from עָקַב; in the original sense, a knoll (as swelling up); in the denominative sense; (transitive) fraudulent or (intransitive) tracked; crooked, deceitful, polluted.
### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʻâqôb**, represented by `{{H6121}}`, carries meanings of crookedness, deceit, and pollution. Its definition includes concepts of being fraudulent, tracked, or like a knoll that swells up from the ground. It appears **3 times** in **3 unique verses**, each usage highlighting a different facet of its meaning, from the physical landscape to the moral condition of humanity.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical occurrences, `{{H6121}}` is applied in three distinct contexts. In Isaiah, it describes a physical state, where the **crooked**{H6121} places will be made straight as part of a divine restoration [[Isaiah 40:4]]. Jeremiah uses the word metaphorically to describe the internal condition of the human **heart**{H3820}, calling it **deceitful**{H6121} above all things and desperately wicked [[Jeremiah 17:9]]. Finally, Hosea employs it to depict a state of moral defilement, describing the city of **Gilead**{H1568} as **polluted**{H6121} with blood due to the iniquity of its inhabitants [[Hosea 6:8]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the meaning of `{{H6121}}` by providing contrast or context:
* `{{H4334}}` **mîyshôwr** (straightness, justice): As the direct opposite of `{{H6121}}` in Isaiah's prophecy, this word signifies a level plain, equity, and righteousness. It is what the "crooked" will become [[Isaiah 40:4]].
* `{{H3820}}` **lêb** (the heart): This word for the heart, will, and intellect is the subject described as **deceitful** `{{H6121}}` in Jeremiah's well-known declaration about the human condition [[Jeremiah 17:9]].
* `{{H605}}` **ʼânash** (desperately wicked, incurable): This term appears immediately after `{{H6121}}` to further describe the deceitful heart, emphasizing its frail, feeble, and woeful state [[Jeremiah 17:9]].
* `{{H1818}}` **dâm** (blood): In Hosea, this word identifies the substance that pollutes the city of Gilead. The city's actions result in it being defiled by **blood**{H1818} [[Hosea 6:8]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6121}}` is significant, touching on core doctrines of sin and redemption.
* **The Condition of the Heart:** The use of `{{H6121}}` in [[Jeremiah 17:9]] is foundational to understanding the biblical view of fallen human nature. It portrays the heart as fundamentally **deceitful**, not just in action but in its very essence.
* **The Promise of Restoration:** [[Isaiah 40:4]] uses the physical transformation of a **crooked**{H6121} path into a straight one to symbolize God's power to redeem and restore. This imagery illustrates that God's work involves making right what is twisted and uneven, preparing the way for His salvation.
* **The Nature of Sin's Defilement:** The description of Gilead as **polluted**{H6121} shows that sin is not merely a legal transgression but something that corrupts and defiles. The city is stained by its deeds of iniquity and bloodshed, demonstrating the tangible consequences of evil [[Hosea 6:8]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6121}}` is a powerful and multifaceted term. While appearing only three times, it effectively communicates the concepts of physical crookedness, moral deceit, and spiritual pollution. From the twisted path in the wilderness to the treacherous landscape of the human heart, **ʻâqôb** illustrates a condition of disorder and corruption that stands in need of divine intervention to be made straight, clean, and true.
TRV