נָקִיק
𐤍𐤒𐤉𐤒
nâqîyq
H5357 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A narrow fissure, crack, or opening in rock or earth, such as a crevice, cleft, or crag. Refers specifically to natural features formed by splitting or erosion, rather than constructed or artificial holes. In some contexts, denotes a place of concealment or refuge within rocks.
Semantic Range
cleft in rock, fissure, crag, crevice, rocky opening, hiding place in rocks
Root / Etymology
Root נָקַק (n-q-q), meaning 'to bore, to crack, to split.' The noun נָקִיק derives from the root by formation of a pattern denoting place or result of the action. The root itself is rarely or never attested in biblical Hebrew as a verb, but analogous roots and forms are attested in Semitic cognates.
Historical & Contextual Notes
נָקִיק appears in poetic and descriptive passages (e.g., Isaiah 2:21, Jeremiah 13:4, Song of Songs 2:14) and always refers to natural geological features such as clefts or crags in rocks or mountains. The term can imply a place of hiding or safety, especially in contexts describing secluded or hard-to-reach places. It is distinct from חוֹר (ḥôr, 'hole') which can refer to smaller or more general openings, and from מְעָרָה (me‘arah, 'cave'), which denotes a larger hollow. In later periods and translations, the nuance of protection or concealment sometimes becomes more prominent, but in the main, the primary meaning relates to physical geography. English translations may render נָקִיק as 'cleft,' 'crag,' 'crevice,' or 'hole,' but 'hole' risks missing the connotation of rocky terrain and natural formation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to bore; a cleft; hole.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נקק (n-q-q) — to bore, to split, to crack
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5357-01 |
בִּ/נְקִ֥יק | bineqiq | HR/Ncmsc |
in a crevice | in cleft-of | in a crevice | 1 |
H5357-02 |
וּ/מִ/נְּקִיקֵ֖י | umineqiqey | HC/R/Ncmpc |
and from clefts of | and from rock-fissures of | and from rock-fissures of | 1 |
H5357-03 |
וּ/בִ/נְקִיקֵ֖י | uvineqiqey | HC/R/Ncmpc |
and-in-the-clefts-of | and in the rock-clefts of | and in the rock-clefts of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5357-03 |
Isaiah 7:19 | וּ/בִ/נְקִיקֵ֖י | uvineqiqey | HC/R/Ncmpc |
and-in-the-clefts-of | and in the rock-clefts of | and in the rock-clefts of |
H5357-01 |
Jeremiah 13:4 | בִּ/נְקִ֥יק | bineqiq | HR/Ncmsc |
in a crevice | in cleft-of | in a crevice |
H5357-02 |
Jeremiah 16:16 | וּ/מִ/נְּקִיקֵ֖י | umineqiqey | HC/R/Ncmpc |
and from clefts of | and from rock-fissures of | and from rock-fissures of |