Word Study for H3734 (כֹּר) | Strong's Concordance

kôr /kore/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom the same as כּוּר

Meaningproperly, a deep round vessel, i.e. (specifically) a cor or measure for things dry

KJV usagecor, measure. Aramaic the same.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of kôr — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word kôr, represented by H3734, is a specific unit of measure. It appears 9 times across 6 unique verses in the Bible. The term refers to a cor, a large measure used for dry goods, and is defined as a deep round vessel. Aramaic uses the same word.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical accounts, H3734 is consistently used to quantify massive amounts of provisions, tribute, and payments. It illustrates the scale of royal administration and international agreements. For King Solomon's household, the daily provision included thirty measures of fine flour and sixty measures of meal 1 Kings 4:22. As part of a treaty, Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for his household 1 Kings 5:11. The term also appears in the context of tribute, with the children of Ammon paying ten thousand measures of wheat and ten thousand of barley to King Jotham 2 Chronicles 27:5.

Related Words & Concepts

The significance of H3734 is further clarified by its relationship to other biblical measures and commodities:

H2563 chômer (homer, clay): This dry measure is explicitly equated with the cor. Ezekiel establishes the standard that "ten baths are an homer" and the cor is "an homer of ten baths" Ezekiel 45:14. This word can also mean clay, as in "we are the clay, and thou our potter" Isaiah 64:8.
H1324 bath (bath): A Hebrew measure for liquids. The cor is defined by its relationship to the bath, with one cor equaling ten baths Ezekiel 45:14. This connects the standards for both dry and liquid measurements.
H2406 chiṭṭâh (wheat): This is one of the primary commodities measured by the cor. It was used as payment to Solomon's timber cutters 2 Chronicles 2:10 and given as annual tribute by the Ammonites 2 Chronicles 27:5.
H8184 sᵉʻôrâh (barley): Another essential grain measured by the cor, often mentioned alongside wheat in records of large-scale provisions and payments 2 Chronicles 2:10.

Theological Significance

While a practical term, the use of H3734 carries significant weight in understanding biblical economics and justice.

Royal and National Economy: The immense quantities measured in cors, such as the provisions for Solomon's projects, demonstrate the wealth and administrative capacity of the Israelite kingdom at its height 2 Chronicles 2:10.
Standard for Justice: In Ezekiel's vision for a restored Israel, the cor (as the homer) is established as the foundational standard from which other measures are derived. This highlights a divine concern for fairness and order in commerce and religious life Ezekiel 45:14.
Substance of Agreements: The cor quantifies the tangible assets used in treaties and as payment for labor, such as the thousands of measures of wheat and oil Solomon gave to Hiram, grounding covenants in concrete economic reality 1 Kings 5:11.

Summary

In summary, H3734 is more than just an archaic unit of volume. It serves as a window into the economic life of ancient Israel, representing large-scale commerce, royal power, and international tribute. Its use in Ezekiel's prophecy elevates it from a simple measure to a component of divine order and justice, ensuring fairness in the community's economic and devotional life.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 9 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

כֹּרִים
כֹּר
כֹּר

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 6 verses across 4 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles (2 verses each); never once in the other 35.

1 Kings

2 Chronicles

Ezra

Ezekiel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.