Kara כָּרַע

Kara (Hebrew כָּרַע, Strong's H3766) is a Hebrew verb meaning “to bow”. It occurs 36 times in 32 verses of the Old Testament.

Definition

From the STEPBible Brief Lexicon of Hebrew (based on the abridged Brown-Driver-Briggs), STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.

Translated as

Verses

Every verse with Kara, with the English words that translate it highlighted (KJV or BSB; other translations show the KJV here).

Genesis

• Genesis 49:9
  Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?Judah is a young lion— my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?

Numbers

• Numbers 24:9
  He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.He crouches, he lies down like a lion; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? Blessed are those who bless you and cursed are those who curse you.”

Judges

• Judges 5:27
  At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.At her feet he collapsed, he fell, there he lay still; at her feet he collapsed, he fell; where he collapsed, there he fell dead.
• Judges 7:5
  So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.So Gideon brought the people down to the water, and the LORD said to him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel to drink.”
• Judges 7:6
  And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.And the number of those who lapped the water with their hands to their mouths was three hundred men; all the others knelt to drink.
• Judges 11:35
  And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back.As soon as Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter! You have brought me to my knees! You have brought great misery upon me, for I have given my word to the LORD and cannot take it back.”

1 Samuel

• 1 Samuel 4:19
  And his daughter in law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.Now Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and about to give birth. When she heard the news of the capture of God’s ark and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband, she collapsed and gave birth, for her labor pains overtook her.

2 Samuel

• 2 Samuel 22:40
  For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me.

1 Kings

• 1 Kings 8:54
  And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.Now when Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and petition to the LORD, he got up before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven.
• 1 Kings 19:18
  Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.Nevertheless, I have reserved seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

2 Kings

• 2 Kings 1:13
  And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. And the third captain went up, fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, “Man of God, may my life and the lives of these fifty servants please be precious in your sight.
• 2 Kings 9:24
  And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot.

2 Chronicles

• 2 Chronicles 7:3
  And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD: “For He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.”
• 2 Chronicles 29:29
  And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped.When the offerings were completed, the king and all those present with him bowed down and worshiped.

Ezra

• Ezra 9:5
  And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God,At the evening offering, I got up from my humiliation with my tunic and cloak torn, and I fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the LORD my God,

Esther

• Esther 3:2
  And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.All the royal servants at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded that this be done for him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage.
• Esther 3:5
  And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or pay him homage, he was filled with rage.

Job

• Job 4:4
  Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.Your words have steadied those who stumbled; you have braced the knees that were buckling.
• Job 31:10
  Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.then may my own wife grind grain for another, and may other men sleep with her.
• Job 39:3
  They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.They crouch down and bring forth their young; they deliver their newborn.

Psalms

• Psalm 17:13
  Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:Arise, O LORD, confront them! Bring them to their knees; deliver me from the wicked by Your sword,
• Psalm 18:39
  For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me.
• Psalm 20:8
  They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.They collapse and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.
• Psalm 22:29
  All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him— even those unable to preserve their lives.
• Psalm 72:9
  They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.May the nomads bow before him, and his enemies lick the dust.
• Psalm 78:31
  The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.God’s anger flared against them, and He put to death their strongest and subdued the young men of Israel.
• Psalm 95:6
  O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

Isaiah

• Isaiah 10:4
  Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.Nothing will remain but to crouch among the captives or fall among the slain. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.
• Isaiah 45:23
  I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.
• Isaiah 46:1
  Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle. The images you carry are burdensome, a load to the weary animal.
• Isaiah 46:2
  They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.The gods cower; they crouch together, unable to relieve the burden; but they themselves go into captivity.
• Isaiah 65:12
  Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.I will destine you for the sword, and you will all kneel down to be slaughtered, because I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not listen; you did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.”

Notes

1. Definition and verse list from STEPBible's tagged Hebrew Old Testament (TAHOT) and Greek New Testament (TAGNT) and Brief Lexicons, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.
2. English renderings from the public-domain KJV with Strong's numbers (eBible.org) and the Berean Standard Bible interlinear (public domain).