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H5362

נָקַף

nâqaph /naw-kaf'/ Ask about this word
a primitive root
to strike with more or less violence (beat, fell, corrode); by implication (of attack) to knock together, i.e. surround or circulate
compass (about, -ing), cut down, destroy, go round (about), inclose, round.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of nâqaph — 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 nâqaph, represented by H5362, is a primitive root with a range of meanings related to striking, surrounding, and circulating. Its definitions include to beat, fell, corrode, surround, cut down, destroy, and go round about. It appears 20 times across 19 unique verses, demonstrating its use in various contexts, from violent destruction to strategic encirclement.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H5362 is used to convey several distinct actions. It describes a hostile surrounding, as when the psalmist cries out that an "assembly of the wicked have inclosed me" Psalms 22:16. Job uses it to express a sense of being trapped by God, stating that God has "compassed me with his net" Job 19:6. The word also signifies destructive force, as in Isaiah's prophecy that the Lord "shall cut down the thickets of the forest" Isaiah 10:34. In a more procedural sense, it denotes circulation, such as the Israelites being instructed to "go round about the city" of Jericho Joshua 6:3 or the completion of a cycle when Job's sons' feasting days "were gone about" Job 1:5.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which H5362 is used:

  • H5437 çâbab (to revolve, surround): This verb is often used in tandem with nâqaph to emphasize the act of circling something. For instance, the Israelites are to "compass the city... and go round about the city" Joshua 6:3, and the people are invited to "Walk about Zion, and go round about her" Psalms 48:12.
  • H5439 çâbîyb (around, on every side): This adverb specifies the nature of the surrounding. It is used to describe the decorative knops "compassing the sea round about" in the temple 1 Kings 7:24 and the guards who were to "compass the king round about" for his protection 2 Kings 11:8.
  • H5712 ʻêdâh (assembly, congregation): This noun can identify the group performing the action of enclosing. In a key messianic psalm, it is the "assembly of the wicked" that has "inclosed" the suffering speaker Psalms 22:16.

Theological Significance

The conceptual weight of H5362 is significant, often defined by its intent.

  • Hostile Encirclement: The word frequently depicts a threatening siege or being trapped by adversaries. Enemies "compass me about" Psalms 17:9, and in a moment of despair, a voice from Lamentations says God has "compassed me with gall and travail" Lamentations 3:5.
  • Destructive Force: nâqaph carries a strong connotation of felling or destroying. It is used for cutting down thickets with iron Isaiah 10:34, the destruction of the body after death Job 19:26, and even the killing of sacrifices Isaiah 29:1.
  • Protective or Ritual Circulation: In contrast, the word can describe a methodical, non-hostile surrounding. The Levites were commanded to "compass the king round about" with their weapons to protect him 2 Chronicles 23:7. Similarly, the army circling Jericho was a strategic and divine command Joshua 6:11.

Summary

In summary, H5362 is a versatile term that encompasses a spectrum of actions from surrounding to striking down. Its meaning is heavily influenced by the context, able to describe the hostile pressure of enemies, the finality of destruction, the strategic movement of an army, and the protective circle of royal guards. nâqaph illustrates how a single Hebrew root can convey actions that are physically similar but motivationally opposite.

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 19 occurrences, inflected in 15 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.

  • הִקִּיפוּ
  • הַקֵּיף
  • מַקִּפִים
  • יַּקִּפוּ
  • יַּקַּף
  • הִקַּפְתֶּם
  • הִקִּיפוּ
  • הַקִּיפוּ
  • תַקִּפוּ
  • יַקִּיפוּ
  • הִקִּיפָה
  • הִקִּיף
  • נִקַּף
  • נִקְּפוּ
  • יִנְקֹפוּ

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.

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 19 verses across 9 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (4 verses); never once in the other 30.

1
Leviticus
2
Joshua
1
1 Kings
2
2 Kings
2
2 Chronicles
3
Job
4
Psalms
3
Isaiah
1
Lamentations

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.