The Hebrew verb qara (קָרָא) means to meet, encounter, come to meet, or happen upon. It is distinct from the more common qara (H7121, to call/read) and emphasizes unexpected or purposeful encounter.
Qara captures the divine orchestration of seemingly chance encounters. When Boaz 'happened' (miqre, from this root) to come to the very field where Ruth was gleaning (Ruth 2:3), the narrator uses language of providence — what looks accidental is divinely arranged. The theological implication is profound: there are no accidents in God's economy. Every 'chance' meeting, every unexpected encounter, is held within the sovereign purposes of the God who sees all. The New Testament equivalent is the Greek kairos — the appointed time.