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נָקִי

𐤍𐤒𐤉

nâqîy

H5355 adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

Innocent, free from guilt or responsibility for wrongdoing, not subject to penalty or punishment. The term denotes absence of legal or moral culpability, and is applied to people, blood (in contexts of not being responsible for another's death), or land (not being polluted by bloodshed). Also used for one liberated from obligation or penalty. Semantic range includes innocent, guiltless, exempt, clear (of charge), and free (from penalty).

Semantic Range

innocent, guiltless, free (from penalty), exempt (from obligation or punishment), clear (of accusation), blameless

Root / Etymology

From the root נקה (n-q-h), which conveys the core idea of being clean, pure, or free from blame. נָקִי is a masculine adjective or nominal form derived from this root, focusing on the state of being free of guilt, obligation, or impurity.

Historical & Contextual Notes

נָקִי appears in legal, cultic, and narrative contexts across the Hebrew Bible. In legal contexts (e.g., Deuteronomy, Exodus), it refers to a person exonerated of wrongdoing or released from consequence (Exod 21:28; Deut 19:10). In ritual contexts, it may refer to the land not being polluted by innocent blood (Deut 21:9). In prayers or oaths, it indicates desire to be (or claim of being) free of guilt (Jonah 1:14). The term can also denote exempted individuals (e.g., those exempted from obligations—Judg 21:22). From the monarchic period onward, use is consistent in denoting not only individual innocence but also collective guiltlessness or corporate purity (e.g., Psalm 15:5). English translations sometimes render the term narrowly as 'innocent' but fail to convey the broader sense of legal, moral, or ritual exemption. Distinct from זָכָה (zakah, to be pure or acquitted), נָקִי emphasizes exemption from penalty or result, not just moral purity. Over time, the term remained relatively stable in meaning, with later biblical and post-biblical usage preserving the sense of legal and ritual blamelessness. English translations occasionally use 'guiltless' or 'free,' but nuance can be lost, especially where legal acquittal or ritual purity is at issue.

Translation Consistency

primary "innocent" 40 occurrences

Most frequent and natural English rendering in the SILEX examples and it covers the typical semantic range (guiltless, clear of charge, exempt from penalty or obligation). 'Innocent' works for people, blood, land, or one freed from obligation and is more idiomatic than alternatives like 'guiltless' or 'exempt,' so it best preserves clarity and consistency across all forms.

Alternatives (3 occurrences):
"exempt" (1x) "guiltless" (1x) "guiltless one" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or נָקִיא; (Joel 4:19; Jonah [1:14), from נָקָה; innocent; blameless, clean, clear, exempted, free, guiltless, innocent, quit.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נקה (n-q-h) — to purge, to be clean, to be free from guilt or blame

Root נקה to purge, to be clean, to be free from guilt or blame
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4518 מְנַקִּית the purifying basins
H5343 נְקֵא clean, pure
H5352 נָקָה I will declare you clean
H5356 נִקָּיוֹן in cleanness

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5355-03 נָקִ֖י naqi HAamsa innocent guilt-free innocent 26
H5355-05 נְקִיִּֽם neqiyim HAampa guiltless guiltless ones innocent ones 8
H5355-01 הַ/נָּקִ֛י hanaqi HTd/Aamsa the innocent the guiltless one the innocent 4
H5355-06 וְ/נָקִ֤י venaqi HC/Aamsa and the innocent and guiltless one and innocent one 3
H5355-04 נְקִ֥י neqi HAamsc clean guiltless guiltless 1
H5355-02 לְ/נָקִ֣י lenaqi HR/Aamsa for the innocent for a guiltless one for a guiltless one 1

Occurrences in Scripture

43 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5355-03 Genesis 24:41 נָקִ֖י naqi HAamsa free guilt-free innocent
H5355-05 Genesis 44:10 נְקִיִּֽם neqiyim HAampa innocent guiltless ones innocent ones
H5355-03 Exodus 21:28 נָקִֽי naqi HAamsa shall be clear guilt-free innocent
H5355-06 Exodus 23:7 וְ/נָקִ֤י venaqi HC/Aamsa and innocent and guiltless one and innocent one
H5355-05 Numbers 32:22 נְקִיִּ֛ים neqiyim HAampa free guiltless ones innocent ones
H5355-03 Deuteronomy 19:10 נָקִ֔י naqi HAamsa innocent guilt-free innocent
H5355-01 Deuteronomy 19:13 הַ/נָּקִ֛י hanaqi HTd/Aamsa the innocent the guiltless one the innocent
H5355-03 Deuteronomy 21:8 נָקִ֔י naqi HAamsa innocent guilt-free innocent
H5355-01 Deuteronomy 21:9 הַ/נָּקִ֖י hanaqi HTd/Aamsa innocent the guiltless one the innocent
H5355-03 Deuteronomy 24:5 נָקִ֞י naqi HAamsa free guilt-free innocent
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