H7125 H7125
To meet, encounter; as infinitive construct liqra't functions as a preposition meaning 'toward, against, opposite.'
Qara (II) in the overwhelming majority of its occurrences appears as the infinitive construct liqra't, which has effectively become a preposition meaning 'to meet, toward, against.' It covers the full range of encounters: joyful welcome (Exod 18:7, Jethro going out to meet Moses), military confrontation (1 Sam 17:48, David running to meet Goliath), and diplomatic reception (Gen 14:17). The word captures the intentional movement toward another person or group. Spanish 'al encuentro de,' French 'a la rencontre,' and German 'entgegen' all preserve this directional, purposeful quality. One enigmatic occurrence in Genesis 15:10, where Abram arranges the halved animals 'each piece opposite its counterpart,' preserves the root sense of spatial correspondence rather than personal encounter.
Senses
1. to meet or encounter — Going out toward someone to meet or encounter them, whether in greeting, welcome, confrontation, or battle. Used 99 times overwhelmingly as the infinitive construct liqra't functioning as a preposition. Covers joyful meetings (Exod 18:7), military engagements (1 Sam 17:48), and formal receptions. Spanish 'al encuentro de,' French 'a la rencontre,' and German 'entgegen' all preserve the deliberate, directional movement toward another. 99×
AR["لِ-تَسْتَقْبِلَ", "لِ-لِقاءِ", "لِ-لِقَاءِ", "لِ-يُقَابِلَ", "لِـ-لِقَاء", "لِلقاءِ", "لِلِقَاءِ", "لِيَسْتَقْبِلَ", "لِيَسْتَقْبِلُوا"]·ben["বিরুদ্ধে", "সাক্ষাতে", "সাক্ষাতের-জন্য", "সাক্ষাৎ-করতে"]·DE["zu-meet"]·EN["to-meet"]·FR["à-meet", "à-rencontre", "à-rencontrer"]·heb["ל-קראת", "לקראת"]·HI["मिलने", "मिलने-को", "सामने"]·ID["menghadapi", "menyongsong", "untuk-bertemu", "untuk-melawan", "untuk-menjemput", "untuk-menyambut", "untuk-menyongsong"]·IT["a-incontrare", "a-meet"]·jav["kangge-manggihi", "kangge-mapagaken", "kangge-methuk", "kanggé-mapag", "kanggé-mapagaken", "kanggé-mapak", "kanggé-methuk", "supados-methuking"]·KO["만나기-위하여", "만나기-위해", "만나는-것-에", "만나러", "만나려고", "맞서서", "맞으려고", "맞이하러"]·PT["ao-encontro-de", "para-encontrar"]·RU["навстречу"]·ES["al-encuentro-de", "al-encuentro-de-"]·SW["dhidi-ya", "kukutana", "kukutana-na", "kumlaki", "kupigana-na", "kutafuta", "kuwalaki"]·TR["-karşılamak", "karşı-", "karşılamak", "karşılamak-için", "karşısına-"]·urd["سامنے", "مقابلے-کے-لیے", "ملنے", "ملنے-کو", "ملنے-کے-لیے"]
2. sense 2 — Spatial correspondence or opposition: placing something opposite or facing its counterpart. In Genesis 15:10, Abram sets the halved covenant animals each facing its match. Spanish 'frente a' (facing) and German 'gegenueber' (opposite) capture this spatial rather than personal sense, preserving the root meaning of encounter as physical alignment rather than interpersonal meeting. 1×
AR["مُقَابِلَ"]·ben["-মুখোমুখি"]·DE["gegenüber-"]·EN["to-meet"]·FR["à-rencontrer"]·heb["ל-קראת"]·HI["समने"]·ID["berhadapan-dengan"]·IT["a-meet"]·jav["mapag"]·KO["마주보게-"]·PT["defronte-de"]·RU["напротив"]·ES["frente-a"]·SW["kuelekeana"]·TR["karşısına"]·urd["سامنے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)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×)
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…