H7138 H7138
Near, close; spatially proximate, temporally imminent, relationally kin, or cultically admitted into God's presence.
An adjective whose basic sense of spatial closeness radiates outward into time, kinship, and sacred theology. Places, cities, and roads can be qarov (Exod 13:17; Gen 19:20), and people who are qarov are relatives or neighbors — Spanish 'cercano' and French 'proche' preserve both spatial and relational senses naturally. Temporally, it signals imminence: 'the day is near' (Ezek 7:7). Most strikingly, Leviticus 10:3 uses it for those who draw near to God in priestly service — 'through those near to me I will be sanctified' — elevating physical proximity into sacred access.
3. near in time, soon — Near in time, signaling imminence or recency. Ezekiel 7:7–8 warns 'the day is qarov' — judgment looms. Jeremiah 23:23 asks whether God is a God of nearness only. Deuteronomy 32:17 describes gods who 'came from near' — recently arrived. Spanish 'de poco tiempo' and French 'de proche' capture this temporal dimension, which English must often render as 'soon' or 'at hand.' 5×
AR["قَرِيبًا","قَصِيرَةٌ","مِنْ-قَريبٍ","مِنْ-قَرِيبٍ"]·ben["-কাছ-থেকে","কাছের","শীঘ্রই","সম্প্রতি"]·DE["aus-der-Mitte","nahe","von-nahe"]·EN["from-near","is-short","near","soon"]·FR["dans-proche","de-milieu","de-proche","de-près-de","de-מקרוב"]·heb["ב-קרוב","מ-קרוב"]·HI["थोड़ी-देर-की","निकट-का","निकट-से","में-निकट","से-निकट"]·ID["dalam-waktu-dekat","dari-dekat","dekat-waktunya"]·IT["da-mezzo","da-vicino","vicino"]·jav["ing-celak","saking-celak"]·KO["가까운-때에","가까이에서","가까이에서이고","가까이의","에서-가까이"]·PT["de-perto","em-breve","perto"]·RU["в-скоре","вблизи","кратко","недавно","скоро"]·ES["cerca","de-cerca","es-de-poco-tiempo","pronto"]·SW["karibu","karibuni","kutoka-karibu","ni-fupi"]·TR["kısadır","yakında","yakından","yakının"]·urd["تھوڑی-دیر-کی","جلد-میں","جلد-ہی","قریب-سے","قریب-کا"]
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
1. near, close (spatial) — Physically near or close in space, describing the proximity of places, cities, roads, or persons to a reference point. French 'proche' and Spanish 'cerca/cercano' render this straightforwardly. Exodus 13:17 notes God did not lead Israel by the near road, and Genesis 19:20 has Lot begging to flee to a city that is qarov. Often paired with its antonym rachoq ('far') to express totality: near and far meaning everyone. 62×
AR["قَريبٌ","قَرِيبًا","قَرِيبٌ"]·ben["কাছে","কাছের","নিকট","নিকটে"]·DE["nahe"]·EN["Near","is-near","near"]·FR["proche","près","près-de","קרבה","קרוב"]·heb["קרוב","קרובה"]·HI["नज़दीक","निकट","निकट-है","पास"]·ID["dekat","sudah-dekat","yang-dekat"]·IT["vicino","vicino-a"]·jav["cedhak","cedàk","celak"]·KO["가까우니라","가까우면","가까우시도다","가까운","가까운데","가까움이라","가까이","가깝다","가깝도다"]·PT["Próxima","está-perto","perto","próxima","é-próximo"]·RU["Близка","близка","близкий","близко","близкое","близок"]·ES["cerca","cercana","cercano","está-cerca"]·SW["Iko-karibu","iko-karibu","ilikuwa-karibu","imekaribia","karibu","na-utakuwa","wa-karibu"]·TR["yakin","yakın","yakındır"]·urd["قریب","قریب ہے","قریب-ہے"]
2. relative, kinsman, neighbor — A kinsman, relative, neighbor, or close associate, used substantivally with pronominal suffixes. Exodus 32:27 commands 'slay each man his qarov' — his near one, his kinsman. Job 19:14 laments that his qarovim have abandoned him. Spanish 'cercano' and French 'proche' both naturally extend from spatial nearness to relational closeness, mirroring Hebrew's semantic path from proximity to kinship. 8×
AR["أَقْرِبَائِي","الْقَرِيبِينَ","جَارِهِ","قَريبَهُ","قَرِيبٌ","قَرِيبَهُ","قَرِيبِينَ","وَأَقْرِبائي"]·ben["আমার-নিকটজনেরা","ও-আমার-আত্মীয়রা","তাঁর-নিকটের","তার-নিকটের","তার-প্রতিবেশী।","নিকট","নিকটবর্তীদের"]·DE["nahe","sein-nahe","sein-relative","und-mein-nahe"]·EN["and-my-relatives","his-close-friend","his-nearness","his-relative","my-relatives","neighbors","related"]·FR["[קרוב]","et-proche","proche","son-relative","קרובי-moi"]·heb["ו-קרובי-י","קרוב","קרובו","קרובי","קרובים"]·HI["अपने-निकट","अपने-मित्र-के","उसके-निकट-की","और-निकट-वाले-मेरे","नजदीकी-था","निकटवालों","मेरे-निकट"]·ID["kerabat","kerabatku","kerabatnya","tetangganya","yang-dekat","yang-dekat-kepada-Nya"]·IT["[קרוב]","e-vicino","suo-relative","vicino","vicino-mio"]·jav["caket-ipun","celak","ingkang-caket","ingkang-caket.","lan-sanak-kadang-kula","sanak-kadhang-ipun","sanak-sedhèrèk-kawula","tangganipun."]·KO["가까운","가까운-자들을","그리고-내-가까운-자들-이","그에게-가까운","그의-이웃을","나의-친인이","친족-에게"]·PT["e-meus-parentes","meus-parentes","parente","parente-dele","próximo-a-ele","seu-vizinho","vizinhos"]·RU["ближнего-своего","близкие-мои","близкого-Ему","и-близкие-мои","одетых","родственник","родственника-своего"]·ES["cercano","cercano-a-él","cercanos","mis-cercanos","su-cercano","y-mis-parientes"]·SW["jamaa-zangu","jirani","jirani-yake","karibu","na-wanao-nikaribiana","walio-karibu-naye"]·TR["akraba","akrabalarım","ve-akrabalarım","yakın","yakınlar","yakınına","yakınını","yakınının"]·urd["اور-میرے-قریبی","اُس-کی-قربت-کی","اپنے-رشتہ-دار","اپنے-قریبی-کے","رشتہ دار-میرے","قریب","قریبی","قریبیوں"]
4. drawing near to God — Those admitted into God's cultic presence, describing priests or sanctified worshippers who draw near in sacred service. Leviticus 10:3 declares 'through those near to me I will show myself holy' — immediately after Nadab and Abihu's unauthorized approach. Ezekiel 42:13 and 43:19 reserve this language for the Zadokite priests who draw near to minister. The spatial root acquires numinous weight: proximity to God carries both privilege and mortal danger. 3×
AR["الْ-مُقْتَرِبِينَ","بِ-المُقْتَرِبِينَ-مِنِّي","يَقْتَرِبُونَ"]·ben["-আমার-কাছেরদের-মধ্যে","কাছে-আসে","যারা-কাছে-আসে"]·DE["durch-jene-nahe-zu-mich","nahe"]·EN["by-those-near-to-me","near","the-ones-drawing-near"]·FR["par-ces-près-de-à-moi","proche"]·heb["ב-קרבי","ה-קרובים","קרובים"]·HI["जो-निकट-आते-हैं","निकट-आते-हैं","निकट-आने-वालों-में"]·ID["dekat","oleh-yang-mendekat-kepada-Ku","yang-dekat"]·IT["da-quelli-vicino-a-me","vicino"]·jav["celak","déning-tiyang-ingkang-celak-Kula","ingkang-celak"]·KO["가까운","그-가까운","나-에게-가까이-오는-자들에게서"]·PT["Nos-que-se-aproximam-de-Mim","os-que-se-aproximam","próximos"]·RU["в-приближающихся-ко-Мне","приближающиеся"]·ES["cercanos","los-cercanos","por-los-que-se-acercan-a-mí"]·SW["Kwa-wanaonisogelea","wamekaribia","wanaokaribia"]·TR["yaklaşanlar","yakınlarımda"]·urd["قریب-آنے-والے","قریب-ہیں","میں-قریب-آنے-والوں-اپنے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† קָרֹב, קָרוֹב, adj. near;—abs. קָרֹב Ex 12:4 +; -וֹב 2 S 19:43 +; pl. קְרֹבִים 1 K 8:59, קְרוֹבִים Is 33:13 +; fpl. קְרֹבוֹת Ez 22:5, etc.;—near (often opp. רָחוֹק): 1. of city Gn 19:20 (+ לָנוּם שָׁ֫מָּה), Je 48:24, הַקּ׳ Dt 21:3 the nearest (+ אֶל), cf. (of elders) v 6; of land 1 K 8:46 = 2 Ch 6:36; road Ex 13:17; = contiguous, כֶּרֶם 1 K 21:2 (+ אֵצֶל בֵּיתִי). 2. of pers.: a. + אֶל pers. Gn…