עָקֹב
𐤏𐤒𐤁
ʻâqôb
H6121 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Adjective: twisted, crooked, or insidious in character or path; figuratively, deceitful or treacherous. The term often characterizes behavior that is not straightforward or a road or terrain that is not direct. In metaphorical usage, it refers to moral or ethical perversity, especially in social or legal contexts.
Semantic Range
crooked (of road or conduct), twisting, insidious, deceitful, fraudulent, treacherous, morally perverse
Root / Etymology
From the root עָקַב (ʿ-q-b), meaning 'to seize by the heel, to supplant, to deceive.' The adjective עָקֹב derives from this root, signifying something that is physically or morally twisted or deviant from a straight or honest course. The root meaning is 'to follow at the heel, to supplant, to act deceitfully,' but this specific form indicates the resultant quality or state.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, עָקֹב is used with both literal and figurative force. In physical descriptions (e.g., roads, terrain), it conveys 'crooked' or 'winding.' More often, its figurative application involves the characterization of a person's nature or actions as deceitful, insidious, or corrupt—indicating a departure from straightforwardness, integrity, or moral uprightness. This term is especially relevant in poetic literature (e.g., Psalms, Jeremiah) where it contrasts with terms denoting straightness (יָשָׁר) or righteousness. English translations often render it as 'crooked' or 'deceitful,' but those terms can miss the broader nuance of inherent or habitual deviation from rectitude, both in physical and ethical senses. The word is rare and primarily poetic in nature, never functioning as a common or generic term for 'evil,' but rather emphasizing a particular kind of deviation. Its meaning remained relatively stable from the monarchic through the exilic and post-exilic periods.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from עָקַב; in the original sense, a knoll (as swelling up); in the denominative sense; (transitive) fraudulent or (intransitive) tracked; crooked, deceitful, polluted.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עקב (ʿ-q-b) — seize by the heel, supplant, deceive
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3290 | יַעֲקֹב | in Yaʿaqov the Heel-Grasper |
| H3291 | יַעֲקֹבָה | and Yaʿaqobah |
| H6117 | עָקַב | he supplanted |
| H6118 | עֵקֶב | consequence |
| H6119 | עָקֵב | heel |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6121-02 |
עֲקֻבָּ֖ה | aqubah | HAafsa |
tracked | crooked | 1 |
H6121-03 |
הֶֽ/עָקֹב֙ | heaqov | HTd/Ncmsa |
the crooked | crooked | 1 |
H6121-01 |
עָקֹ֥ב | aqov | HAamsa |
deceitful | crooked, deceit-twisted | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6121-03 |
Isaiah 40:4 | הֶֽ/עָקֹב֙ | heaqov | HTd/Ncmsa |
the crooked | crooked |
H6121-01 |
Jeremiah 17:9 | עָקֹ֥ב | aqov | HAamsa |
deceitful | crooked, deceit-twisted |
H6121-02 |
Hosea 6:8 | עֲקֻבָּ֖ה | aqubah | HAafsa |
tracked | crooked |