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נָקַם

𐤍𐤒𐤌

nâqam

H5358 verb

SILEX Entry

Root נקם to avenge, to seek retribution, to inflict retributive justice

Definition

To avenge, take vengeance, or seek retribution for a wrong; to inflict punishment on behalf of justice or as an act of retaliation. The verb primarily indicates the act of seeking or exacting recompense for an injury or wrongdoing, whether carried out by an individual, a group, or by a deity. It is used for both personal and divinely-sanctioned retribution, with the connotation often determined by context. The semantic range covers active vengeance, the assertion of justice through punitive action, and the execution of judgment as redress for a grievance.

Semantic Range

to avenge, to take vengeance, to exact retribution, to punish for wrongdoing, to demand satisfaction for injury, to execute judgment, to inflict just punishment

Root / Etymology

Root: נקם (nun-qof-mem). The root communicates the sense 'to avenge, take revenge, inflict retributive justice,' implying a response to injury or injustice by demanding satisfaction or justice. The verb form נָקַם expresses the act of seeking vengeance or administering punishment. This root is distinct from other roots relating generally to anger (e.g. חרה, רגז) in its focus on retaliatory or retributive action.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Throughout the Hebrew Bible, נָקַם appears in contexts of both human and divine retribution. When used of human actors, it often refers to personal or familial revenge (e.g., avenging a blood relative, as in Num 31:3), sometimes disapproved of, but occasionally sanctioned where social norms or covenantal justice are at stake. Most notably, when referring to deity, especially the God of Israel, it denotes an act of just retribution on behalf of covenant loyalty, punishing injustice or wrongdoing with the authority of divine judgment (e.g., Deut 32:35; Ps 99:8). The term signals not mere retaliation, but the execution of justice for wrongs committed, frequently tied to upholding or restoring the moral or covenantal order. The word is distinct from synonyms like שָׁפַט (to judge), since נָקַם is always punitive, never administrative or merely judicial. Post-exilic and later translation traditions render the act often with words like 'avenge' or 'vengeance,' but the primary Hebrew sense is more legalistic and tied to redress than expressive of uncontrolled anger. Notably, the English word 'revenge' can mischaracterize the scriptural nuance by suggesting vindictiveness where the Hebrew word often connotes due justice or restitution. In later Jewish and Christian exegetical traditions, נָקַם is a key term in discussions of divine justice and eschatological expectation.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to grudge, i.e. avenge or punish; avenge(-r, self), punish, revenge (self), [idiom] surely, take vengeance.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נקם (n-q-m) — to avenge, to seek retribution, to inflict retributive justice

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5359 נָקָם and retribution
H5360 נְקָמָה in vengeance

Word Forms

22 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5358-17 וְ/נִקַּמְתִּי֙ veniqameti HC/VNq1cs and I am avenged and I avenged myself 3
H5358-22 יֻקָּ֑ם yuqam HVHi3ms he shall be avenged he will be avenged 3
H5358-11 תִתְנַקֵּ֖ם titenaqem HVti3fs avenge she will avenge herself 3
H5358-03 לְ/הִנָּקֵ֖ם lehinaqem HR/VNc to avenge to avenge oneself 3
H5358-16 וְ/אִנָּקְמָ֧ה veinaqemah HC/VNi1cs and I will avenge and I will avenge myself 2
H5358-12 וּ/מִתְנַקֵּֽם umitenaqem HC/Vtrmsa and the avenger and one avenging himself 2
H5358-21 יִקּ֑וֹם yiqom HVqi3ms avenged he will exact retribution 2
H5358-08 נֹקֵ֥ם noqem HVqrmsa avenging avenging one 2
H5358-19 וְ/נֹקֵם֙ venoqem HC/Vqrmsa and avenging and avenging one 2
H5358-01 בִּ/נְקֹ֥ם bineqom HR/Vqc by-avenging in avenging 1

Occurrences in Scripture

35 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5358-22 Genesis 4:15 יֻקָּ֑ם yuqam HVHi3ms will be taken he will be avenged
H5358-22 Genesis 4:24 יֻקַּם yuqam HVHi3ms is avenged he will be avenged
H5358-05 Exodus 21:20 נָקֹ֖ם naqom HVqa avenged to avenge
H5358-20 Exodus 21:20 יִנָּקֵֽם yinaqem HVNi3ms he shall be avenged he will be avenged
H5358-22 Exodus 21:21 יֻקַּ֔ם yuqam HVHi3ms he shall be avenged he will be avenged
H5358-10 Leviticus 19:18 תִקֹּ֤ם tiqom HVqi2ms avenge you will avenge
H5358-09 Leviticus 26:25 נֹקֶ֨מֶת֙ noqemet HVqrfsa avenging avenging woman
H5358-06 Numbers 31:2 נְקֹ֗ם neqom HVqv2ms Avenge Avenge!
H5358-21 Deuteronomy 32:43 יִקּ֑וֹם yiqom HVqi3ms He will avenge he will exact retribution
H5358-21 Joshua 10:13 יִקֹּ֥ם yiqom HVqi3ms avenged he will exact retribution
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