נֵכֶה
𐤍𐤊𐤄
nêkeh
H5222 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
One struck, wounded, or disabled; someone afflicted physically (such as an injured, crippled, or otherwise impaired person). The term generally refers to a person who is incapacitated—whether due to injury, impairment, or affliction—rather than an active attacker. It can also imply one who is despondent or abject due to misfortune.
Semantic Range
one stricken, crippled person, disabled person, wounded person, afflicted individual, physically impaired person, one who is downcast or abject due to misfortune
Root / Etymology
From the root נכה (n-k-h), meaning 'to strike, smite, injure.' נֵכֶה is a nominal form indicating the person who has been stricken, injured, or rendered disabled. The word represents a passive result (one who has been struck) rather than an active agent.
Historical & Contextual Notes
נֵכֶה appears primarily in Deuteronomic and prophetic texts to describe those who have experienced significant physical disadvantage, such as being crippled or paralyzed (cf. 2 Samuel 4:4). It is distinct from terms for active violence (like מכה, 'striker' or 'attacker') and instead emphasizes the condition of being wounded or impaired. It often serves as a marker for individuals on the social margin in ancient Israelite society, referenced alongside other vulnerable groups (such as the poor, widow, and orphan). The standard translation as 'abject' reflects an archaic English idiom that underplays the word's primary reference to physical affliction. The use seldom bears the sense of 'traducer' or 'slanderer' in Hebrew, unlike some translations influenced by later interpretive traditions. In later Jewish literature, related terms are used for those with bodily impairments, underscoring the ongoing significance of the word's core meaning.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from נָכָה; a smiter, i.e. (figuratively) traducer; abject.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נכה (n-k-h) — to strike, to smite, to injure
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4347 | מַכָּה | like the strike-of |
| H5218 | נָכֵא | struck ones |
| H5219 | נְכֹאת | fragrant struck resin |
| H5221 | נָכָה | I will strike |
| H5223 | נָכֶה | stricken one |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5222-01 |
נֵ֭כִים | nekhim | HAampa |
smiters | stricken men | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5222-01 |
Psalms 35:15 | נֵ֭כִים | nekhim | HAampa |
smiters | stricken men |