BIBLE HEBREW WORD STUDY
Qara (קָרָא) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
Qara (קָרָא, H7121) is a common Hebrew verb meaning 'to call,' used for naming, summoning, addressing by name, and crying out.
Meaning of the word
The verb qara (קָרָא) fundamentally means 'to call out to' or 'to address by name.' Its core idea is summoning or invoking someone or something vocally, and it extends naturally into the act of assigning a name because, in the Hebrew mind, calling something by a name is an act of declaring what it is.
The lexicographic note highlights that the word is 'properly, address by name,' but is used in a wide variety of applications. This flexibility is visible in the example verses, where qara covers at least four distinct actions: naming the created elements (light, firmament, land, seas), giving names to living creatures, summoning a person by voice, and calling upon a divine name in worship.
The verb carries a deliberate, declarative force. When God calls the light 'Day,' the action is not merely labeling but proclaiming the identity and role of what He has made. When the man names the animals, qara expresses his authority and discernment over creation. When used of summoning (Genesis 3:9), it implies relational address, not just a shout.
Usage in Scripture
In Genesis 1, qara appears three times in the creation account (1:5, 1:8, 1:10). God calls the light Day, the firmament Heaven, and the dry land Earth. These are the first naming acts in Scripture, and they establish the pattern that naming is a divine prerogative and an act of ordering the created world.
In Genesis 2:19–20, the same verb is applied to the first human: Adam calls the living creatures, and whatever he calls each one becomes its name. In 2:23 the woman herself is described as 'she shall be called Woman.' In 3:9, God calls to Adam, and in 3:20 Adam names his wife Eve because she is 'the mother of all living.' By Genesis 12:8, qara also means to invoke a divine name in worship: Abram 'called upon the name of Jehovah.'
The word in detail
- H7121 Qara (קָרָא) is defined as 'to call out to' or 'address by name,' with a wide range of applications. In the provided Genesis passages it covers divine naming of creation (1:5, 8, 10), human naming of animals (2:19–20) and of the woman (2:23, 3:20), God's summoning of Adam (3:9), and calling upon the name of Jehovah in worship (12:8). The verb is Qal in form in the cited verses (yyiqrāʾ, yiqqārēʾ).
Example verses
- Genesis 1:5 God calls the light Day and the darkness Night — the first naming act in Scripture, showing qara as a creative, declarative speech act by God.
- Genesis 2:19 Adam calls the living creatures and whatever he calls each one becomes its name. Qara here expresses delegated authority over creation and the link between calling and naming.
- Genesis 3:9 Jehovah God called to the man. Qara shifts from naming to relational address, as God seeks out Adam after the fall.
- Genesis 12:8 Abram called upon the name of Jehovah. The same verb carries the sense of invoking or proclaiming a divine name in worship at an altar.
Common questions
Does qara mean 'to name' or 'to call out'?
Both. The base meaning is 'to call out to / address by name,' and from that it naturally extends to the act of giving a name, because naming in Hebrew is itself a form of declaring what something is.
What does qara tell us about God's role in creation?
In Genesis 1, God calls created elements by name (Day, Night, Heaven, Earth, Seas). Naming here is not mere labeling but an authoritative, ordering word that establishes the identity and function of what God has made.
Can qara also mean to worship?
Yes, in contexts like Genesis 12:8, 'to call upon the name of Jehovah' uses qara for invoking or proclaiming God's name in worship at an altar.