מְבוּקָה
𐤌𐤁𐤅𐤒𐤄
mᵉbûwqâh
H4003 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A state or place characterized by emptiness, desolation, or being vacated. Primarily denotes a void or abandoned area, especially following destruction or depopulation.
Semantic Range
emptiness, void, deserted place, abandoned area, depopulation, state of desolation or vacuity
Root / Etymology
From the root בוק (to empty, evacuate, make void). מְבוּקָה is a feminine noun formation indicating a state or product of being emptied or made desolate. The root בוק conveys the action of emptying out or coming to be uninhabited.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מְבוּקָה appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, notably in Isaiah 24:12, where it describes a city left desolate or void after catastrophe. The term captures not only physical emptiness but also the sense of devastation or utter desolation after people have fled or been removed. Its use is distinct from more general terms for ruin or destruction (e.g., חָרְבָּה ḥorbâ 'ruin', שממה shemâmâ 'wasteland') by emphasizing vacuity and abandonment. In later Hebrew, related forms continue to indicate emptiness or vacated states. English translations often render it as 'desolation,' 'waste,' or 'void,' but 'emptiness' best captures the core sense of a place bereft of activity or inhabitants. There is no direct connection to later religious terminology, and the term is specific to catastrophic or post-catastrophic emptiness, rather than routine uninhabitedness.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the same as בּוּקָה; emptiness; void.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בוק (b-w-q) — to empty, evacuate, make void
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H950 | בּוּקָה | emptied-out place |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4003-01 |
וּ/מְבוּקָ֖ה | umevuqah | HC/Ncfsa |
and the lair | desolate void | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4003-01 |
Nahum 2:11 | וּ/מְבוּקָ֖ה | umevuqah | HC/Ncfsa |
and the lair | desolate void |