נְקֵבָה
𐤍𐤒𐤁𐤄
nᵉqêbâh
H5347 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Female; a member of the biologically female sex of humans or animals, specifically in contrast to the male (זָכָר). In various contexts, denotes a female individual, whether human (woman, girl) or animal (female of the species). In some passages, emphasizes biological sex in terms of reproductive function and differentiation.
Semantic Range
female (of a human), female (of an animal), biologically female, relating to sex/gender differentiation, counterpart to male (זָכָר)
Root / Etymology
Root: נָקַב (naqab), meaning 'to pierce, perforate, designate'. The term נְקֵבָה is derived as a feminine formation, possibly originally signifying 'one who is pierced' or 'one with an opening,' referencing anatomical distinction, but later settles as the regular term for 'female' in biblical Hebrew. The root meaning relates etymologically to notions of marking or designating, but this is only distantly connected to the lexical meaning in the gender context.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, נְקֵבָה is the standard term used to designate the female of humans (e.g., Gen 1:27, 'male and female He created them') as well as of animals (e.g., Lev 3:1; Exod 12:5). Contrast is consistently drawn with זָכָר (male). The use of נְקֵבָה is primarily biological and is not restricted to mature individuals; it applies at all ages unless another term (such as אִשָּה for 'woman' or בַּת for 'daughter/girl') is contextually required. In some cases, it highlights the role of procreation or species continuation. The term persists in post-biblical Hebrew but with extensions into legal and ritual contexts (e.g., distinctions concerning sacrificial animals). English translations typically render as 'female', which accurately reflects the core meaning, though the Hebrew term can have broader referential scope than English in some contexts. The root sense relating to 'piercing' or 'opening' has little impact on interpretation beyond possible early conceptualizations of sexual difference.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from נָקַב; female (from the sexual form); female.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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נקב (n-q-b) — to pierce, perforate, designate
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4717 | מַקָּבָה | and piercing-hammers |
| H4718 | מַקֶּבֶת | the piercing-hammer |
| H5344 | נָקַב | in his piercing |
| H5345 | נֶקֶב | and your pierced-sockets |
| H5346 | נֶקֶב | the Pierced-Pass |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5347-02 |
נְקֵבָ֔ה | neqevah | HNcfsa |
female | female | 11 |
H5347-03 |
וּ/נְקֵבָ֖ה | uneqevah | HC/Ncfsa |
and female | and a female | 6 |
H5347-04 |
וְ/לַ/נְּקֵבָ֑ה | velaneqevah | HC/Rd/Ncfsa |
and for the female | and for the female | 4 |
H5347-01 |
לַ/נְּקֵבָֽה | laneqevah | HRd/Ncfsa |
for the female | to the female | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
22 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5347-03 |
Genesis 1:27 | וּ/נְקֵבָ֖ה | uneqevah | HC/Ncfsa |
and female | and a female |
H5347-03 |
Genesis 5:2 | וּ/נְקֵבָ֖ה | uneqevah | HC/Ncfsa |
and female | and a female |
H5347-03 |
Genesis 6:19 | וּ/נְקֵבָ֖ה | uneqevah | HC/Ncfsa |
and female | and a female |
H5347-03 |
Genesis 7:3 | וּ/נְקֵבָ֑ה | uneqevah | HC/Ncfsa |
and female | and a female |
H5347-03 |
Genesis 7:9 | וּ/נְקֵבָ֑ה | uneqevah | HC/Ncfsa |
and female | and a female |
H5347-03 |
Genesis 7:16 | וּ/נְקֵבָ֤ה | uneqevah | HC/Ncfsa |
and female | and a female |
H5347-02 |
Leviticus 3:1 | נְקֵבָ֔ה | neqevah | HNcfsa |
female | female |
H5347-02 |
Leviticus 3:6 | נְקֵבָ֔ה | neqevah | HNcfsa |
female | female |
H5347-02 |
Leviticus 4:28 | נְקֵבָ֔ה | neqevah | HNcfsa |
female | female |
H5347-02 |
Leviticus 4:32 | נְקֵבָ֥ה | neqevah | HNcfsa |
female | female |