### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew noun נֹקֶף (nôqeph, `{{H5363}}`) derives from the root verb נָקַף (naqaph, `{{H5362}}`), which carries a range of meanings including "to strike," "to cut off," "to go around," or "to compass." As a noun, נֹקֶף primarily denotes the action or result of "shaking" or "threshing," specifically in the context of harvesting olives. This sense is directly tied to the vigorous process of beating or shaking olive trees to dislodge their fruit. The semantic range thus encompasses the forceful dislodgment of something from its source, implying a thorough and often violent removal. The focus is on the outcome of such an action, where little remains after the process.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The word נֹקֶף (nôqeph, `{{H5363}}`) appears twice in the Hebrew Bible, both times within the prophetic book of Isaiah, and both times in the specific agricultural context of olive harvesting, used metaphorically to describe divine judgment:
1. **[[Isaiah 17:6]]**: "Yet gleanings will remain in it, like the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the topmost bough, four or five on the branches of a fruitful tree, declares the LORD, the God of Israel."
* Here, נֹקֶף (nôqeph) is explicitly linked to the "shaking of an olive tree" (כְּנֹקֶף זַיִת). The context is a prophecy of severe judgment against Damascus and the northern kingdom of Israel. The image conveys a thorough devastation, where only a sparse remnant remains, akin to the few olives left on a tree after a vigorous harvest. This illustrates the severity and completeness of God's impending judgment, leaving only a small, almost negligible, portion behind.
2. **[[Isaiah 24:13]]**: "For thus it shall be in the midst of the earth among the peoples, as when an olive tree is beaten, as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is ended."
* Again, נֹקֶף (nôqeph) is used in the phrase "as when an olive tree is beaten" (כְּנֹקֶף זַיִת). This verse is part of Isaiah's "Little Apocalypse," a prophecy of universal judgment upon the whole earth. The metaphor of the thoroughly beaten olive tree emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the desolation and emptying of the world. Just as an olive tree is stripped of nearly all its fruit, so too will the earth be stripped of its inhabitants and prosperity due to divine wrath.
In both instances, נֹקֶף (nôqeph) serves as a vivid agricultural metaphor for the thoroughness of God's judgment, reducing populations or resources to a mere remnant.
### Related Words & Concepts
The primary linguistic connection for נֹקֶף (nôqeph, `{{H5363}}`) is its root verb נָקַף (naqaph, `{{H5362}}`), which in its various forms can mean to strike, beat, or compass. The specific nuance of "beating" or "striking" is clearly carried over into the noun's meaning of "threshing" or "shaking" for harvest.
Related concepts include:
* **Harvesting terminology:** Terms like "gleaning" (לֶקֶט, `{{H3951}}`) and "harvest" (קָצִיר, `{{H7105}}`) provide the agricultural backdrop for the metaphor. The act of "threshing" (דּוּשׁ, `{{H1758}}`) or "beating" (חָבַט, `{{H2254}}`) are actions associated with harvest that imply forceful separation.
* **Remnant theology:** The idea of a "remnant" (שְׁאָר, `{{H7611}}` or יֶתֶר, `{{H3499}}`) is directly tied to the usage of נֹקֶף, as the severe "shaking" leaves only a few survivors.
* **Divine judgment:** The overarching theological theme is God's judgment (מִשְׁפָּט, `{{H4941}}`), which is portrayed as a comprehensive and devastating act, akin to the thorough stripping of an olive tree.
* **Desolation:** The result of the "shaking" is often desolation (שַׁמָּה, `{{H8077}}`) or emptiness.
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of נֹקֶף (nôqeph, `{{H5363}}`) lies primarily in its powerful metaphorical depiction of divine judgment.
1. **Thoroughness of Judgment:** The image of the "shaking of an olive tree" underscores the comprehensive and unsparing nature of God's judgment. It is not a partial or superficial action, but one that thoroughly depletes and reduces, leaving little behind. This emphasizes God's righteous response to sin and rebellion, ensuring that justice is fully meted out.
2. **Remnant and Grace:** Paradoxically, while signifying severe judgment, the metaphor also implicitly points to the concept of a "remnant." Even after the most intense "shaking," a few olives remain. This subtly hints at God's sovereign grace and faithfulness to preserve a chosen few amidst widespread devastation, a key theme in Isaiah's prophecies concerning Israel.
3. **God's Sovereignty:** The use of this agricultural process as a metaphor for judgment highlights God's absolute control and sovereignty over the affairs of nations and the earth. He is the one who orchestrates this "shaking," determining its intensity and its outcome.
4. **Consequences of Disobedience:** The "shaking" is presented as a direct and inevitable consequence of the people's unfaithfulness and sin, serving as a stark warning and a call to repentance.
### Summary
The Hebrew word נֹקֶף (nôqeph, `{{H5363}}`) denotes the forceful "shaking" or "threshing" of an olive tree, an agricultural process designed to dislodge fruit. Both occurrences in the Bible, found in the book of Isaiah ([[Isaiah 17:6]] and [[Isaiah 24:13]]), employ this term metaphorically to describe the severity and comprehensiveness of divine judgment. It paints a vivid picture of a thorough stripping away, leaving only a sparse remnant. Theologically, נֹקֶף underscores the unsparing nature of God's judgment, His sovereign control over the earth, and yet, implicitly, His preserving grace that ensures the survival of a remnant even amidst widespread desolation.
TRV