אַלְקוּם
𐤀𐤋𐤒𐤅𐤌
ʼalqûwm
H510 adverb
SILEX Entry
Definition
A condition or state of being unable to arise or rise up, denoting helplessness or powerlessness to recover, act, or resist. The term describes a lack of standing or the inability to take action, most commonly in the context of being struck down or incapacitated.
Semantic Range
inability to rise, powerlessness, helplessness, absence of resistance, state of being struck down or destroyed without recovery
Root / Etymology
Composed of the negative particle אַל ('not') and the verb קוּם ('to rise, stand up'). Thus, the formation ʻalqûwm literally expresses 'not rising' or 'non-rising'. It is an abstract noun phrase created by joining the negative particle and the infinitive/finite form of the verb.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term אַלְקוּם is extremely rare, found only in specific poetic passages (e.g., Nahum 3:3), and always denotes an absence of ability to rise after being struck down, particularly in the context of defeat, death, or destruction. The construction is syntactically unusual as an abstract formed by the negative particle plus verb, a form more common in later or poetic Hebrew. It contrasts with nouns like קָמָה (rising, grain stalk) that denote the act of rising, while אַלְקוּם emphasizes the impossibility thereof. Standard English translations often paraphrase as 'no rising up' or 'without resistance,' but the underlying sense is the absolute inability to recover, typically after a decisive blow in battle. In the exilic and later periods, similar constructions are not found, and the term does not appear outside the poetic or prophetic corpus.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
probably from אַל and קוּם; a non-rising (i.e. resistlessness); no rising up.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
קום (q-w-m) — rise, stand up, arise
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3079 | יְהוֹיָקִים | to YHWH-raises-up |
| H3113 | יוֹיָקִים | and Yahweh-establishes |
| H3137 | יוֹקִים | and YHWH establishes |
| H3351 | יְקוּם | the enduring substance |
| H3356 | יָקִים | to He-Will-Establish |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H510-01 |
אַלְק֥וּם | alequm | HD |
against-whom-no-rising-up | non-rising state | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H510-01 |
Proverbs 30:31 | אַלְק֥וּם | alequm | HD |
against-whom-no-rising-up | non-rising state |