Original Word: מִקְרֶה
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: miqreh
Pronunciation: mik-reh'
Phonetic Spelling: (mik-reh')
KJV: something befallen, befalleth, chance, event, hap(-peneth)
NASB: fate, accident, chance
Word Origin: [from H7136 (קָרָה - To encounter)]

1. something met with, i.e. an accident or fortune

something befallen, befall, chance, event, happen

From qarah; something met with, i.e. An accident or fortune -- something befallen, befalleth, chance, event, hap(-peneth).

see HEBREW qarah

Word Origin
from qarah
Definition
accident, chance, fortune
NASB Translation
accident (1), chance (1), fate (6), happened* (1).

מִקְרֶה noun masculine^{1Samuel 6:9} accident, chance, fortune; — absolute ׳מ 1 Samuel 6:9 +; construct מִקְרֵה Ecclesiastes 2:15 (so read also Ecclesiastes 3:19 (twice in verse) with ᵐ5 Ruët^Kau Wild, for ᵑ0 מִקְרֶה); —

1 accident, chance, 1 Samuel 6:9; 1 Samuel 20:26; with קָרָה Ruth 2:2 (see ׳ק 1).

2 in Ecclesiastes, fortune, fate, ׳מ אֶחָד יִקְרֶה אֶתכֻּֿלָּם Ecclesiastes 2:14 compare Ecclesiastes 2:15, Ecclesiastes 3:19 (3 t. in verse); Ecclesiastes 9:2,3.

Overview

מִקְרֶה (mikreh) denotes an unplanned happening, an event that appears to occur without prior human arrangement. In the Old Testament it serves as a linguistic vehicle for exploring the tension between human impressions of randomness and the hidden ordering hand of God.

Distribution in Scripture

1. Ruth 2:3
2. 1 Samuel 6:9
3. 1 Samuel 20:26
4. Ecclesiastes 2:14
5. Ecclesiastes 2:15
6. Ecclesiastes 3:19 (threefold)
7. Ecclesiastes 9:2
8. Ecclesiastes 9:3

The term surfaces in narrative (Ruth, Samuel) and in wisdom literature (Ecclesiastes), allowing it to illuminate both lived experience and reflective theology.

Narrative Illustrations of Providential “Chance”

• Ruth 2:3 portrays Ruth gleaning “by chance” in the portion of Boaz’s field: “So she went out and gleaned in the field behind the harvesters. And as she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz…”. To the human eye her arrival is accidental; to the reader aware of God’s purposes, it is providential, leading to the messianic lineage (Ruth 4:18–22; Matthew 1:5).
• 1 Samuel 6:9 records the Philistines testing whether the plague was “His hand or it happened to us by chance.” Their use of mikreh exposes pagan uncertainty, yet the cows’ beeline to Beth-shemesh confirms divine judgment.
• 1 Samuel 20:26 provides Jonathan’s cover account that David’s absence from Saul’s table is “an accident,” masking deliberate concealment. The text underscores how claims of chance can function rhetorically.

Qoheleth’s Meditation on Apparent Randomness

Ecclesiastes employs mikreh nine times, presenting it as the shared lot of humanity and beasts alike (3:19), the fate that overtakes both the wise and the fool (2:14-15), and the unavoidable end that disproves earthly pretensions (9:2-3). While Ecclesiastes acknowledges life “under the sun” as subject to unforeseen events, the conclusion of the book anchors meaning in fearing God and keeping His commandments (12:13-14), implying that perceived randomness does not negate covenant responsibility.

Historical and Cultural Backdrop

In Ancient Near Eastern thought, unseen powers were believed to manipulate events; yet Israel’s monotheism asserted a sovereign Yahweh who directs history. Mikreh therefore became a nuanced term: it voiced ordinary speech about luck while implicitly challenging it. The post-exilic period, in which much wisdom literature was edited, heightened reflection on God’s hidden governance amid apparent disorder.

Theological Implications

1. Divine sovereignty envelopes human contingencies. Episodes labeled mikreh often advance redemptive history.
2. Human limitation in forecasting outcomes calls for humility (James 4:13-15 echoes the theme).
3. The same “event” confronting both righteous and wicked (Ecclesiastes 9:2) sets a stage for eschatological hope beyond temporal inequities.

Ministry and Discipleship Applications

• Pastoral counseling: believers facing seemingly random adversity can be reminded that no circumstance falls outside God’s knowledge (Romans 8:28).
• Evangelism: narratives like Ruth invite seekers to reconsider “coincidence” as providential invitation.
• Ethical exhortation: because mikreh touches all alike, faithfulness must not hinge on visible reward but on reverence for God’s commandments.

Summary

מִקְרֶה serves Scripture as a term for chance while simultaneously declaring that genuine randomness is illusory under God’s reign. Its ten occurrences invite readers to reinterpret life’s surprises as stages upon which the Lord’s sovereign purposes quietly unfold.

וּמִקְרֶ֣ה וּמִקְרֶ֤ה ומקרה כְּמִקְרֵ֤ה כמקרה מִקְרֶ֔הָ מִקְרֶ֣ה מִקְרֶ֥ה מִקְרֶ֨ה מקרה שֶׁמִּקְרֶ֥ה שמקרה kə·miq·rêh kemikReh kəmiqrêh mikReh mikReha miq·re·hā miq·reh miqreh miqrehā šem·miq·reh šemmiqreh shemmikReh ū·miq·reh umikReh ūmiqrehInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts