Lexical Summary
harah: conceived, conceive, am
Original Word:הָרָה
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:harah
Pronunciation:hah-RAH
Phonetic Spelling:(haw-raw')
KJV: been, be with child, conceive, progenitor
NASB:conceived, conceive, am, ancestors, child, conceives, conceiving
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to be (or become) pregnant, conceive (literally or figuratively)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
been, be with child, conceive, progenitor
A primitive root; to be (or become) pregnant, conceive (literally or figuratively) -- been, be with child, conceive, progenitor.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto conceive, become pregnant
NASB Translationam (1), ancestors (1), child (1), conceive (3), conceived (35), conceives (1), conceiving (1), pregnant (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. (Assyrian
êrû compare Dl
Pr 21 Muss.-Arnolt
Hebraica. Oct. 1890, 67 Jäger
BAS i. 473); —
Perfect3masculine singular consecutivePsalm 7:15; 3feminine singularGenesis 16:4,5; 2feminine singular consecutiveJudges 13:3; 1singularNumbers 11:12; 1pluralIsaiah 26:18;ImperfectGenesis 4:1 26t. (Genesis 16:4); 3feminine pluralGenesis 19:36; 2masculine pluralIsaiah 33:11;Infinitive absoluteJob 15:35,Isaiah 59:4 compare alsoIsaiah 59:13 below
below;Participle feminine suffixSongs 3:4;Hosea 2:7; —
literallyconceive, become pregnantGenesis 16:4 (twice in verse);Genesis 16:5;Genesis 19:36;Genesis 25:21;Genesis 38:18 (all J),2 Samuel 11:5 (agency of man expressed byGenesis 19:36,Genesis 38:18); usually in phraseGenesis 4:1,17;Genesis 21:2;Genesis 29:32,33,34,35;Genesis 30:5,7 (all J),Genesis 30:17;Genesis 30:19;Genesis 30:23 (all E),Genesis 38:3,4 (both J),Exodus 2:2 (E),1 Samuel 1:20;1 Samuel 2:21;2 Kings 4:17;1 Chronicles 7:23;Isaiah 8:3;Hosea 1:3,6,8, probably also1 Chronicles 4:17 [] compare Be; furtherJudges 13:3, and compare Moses' questionNumbers 11:12have I conceived all this people, or have I brought it forth? Participle f. ""Hosea 2:7;Songs 3:4.
.Isaiah 26:18 of anxious and disappointed waiting;Isaiah 33:11, of futile planning, compare Che; elsewhere of evil, mischiefPsalm 7:15 (subject wicked man), compareJob 15:35;Isaiah 59:4, so alsoIsaiah 59:13, read (Infinitive absolute) compare Di.
Perfect3masculine singularJob 3:3a man hath been conceived (Böii. p. 103 BaNB 77 regard as
passive).
Infinitive absolute,conceive, contrive, deviseIsaiah 59:13, but read rather
Infinitive absolute see above (Bal.c. explanation as
Infinitive passive). — OnGenesis 49:26 see and
Topical Lexicon
OverviewThe verb הָרָה occurs about forty-three times in the Old Testament, most often describing the act of conception in the womb, whether literal or figurative. Through its occurrences Scripture highlights divine sovereignty over life, covenant continuity, the reversal of barrenness, and the mystery of iniquity that can also be “conceived” in the human heart.
Literal Conception and the Covenant Line
1. Patriarchal narratives
•Genesis 16:4 notes that Hagar “conceived,” setting in motion the birth of Ishmael and the enduring conflict between Isaac and Ishmael’s descendants.
•Genesis 21:2 records that “Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age,” underscoring the miraculous origin of the covenant seed.
• Parallel accounts of Rebekah (Genesis 25:21), Rachel (Genesis 30:23), and Leah (Genesis 29:32) show that conception depends on the Lord’s enabling, not mere human effort.
2. Preservation of the royal line
•Ruth 4:13 credits the Lord with causing Ruth to conceive, leading to Obed, grandfather of David.
•2 Samuel 11:5—Bathsheba’s announcement, “I am pregnant,” sets the stage for both David’s sin and the eventual birth of Solomon, through whom the Messianic promise continues.
3. Prophetic sign births
•Isaiah 8:3: “I was intimate with the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son.” The child’s name serves as a living prophecy of imminent judgment.
•Hosea 1:3 and 1:6 show Gomer’s conceptions as signs of Israel’s unfaithfulness yet eventual restoration.
4. Miraculous reversal of barrenness
•Judges 13:3–24 speaks of Manoah’s wife conceiving Samson after angelic announcement.
•1 Samuel 1:20 testifies, “So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son,” introducing Samuel, the transitional judge-prophet.
Figurative Conception
1. Conceiving evil
•Psalm 7:14: “Behold, the wicked man travails with evil; he conceives trouble and gives birth to falsehood.”
•Job 15:35 andIsaiah 59:4 employ the same vocabulary to expose sin’s gestation within the heart before its public birth in actions.
2. Conceiving deliverance
Though less frequent,Isaiah 26:18 laments, “We were with child, we writhed in pain, but we gave birth to wind,” portraying futile human efforts for salvation apart from God.
Redemptive Trajectory
Every miraculous conception in the Old Testament anticipates the ultimate supernatural conception announced inIsaiah 7:14 and fulfilled inMatthew 1:20. Whereas הָרָה is usually applied to ordinary human parentage, its cumulative witness prepares readers to accept that “what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”
Theological Observations
• Sovereignty: The Lord “opens and closes the womb” (cf.Genesis 29:31; 30:22). Conception is never portrayed as a mere biological certainty but as a divine prerogative.
• Covenant continuity: Each key conception safeguards the promised Seed, tracing a straight line to Messiah.
• Human responsibility: Illicit unions (2 Samuel 11:5) and false hopes (Isaiah 26:18) reveal that human schemes cannot thwart or replace God’s plan.
• Moral dimension: The same verb exposes inward sin, reminding believers that evil incubates before manifesting outwardly.
Ministry Applications
1. Sanctity of life: The consistent portrayal of conception as God-given affirms the personhood and value of the unborn.
2. Hope for the barren: Biblical precedent encourages couples to seek the Lord, whether He grants children naturally, miraculously, or by alternative provisions.
3. Spiritual vigilance: As evil can be “conceived” in the heart, pastors must address sin at its earliest stirrings, calling for repentance before it “gives birth.”
4. Gospel proclamation: Tracing divine interventions in conception provides an accessible bridge to discuss the incarnation and atonement.
Representative Reference List
Genesis 4:1; 16:4,11; 21:2; 25:21; 29:32–34; 30:5,23; 38:3;Exodus 2:2;Ruth 4:13;1 Samuel 1:20;2 Samuel 11:5;2 Kings 4:17;2 Kings 8:3;1 Chronicles 7:23;Job 3:3; 15:35;Psalm 7:14;Isaiah 8:3; 26:18; 59:4;Hosea 1:3,6; 2:5;Amos 1:13;Micah 4:10;Zechariah 13:3.
New Testament Resonance
Luke 1:24,31 andMatthew 1:20 employ the Greek equivalent συλλαμβάνω, echoing the Old Testament pattern and confirming that every previous instance of הָרָה laid the theological groundwork for the virgin conception of Jesus Christ.
Through its literal and figurative uses, הָרָה teaches that God alone authors life, governs history, judges sin, and accomplishes redemption.
Forms and Transliterations
הָר֥וֹ הָרִ֗יתִי הָרָ֔תָה הָרָ֖ה הָרָ֜ה הָרֹ֣ה הֹר֧וֹ הֽוֹרָתָ֑ם הוֹרַ֔י הוֹרָתִֽי׃ הורי הורתי׃ הורתם הרה הרו הריתי הרתה וְהָרִ֖ית וְהָרָ֥ה וַֽתַּהֲרֶ֛יןָ וַתַּ֑הַר וַתַּ֖הַר וַתַּ֙הַר֙ וַתַּ֛הַר וַתַּ֣הַר וַתַּ֤הַר וַתַּ֥הַר וַתַּ֨הַר וַתַּהַר֩ והרה והרית ותהר ותהרין תַּהֲר֥וּ תהרו hā·rā·ṯāh hā·rāh hā·rî·ṯî hā·rōh hā·rōw haRah hārāh haRatah hārāṯāh haRiti hārîṯî haRo haRoh hārōh hārōw hō·rōw hō·w·rā·ṯām hō·w·rā·ṯî hō·w·ray hoRai horaTam horaTi hoRo hōrōw hōwrāṯām hōwrāṯî hōwray ta·hă·rū tahaRu tahărū vatTahar vattahaReina vehaRah vehaRit wat·ta·hă·re·nā wat·ta·har wattahar wattahărenā wə·hā·rāh wə·hā·rîṯ wəhārāh wəhārîṯ
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