Original Word: קְעָרָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: q`arah
Pronunciation: keh-ah-RAH
Phonetic Spelling: (keh-aw-raw')
KJV: charger, dish
NASB: dish, dishes
Word Origin: [probably from H7167 (קָרַע - tore)]

1. a bowl (as cut out hollow)

charger, dish

Probably from qara'; a bowl (as cut out hollow) -- charger, dish.

see HEBREW qara'

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
a dish, platter
NASB Translation
dish (13), dishes (4).

קְעָרָה₁₇ noun feminine dish, platter (P) (Late Hebrew id.); — absolute ׳ק Numbers 7:85; construct קַעֲרַתכֶּֿסֶף Numbers 7:13 11t. 7; plural construct קַעֲרֹת כֶּסֶף Numbers 7:84, all of dedication gifts; as utensils in tabernacle plural absolute קְעָרֹת Numbers 4:7, suffix קְעָרֹתָיו Exodus 25:29; Exodus 37:16.

Occurrence and distribution

The Hebrew term קְעָרָה appears seventeen times, all within Exodus and Numbers. Two references (Exodus 25:29; 37:16) concern the crafting of golden vessels for the Table of the Bread of the Presence, one (Numbers 4:7) regulates their transport by the Kohathites, and fourteen occur in Numbers 7, where identical silver bowls are presented by the twelve tribal leaders at the dedication of the tabernacle.

Cultic function

In all settings the קְעָרָה is a utensil of worship. On the Table of the Presence it accompanies the bread, together with cups and pitchers, and is explicitly associated with “pouring drink offerings” (Exodus 25:29). Thus the bowl forms part of the daily service that maintained perpetual fellowship between Israel and the LORD.

During transport (Numbers 4:7) the bowls are covered with a scarlet cloth, then a protective leather hide, underscoring their sanctity and shielding them from profane gaze.

At the tabernacle’s dedication (Numbers 7) each tribal leader brings “one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty shekels” filled with fine flour mixed with oil (Numbers 7:13). The repetitive listing emphasizes the uniformity of devotion among the tribes: all stand equal before God, each offering the same measure.

Material and craftsmanship

Two kinds of קְעָרָה are mentioned. Those made for the holy table are of pure gold, matching the table’s overlay and signifying heaven-directed worship marked by purity and glory. The silver bowls of Numbers 7 are substantial—roughly seventy-five ounces (ca. 2.1 kg) each—revealing costly generosity at a moment of national consecration. Both metals are precious, yet gold remains reserved for the interior furniture, while silver represents the broader community’s participation.

Symbolic and theological significance

1. Fellowship: The bowls accompany bread and wine-like libations, anticipating the covenantal meal motif that finds its climax in the Lord’s Supper.
2. Holiness: Their constant covering and prescribed handling mirror the need for mediated access to God, later fulfilled in Christ, the true Mediator.
3. Unity: The identical silver bowls illustrate corporate solidarity; no tribe presents more or less. Worship erases hierarchy and centers all on the LORD’s presence.
4. Memorial: By recording weight, contents, and sequence, Scripture memorializes each gift, assuring succeeding generations that God notes every act of devotion.

Typological reflections

The golden bowls before the earthly mercy seat foreshadow the “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” in Revelation 5:8. What began in the wilderness tent culminates in the heavenly throne room, displaying the continuity of redemptive worship. The dedication bowls of Numbers 7 also prefigure the equal standing of every believer in the body of Christ, where each living stone contributes to the spiritual house.

Application for worship and ministry

The קְעָרָה challenges believers to present offerings characterized by excellence, purity, and joyful equality. Whether resources are great or small, God values devotion measured not by outward disparity but by wholehearted obedience. The careful handling of these vessels invites modern worshippers to treat the ordinances—Word, sacrament, prayer—with similar reverence. Finally, the link between earthly bowls and heavenly reality calls every congregation to view gathered worship as participation in something far grander than the visible setting, a foretaste of eternal communion with God.

הַקְּעָרָ֤ה הַקְּעָרֹ֤ת הקערה הקערת קְּעָרֹתָ֜יו קְעָרֹתָ֤יו קַֽעֲרַת־ קַעֲרֹ֨ת קערת קערת־ קערתיו hakkeaRah hakkeaRot haq·qə·‘ā·rāh haq·qə·‘ā·rōṯ haqqə‘ārāh haqqə‘ārōṯ kaarat kaaRot kearoTav qa‘ăraṯ- qa‘ărōṯ qa·‘ă·raṯ- qa·‘ă·rōṯ qə‘ārōṯāw qə·‘ā·rō·ṯāwInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts