The Hebrew word ʻâmôq, represented by H6013, signifies that which is deep, both literally and figuratively. It appears 16 times in 16 unique verses. The term is used to describe physical depth, such as a pit or a wound, as well as abstract concepts like the depth of the human heart, wisdom, or things that are difficult to comprehend.
In biblical usage, H6013 appears in both literal and figurative contexts. In a literal sense, it is used extensively in Leviticus to assess the severity of skin diseases. A plague H5061 was considered unclean if it appeared deeper than the skin H5785 of the flesh H1320 (Leviticus 13:3, 25). Figuratively, it often describes sources of danger or ruin; a whore H2181 is likened to a deep ditch H7745 Proverbs 23:27, and the mouth H6310 of strange women is called a deep pit H7745 Proverbs 22:14. The word also illustrates profoundness, comparing counsel H6098 in a man's heart H3820 to deep water H4325 Proverbs 20:5 and describing the human heart itself as deep Psalms 64:6. It can also depict things beyond human understanding, such as that which is "exceeding deep" Ecclesiastes 7:24 or God's ability to discover deep things out of darkness H2822 Job 12:22.
Several related words help clarify the meaning of H6013:
- H7585 shᵉʼôwl (Hades or the world of the dead): This term is used in contrast to the height of heaven H8064 to illustrate the vast, unknowable nature of things beyond human grasp, which are described as deeper than hell Job 11:8.
- H3820 lêb (the heart): The human heart is often the subject described as deep. This points to the hidden nature of human counsel Proverbs 20:5 and inward thoughts which are searched out Psalms 64:6.
- H4325 mayim (water): Water serves as a common metaphor for what is deep. The words of a man's mouth are likened to deep waters Proverbs 18:4, as is the counsel within his heart Proverbs 20:5.
- H5785 ʻôwr (skin): In the Levitical laws, the physical depth of a plague is measured in relation to the skin. A plague being deeper than the skin was a primary diagnostic for leprosy H6883 Leviticus 13:3.
The theological weight of H6013 is seen in its use to contrast divine and human realities.
- Divine Knowledge vs. Human Limitation: H6013 is used to contrast the limits of human knowledge with God's omniscience. While man struggles to find out what is "exceeding deep" Ecclesiastes 7:24, God is the one who "discovereth deep things out of darkness" Job 12:22 and whose ways are "deeper than hell" Job 11:8.
- The Inner Person: The word highlights the profound and often hidden nature of the human heart H3820. It can contain deep counsel that a person of understanding H8394 can draw out H1802 Proverbs 20:5, but it can also be a deep source of iniquity that people search out Psalms 64:6.
- Metaphor for Moral Danger: In Proverbs, a deep pit or ditch serves as a potent metaphor for sexual sin and its consequences. The mouth of strange women Proverbs 22:14 and the whore Proverbs 23:27 are described as a deep snare from which it is difficult to escape, and into which those abhorred H2194 by the LORD fall.
- Physical Manifestation of Uncleanliness: The literal use in Leviticus carries theological weight. The depth of a plague below the skin H5785 was not just a physical symptom but a key sign of ceremonial uncleanliness H2930, separating an individual from the community Leviticus 13:3.
In summary, H6013 moves from a literal, physical measurement to a powerful figurative descriptor. It is used in legal contexts to diagnose physical corruption Leviticus 13:3 and in wisdom literature to describe moral snares Proverbs 23:27, the profound nature of the human heart Psalms 64:6, and the inaccessible knowledge of God Job 11:8. ʻâmôq consistently points to a reality that lies beneath the surface, whether it is a sign of disease, the source of wisdom, or the secrets known only to God.
TRV