נָקֹד
𐤍𐤒𐤃
nâqôd
H5348 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Adjective describing livestock (especially sheep or goats) that are characterized by having spots or speckles of a contrasting color in their fleece or hide. The term indicates a visible and distinct pattern caused by small, regularly spaced marks, usually of a lighter color on a darker background or vice versa.
Semantic Range
spotted, speckled, having small contrasting spots (of animals or their hides), marked with dots
Root / Etymology
Derived from an unused root, likely נקד, whose meaning can be inferred from the context to be 'to spot or mark (by puncturing or imprinting)'. The actual root is not attested elsewhere in Biblical Hebrew, making the etymology uncertain beyond this likely link to visual marking.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, נָקֹד primarily appears in narratives about livestock, especially in connection with Jacob's breeding practices in Genesis 30–31. The distinction between נָקֹד ('speckled'), תָּלוּא ('spotted'), חוּם ('dark') and other adjectives reflects a system of classifying flock animals by distinct visual markings; these categories could determine ownership or reward in agreements such as those between Jacob and Laban. English translations such as 'speckled' or 'spotted' partially reflect the Hebrew term, but may not always capture the precise pattern indicated. The term is limited to non-cultic, agricultural contexts and does not appear in ritual or symbolic frameworks. Later rabbinic usage preserved the distinction among types of markings for legal contexts concerning animal property, which may preserve echoes of biblical distinctions. There is no evidence that נָקֹד refers to anything other than animal markings in the Hebrew Bible.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to mark (by puncturing or branding); spotted; speckled.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נקד (n-q-d) — to mark with dots, to spot, to imprint, to punctuate
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4719 | מַקֵּדָה | in Makkedah |
| H5349 | נֹקֵד | flock-marker |
| H5350 | נִקֻּד | pricked biscuits |
| H5351 | נְקֻדָּה | spots of |
| H5353 | נְקוֹדָא | Marked-One |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5348-03 |
נְקֻדִּ֖ים | nequdim | HAampa |
speckled | spotted ones | 5 |
H5348-02 |
נָקֹ֣ד | naqod | HAamsa |
speckled | spotted | 2 |
H5348-01 |
הַ/נְּקֻדּ֣וֹת | hanequdot | HTd/Aafpa |
that were speckled | the spot-marked ones | 1 |
H5348-04 |
וְ/נָקֹ֖ד | venaqod | HC/Aamsa |
and speckled | spot-marked | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
9 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5348-02 |
Genesis 30:32 | נָקֹ֣ד | naqod | HAamsa |
speckled | spotted |
H5348-04 |
Genesis 30:32 | וְ/נָקֹ֖ד | venaqod | HC/Aamsa |
and speckled | spot-marked |
H5348-02 |
Genesis 30:33 | נָקֹ֨ד | naqod | HAamsa |
speckled | spotted |
H5348-01 |
Genesis 30:35 | הַ/נְּקֻדּ֣וֹת | hanequdot | HTd/Aafpa |
that were speckled | the spot-marked ones |
H5348-03 |
Genesis 30:39 | נְקֻדִּ֖ים | nequdim | HAampa |
speckled | spotted ones |
H5348-03 |
Genesis 31:8 | נְקֻדִּים֙ | nequdim | HAampa |
speckled | spotted ones |
H5348-03 |
Genesis 31:8 | נְקֻדִּ֑ים | nequdim-2 | HAampa |
speckled | spotted ones |
H5348-03 |
Genesis 31:10 | נְקֻדִּ֖ים | nequdim | HAampa |
speckled | spotted ones |
H5348-03 |
Genesis 31:12 | נְקֻדִּ֖ים | nequdim | HAampa |
spotted | spotted ones |