Bible Lexicons

כָּרַע to bend, to bow, used intrans. of the knee, fich beugen (vom Knie). (A kindred root is כָּנַע, which see. [“Samar.  to lie down.”] Just as from כנע is κνήμη leg, so from כרע is כָּרָע crus, leg. In Arabic there are only traces found of the original signification; as to drink stooping, prop. to bow oneself to drink. With the letters transposed, ركع to be bowed down through age, or while at prayer.) Hence Isaiah 45:23, תִּכְרַע כָּל־בֶּרֶךְ “every knee shall bow.” Hence used of a man, כָּרַע עַל בִּרְכַּיִם to bow upon one’s knees, Judges 7:5, Judges 7:6; 1 Kings 8:54; 2 Kings 1:13; Ezra 9:5.-To bend one’s knees, or to fall upon one’s knees, is also used of those

(a) who do reverence to a king, or worship God, in which sense it is joined with הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה, Psalms 95:6. Followed by לְ of pers. Esther 3:2, Isaiah 45:23 לִפְנֵי Psalms 22:30, 72:9.

(b) those who sink down for want of strength, when it is commonly followed by נָפַל. Job 4:4, בִּרְכַּיִם כֹּרְעוֹת “falling (failing, or bowing) knees.” Psal. 20:9, כָּֽרְעוּ וְנָֽפְלוּ “they are bowed down and fall.” 2 Kings 9:24, “he sank down in his chariot.” Isaiah 10:4, 46:1, Isaiah 46:2, 65:12 Judges 5:27.

(c) those who are about to lie down on the ground, Genesis 49:9, כָּרַע רָבַץ “he stooped, and lay down.” Numbers 24:9.

(d) used of parturient women (from the custom still existing in Ethiopia, where women bring forth kneeling, see Ludolfi Hist. Ethiop. i. 15), 1 Samuel 4:19 also used of a hind, Job 39:3.-Rarely used of those who bow down with the whole person (comp. Arab.). 2 Chronicles 7:3, וַיִּבְרְעוּ אַפַּיִם אַרְצָה “and they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground.” Hence כָּרַע עַל אִשָּׁה compressit feminam, Job 31:10 compare incurvare, Martial. xi. 44; inclinare, Juvenal. ix. 26; x. 224.

Hiphil

(1) to cause to bow down, to prostrate, enemies, Psalms 17:13, 18:40 78:31.

(2) to depress, i.e. to afflict, any one, Judges 11:35. Hence

הִכְרִֽיעַ׃ הִכְרַעְתִּ֔נִי הַכְרִיעֵ֑הוּ הַכְרֵ֣עַ הכריע׃ הכריעהו הכרע הכרעתני וְנִכְרָ֑עָה וַיִּכְרְעוּ֩ וַיִּכְרַ֖ע וַיִּכְרַ֥ע וַתִּכְרַ֣ע וָֽאֶכְרְעָה֙ ואכרעה ויכרע ויכרעו ונכרעה ותכרע יִ֭כְרְעוּ יִכְרְע֣וּ יִכְרְע֥וּן יִכְרַ֖ע יִכְרַ֥ע יכרע יכרעו יכרעון כָּרְע֗וּ כָּרְע֣וּ כָּרְע֥וּ כָּרַ֔ע כָּרַ֣ע כָּרַ֥ע כָּרַ֨ע כָֽרְעוּ֙ כָרַע֙ כֹּרְע֣וֹת כֹּרְעִ֤ים כֹּרֵ֥עַ כרע כרעו כרעות כרעים מִכְּרֹ֣עַ מכרע תִּ֭כְרַעְנָה תִּכְרַ֣ע תִּכְרָ֔עוּ תַּכְרִ֖יעַ תַּכְרִ֥יעַ תכריע תכרע תכרעו תכרענה chaRa chareU hachRea hachriEhu haḵ·rê·a‘ haḵ·rî·‘ê·hū haḵrêa‘ haḵrî‘êhū hichraTini hichRia hiḵ·ra‘·ti·nî hiḵ·rî·a‘ hiḵra‘tinî hiḵrîa‘ kā·ra‘ ḵā·ra‘ kā·rə·‘ū ḵā·rə·‘ū kaRa kāra‘ ḵāra‘ kārə‘ū ḵārə‘ū kareU kō·rə·‘îm kō·rə·‘ō·wṯ kō·rê·a‘ kōrə‘îm kōrə‘ōwṯ koRea kōrêa‘ koreIm koreot mik·kə·rō·a‘ mikkeRoa mikkərōa‘ tachRia taḵ·rî·a‘ taḵrîa‘ tichRa Tichranah tichRau tiḵ·ra‘ tiḵ·ra‘·nāh tiḵ·rā·‘ū tiḵra‘ tiḵra‘nāh tiḵrā‘ū vaechreAh vaiyichRa vaiyichreU vattichRa venichRaah wā’eḵrə‘āh wā·’eḵ·rə·‘āh wat·tiḵ·ra‘ wattiḵra‘ way·yiḵ·ra‘ way·yiḵ·rə·‘ū wayyiḵra‘ wayyiḵrə‘ū wə·niḵ·rā·‘āh wəniḵrā‘āh yichRa Yichreu yichreUn yiḵ·ra‘ yiḵ·rə·‘ū yiḵ·rə·‘ūn yiḵra‘ yiḵrə‘ū yiḵrə‘ūn