word kareth is derived from the Hebrew verb karat ("to cut off"). The noun form kareth does not occur in the Hebrew Bible; rather, verb forms such as venichreta ("[that soul] shall be cut off") are most common.

Hebrew Bible

In the Hebrew Bible, verbs that underlie the later use of the noun form kareth refer to forms of divine punishment such as premature death, or to exclusion from the community. The former view is implied by verses stating that the punishment will be inflicted directly by God, while a punishment other than execution

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