam 10:10, 1 Sam 13:10, 1 Sam 15:12, 1 Sam 16:4, 1 Sam 17:2, 1 Sam 17:21, 1 Sam 17:48, 1 Sam 17:48, 1 Sam 17:55 (+9 more)
2. to befall, happen to — Events, calamities, or circumstances befalling a person, often with overtones of misfortune or divine judgment. Jacob fears harm will 'befall' Benjamin (Gen 42:4, 38); Moses warns of what will 'befall' Israel in the latter days (Gen 49:1; Deut 31:29). Spanish 'acontecer' and French 'arriver' shift from spatial encounter to temporal occurrence, capturing the passive, unwilled quality. 10×
AR["أَصَابَتْكُمُ","أَصَابَتْنِي","تَقَعُ","صادَفَني","مُصِيبَتَاكِ","وَ-أَصَابَهُ","وَ-حَدَثَتْ","وَيُصِيبُكُمُ","يُصِيبَهُ","يُصِيبُكُمْ"]·ben["-যা-তোমাকে-ঘটেছে","আমাকে-পেয়ে-ধরেছিল","আর-যদি-ঘটে-তার","এবং-ঘটবে","এবং-ঘটেছে","ঘটবে","ঘটেছে-আমার","তার-ক্ষতি-হয়"]·DE["[קראני]","[קראת]","dort-befall","euch-begegnen-wird","ich-rief-dich","ihm-widerfahre","und-befell","und-stößt-ihm-zu","und-wird-befall"]·EN["and-befalls-him","and-befell","and-will-befall","befall-him","befalling-you","came-upon-me","has-befallen","have-come-upon-me","there-befall","will-befall"]·FR["--arriver","[קראני]","[קראת]","[קראתיך]","arriver-lui","et-arrive-lui","et-befell","et-fera-befall","là-arriver","קראני-moi"]·heb["ו-קראהו-ו","ו-קראת","ו-תקראנה","יקרא","יקראנו","קורעותיך","קראוני","קראני","קראת","תקראנה"]·HI["आई","आईं-मुझ-पर","आया-मुझ-पर","और-आएगी","और-घटीं","और-पहुँचेगी-उसे","घटेगा","तुझ-पर-आईं","पड़े","पहुँचे-उसे"]·ID["akan-terjadi","dan-menimpa","dan-menimpa-dia","menemuiku","menimpa","menimpa-dia","menimpaku","pecah","yang-menimpa-engkau"]·IT["befall-lui","came-su-me-mio","e-befalls-lui","e-befell","e-fara-befall","incontrare","là-befall","will-befall"]·jav["badhe-kelakon","kelampahan","lan-nemahi-panjenengan","lan-nemu-cilaka","lan-sampun-nempuh","nemoni-kawula","nempuh","nemu-cilaka","punika-nempuh-kula","tumama-ing-panjenengan"]·KO["그리고-닥치리라","그리고-닥칠-것이다-그를","그리고-닥침다","너에게-일어난-것들이라","닥쳤다","닥칠까-그를","불렀다-나를","이것들이-나에게-일어났는가","일어나리라","일어나면"]·PT["aconteceram-me","aconteceram-te","acontecerá","aconteça-lhe","e-acontecer-lhe","e-aconteceram-me","e-vos-encontrará","encontrar","encontrou-me","encontrou-vos"]·RU["и-постигнет","и-случились","и-случится-с-ним","охватил-меня","постигли-тебя","постигло","постигло-меня","случилось-с-ним","случится"]·ES["acontezca","le-acontezca","me-encontró","me-vinieron","os-sucedió","sucederá","te-acontecieron","y-aconteciéronme","y-le-acontecerá","y-os-sobrevendrá"]·SW["ilinikuta","itakukusanya","itatokea","kufa","kwake","na-itakupata","na-vilinikuta","yamekupata","zimekupata","zimenipata"]·TR["basina-gelenler","başına-gelir","geldi","geldi-bana","gelecek","karşıladı-beni","ve-başıma-geldi","ve-başına-gelirse","ve-gelecek","çıkarsa"]·urd["آ-پڑی","آئے","آئے-گا","اور-پہنچے","اور-پہنچے-اسے","اور-پیش-آئیں","مصیبتیں-تجھ-پر","ملا-مجھ-کو","پہنچیں-مجھے","پہنچے-اسے"]
3. to meet, encounter (reciprocal) — Nifal reciprocal: two parties encountering each other, implying mutuality or unexpectedness. In Exodus 5:3 God 'met' Moses and Aaron, and in 2 Sam 18:9 Absalom 'met' (ran into) David's servants. The Nifal middle voice suggests encounter from both sides rather than one-directional movement, distinguishing it from the Qal infinitive of sense 1. 2×
AR["الْتَقَى","وَ-الْتَقى"]·ben["এবং-সাক্ষাৎ-হলেন","মিলিত-হয়েছেন"]·DE["hat-met","und-met"]·EN["and-met","has-met"]·FR["a-rencontra","et-rencontra"]·heb["ו-יקרא","נקרא"]·HI["और-मिला","मिला"]·ID["dan-bertemu","menemui"]·IT["e-met","ha-met"]·jav["Lan-kepethuk","sampun-pinanggih"]·KO["그리고-만났다","만나셨다"]·PT["E-encontrou-se","encontrou-se"]·RU["встретил","и-встретился"]·ES["nos-encontró","y-encontró"]·SW["ametukutana","na-akakutana"]·TR["karşılaştı","ve-karşılaştı"]·urd["اور-ملا","ملا"]
4. to cause to befall — Hiphil causative: to cause something to befall someone, to bring calamity upon. Jeremiah 32:23 accuses the people of disobedience, so God 'caused all this evil to meet them.' Spanish 'llamaste sobre' reflects the causative agency. This single occurrence extends the befall-sense into active divine orchestration of consequences. 1×
AR["فَأَوْقَعْتَ"]·ben["আর-তুমি-ঘটালে"]·DE["und-du-rufst"]·EN["and-you-caused-to-meet"]·FR["[ותקרא]"]·heb["ו-תקרא"]·HI["और-तूने-डाली"]·ID["sehingga-Engkau-menyebabkan-menimpa"]·IT["e-incontrare"]·jav["lan-Panjenengan-ndhatengaken"]·KO["그리고-닥쳐오게-하셨다"]·PT["e-fizeste-vir"]·RU["и-навёл-Ты"]·ES["y-llamaste-sobre"]·SW["na-ukawaletea"]·TR["ve-getirdin"]·urd["اور-لایا-تو-نے"]
5. to happen by chance — Nifal infinitive absolute used adverbially to express chance or accident: 'by chance' or 'as it happened.' In 2 Sam 1:6 the Amalekite says 'I happened by chance upon Mount Gilboa.' Spanish 'acontecer' and French 'par chance' reveal the grammaticalized shift from verb of encounter to adverb of happenstance. A striking case of semantic bleaching. 1×
AR["صُدْفَةً"]·ben["ঘটনাক্রমে"]·DE["bei-chance"]·EN["by-chance"]·FR["par-chance"]·heb["נקרוא"]·HI["संयोग-से"]·ID["kebetulan"]·IT["da-caso"]·jav["Dumadakan"]·KO["우연히"]·PT["acontecer"]·RU["случайно"]·ES["acontecer"]·SW["kwa-bahati"]·TR["tesadüfen"]·urd["اتفاقاً"]
7. to be called, be named — A likely homographic overlap with qara' (H7121, 'to call'): Nifal 'to be called or named.' In 2 Sam 20:1 a man named Sheba 'happened to be there' or, more likely per this tagging, 'was called' by name. Spanish 'fue llamado' and French 'fut appele' confirm identification with the naming root rather than the encounter root. This may represent a tagging artifact rather than a true sense of H7122. 1×
AR["دُعِيَ"]·ben["ডাকা-হল"]·DE["war-rief"]·EN["was-called"]·FR["fut-appela"]·heb["נקרא"]·HI["मिला"]·ID["dipanggil"]·IT["era-chiamò"]·jav["dipun-sebut"]·KO["불렸다"]·PT["aconteceu"]·RU["случился"]·ES["fue-llamado"]·SW["alikuwako"]·TR["çağrılıyor"]·urd["پایا-جاتا-تھا"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
II. [קָרָא137] vb. encounter, befall (‖ form of קָרָה, q.v.; SI 4 לקרת to meet, opposite; Arabic قَرَأَ, put part to part; Min. קרא set opposite, HomChrest. 127);— Qal131 Pf.5 3 ms. sf. קְרָאַנִי Je 13:22 Jb 4:2; 3 fs. קָרָאת Dt 31:29; Je 44:23, etc.; Impf.4 3 ms. יִקְרָא Gn 49:1, sf. יִקְרָאֶנּוּ Gn 42:4; 3 fpl. וַתִּקְרֶאנָה Lv 10:19; Ex 1:10 read 3 fs. sf. תִּקְרָאֵנוּ (Sam Vrss Di Ges§ 47 k…