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נָכָה

𐤍𐤊𐤄

nâkâh

H5221 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To strike, hit, or inflict a blow, either physically or figuratively. The verb נָכָה encompasses a range of force, from a simple tap or touch to a severe blow causing harm or death. It is frequently used for actions ranging from causing wounds or physical damage, defeating in battle, killing, or otherwise causing a decisive impact on individuals, groups, and even objects or nations. It can also appear in idiomatic expressions conveying certainty or emphasis (e.g., 'surely,' as an intensifier), or signaling the execution of divine or judicial judgment. The precise force and outcome of the action depend on context, with senses spanning from causing mild injury to enacting capital punishment or military defeat.

Semantic Range

to strike, to hit, to wound, to kill, to defeat, to punish, to afflict, to destroy, to cause death, to inflict a blow, to beat, to slay, to smite, to cause disease or harm, to impose judgment, to clap (hands), in idiomatic usage: to surely do (an action), to emphasize certainty

Root / Etymology

The root נכה (נ-כ-ה) is attested as a verb form and is associated with striking or hitting. The core semantic notion is 'to strike' or 'to deal a blow.' The development of derived senses—such as 'kill,' 'punish,' or 'smite'—comes through typical extension from a basic action (hitting) to consequences of that action (harm, death, defeat, or judgment).

Historical & Contextual Notes

Throughout the Hebrew Bible, נָכָה is used in a literal sense for hitting, beating, or killing (Genesis 4:15, Exodus 21:12), as well as metaphorically for military defeat (Joshua 10:20) or divine affliction (Exodus 12:23, 'to strike' the Egyptians). It can denote physical punishment, battlefield actions, or even judicial processes (Deuteronomy 25:2). In poetic and prophetic texts, it is used for the impact of disasters or plagues (Amos 4:9). In idiomatic usage, especially in infinitive absolute constructions (e.g., הַכּוֹ תַכֶּה 'surely you shall strike'), it serves as a literary intensifier, expressing the certainty or severity of an action. Some English translations, particularly in the King James tradition, render the word as 'smite' or 'slay' in contexts of battle or divine action, but these terms may obscure the word’s broader semantic range, which includes milder forms of striking or harm. There is overlap with terms like הָרַג (to kill) or שָׁפַט (to judge/punish), but נָכָה emphasizes the action of striking itself, whether or not death occurs.

Translation Consistency

primary "strike" 45 occurrences

"Strike" is the most natural, neutral English verb that covers the full semantic range of נָכָה — to hit, wound, defeat, kill, or inflict judicial/divine punishment. It matches the overwhelmingly common rendered form ("struck") in the corpus, avoids the archaic tone of "smite," and is preferable to weaker verbs like "hit." Using "strike" allows consistent, idiomatic English across literal and figurative senses.

Alternatives (5 occurrences):
"striker of" (4x) "attack" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively); beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), [idiom] go forward, [idiom] indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer, punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike, be stricken, (give) stripes, [idiom] surely, wound.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

נכה (makkâh) — to strike, to smite, to injure

Root נכה to strike, to hit, to give a blow
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4347 מַכָּה like the strike-of
H5218 נָכֵא struck ones
H5219 נְכֹאת fragrant struck resin
H5222 נֵכֶה stricken men
H5223 נָכֶה stricken one

Word Forms

119 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5221-78 וַ/יַּ֥ךְ vayakhe HC/Vhw3ms and struck and he struck and he struck 72
H5221-80 וַ/יַּכּ֨וּ vayaku HC/Vhw3mp and they struck and they struck and they struck 47
H5221-21 הִכָּ֗ה hikah HVhp3ms struck he struck he struck 43
H5221-76 וַ/יַּכֵּ֕/הוּ vayakehu HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3ms and struck him and he struck him and he struck him 22
H5221-49 מַכֵּ֤ה makeh HVhrmsc strikes the one who causes a blow the one who strikes 16
H5221-77 וַ/יַּכֵּ֣/ם vayakem HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3mp and struck them and he struck them and he struck them 15
H5221-90 וְ/הִכָּ֧ה vehikah HC/Vhp3ms and struck and he struck and he struck 13
H5221-41 לְ/הַכּ֖וֹת lehakot HR/Vhc to strike to strike to strike 11
H5221-83 וַ/יַּכּ֕וּ/ם vayakum HC/Vhw3mp/Sp3mp and struck them and they struck them and they struck them 11
H5221-74 וַ/יַּכֶּ֥ה vayakeh HC/Vhw3ms and struck and he struck and he struck 10

Occurrences in Scripture

502 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5221-09 Genesis 4:15 הַכּוֹת hakot HVhc strike to inflict a blow strike
H5221-41 Genesis 8:21 לְ/הַכּ֥וֹת lehakot HR/Vhc to strike/destroy to strike to strike
H5221-80 Genesis 14:5 וַ/יַּכּ֤וּ vayaku HC/Vhw3mp and defeated and they struck and they struck
H5221-80 Genesis 14:7 וַ/יַּכּ֕וּ vayaku HC/Vhw3mp and they struck and they struck and they struck
H5221-77 Genesis 14:15 וַ/יַּכֵּ֑/ם vayakem HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3mp and defeated them and he struck them and he struck them
H5221-52 Genesis 14:17 מֵֽ/הַכּוֹת֙ mehakot HR/Vhc from the defeat from striking from striking
H5221-32 Genesis 19:11 הִכּוּ֙ hiku HVhp3cp they struck they caused to strike they struck
H5221-91 Genesis 32:9 וְ/הִכָּ֑/הוּ vehikahu HC/Vhq3ms/Sp3ms and strikes it and he struck him and he struck him
H5221-93 Genesis 32:12 וְ/הִכַּ֔/נִי vehikani HC/Vhq3ms/Sp1cs and strike me and he struck me and strike me
H5221-103 Genesis 34:30 וְ/הִכּ֔וּ/נִי vehikuni HC/Vhp3cp/Sp1cs and attack me and they struck me and attack me
H5221-16 Genesis 36:35 הַ/מַּכֶּ֤ה hamakeh HTd/Vhrmsa who defeated the one who strikes the one who strikes
H5221-58 Genesis 37:21 נַכֶּ֖/נּוּ nakenu HVhh1cp/Sp3ms let us strike him let us strike him let us strike him
H5221-49 Exodus 2:11 מַכֶּ֥ה makeh HVhrmsa striking the one who causes a blow the one who strikes
H5221-78 Exodus 2:12 וַ/יַּךְ֙ vayakhe HC/Vhw3ms and he struck and he struck and he struck
H5221-62 Exodus 2:13 תַכֶּ֖ה takeh HVhi2ms do you strike you will cause to strike do you strike
H5221-95 Exodus 3:20 וְ/הִכֵּיתִ֣י vehikeyti HC/Vhq1cs and strike and I will strike and I will strike
H5221-84 Exodus 5:14 וַ/יֻּכּ֗וּ vayuku HC/VHw3mp And were beaten they were struck they were struck
H5221-56 Exodus 5:16 מֻכִּ֖ים mukim HVHsmpa are beaten those struck are struck
H5221-49 Exodus 7:17 מַכֶּ֣ה makeh HVhrmsa will strike the one who causes a blow the one who strikes
H5221-78 Exodus 7:20 וַ/יַּ֤ךְ vayakhe HC/Vhw3ms and struck and he struck and he struck
H5221-09 Exodus 7:25 הַכּוֹת hakot HVhc had struck to inflict a blow the striking
H5221-87 Exodus 8:12 וְ/הַ֖ךְ vehakhe HC/Vhv2ms and strike and cause to strike and strike
H5221-78 Exodus 8:13 וַ/יַּךְ֙ vayakhe HC/Vhw3ms and struck and he struck and he struck
H5221-68 Exodus 9:15 וָ/אַ֥ךְ vaakhe HC/Vhw1cs and struck and I caused to strike and struck
H5221-78 Exodus 9:25 וַ/יַּ֨ךְ vayakhe HC/Vhw3ms And struck and he struck and he struck
H5221-21 Exodus 9:25 הִכָּ֣ה hikah HVhp3ms the hail struck down he struck he struck
H5221-59 Exodus 9:31 נֻכָּ֑תָה nukatah HVPp3fs were struck was struck down was struck down
H5221-60 Exodus 9:32 נֻכּ֑וּ nuku HVPp3cp struck they were struck they were struck
H5221-95 Exodus 12:12 וְ/הִכֵּיתִ֤י vehikeyti HC/Vhq1cs and I will strike and I will strike and I will strike
H5221-04 Exodus 12:13 בְּ/הַכֹּתִ֖/י behakoti HR/Vhc/Sp1cs when I strike in my inflicting a blow in my causing to strike
H5221-21 Exodus 12:29 הִכָּ֣ה hikah HVhp3ms struck he struck he struck
H5221-25 Exodus 17:5 הִכִּ֤יתָ hikita HVhp2ms you struck you struck you struck
H5221-96 Exodus 17:6 וְ/הִכִּ֣יתָ vehikita HC/Vhq2ms and you shall strike and you will strike and you will strike
H5221-49 Exodus 21:12 מַכֵּ֥ה makeh HVhrmsc He who strikes the one who causes a blow the one who strikes
H5221-66 Exodus 21:15 וּ/מַכֵּ֥ה umakeh HC/Vhrmsc And he who strikes and striker of and striker of
H5221-90 Exodus 21:18 וְ/הִכָּה vehikah HC/Vhq3ms and he strikes and he struck and he struck
H5221-16 Exodus 21:19 הַ/מַּכֶּ֑ה hamakeh HTd/Vhrmsa the one who struck him the one who strikes the one who strikes
H5221-110 Exodus 21:20 יַכֶּה֩ yakeh HVhi3ms strikes he will strike he will strike
H5221-110 Exodus 21:26 יַכֶּ֨ה yakeh HVhi3ms strikes he will strike he will strike
H5221-104 Exodus 22:1 וְ/הֻכָּ֣ה vehukah HC/VHp3ms and is struck and was struck and is struck
H5221-110 Leviticus 24:17 יַכֶּ֖ה yakeh HVhi3ms strikes he will strike strikes
H5221-66 Leviticus 24:18 וּ/מַכֵּ֥ה umakeh HC/Vhrmsc and the one who strikes and striker of and striker of
H5221-66 Leviticus 24:21 וּ/מַכֵּ֥ה umakeh HC/Vhrmsc And he who strikes and striker of and striker of
H5221-66 Leviticus 24:21 וּ/מַכֵּ֥ה umakeh-2 HC/Vhrmsc and he who strikes and striker of and striker of
H5221-95 Leviticus 26:24 וְ/הִכֵּיתִ֤י vehikeyti HC/Vhq1cs and I will strike and I will strike and I will strike
H5221-11 Numbers 3:13 הַכֹּתִ֨/י hakoti HVhc/Sp1cs my-striking my striking my striking
H5221-11 Numbers 8:17 הַכֹּתִ֤/י hakoti HVhc/Sp1cs that I struck my striking my striking
H5221-78 Numbers 11:33 וַ/יַּ֤ךְ vayakhe HC/Vhw3ms and struck and he struck and he struck
H5221-03 Numbers 14:12 אַכֶּ֥/נּוּ akenu HVhi1cs/Sp3ms I will strike them I will strike him I will strike them
H5221-83 Numbers 14:45 וַ/יַּכּ֥וּ/ם vayakum HC/Vhw3mp/Sp3mp and-struck-them and they struck them and they struck them
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