Word Study for H7159 (קָרַם) | Strong's Concordance

qâram /kaw-ram'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto cover

KJV usagecover.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of qâram — 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 qâram, represented by H7159, is a primitive root meaning to cover. It is a highly specific term, appearing only 2 times in 2 unique verses in the entire Bible. Its use is confined to the dramatic vision of the valley of dry bones.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

Both occurrences of H7159 are found in Ezekiel's prophecy, where God demonstrates His power to restore life to the house of Israel. First, God declares His intention, "I will ... cover you with skin" Ezekiel 37:6, as a key step in reconstituting the bodies. This promise is then visually fulfilled when Ezekiel observes that "the skin covered them above" Ezekiel 37:8. In this context, the word signifies the final stage of physical restoration before the impartation of breath, a tangible act of divine re-creation.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words are used alongside H7159 to construct this powerful image of restoration:

H1320 bâsâr (flesh): This word refers to the flesh that God brings up upon the bones, which is then covered by skin (Ezekiel 37:6, Ezekiel 37:8).
H5414 nâthan (to give): This verb describes God's direct action of "laying" sinews and "putting" breath into the newly formed bodies Ezekiel 37:6.
H5785 ʻôwr (skin): This is the material that is used to "cover" the flesh, acting as the outer layer of the restored bodies Ezekiel 37:6.
H5927 ʻâlâh (to ascend): This word is used to describe how the flesh will "bring up" or mount upon the skeletal framework Ezekiel 37:6.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7159 is tied directly to its singular context in Ezekiel 37.

Divine Power over Creation: The act of covering the bones with skin is a demonstration of God's sovereignty over life and death. It is a critical part of the process by which the people will "know that I am the LORD" Ezekiel 37:6.
Completeness of Restoration: The covering of skin signifies a complete physical restoration. The narrative makes a clear distinction between the covered, but lifeless, body and the subsequent act of receiving breath, highlighting that true life comes only from God's spirit Ezekiel 37:8.
Tangible Promise: The use of qâram illustrates the physical, hands-on nature of God's work. He does not just declare restoration but meticulously builds it, with "covering" being a final, protective step in the physical re-creation.

Summary

In summary, H7159 is a rare but potent verb meaning to cover. Its exclusive use in the vision of the Valley of Dry Bones locks its meaning to the theme of miraculous, divine restoration. It functions as a key descriptive action in one of scripture's most vivid prophecies, illustrating God's power to fully and physically reconstitute that which was dead, making it a powerful term for the completeness of God's restorative work.

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 verb across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 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.

יִּקְרַם
קָרַמְתִּי

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

2 verses, all in Ezekiel — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

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.