חָקָה
𐤇𐤒𐤄
châqâh
H2707 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To carve or engrave, particularly by incising lines; more generally, to enact by engraving or inscribing, especially in the context of boundaries, statutes, or images. The term includes both literal physical carving (such as images, inscriptions, or boundary markers) and metaphorical extension to setting something as fixed or established, often by official decree.
Semantic Range
to carve, to engrave, to delineate (by incising lines), to entrench, to portray carved or incised imagery, to mark out or set by cutting, to enact or fix (as law or boundary, metaphorically)
Root / Etymology
From the root חקה, which relates fundamentally to cutting or incising. Derived from the sense of making a mark or line by carving, the word extends metaphorically to describe the act of fixing something in a permanent manner, much as laws or statutes are made enduring by being carved into stone or metal. Root meaning is 'to carve, cut, inscribe.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
חָקָה appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, with its more common nominal forms (חֹק, חֻקָּה) referring to statute, ordinance, or decree, all evoking the sense of something set or enacted in a permanent fashion. The verb may refer literally to carving images or designs, as in Ezekiel’s vision of carved wall imagery (Ezekiel 23:14), or in a more metaphorical sense, such as delineating boundaries or setting statutes. In later Hebrew, the related term takes on more abstract senses ('to enact' or 'to legislate'), but in biblical usage the physical sense predominates. Contrast with פָּסַל (to hew or sculpt, usually in reference to idols) and צָרַף (to refine or smelt). Traditional English translations often render the noun forms as 'statute' or 'ordinance,' but this may obscure the tangible, physical origin of the term. The verb does not occur frequently, but its nominal derivatives are central to Israelite religious and legal vocabulary.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to carve; by implication, to delineate; also to entrench; carved work, portrayed, set a print.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חקה (ḥ-q-h) — to carve, inscribe, engrave, delineate, set by cutting
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2707-02 |
מְחֻקֶּ֥ה | mechuqeh | HVPsmsa |
portrayed | engraved | 2 |
H2707-03 |
תִּתְחַקֶּֽה | titechaqeh | HVti2ms |
you-engrave | you engrave yourself | 1 |
H2707-01 |
הַ/מְּחֻקֶּֽה | hamechuqeh | HTd/VPsmsa |
the carved work | the engraved one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2707-01 |
1 Kings 6:35 | הַ/מְּחֻקֶּֽה | hamechuqeh | HTd/VPsmsa |
the carved work | the engraved one |
H2707-02 |
Ezekiel 8:10 | מְחֻקֶּ֥ה | mechuqeh | HVPsmsa |
portrayed | engraved |
H2707-02 |
Ezekiel 23:14 | מְחֻקֶּ֣ה | mechuqeh | HVPsmsa |
portrayed | engraved |
H2707-03 |
Job 13:27 | תִּתְחַקֶּֽה | titechaqeh | HVti2ms |
you-engrave | you engrave yourself |