Lexical Summary qereth: City, town Original Word: קֶרֶת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance city From qarah in the sense of building; a city -- city. see HEBREW qarah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom qarah Definition town, city NASB Translation city (5). Brown-Driver-Briggs [קֶ֫רֶת] noun feminine town, city (late poetry) (compare Phoenician קרת חדשת proper name, of a location in Cyprus, also = Carthage, and perhaps Cirta, Tigranocerta; compare Thes); — always קָ֑רֶת; — of Job's city, Job 29:7; indefinite Proverbs 8:3; Proverbs 9:3,14; city as a corporate body of men Proverbs 11:11. Topical Lexicon Definition and Scope קֶרֶת (Strong’s 7176) denotes the communal space of a “city” or “town,” with emphasis on its public, civic life rather than its fortifications. In each biblical appearance the word places the reader at the hub where social, judicial, and moral exchanges shape the well-being of the population. Occurrences in Scripture Job 29:7; Proverbs 8:3; Proverbs 9:3; Proverbs 9:14; Proverbs 11:11. The references cluster in wisdom literature, showing the term’s instructional intent and its backdrop of daily life. The City Gate as a Place of Authority Job recalls his former days: “When I went out to the gate of the city and took my seat in the public square” (Job 29:7). The gate was the courtroom, marketplace, and forum all in one. Elders rendered judgments, merchants traded, and covenant life found visibility. קֶרֶת therefore evokes human accountability lived before neighbors and, ultimately, before God. Wisdom’s Public Call Proverbs repeatedly stages personified Wisdom at the entrance of קֶרֶת: Wisdom’s message is not hidden in cloisters; it is proclaimed where every passerby must decide. The urban setting underlines that divine instruction intersects ordinary routines—commerce, governance, family errands—demanding response in public and private ethics alike. Folly’s Rival Appeal Counter-wisdom likewise positions itself “on a seat by the heights of the city” (Proverbs 9:14). The competing voices of Wisdom and Folly within the same קֶרֶת dramatize the moral battlefield of cultural conversation. Cities amplify influence; thus righteousness or wickedness radiates outward from these hubs. Moral Influence upon the Community Proverbs 11:11 summarizes the civic outcome: “By the blessing of the upright a city is built up, but by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down”. קֶרֶת becomes a barometer of collective integrity. Words—blessing or slander—carry formative power over social structures, commerce, and security. Theological Reflections 1. Covenant Responsibility: The recurring scene at the gate affirms that God’s wisdom addresses communal justice (Deuteronomy 16:18), not merely private piety. Practical Ministry Applications • Engage the Public Square: Churches and believers are called to reflect Job’s integrity at the “gate”—in civic service, vocational excellence, and ethical speech. קֶרֶת therefore challenges God’s people to live wisely and speak righteously in the arenas that shape society, confident that scriptural wisdom still builds cities and nations today. Forms and Transliterations קָ֑רֶת קָֽרֶת׃ קרת קרת׃ Karet qā·reṯ qāreṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 29:7 HEB: שַׁ֣עַר עֲלֵי־ קָ֑רֶת בָּ֝רְח֗וֹב אָכִ֥ין NAS: out to the gate of the city, When I took KJV: to the gate through the city, [when] I prepared INT: to the gate of the city the square took Proverbs 8:3 Proverbs 9:3 Proverbs 9:14 Proverbs 11:11 5 Occurrences |
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