H7136a H7136a
To encounter, meet, or befall; of events happening to someone, of persons meeting one another, or of causing something to come about
A versatile Hebrew verb that captures the full spectrum of how people and events cross paths. In its simplest form it describes something befalling a person — the brothers recounting to Jacob 'all the things that had happened to them' (Gen 42:29). In the Nifal stem it shifts to deliberate or mutual meeting, as when God meets Balaam on the hilltop (Num 23:4). The Hifil causative extends into divine orchestration, as when Abraham's servant prays that God would 'cause to happen' the right encounter (Gen 24:12). Spanish 'acontecer' and German 'begegnen' both reflect this dual sense of happenstance and purposeful meeting.
1. happen, occur, befall — The most common use describes an event coming to pass or befalling someone, often with a pronominal suffix marking the affected party. Ruth 2:3 captures this beautifully — 'her happening happened upon the field of Boaz' — where the narrator uses the cognate construction to underscore providential coincidence. The multilingual glosses converge on event-occurrence verbs: Spanish 'acontece,' French 'arriver,' confirming a core meaning of impersonal happenstance directed at a specific person. 12×
AR["أَ-يُصِيبُكَ","أَنَّ","الْ-أُمُورِ","تَحْدُثُ","حَدَثَ-لَهُ","لِي-","وَ-أَصَابَهُ","وَ-وَقَعَ","يَحْدُثُ","يُصيبُكِ","يِقْرِه"]·ben["আর-ঘটে-তার","এবং-ঘটল","কি-ঘটবে-তোমার-কাছে","ঘটনা","ঘটবে","ঘটবে-তোমার","ঘটে","ঘটেছিল-তার"]·DE["[יקרה]","[תקרינה]","geschah","und-Ehre","und-stößt-ihm-zu","was-begegnet-war","wird-befall-du","wird-happen-zu-du"]·EN["and-befalls-him","and-happened","had-happened-to-him","happened-to-him","happens","shall-happen","the-former-things","the-things-happening","will-befall-you","will-happen-me","will-happen-to-you"]·FR["[קרהו]","[תקרינה]","arriver","arriver-moi","et-arriva","et-arrive-lui","fera-befall-tu","fera-happen-à-tu","le-choses-happening"]·heb["ה-קרה","היקרך","ו-קרה","ו-קרה-ו","יקר-ך","יקרה","יקרני","קרה-ו","תקרינה"]·HI["उस-पर-हुआ-था","और-भाग्य-से","और-होगी-उसे","क्या-होता-है-तुझे","घटती-है","घटित-हुई","घटेगा","घटेगी","मिलेग-तुझे","होता-है","होने-वाली-हैं"]·ID["Dan-terjadilah","akan-terjadi","apakah-terjadi-kepadamu","dan-menimpa-dia","menimpa","menimpaku","menimpamu","menimpanya","yang-terjadi"]·IT["[יקרה]","[קרהו]","[תקרינה]","e-befalls-lui","e-happened","fara-happen-a-tu","happens","il-cose-happening","vorrà-befall-tu","will-happen-me-mio"]·jav["badhé-kelakon","badh駑ealami","ingkang-kedadosan","kadadosan","lan-kelakon","lan-nemu-cilaka","ngengingi","ningkahi","ningkahi-kula","panjenengan-nampi-paukuman","punapa-kalampahan"]·KO["그리고-닥치면-그를","그리고-일어났다","다칠-것이다","다칠-것이다-나에게","닥친-것들을","닥칠-것을","당한","만나면","일어난","일어날","임하겠느냐-너에게"]·PT["acontece","acontecer-te","acontecerá","aconteceu-lhe","e-acontecer-lhe","e-aconteceu","me-acontecerá","o-acontecido","se-te-acontecerá"]·RU["и-случилось","и-случится-с-ним","постигнет-тебя","сбудется-ли-для-тебя","случается","случившееся","случилось-с-ним","случится","случится;"]·ES["acontece","acontecerá","las-cosas-que-sucedieron","le-sucedió","me-sucederá","si-te-acontecerá","sucede","sucederá","te-sobrevendrá","y-le-acontecerá","y-sucedió"]·SW["hesabu","huwapata","inawapata","itanipata","kitakukupata","kusema","litakutokea","na-ikatokea","na-kijana","na-wakasema","tokea","yatakayompata"]·TR["-olanları","başına-geldi","gelecek-sana","karsilar","karsilayacak-beni","mı-başına-gelecek-sana","olacak","olacaklar","ve-başına-gelirse","ve-tesadüf-etti"]·urd["اور-پہنچے-گی-اُسے","اور-ہوا-ایسا","باتوں-جو","پہنچے-گا-تجھے","پیش-آئے-گا","پیش-آتا-ہے","پیش-آیا-اسے","کیا-پورا-ہوتا-ہے-تیرے-سامنے","ہو-گا","ہونے-والی-ہے"]
Gen 42:29, Gen 44:29, Num 11:23, Ruth 2:3, 1 Sam 28:10, Esth 4:7, Esth 6:13, Eccl 2:14, Eccl 2:15, Eccl 9:11, Isa 41:22, Dan 10:14
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
2. meet, encounter (Nifal) — In the Nifal stem the verb shifts from impersonal happening to personal encounter. God 'meets' Balaam repeatedly in Numbers 23 (vv. 3-4, 15-16), and Moses tells Pharaoh that 'the God of the Hebrews has met with us' (Exod 3:18). Spanish 'se encontró' and the reflexive construction highlight the reciprocal or divinely initiated nature of these meetings — not mere chance but purposeful convergence between persons. 6×
AR["أَلْتَقِي","الْتَقَى","صَادَفْتُ","وَ-الْتَقَى","يَلْتَقِي"]·ben["আমি-পড়ে-গেলাম","এবং-সাক্ষাৎ-করলেন","মিলিত-হয়েছেন","সাক্ষাৎ-করব","সাক্ষাৎ-করবেন"]·DE["hat-met","ich-happened","und-met","wird-meet","wird-sein-met"]·EN["I-happened","and-met","has-met","will-be-met","will-meet"]·FR["a-rencontra","et-met","fera-meet","fera-être-met","je-happened"]·heb["אקרה","ו-יקר","יקרה","נקרה","נקריתי"]·HI["और-मिले","मिला","मिलूँगा","मिलेंगे","मैं-पहुँचा"]·ID["akan-bertemu","aku-kebetulan","bertemu","dan-bertemu","menemui"]·IT["e-met","fara-essere-met","fara-meet","ha-met","io-accadde"]·jav["Lan-manggihi","badhe-manggihi","badhe-rawuh","kula-kepanggih","sampun-pinanggih"]·KO["그리고-만나셨다","내가-만나겠다","만나셨다","만나실-것이다","만났습니다"]·PT["E-encontrou","aconteci","encontrarei","encontrará","encontrou-se"]·RU["встретил","встретится","встречусь","и-встретился","случился-я"]·ES["Y-se-encontró","acontecí","me-encontraré","nos-encontró","salga-al-encuentro"]·SW["Na-akakutana","ametukutana","atakutana","nilikutana","nitakutana"]·TR["karşılaşacağım","karşılaştı","karşılaştım","karşılaşır","ve-karşılaştı"]·urd["اور-ملا","ملا","ملوں-گا","ملے","پہنچا-میں"]
3. cause to happen, select, appoint — The Hifil causative extends the root into the realm of orchestration and appointment. Abraham's servant asks God to 'cause to happen before me' the right woman (Gen 24:12), while Numbers 35:11 uses it for designating cities of refuge — literally causing the fugitive to 'encounter' sanctuary. Spanish 'designaréis' for the cities-of-refuge passage shows how translators naturally shift from encounter-language to appointment-language when the causative stem is in play. 3×
AR["أنجَحَ","أَحْضِرْ","وَتُعَيِّنُونَ"]·ben["এবং-নির্বাচন-করবে","ঘটাও-","ঘটালেন"]·DE["es-ließ-begegnen","lass-begegnen-","und-du-soll-select"]·EN["and-you-shall-select","caused-to-happen","make-happen"]·FR["caused-à-happen","et-tu-devra-select","faire-happen"]·heb["ו-הקריתם","קרה"]·HI["और-चुनना","घटित-कर","भेजा"]·ID["Maka-sediakanlah","mempertemukan","pertemukanlah"]·IT["caused-a-happen","e-tu-dovra-select","fare-happen"]·jav["Lan-panjenengan-nemtokaken","Tumindakna-","maringi-kasempatan"]·KO["그리고-정할-것이다","만나게-하셨다","이루어지게-하소서"]·PT["E-designareis","faze-encontrar","fez-acontecer"]·RU["дай-случиться","и-назначьте","направил"]·ES["Y-designaréis","haz-acontecer","hizo-acontecer"]·SW["Na-mtajiandalia","alinifanyia","nifanyie"]·TR["karşılaştır-","karşıma-çıkardı","ve-seçeceksiniz"]·urd["اور-مقرّر-کرو","ملایا","پیش-کر"]
4. meet, encounter (Qal) — A single Qal occurrence with a direct personal object in Deuteronomy 25:18 — Amalek 'met you' on the road and attacked the stragglers. Unlike the impersonal 'befall' sense, the focus here is on hostile physical encounter between peoples. The directness of the pronominal suffix ('met you') and the military context distinguish this from the more passive happening-upon of Sense 1. 1×
AR["لَقِيَكَ"]·ben["তোমার-সাথে-দেখা-করল"]·DE["met-du"]·EN["met-you"]·FR["met-tu"]·heb["קרך"]·HI["मिला-तुझे"]·ID["menyerang-engkau"]·IT["met-tu"]·jav["ketemu-panjenengan"]·KO["그가-만났느니라"]·PT["encontrou-te"]·RU["встретил-тебя"]·ES["te-encontró"]·SW["alikukutana-nawe"]·TR["karşıladı-seni"]·urd["پیش-آیا-تجھے"]
Related Senses
H1961 1. be, exist, was (Qal copular/existential) (3505×)H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1510 1. copulative, linking predication (2095×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)G2962 1. Lord (divine title) (661×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H0136 1. Lord (divine title) (440×)G1096 1. become, change state (421×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [קָרָה] vb. encounter, meet, befall (‖ II. קָרָא; NH קָרָה meet (rare), קְרִי misfortune, specif. (nocturnal) pollution, and so Aramaic קִרְיוּתָא, ܩܶܪܝܳܐ; Arabic قَرَا (و) is go, seek earnestly, قَرَى receive hospitably as guest; Ethiopic ii. 3, አቃረየ: present, offer as sacrifice);— Qal Pf. 3 ms. sf. קָֽרְךָ Dt 25:18, (ו)קָרָהוּ Gn 44:29 +; Impf. 3 ms. יִקְרֶה Ec 9:11 + Dn 10:14 Kt (Qr…