Word Study for H5101 (נָהַק) | Strong's Concordance

nâhaq /naw-hak'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto bray (as an ass), scream (from hunger)

KJV usagebray.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of nâhaq — 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 nâhaq, represented by H5101, is a primitive root meaning to bray (as an ass), scream (from hunger). This specific term appears only 2 times in 2 unique verses, yet it vividly captures a sound of deep distress or want. Its primary usage is to describe the cry of an animal, specifically as a reaction to a lack of food.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The word is found exclusively in the book of Job, where it is used metaphorically to illustrate human suffering. In his initial response to his friends, Job asks rhetorically, "Doth the wild ass H6501 bray H5101 when he hath grass H1877?" Job 6:5. Here, the braying signifies a cry of complaint that is justified by hunger, just as Job feels his own outcry is justified by his affliction. Later, describing the wretched state of the destitute, Job says they brayed H5101 among the bushes H7880 and gathered under nettles H2738 Job 30:7, associating the sound with social outcasts in a state of utter desolation.

Related Words & Concepts

Several words appear alongside H5101 that help to define its context of lack and distress:

H6501 pereʼ (wild ass): The animal known for braying, defined as the onager; wild (ass). Its cry in the absence of food serves as Job's primary analogy for justified complaint Job 6:5.
H1600 gâʻâh (low): Used in parallel with nâhaq, this verb, meaning to bellow (as cattle); low, describes the sound of a contented ox, creating a stark contrast to the braying of a hungry ass Job 6:5.
H7880 sîyach (bush): This word for shrubbery; bush, plant, shrub describes the desolate environment where suffering people bray in their misery, highlighting their outcast status Job 30:7.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H5101 is tied to its use as a powerful metaphor for legitimate human suffering.

The Cry of Justified Complaint: The braying of the wild ass is presented as a natural and expected response to hunger Job 6:5. By analogy, Job argues that his own cries are not faithless but are a valid expression of his unbearable pain and loss.
A Voice for the Desolate: The word is used to describe the cries of the most destitute and debased members of society, who are forced to live among bushes and nettles Job 30:7. Their braying is the sound of profound human need and abandonment.
Animal Imagery and Human Experience: The use of nâhaq connects a primal animal cry directly to the human experience of affliction. It illustrates how nature itself provides a language for understanding and articulating a level of suffering that goes beyond ordinary words.

Summary

In summary, H5101 nâhaq is a rare but evocative term that translates a simple animal sound into a profound symbol of distress. While it appears only twice, its context within the book of Job gives it significant weight. It functions as a metaphor for a cry born from genuine want and desolation, arguing that such expressions of suffering are natural and justified. The word powerfully links the primal sounds of the natural world to the deepest articulations of human pain.

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.

יִנְהָקוּ
יִנְהַק

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

2 verses, all in Job — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

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.