H3769 — כָּרַר (karar)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: H3769
Original: כָּרַר
Transliteration: karar
Pronunciation: kaw-rar'
Part of Speech: Verb
Root: Primitive root
Occurrences: 2 in OT (2 unique verses, 1 book)
First Occurrence: 2 Sam 6:14 — "And David danced before the LORD with all [his] might; and David [was] girded with a linen ephod."
Hapax Legomenon: No (appears in 2 verses, though both describe the same event)

Lexicon Definition¶

A primitive root; to dance (i.e. whirl):—dance(-ing).

Verb Stem Distribution¶

Stem	Count	Typical Meaning
Piel (participle)	2	whirling, dancing intensively

Both occurrences are Piel participles (מְכַרְכֵּר, mekharker), the intensive/iterative stem. The Piel reduplication of the biconsonantal root (כרכר from כרר) conveys repeated, vigorous whirling motion. No Qal, Niphal, or other stem forms are attested.

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Count	%
danced	1	50%
and dancing	1	50%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
2 Samuel	2	0.3

The word appears exclusively in the narrative of David bringing the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem (2 Sam 6:12–16). It is absent from the parallel account in 1 Chronicles 15, which uses רָקַד (raqad, H7540) instead.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Ecstatic Worship Dance Before God¶

2 Sam 6:14 — "And David danced [מְכַרְכֵּר] before the LORD with all [his] might; and David [was] girded with a linen ephod."
2 Sam 6:16 — "And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing [מְכַרְכֵּר] before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart."

Both occurrences describe the same event: David's uninhibited whirling before the ark during its processional entry into Jerusalem. The word carries connotations of vigorous circular motion, performed as an act of worship "before the LORD" (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה). In 6:16 it is paired with פָּזַז (pazaz, H6339, "leaping"), intensifying the picture of full-bodied physical exuberance.

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
אָרוֹן (aron)	H727	1x	dancing as the ark of the LORD enters the city
עֹז (oz)	H5797	1x	dancing "with all might" — total physical exertion
אֵפוֹד (ephod)	H646	1x	dancer wearing a linen ephod (priestly garment)
פָּזַז (pazaz)	H6339	1x	"leaping and dancing" — paired action verbs
מִיכָל (Michal)	H4324	1x	observed and despised by Michal
מֶלֶךְ (melek)	H4428	1x	"king David" as subject — royal figure dancing

With only 2 verses, all collocations are at 1x (50%). The theologically significant ones are listed above.

Synonyms (SDBH)¶

H6338 פָּזַז (pazaz) — to refine (gold); distinct from H6339, which means "to leap/spring"

Semantic Domain: Leap [002002001011]¶

H1801 דָּלַג (dalag) — to spring, leap (5 occ.) — general leaping
H2187 זָנַק (zanaq) — to leap (1 occ.)
A5426 נְתַר (nethar) — to spring off (Aramaic, 1 occ.)
H5425 נָתַר (nathar) — to spring, start (8 occ.)
H5539 סָלַד (salad) — to leap for joy (1 occ.)
H6338 פָּזַז (pazaz) — to refine gold (1 occ.; distinct from H6339)

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
רָקַד (raqad)	H7540	"dancing" (2 Sam 6:16)	raqad = stamping/springing about; broader range (9 occ.); used in parallel account 1 Chr 15:29; karar = whirling specifically
חוּל (chuwl)	H2342	"dance" (Judg 21:21)	chuwl = to twist/whirl in circle; wide semantic range including writhing in pain, travailing; karar = intensive celebratory whirling only
מְחֹלָה (mecholah)	H4246	"dances/dancing" (Ex 15:20)	mecholah = noun, a circle dance; formal/communal; karar = verb, individual ecstatic whirling
מָחוֹל (machowl)	H4234	"dance/dancing" (Ps 149:3)	machowl = noun, round dance; used in psalmic praise contexts; karar = verb, uniquely intense physical motion
חָגַג (chagag)	H2287	"dancing" (1 Sam 30:16)	chagag = to move in circle / observe festival; primarily "keep a feast"; karar = purely dance/whirl

LXX Mapping¶

No LXX alignment data available in the database for H3769. The LXX renders 2 Sam 6:14 with ὀρχέομαι (orcheomai, "to dance") and 6:16 with the same, but these alignments are not present in the statistical mapping tables, likely due to the word's rarity.