Original Word: קְרִי
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: qriy
Pronunciation: keh-ree
Phonetic Spelling: (ker-ee')
KJV: contrary
NASB: hostility
Word Origin: [from H7136 (קָרָה - To encounter)]

1. hostile encounter

contrary

From qarah; hostile encounter -- contrary.

see HEBREW qarah

Word Origin
from qarah
Definition
opposition, contrariness
NASB Translation
hostility (7).

[קְרִי] noun [masculine] opposition, contrariness; — only (בְּ)קֶ֑רִי in Leviticus 26, as adverb modifier of הָלַךְ (in figurative sense), + עִם person, of Israel's relation to ׳׃י תֵּלְכוּ עִמִּי קָ֑רִי Leviticus 26:21 if ye walk with me contrariwise, so Leviticus 26:23, בְּקָ֑רִי Leviticus 26:27.40; ׳י subj בַּקֶּ֑רִי וְהָלַכְתי עִמָּכֶם Leviticus 26:24, so Leviticus 26:41 and (׳בַּחֲמַת ק in wrath of opositioin) Leviticus 26:28.

Occurrences in Scripture

קְרִי appears only in Leviticus 26 (verses 21, 23, 24, 27, 28, 40, 41). The term is rendered in the as “hostility” or “contrary.” It describes first Israel’s stubborn posture toward the LORD and then His measured but decisive response in kind.

Leviticus 26:23-24

“And if in spite of these things you do not accept My discipline, but continue to walk in hostility toward Me, then I also will walk in hostility toward you, and I will strike you sevenfold for your sins.”

Context within Covenant Blessings and Curses

Leviticus 26 frames Israel’s life with God in two parallel ways: blessing for obedience (verses 1-13) and escalating chastisement for rebellion (verses 14-39). קְרִי lies at the heart of the latter. Each step of discipline is triggered by ongoing “hostility” that refuses correction. The fifth and severest cycle climaxes in exile (verses 27-39), yet even here קְרִי is reversible through confession and humility (verses 40-41).

Theological Insights

1. Mutuality of Relationship: The text shows God mirroring Israel’s disposition. When His people walk in קְרִי, He walks “in hostility” toward them. This counter-posture underlines covenant reciprocity: grace received in obedience, resistance met with righteous opposition.
2. Progressive Discipline: The repeated pattern (“if… still… then…”) demonstrates how divine judgment is not impulsive but proportionate, designed to awaken repentance rather than merely punish.
3. Hope Through Confession: Verses 40-41 reveal that קְרִי can be broken. Confessing iniquity and accepting the consequences open the door to covenant restoration (verses 42-45).

Historical Background

The Leviticus 26 oracle anticipated Israel’s later history. Episodes in the wilderness (Numbers 14), the period of the judges (Judges 2), the divided monarchy, and the Babylonian exile all illustrate קְרִי in action. Each national crisis corresponded to stages of discipline foretold in Leviticus.

Implications for Ministry

• Pastoral Warning: Leaders must clarify that persistent defiance invites divine resistance. Preaching through Leviticus 26 equips congregations to interpret hardship not merely as misfortune but as a summons to examine spiritual posture.
• Pathway to Renewal: The passage offers a template for corporate repentance: acknowledging guilt, recognizing God’s justice, and submitting to His corrective hand.

Practical Application

1. Self-Examination: Believers gauge whether hidden resentment, cynicism, or selective obedience functions as קְרִי.
2. Responsive Obedience: Quick repentance interrupts the escalation cycle, whereas delay compounds consequences.
3. Intercessory Role: Like Moses (Exodus 32) and Daniel (Daniel 9), saints can confess collective sins and appeal to covenant mercies on behalf of others.

Typological and Prophetic Dimensions

Israel’s קְרִי prefigures humanity’s enmity against God (Romans 8:7). The reciprocal judgment in Leviticus foreshadows the final reckoning but also amplifies the need for a Mediator who absorbs hostility on our behalf. At the cross, God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21), resolving the deepest breach.

New Testament Resonance

Hebrews 12:5-11 echoes Leviticus 26’s logic of corrective discipline: divine hostility toward sin operates within paternal love. James 4:6, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble,” mirrors קְרִי’s dynamic at the personal level.

Conclusion

קְרִי warns that covenant privilege does not insulate from accountability. It highlights the seriousness of deliberate rebellion, the faithfulness of God’s discipline, and the ever-open door of repentance. Properly understood, it galvanizes reverent obedience and humble trust in the covenant-keeping God who both judges and restores.

בְּקֶ֑רִי בְּקֶ֔רִי בְּקֶֽרִי׃ בקרי בקרי׃ קֶ֑רִי קֶ֔רִי קֶֽרִי׃ קרי קרי׃ bə·qe·rî beKeri bəqerî Keri qe·rî qerîInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts