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נָקָה

𐤍𐤒𐤄

nâqâh

H5352 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To be clean, free from guilt, or innocent; to be exempt or cleared from obligation, punishment, or contamination. Also, to leave unpunished or be acquitted in a judicial sense. In negative constructions, to not be exempt or to be held guilty or subject to penalty. The verb encompasses both the literal sense of being physically clean or emptied, and the figurative sense of moral or legal innocence, clearance from blame, or release from punishment.

Semantic Range

to be (declared) clean (ritually or physically), to be acquitted, to be innocent, to be free (from guilt, obligation, punishment), to leave unpunished, to hold guiltless, to be unscathed or exempt from harm, to be emptied (become desolate), to not be acquitted (in negative constructions), to forfeit or be cut off (rare negative extension)

Root / Etymology

From the root נקה, which carries the core sense of 'to be free (from impurity, obligation, or guilt), to be clean.' The stem is used in various binyanim (verb patterns), imparting nuances such as causation ('to declare clean'), and the basic meaning is extended both to ritual/physical matters and legal/moral situations.

Historical & Contextual Notes

נָקָה occurs across a wide range of contexts in the Hebrew Bible. Literally, it describes being free from impurity or emptied (e.g., of a city, Isa 3:26), but more frequently it is used in forensic/judicial contexts: acquittal, exoneration, or being spared from punishment (Exod 20:7: 'will not be acquitted'; Num 5:31: 'be free from guilt'). The word plays an essential role in ritual and legal language (especially in Leviticus and Numbers), marking the distinction between those held accountable and those relieved from guilt or obligation. The usage can be either positive (to be found innocent/clean) or, in negated form, strongly negative ('will by no means be acquitted,' indicating inevitable judgment or punishment). Later translation traditions (LXX, Vulgate, KJV) sometimes render it with terms like 'clear' or 'innocent,' but these may understate the formal legal scope or the absoluteness of the root's negated forms. Distinct from related roots like טהר, which focuses on ceremonially ritual purity, נקה emphasizes freedom from penalty, accusation, or contamination, whether moral, legal, or physical.

Translation Consistency

primary "clean" 22 occurrences

“Clean” best covers the typical semantic range: physical/ritual purity (be clean), moral or legal innocence (clean/cleared), and exemption from punishment or contamination. It is natural English, flexible for stative and passive uses, and broader than the narrower legal term “acquit” while being more specific and natural than the generic verb “be.”

Alternatives (22 occurrences):
"acquitted" (10x) "acquit" (3x) "innocent" (2x) "released" (1x) "blameless" (1x) "guiltless" (1x) "him go unpunished" (1x) "desolated" (1x) "means will acquit" (1x) "clear" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to be (or make) clean (literally or figuratively); by implication (in an adverse sense) to be bare, i.e. extirpated; acquit [idiom] at all, [idiom] altogether, be blameless, cleanse, (be) clear(-ing), cut off, be desolate, be free, be (hold) guiltless, be (hold) innocent, [idiom] by no means, be quit, be (leave) unpunished, [idiom] utterly, [idiom] wholly.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

נקה (mᵉnaqqîyth) — to be clean, to purify, to be free from

Root נקה to be clean, to be free from guilt, to be acquitted, to be exempt
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4518 מְנַקִּית the purifying basins
H5343 נְקֵא clean, pure
H5355 נָקִי the guiltless one
H5356 נִקָּיוֹן in cleanness

Word Forms

19 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5352-19 יִ֝נָּקֶ֗ה yinaqeh HVNi3ms be unpunished he will be acquitted he will be cleaned 7
H5352-12 וְ/נַקֵּה֙ venaqeh HC/Vpa and acquit and declaring clean and to clean 5
H5352-18 יְנַקֶּה֙ yenaqeh HVpi3ms he clears he declares clean he will clean 5
H5352-07 נִקֵּ֔יתִי niqeyti HVNp1cs I acquitted I was acquitted I am blameless 3
H5352-10 תִּנָּקֶה֙ tinaqeh HVNi2ms will you be acquitted you will be acquitted you will be acquitted 3
H5352-13 וְ/נִקָּֽה veniqah HC/VNq3ms and be guiltless and he will be acquitted and he will be cleaned 3
H5352-01 אֲנַקֶּֽ/ךָּ anaqekha HVpi1cs/Sp2ms will I acquit I will declare you clean I will clean you 2
H5352-06 נִקָּ֔ה niqah HVNp3ms shall be cleared he has been acquitted he has been acquitted 2
H5352-09 תְנַקֵּֽ/נִי tenaqeni HVpi2ms/Sp1cs you acquit me you will declare me clean you will acquit me 2
H5352-11 תִנָּק֑וּ tinaqu HVNi2mp will-you-be you will be acquitted you will be acquitted 2

Occurrences in Scripture

44 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5352-17 Genesis 24:8 וְ/נִקִּ֕יתָ veniqita HC/VNp2ms then you shall be released you have been acquitted then you shall be released
H5352-10 Genesis 24:41 תִּנָּקֶה֙ tinaqeh HVNi2ms you will be released you will be acquitted you will be acquitted
H5352-18 Exodus 20:7 יְנַקֶּה֙ yenaqeh HVpi3ms He will acquit he declares clean he will clean
H5352-13 Exodus 21:19 וְ/נִקָּ֣ה veniqah HC/VNq3ms then he shall be clear and he will be acquitted and he will be cleaned
H5352-12 Exodus 34:7 וְ/נַקֵּה֙ venaqeh HC/Vpa and clearing and declaring clean and to clean
H5352-18 Exodus 34:7 יְנַקֶּ֔ה yenaqeh HVpi3ms he clears he declares clean he will clean
H5352-03 Numbers 5:19 הִנָּקִ֕י hinaqi HVNv2fs be free Be acquitted be acquitted
H5352-15 Numbers 5:28 וְ/נִקְּתָ֖ה veniqetah HC/VNq3fs and she shall be cleared and she will be acquitted and she will be acquitted
H5352-13 Numbers 5:31 וְ/נִקָּ֥ה veniqah HC/VNq3ms and shall be cleared and he will be acquitted and he will be cleaned
H5352-12 Numbers 14:18 וְ/נַקֵּה֙ venaqeh HC/Vpa and-clearing and declaring clean and to clean
H5352-18 Numbers 14:18 יְנַקֶּ֔ה yenaqeh HVpi3ms he-clears he declares clean he will clean
H5352-18 Deuteronomy 5:11 יְנַקֶּה֙ yenaqeh HVpi3ms hold guiltless he declares clean he will clean
H5352-07 Judges 15:3 נִקֵּ֥יתִי niqeyti HVNp1cs I am blameless I was acquitted I am blameless
H5352-13 1 Samuel 26:9 וְ/נִקָּֽה veniqah HC/VNq3ms and be guiltless and he will be acquitted and be guiltless
H5352-08 1 Kings 2:9 תְּנַקֵּ֔/הוּ tenaqehu HVpj2ms/Sp3ms let him go unpunished may you declare him clean let him go unpunished
H5352-14 Isaiah 3:26 וְ/נִקָּ֖תָה veniqatah HC/VNq3fs and she being desolate and she was cleared and it was desolated
H5352-07 Jeremiah 2:35 נִקֵּ֔יתִי niqeyti HVNp1cs I-am-innocent I was acquitted I am innocent
H5352-02 Jeremiah 25:29 הִנָּקֵ֣ה hinaqeh HVNa to-go-unpunished to be acquitted to be acquitted
H5352-11 Jeremiah 25:29 תִנָּק֑וּ tinaqu HVNi2mp will-you-be you will be acquitted you will be acquitted
H5352-11 Jeremiah 25:29 תִנָּק֔וּ tinaqu-2 HVNi2mp will-you-be-unpunished you will be acquitted you will be acquitted
H5352-12 Jeremiah 30:11 וְ/נַקֵּ֖ה venaqeh HC/Vpa and acquit and declaring clean and to clean
H5352-01 Jeremiah 30:11 אֲנַקֶּֽ/ךָּ anaqekha HVpi1cs/Sp2ms will I acquit I will declare you clean I will clean you
H5352-12 Jeremiah 46:28 וְ/נַקֵּ֖ה venaqeh HC/Vpa and acquit and declaring clean and to clean
H5352-01 Jeremiah 46:28 אֲנַקֶּֽ/ךָּ anaqekha HVpi1cs/Sp2ms you I will declare you clean I will clean you
H5352-05 Jeremiah 49:12 נָקֹ֖ה naqoh HVqa innocent to be clean, acquitted innocent
H5352-10 Jeremiah 49:12 תִּנָּקֶ֑ה tinaqeh HVNi2ms will you be acquitted you will be acquitted you will be acquitted
H5352-10 Jeremiah 49:12 תִנָּקֶ֔ה tinaqeh-2 HVNi2ms will you be acquitted you will be acquitted you will be acquitted
H5352-16 Joel 4:21 וְ/נִקֵּ֖יתִי veniqeyti HC/Vpq1cs And I will acquit and I will declare clean and I will clean
H5352-07 Joel 4:21 נִקֵּ֑יתִי niqeyti HVpp1cs I acquitted I was acquitted I was cleaned
H5352-12 Nahum 1:3 וְ/נַקֵּ֖ה venaqeh HC/Vpa and at all and declaring clean and by no means will acquit
H5352-18 Nahum 1:3 יְנַקֶּ֑ה yenaqeh HVpi3ms will acquit he declares clean acquit
H5352-06 Zechariah 5:3 נִקָּ֔ה niqah HVNp3ms shall be cleared he has been acquitted he has been acquitted
H5352-06 Zechariah 5:3 נִקָּֽה niqah-2 HVNp3ms shall be cleared he has been acquitted he has been acquitted
H5352-04 Psalms 19:13 נַקֵּֽ/נִי naqeni HVpv2ms/Sp1cs cleanse me declare me clean declare me clean
H5352-16 Psalms 19:14 וְ֝/נִקֵּ֗יתִי veniqeyti HC/Vpq1cs and I shall be clear and I will declare clean and I shall be clear
H5352-19 Proverbs 6:29 יִ֝נָּקֶ֗ה yinaqeh HVNi3ms be innocent he will be acquitted he will be cleaned
H5352-19 Proverbs 11:21 יִנָּ֣קֶה yinaqeh HVNi3ms will go unpunished he will be acquitted he will be cleaned
H5352-19 Proverbs 16:5 יִנָּקֶֽה yinaqeh HVNi3ms be unpunished he will be acquitted he will be cleaned
H5352-19 Proverbs 17:5 יִנָּקֶֽה yinaqeh HVNi3ms be unpunished he will be acquitted he will be cleaned
H5352-19 Proverbs 19:5 יִנָּקֶ֑ה yinaqeh HVNi3ms be unpunished he will be acquitted he will be cleaned
H5352-19 Proverbs 19:9 יִנָּקֶ֑ה yinaqeh HVNi3ms be unpunished he will be acquitted he will be cleaned
H5352-19 Proverbs 28:20 יִנָּקֶֽה yinaqeh HVNi3ms go unpunished he will be acquitted he will be cleaned
H5352-09 Job 9:28 תְנַקֵּֽ/נִי tenaqeni HVpi2ms/Sp1cs you will hold me innocent you will declare me clean you will acquit me
H5352-09 Job 10:14 תְנַקֵּֽ/נִי tenaqeni HVpi2ms/Sp1cs you acquit me you will declare me clean you will acquit me
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