English · KJV
H5008

נָאַק

nâʼaq /naw-ak'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto groan
KJV usagegroan.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of nâʼaq — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word nâʼaq, represented by H5008, is a primitive root meaning to groan. It is a rare term, appearing only 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible. Its usage consistently points to a deep, visceral expression of agony or distress resulting from severe affliction.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical contexts, H5008 describes a response to overwhelming pain or defeat. In Ezekiel, the word portrays the consequence of divine judgment, where God declares that He will break Pharaoh's arms, causing him to groan before the king of Babylon like a "deadly wounded man" Ezekiel 30:24. In Job, the term captures the suffering of the oppressed, where men groan from within the city and "the soul of the wounded crieth out" in the face of injustice Job 24:12. In both instances, the groaning is not a minor complaint but a profound sound of suffering.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the intense nature of this groaning:

  • H5009 nᵉʼâqâh (a groan; groaning): This is the noun form, used in conjunction with H5008 to intensify the description of Pharaoh's suffering, who groans "with the groanings of a deadly wounded man" Ezekiel 30:24.
  • H2491 châlâl (wounded): This word appears in both instances where H5008 is used, directly linking the act of groaning to the state of being mortally wounded (Job 24:12, Ezekiel 30:24).
  • H7665 shâbar (to break): This verb describes the action that causes the groaning in Ezekiel's prophecy. God will break Pharaoh's arms, leading to his agonized response Ezekiel 30:24.
  • H7768 shâvaʻ (cry out): In Job, this word runs parallel to groaning, as the soul of the wounded crieth out, highlighting the vocal nature of immense suffering Job 24:12.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H5008 lies in its raw depiction of human powerlessness.

  • Consequence of Judgment: The groaning of Pharaoh H6547 is a direct result of God's judgment. It serves as an audible sign of the defeat of a powerful human ruler who stands against God's purposes Ezekiel 30:24.
  • Cry of the Afflicted: The groaning of men H4962 in the city represents the anguish of the oppressed. The passage notes that despite this suffering, God H433 "layeth not folly to them," suggesting that their cries are seen and acknowledged, even if justice is not immediate Job 24:12.
  • Voice of the Wounded: In both cases, the groan is explicitly connected to being wounded H2491. It is the sound of life succumbing to a mortal blow, whether inflicted by a conquering army or by societal injustice.

Summary

In summary, H5008 is a potent and specific term for the sound of extreme suffering. Though used sparingly, it powerfully conveys the agony of the mortally wounded and the utterly defeated. Whether depicting the fall of a proud king under divine judgment or the desperate cries of the oppressed, nâʼaq illustrates a state of complete helplessness and profound distress.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • נָאַק
  • יִנְאָקוּ

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H5009 נְאָקָה from נָאַק; a groan; groaning. H2491 חָלָל from חָלַל; pierced (especially to death); figuratively, polluted; kill, profane, slain (man), [idiom] slew, (deadly) wo H7665 שָׁבַר a primitive root; to burst (literally or figuratively); break (down, off, in pieces, up), broken (-hearted), bring to th H7768 שָׁוַע a primitive root; properly, to be free; but used only causatively and reflexively, to halloo (for help, i.e. freedom fro H6547 פַּרְעֹה of Egyptian derivation; Paroh, a general title of Egyptian kings; Pharaoh. H4962 מַת from the same as מָתַי; properly, an adult (as of full length); by implication, a man (only in the plural); [phrase] few

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Job and Ezekiel (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

1
Job
1
Ezekiel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.