קֶ֫רֶב227 H7130
Inward part, midst, interior; the physical interior of a body, the social center of a group, or the literal viscera of a sacrificial animal.
Qereb occupies the space between geography and anatomy in Hebrew thought. Most often it appears with a preposition — beqereb ('in the midst of') or miqqereb ('from the midst of') — to locate something at the heart of a community, city, or land: God dwelling 'in the midst of' Israel, or an evil person cut off 'from the midst of' the congregation. Yet the same word can turn inward to describe the seat of emotions and thought within a person, where Sarah laughs 'within herself' (Gen 18:12) and where the spirit stirs. At its most concrete, qereb names the entrails of a sacrificial animal, the fat-covered organs placed on the altar. Arabic captures this triple range neatly: wasat for 'midst,' dakhil or batin for 'inner being,' and ahsha' for 'viscera.'
Senses
1. midst, among — The dominant prepositional sense: midst, among, in the center of a collective entity. Appearing 165 times, qereb with be- or min- locates something spatially or socially within a group, city, nation, or territory. God promises to walk beqereb the camp (Deut 23:14); idolaters are purged miqqereb Israel (Deut 13:5). Arabic wasat, Korean gaunde (가운데), and Swahili katikati all consistently render this as a spatial-relational center rather than a personal interior, confirming a genuine sense boundary against the anatomical uses. 165×
AR["بِ-وَسَطِ", "في-وَسَطِ", "فِي-وَسَطِ"]·ben["-মধ্যে", "-মধ্যে-", "মধ্য-দিয়ে", "মধ্যে"]·DE["in-Mitte-von", "in-der-Mitte", "in-der-Mitte-von"]·EN["in-midst-of", "in-the-midst-of"]·FR["au-milieu-de", "dans-le-milieu-de", "dans-midst-de", "dans-milieu-de"]·heb["ב-קרב"]·HI["ऐसे", "बीच", "बीच-में", "में-बीच"]·ID["di-tengah", "di-tengah-tengah"]·IT["in-il-mezzo-di", "in-il-midst-di", "in-mezzo-a", "in-mezzo-di", "in-midst-di", "nel-mezzo-di"]·jav["ing-antawis", "ing-satengahing", "ing-tengah", "ing-tengahipun", "wonten-ing-tengah", "wonten-tengah"]·KO["-의-가운데에서", "가운데", "가운데-에", "가운데-에서", "가운데로", "가운데에", "가운데에서", "에-가운데", "에-가운데(접)", "에-가운데에"]·PT["em-meio-de", "no-meio-de", "no-meio-de-"]·RU["в-середине", "в-середину", "в-среде", "посреди", "среди"]·ES["en-medio-de"]·SW["Bkrb", "katikati-ya", "katikati-ya-", "miongoni-mwa", "njaa"]·TR["-de-içinde", "içinde", "içinde-", "içinden-", "ortasında", "ortasında-"]·urd["-درمیان", "بیچ-میں", "درمیان", "درمیان-سے", "درمیان-میں", "درمیان-میں-ہے", "کے-درمیان"]
Gen 45:6, Gen 48:16, Exod 8:22, Exod 31:14, Lev 17:4, Num 5:27, Num 14:14, Deut 4:5, Deut 11:6, Deut 17:20, Deut 18:2, Deut 19:10 (+38 more)
2. inward part, inner being — The psychological-spiritual interior of a person: inner being, heart, inward self. In 40 occurrences the word shifts from communal geography to personal interiority — Sarah laughs beqirbah ('within herself,' Gen 18:12), Nabal's heart dies beqirbo ('within him,' 1 Sam 25:37), and the psalmist cries 'bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me' (Ps 103:1). Arabic selects qalb ('heart') or batin ('inner, hidden') rather than wasat here, and Korean sok (속, 'inside') replaces gaunde, marking this as an internal-experiential sense distinct from spatial location among others. 40×
AR["بِ-وَسَطِهِ", "دَاخِلِي", "في-داخِلي", "في-داخِلِهِم", "فِي-دَاخِلِكَ", "فِي-دَاخِلِكُمْ", "فِي-دَاخِلِكِ", "فِي-دَاخِلِهَا", "فِي-دَاخِلِهِ", "فِي-دَاخِلِهِمْ", "فِي-دَاخِلِي", "فِي-وَسَطِهِ"]·ben["-তার-মধ্যে", "আমার-অন্তরে", "আমার-ভিতরে", "আমার-মধ্যে", "তাদের-মধ্যে", "তার-মধ্যে", "তোমাদের-মধ্যে", "তোমার-মধ্যে", "মধ্যে-অন্তরে-আমার", "মধ্যে-তাদের"]·DE["Inneres", "Mitte", "innerhalb-mich"]·EN["in-his-midst", "in-inward-parts-of-you", "in-its-midst", "in-their-midst", "in-your-midst", "within-me"]·FR["au-milieu-de-moi", "dans-milieu", "en-leur-milieu", "en-son-milieu", "en-ton-milieu", "intérieur"]·heb["ב-קרב-י", "ב-קרבו", "ב-קרבי", "ב-קרבי-", "ב-קרבך", "ב-קרבכם", "ב-קרבם"]·HI["अन्तर-मेरे-में", "उसके-भीतर", "तेरे-भीतर", "बीच-उनके", "बीच-उनके-में", "भीतर-तेरे-में", "में-उनके-भीतर", "में-तुम्हारे-भीतर", "में-बीच", "में-बीच-उसके", "में-बीच-मेरे", "में-भीतर-मेरे", "मेरे-अंदर", "मेरे-भीतर"]·ID["di-dalam-Nya", "di-dalam-batin-mereka", "di-dalam-diriku", "di-dalam-dirimu", "di-dalam-kamu", "di-dalam-ku", "di-dalam-mereka", "di-dalammu", "di-dalamnya", "di-tengahnya"]·IT["in-le-mie-viscere", "mezzo"]·jav["ing-batos-kawula", "ing-batos-kula", "ing-batos-panjenengan", "ing-batos-panjenengan-sedaya", "ing-batos-piyambakipun", "ing-sajroning-panjenengan", "ing-salebeting-kawula", "ing-salebetipun", "ing-tengah-ipun", "ing-tengahipun", "saking-panganiaya", "wonten-ing-batin-ku", "wonten-ing-salebeting-panjenengan"]·KO["그-속에서", "그들의-안에", "그의-가운데서", "나-의-속-에서", "나의-속-에서", "내-속-에", "내-속-에서", "내-안에서", "너의-속에", "너희-안에", "너희의-안에", "에-그의-안에", "에-나의-안에서", "에-안-너의"]·PT["dentro-de-mim", "dentro-dele", "em-interior-vosso", "em-meu-interior", "em-seu-meio", "em-teu-interior", "em-vosso-interior", "no-interior-deles", "no-meio-dele", "no-meio-deles"]·RU["в-среде-его", "в-средине-твоей", "в-средину-его", "в-среду-вас", "в-тебе", "внутри-вас", "внутри-меня", "внутри-них", "внутрь-их", "во-мне"]·ES["dentro-de-mí", "en-interior-de-vosotros", "en-medio-de-él", "en-mi-interior", "en-su-interior", "en-tu-interior", "en-vuestro-interior;"]·SW["katikati-yake", "ndani-yake", "ndani-yako", "ndani-yangu", "ndani-yao", "ndani-yenu"]·TR["icerisinde", "icimde", "icinde", "içimde", "içimde-", "içinde-senin", "içinizde", "içlerinde", "içlerine-onların", "ortasinda"]·urd["اندر-ان-کے", "اندر-تیرے", "اندر-میرے", "اُس-کے-اندر", "اُس-کے-بیچ-میں", "اُس-کے-درمیان", "بَ-اَندَر-میرے", "تمہارے-اندر", "تیرے-اندر", "درمیان-اُن-کے-میں", "میرے-اندر"]
Gen 18:12, Gen 18:24, Gen 25:22, Exod 23:21, 1 Sam 25:37, 1 Kgs 3:28, 1 Kgs 17:21, 1 Kgs 17:22, Job 20:14, Ps 5:9, Ps 39:3, Ps 49:11 (+28 more)
3. entrails, viscera — The literal internal organs or entrails of an animal, especially in sacrificial and dietary contexts. Found 22 times, concentrated in Exodus and Leviticus, where the qereb of the burnt offering must be washed (Exod 29:13, 17; Lev 1:9, 13) and the Passover lamb roasted whole with its qereb (Exod 12:9). Arabic ahsha' ('viscera'), Korean naejang (내장, 'internal organs'), and Swahili matumbo ('intestines/entrails') all select specific anatomical vocabulary here, sharply distinguishing this from both the communal-midst and the metaphorical inner-self senses. 22×
AR["-الأَحْشَاءَ", "-الأَحْشَاءِ", "أَجْوَافِهِنَّ", "أَحشاءَهُ", "الأَحشاءَ", "وَ-أَحْشَاؤُهُ", "وَ-أَحْشَائِهِ"]·ben["-নাড়িভুঁড়ি", "-নাড়িভুঁড়ির", "এবং-তার-নাড়িভুঁড়ি", "তাদের-পেটের", "তার-অন্ত্রগুলি", "নাড়িভুঁড়ি", "নাড়িভুঁড়ির", "সেই-অন্ত্রগুলি"]·DE["der-Eingeweide", "der-entrails", "ihr-Inneres", "sein-entrails", "und-sein-Eingeweide"]·EN["and-its-entrails", "its-entrails", "the-entrails", "their-belly"]·FR["et-son-entrailles", "le-entrailles", "le-entrails", "leur-ventre", "son-entrails"]·heb["ה-קרב", "ו-קרבו", "קרבו", "קרבנה-ן"]·HI["अँतड़ियों", "अंतड़ियां", "अंतड़ियों", "अंतड़ियों-के", "अंतड़ियों-को", "उनके-पेट-में", "उसकी-अँतड़ियाँ", "और-अंतड़ियां", "और-अंतड़ियां-उसकी"]·ID["Dan-jeroannya", "dan-jeroannya", "isi-perut", "isi-perut-itu", "isi-perutnya", "jeroan", "perut-mereka"]·IT["e-suo-interiora", "il-entrails", "il-interiora", "loro-belly", "suo-entrails"]·jav["Lan-jeroanipun", "jeroan", "jeroanipun", "lan-jeroanipun", "perutipun"]·KO["그-내장", "그-내장과", "그-내장을", "그들의-배속에", "그리고-그것-의-내장", "그리고-그것-의-내장-과"]·PT["E-suas-entranhas", "as-entranhas", "e-suas-entranhas", "entranhas-dele", "interior-delas"]·RU["внутренности", "внутренности-его", "внутренностях", "и-внутренности-его", "утробу-их"]·ES["Y-entrañas-suyas", "entrañas-de-ellas", "las-entrañas", "sus-entrañas", "y-entrañas-suyas"]·SW["Na-matumbo-yake", "matumbo", "matumbo-yake", "matumbo-yao", "na-matumbo-yake"]·TR["-iç-organlar", "-iç-organları", "bağırsakları", "iç-organları", "iç-organlarını", "içlerine", "ve-iç-organları", "ve-iç-organlarını"]·urd["-اوجھڑی", "انتڑیوں", "اوجھڑی", "اور-اُس-کی-انتڑیاں", "اُس-کی-اوجھڑی", "پیٹ-ان-کے"]
Gen 41:21, Gen 41:21, Exod 12:9, Exod 29:13, Exod 29:17, Exod 29:22, Lev 1:9, Lev 1:13, Lev 3:3, Lev 3:3, Lev 3:9, Lev 3:9 (+10 more)
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)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×)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×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
קֶ֫רֶב227 n.[m.] inward part, midst;—ק׳ abs. Ex 29:13 + (only 3); cstr. Gn 45:6 +; sf. קִרְבִּי Jos 9:7 +, 3 fpl. קִרְבֶּ֗נָה Gn 41:21, -בֶּ֔נָה v 21 (Ges§ 91 f. Köii.1, 488 N. 1), etc.; pl. only (sf.) קְרָבַי ψ 103:1;—usually c. prep. (בְּק׳ 143 times, מִקּ׳ 43 times);— 1. †a. inward part of human body, physical sense, בְּק׳ within one’s body Gn 25:22 (J), cf. 18:12 (J), 1 S 25:37; Je 23:9; Jb…