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תֹּךְ

𐤕𐤊

tôk

H8496 noun

SILEX Entry

Root תוך to cut, to split, to be in the midst

Definition

A noun denoting acts or circumstances of extortion, unjust gain, or oppression through deception or coercion. The word chiefly describes situations where individuals or groups suffer through exploitation, whether physical, economic, or legal, often implying violence or violation of justice. It also extends to connotations of treachery or fraudulent behavior where harmlessness is expected.

Semantic Range

oppression, extortion, deceit, fraud, treachery, exploitation, injustice

Root / Etymology

Root/Etymology: From the root תוך (t-w-k), which fundamentally means 'midst, among, middle.' The noun form תֹּךְ (tôk) appears to derive semantically from the concept of something being dissected, divided, or penetrated—thus suggesting the imagery of something being cut through or subjected to violence/oppression. Despite the close relation to the preposition and noun תָּוֶךְ (middle, midst), תֹּךְ develops into an abstract noun for 'oppression' or 'deceit' in later poetic usage. The etymology is thus: Root תוך ('to cut, to divide, to be in the middle'), leading to a derived sense suggesting 'to break through' or 'to exploit.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Historical & Contextual Notes: תֹּךְ occurs only a few times in the Hebrew Bible, notably in poetic and wisdom literature where it is synonymous with intense suffering or treachery. Its use in Psalm 72:14 points to a social injustice suffered by the vulnerable, echoing Israelite prophetic concern for victims of wrong. In Job 36:15, it denotes oppression more generally, while in Psalm 10:7 the related plural תֹּכִים refers to amphibolous or fraudulent activity. This noun is distinct from the regular term for 'oppression' (עָשׁוּק) or the more legalistic 'violence' (חָמָס), emphasizing not public violence but exploitation, deception, or betrayal. English translations variously render it as 'oppression,' 'deceit,' or 'fraud,' but this risks flattening its full connotation of coercive or treacherous wrongdoing. Over time, the term appears restricted to poetic or wisdom settings, not legal codes or narrative prose. Later translations, including those in post-biblical literature, sometimes interpret it more broadly as general wickedness or injustice.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or תּוֹך; (Psalm 72:14), from the same base as תָּוֶךְ (in the sense of cutting to pieces); oppression; deceit, fraud.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

תוך (t-w-k) — divide, separate, middle, interior

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H8432 תָּוֶךְ in the midst
H8484 תִּיכוֹן the central one

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H8496-01 מִ/תּ֣וֹךְ mitokhe HR/Ncmsa from the midst of from the midst of 1
H8496-03 וָ/תֹ֑ךְ vatokhe HC/Ncmsa and oppression and oppressive exploitation 1
H8496-02 תֹּ֣ךְ tokhe HNcmsa midst middle of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H8496-03 Psalms 10:7 וָ/תֹ֑ךְ vatokhe HC/Ncmsa and oppression and oppressive exploitation
H8496-02 Psalms 55:12 תֹּ֣ךְ tokhe HNcmsa midst middle of
H8496-01 Psalms 72:14 מִ/תּ֣וֹךְ mitokhe HR/Ncmsa from the midst of from the midst of
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