Word Study for H650 (אָפִיק) | Strong's Concordance

ʼâphîyq /aw-feek'/ Ask about this word

Meaningproperly, containing, i.e. a tube; also a bed or valley of astream; also a strong thing or a hero

KJV usagebrook, channel, mighty, river, stream, strong piece.

Idioms & phrasesphrase scale

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʼâphîyq — 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 ʼâphîyq, represented by H650, has a range of meanings connected to the idea of a channel or a source of strength. It appears 19 times across 19 unique verses. Its primary meaning refers to a bed or valley of a stream, but it also extends to mean a channel, a strong thing, or even a hero. It is translated in various ways, including brook, channel, mighty, river, and stream.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In Scripture, H650 is used to describe both natural and metaphorical channels. It can refer literally to the brooks of water for which a soul pants Psalms 42:1 or the rivers in a restored land where God will feed His people Ezekiel 34:13. The word is also used to depict strength and power. For instance, Job describes the bones of a great creature as strong pieces of brass Job 40:18, and he also refers to powerful people as the mighty Job 12:21. In a unique instance, it describes the interlocking scales on a creature, highlighting a structure that is both contained and strong Job 41:15.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help illuminate the contexts in which H650 appears:

H5158 nachal (brook, stream): This word for a stream or winter torrent is often used in parallel with features of the landscape. It appears alongside ʼâphîyq to describe how fleeting brethren can be, like a brook and the stream of brooks that pass away Job 6:15.
H4325 mayim (water): As the substance that flows through channels, mayim is a natural companion to ʼâphîyq. This connection is clear in passages about the rivers of waters drying up in a time of judgment Joel 1:20 and in descriptions of eyes by the rivers of waters Song of Solomon 5:12.
H6099 ʻâtsûwm (strong, mighty): This term for power or numerousness connects to the meaning of ʼâphîyq as "mighty" or "strong." In Isaiah 8:7, it describes the strong and many waters of the river that will overflow its channels (ʼâphîyq).

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H650 is often tied to demonstrations of God's sovereignty over both nature and human strength.

Divine Power over Creation: God's power is shown when He reveals the channels of the waters and the foundations of the world through His rebuke (Psalms 18:15, 2 Samuel 22:16). This illustrates His absolute authority over the deepest and most hidden parts of the earth.
Instrument of Judgment and Blessing: Waterways (ʼâphîyq) can be instruments of both judgment and blessing. God can cause the rivers to dry up Joel 1:20 or overflow their channels as a sign of invasion Isaiah 8:7. Conversely, He promises that the rivers of Judah will flow with water as a sign of future restoration and abundance Joel 3:18.
Source of True Strength: While the term can describe the mighty Job 12:21 or bones as strong pieces Job 40:18, these are always subject to God. God is the one who pours contempt on princes and weakens the strength of the mighty, showing that all power derives from and is accountable to Him.

Summary

In summary, H650 is a versatile word that signifies more than just a simple watercourse. It functions as a powerful symbol in Scripture, representing physical conduits like streams and riverbeds, as well as abstract concepts of might and strength. Its usage in contexts of both divine judgment and covenantal blessing underscores God's ultimate control over the natural world and the powers within it.

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 noun and an adjective across 19 occurrences, inflected in 4 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.

אֲפִיקֵי
אֲפִיקִים
אֲפִיקִים
אֲפִיק

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 7 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Ezekiel (7 verses); never once in the other 32.

2 Samuel

Job

Psalms

Song of Solomon

Isaiah

Ezekiel

Joel

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.