נְכֹחָה
𐤍𐤊𐤇𐤄
nᵉkôchâh
H5229 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
A quality or state of what is honest, correct, or upright; refers most often to integrity, straightforwardness in behavior or speech, or that which is right or equitable. Used both of personal character (integrity, uprightness, sincerity) and objective circumstances (fairness, equity, or that which is correct/true).
Semantic Range
straightforwardness, integrity, honesty, equity, uprightness, fairness, that which is correct or true
Root / Etymology
From the root נכח (to be in front of, to be straight, to guide or make straight/direct). The word is a feminine noun form, indicating the quality of being straightforward or upright. Root meaning conveys literal straightness or being directly before, while the derived noun encompasses moral, behavioral, and judicial uprightness or equity.
Historical & Contextual Notes
נְכֹחָה appears sparingly in the Hebrew Bible, used to express abstract qualities of uprightness, equity, or straightforwardness, whether in speech, behavior, or judgment (see e.g. Job 33:23; Isaiah 26:10). The term is closely related to the more common adjective נָכֹחַ ('straight, upright'), but as a noun it captures the abstract quality rather than a description of a specific act or person. In later Jewish literature, synonymous terms for 'integrity' or 'uprightness' develop with related but distinct connotations. English translations such as 'equity,' 'uprightness,' or 'right' render parts of its semantic range, but no single term fully expresses its breadth. The term is distinct from צֶדֶק ('righteousness, justice') and יֹשֶׁר ('uprightness, straightness'), emphasizing correct, honest, or straightforward conduct or speech as its central notion.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of נָכֹחַ; properly, straightforwardness, i.e. (figuratively) integrity, or (concretely) a truth; equity, right (thing), uprightness.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נכח (n-k-ḥ) — to be in front, to be straight, to guide, to make straight
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3198 | יָכַח | directly opposite |
| H5226 | נֵכַח | in front of him |
| H5227 | נֹכַח | directly before |
| H5228 | נָכֹחַ | upright ones |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5229-02 |
נְכֹח֖וֹת | nekhochot | HAafpa |
of uprightnesses | straightforwardnesses | 2 |
H5229-01 |
נְכֹחָ֖ה | nekhochah | HAafsa |
right | straightforward uprightness | 1 |
H5229-03 |
וּ/נְכֹחָ֖ה | unekhochah | HC/Aafsa |
and uprightness | and uprightness | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5229-02 |
Isaiah 26:10 | נְכֹח֖וֹת | nekhochot | HAafpa |
of uprightnesses | straightforwardnesses |
H5229-02 |
Isaiah 30:10 | נְכֹח֑וֹת | nekhochot | HAafpa |
right things | straightforwardnesses |
H5229-03 |
Isaiah 59:14 | וּ/נְכֹחָ֖ה | unekhochah | HC/Aafsa |
and uprightness | and uprightness |
H5229-01 |
Amos 3:10 | נְכֹחָ֖ה | nekhochah | HAafsa |
right | straightforward uprightness |