### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **qereth**, represented by `{{H7176}}`, is a term for **city**. Derived from a root suggesting the act of building, it appears **5 times** across **5 unique verses**. Its usage is concentrated in scripture that explores wisdom and the structure of society.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H7176}}` consistently depicts the **city** as a center of public life and moral consequence. It is the place where pronouncements are made, as both Wisdom and Folly cry out from its high places ([[Proverbs 9:3]], [[Proverbs 9:14]]). Job describes going "through the **city**" to the gate where he prepared his seat in the street, highlighting its role in civic affairs [[Job 29:7]]. The fate of the **city** is directly linked to the character of its inhabitants; it is exalted by the blessing of the upright but overthrown by the mouth of the wicked [[Proverbs 11:11]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help define the environment of the city:
* `{{H8179}}` **shaʻar** (gate): This word for an opening or **gate** is a key feature of the city, serving as a place of entry and public assembly ([[Job 29:7]], [[Proverbs 8:3]]).
* `{{H4791}}` **mârôwm** (high places): Signifying an elevated place, this term is used to describe the prominent locations within the city from which influential voices are heard ([[Proverbs 9:3]], [[Proverbs 9:14]]).
* `{{H1293}}` **Bᵉrâkâh** (blessing): This word for **blessing** or prosperity is shown to be the source of a city's exaltation, dependent on the character of the upright within it [[Proverbs 11:11]].
* `{{H2040}}` **hâraç** (overthrow): As the direct opposite of being built up, this term describes the destruction that comes upon a city through the influence of the wicked [[Proverbs 11:11]].
### Theological Significance
The thematic weight of `{{H7176}}` is significant in understanding biblical wisdom.
* **The Public Arena:** The city is portrayed as the primary stage for social and moral interaction. Actions and speech have public consequences, whether at the entry of the city [[Proverbs 8:3]] or its highest places [[Proverbs 9:3]].
* **Moral Barometer:** A city's condition serves as a direct reflection of its people's virtue. Its stability and honor rise with the blessing of the upright, while wickedness leads to its ruin [[Proverbs 11:11]].
* **Center of Influence:** The city is a place where competing ideas, personified by Wisdom and Folly, vie for the attention of the populace, establishing it as a battleground for truth and righteousness.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7176}}` is not merely a geographical designation but a concept representing the social and moral fabric of a community. Used exclusively in Job and Proverbs, it illustrates that the integrity of a society's public spaces and the very foundation of the **city** itself are built upon the righteousness, or torn down by the wickedness, of its people.