נָהַק
𐤍𐤄𐤒
nâhaq
H5101 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To utter a loud, harsh cry or scream, typically in distress or hunger, often used of animals (especially donkeys) but occasionally of people. The term denotes a piercing, forceful vocalization, emphasizing the intensity or desperation of the sound rather than its verbal intelligibility.
Semantic Range
to bray (donkey); to cry out harshly (animal or person, especially from distress or hunger); to scream; to make a loud, shrill sound
Root / Etymology
Root נָהַק (נ-ה-ק), whose core sense is to emit a loud cry. The verbal root is onomatopoeic, imitating the harsh sound of an animal's bray. The form is Qal, with a simple, active meaning.
Historical & Contextual Notes
נָהַק appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Job 6:5) and is used primarily to evoke the loud, persistent braying of a donkey reacting to hunger or need. The verb conveys not only the physical act of producing sound but also a condition of acute need or suffering, as reflected in poetic or wisdom contexts. The word has a precise focus on auditory harshness and urgency, contrasting with broader terms for 'cry' (e.g., זָעַק, to cry out in distress, or רָנַן, to shout for joy). Standard English 'bray' captures the animal sense, but the term can also be applied metaphorically to persons in extreme distress, though such usage is limited in the Hebrew Bible. The word is virtually absent from post-exilic literature and does not become a standard part of later Hebrew vocabulary. In translation tradition, 'bray' in English is limited and may miss some of the intensity conveyed by the original Hebrew.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to bray (as an ass), scream (from hunger); bray.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נהק (n-h-q) — to utter a harsh loud cry, to bray, to scream
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5101-02 |
יִנְהָ֑קוּ | yinehaqu | HVqi3mp |
they brayed | they will bray | 1 |
H5101-01 |
הֲ/יִֽנְהַק | hayinehaq | HTi/Vqi3ms |
does the wild donkey bray | he brays | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences