Original Word: הַכָּרָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: hakkarah
Pronunciation: hak-kaw-RAW
Phonetic Spelling: (hak-kaw-raw')
KJV: shew
NASB: expression
Word Origin: [from H5234 (נָכַר - recognized)]

1. respect, i.e. partiality

show

From nakar; respect, i.e. Partiality -- shew.

see HEBREW nakar

Word Origin
from nakar
Definition
a look
NASB Translation
expression (1).

הַכָּרַת Isaiah 3:9 see נכר.

[הַכָּרָה] noun feminine look (or expression?); — construct הַכָּרַת מְּנֵיהֶם Isaiah 3:9 a look at their face witnesses against them (ᵑ9 Che^Comm. and others), or the expression of their face (Ges^Comm. De Gu SS, compare Kit-Di), > their regarding of persons ᵑ6 ᵑ7 Thes Hi Du Che^Hpt (see against this Kit-Di); Ew Di the impudence of their face (√ הכר), but this very dubious

Meaning and Semantic Field

The term הַכָּרָה (hakkarah) denotes a visible “recognition” or “evidence” that makes something unmistakably clear. Rather than speaking, the face itself becomes a witness, exposing what the heart contains. The word is built on the broader Hebrew idea of discernment or acknowledgment, but here it is concretized in the public display of one’s countenance.

Occurrences in Scripture

Isaiah 3:9 is the single canonical occurrence:

“The expression on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom they flaunt their sin; they do not conceal it. Woe to them, for they have brought evil upon themselves.” (Isaiah 3:9)

Historical Setting of Isaiah 3:9

Isaiah ministered in Judah during the latter half of the eighth century B.C. The nation enjoyed outward prosperity under Uzziah and Jotham but was sliding into moral decay. In the opening section of Isaiah, the prophet exposes Jerusalem’s proud aristocracy, whose public demeanor brazenly announces rebellion. Hakkarah captures that arrogant display: the people no longer blush at iniquity; their very faces proclaim it.

Theological Themes

1. Public Testimony of Sin
• Sin is never merely private; it bears outward marks (Genesis 4:5–6; Proverbs 6:12–13).
• God judges not only hidden motives but also visible attitudes (Psalm 139:1–4).

2. Accountability before Divine Witness
• In biblical jurisprudence, a matter is established by two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15). In Isaiah 3:9 the sinner’s own face becomes that witness, leaving them without defense (cf. Matthew 12:37).

3. Covenant Loyalty and Shame
• Under the Mosaic covenant, shame was meant to drive Israel back to the LORD (Jeremiah 3:25). Hakkarah signals a reversal: shame is lost, and brazen shamelessness prevails—an indictment that intensifies judgment (Isaiah 3:11).

Intertextual Connections

• The fall of Sodom (Genesis 19) is the model for open flaunting of evil; Isaiah imports that history to warn Judah.
• In the New Testament, Paul notes that certain sins are “evident” (Galatians 5:19), echoing the same principle.
• Jesus teaches that what fills the heart overflows in word and deed (Matthew 12:34–35), reinforcing hakkarah as heart made visible.

Ministry and Practical Application

1. Diagnostic for Spiritual Health
• Pastors and counselors observe “facial testimony” when addressing hidden sin. Hakkarah reminds leaders to look for congruence between profession and demeanor.

2. Call to Transparent Holiness
• Believers are urged to “walk properly as in the daytime” (Romans 13:13). By grace, the face becomes a canvas for righteousness rather than rebellion (2 Corinthians 3:18).

3. Prophetic Confrontation
• Like Isaiah, contemporary preaching must expose sin that is publicly celebrated, offering both warning and the hope of repentance (1 John 1:9).

Christological and Eschatological Reflections

Christ’s own visage radiated divine glory at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:2), the antithesis of the shameful hakkarah of Isaiah 3:9. At His return, “every eye will see Him” (Revelation 1:7), and every hidden motive will likewise be manifest (1 Corinthians 4:5). The redeemed, conformed to His image, will bear an eternal “recognition” of holiness that vindicates the power of the gospel to transform even the countenance.

הַכָּרַ֤ת הכרת hak·kā·raṯ hakkaRat hakkāraṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts