What does נָקָה (nāqāh) mean in the Bible?
נָקָה (nāqāh): Physical cleansing extends to moral/legal innocence; judicial acquittal is the word's primary theological usage
Hebrew · H5352
נָקָה
To be (or make ) clean (literally or figuratively); by implication (in an adverse sense) to be bare , i.e. extirpated
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נָקָה H5352
Pronunciation nāqāh
What does נָקָה (nāqāh) mean in the Bible?
נָקָה (nāqāh): Physical cleansing extends to moral/legal innocence; judicial acquittal is the word's primary theological usage
Full entry for נָקָה (H5352) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5352?
The BSB source-word alignment has 44 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include go unpunished (8), . . . (6), acquit me (2), leave anyone unpunished (2), leave the guilty unpunished (2).
Where does נָקָה (nāqāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 24:8. Its strongest book concentrations include Jeremiah (11), Proverbs (7), Numbers (5), Exodus (4).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It go unpunished 8× Proverbs 11:21, Proverbs 16:5, Proverbs 17:5, Proverbs 19:5
. . . 6× Numbers 14:18, Jeremiah 25:29, Jeremiah 30:11, Jeremiah 46:28
acquit me 2× Job 9:28, Job 10:14
leave anyone unpunished 2× Exodus 20:7, Deuteronomy 5:11
leave the guilty unpunished 2× Numbers 14:18, Nahum 1:3
leave you unpunished 2× Jeremiah 30:11, Jeremiah 46:28
will be removed 2× Zechariah 5:3
- 1× Genesis 24:41
and be guiltless 1× 1 Samuel 26:9
and cleansed 1× Psalms 19:13
avenged 1× Joel 3:21
Cleanse me 1× Psalms 19:12
destitute 1× Isaiah 3:26
For I will avenge 1× Joel 3:21
hold him guiltless 1× 1 Kings 2:9
I am innocent 1× Jeremiah 2:35
I will be blameless 1× Judges 15:3
leave [the guilty] unpunished 1× Exodus 34:7
may you be immune 1× Numbers 5:19
possibly go unpunished 1× Jeremiah 25:29
possibly remain unpunished 1× Jeremiah 49:12
shall go unpunished 1× Exodus 21:19
then you are released 1× Genesis 24:8
vvv 1× Exodus 34:7
will be free 1× Numbers 5:31
will be unaffected 1× Numbers 5:28
will go unpunished 1× Proverbs 6:29
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 24:8 וְנִקִּ֕יתָ to then you are released Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular Genesis 24:41 תִּנָּקֶה֙ to - Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Exodus 20:7 יְנַקֶּה֙ to leave anyone unpunished Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 21:19 וְנִקָּ֣ה to shall go unpunished Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 34:7 וְנַקֵּה֙ to vvv Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Infinitive absolute Exodus 34:7 יְנַקֶּ֔ה to leave [the guilty] unpunished Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Numbers 5:19 הִנָּקִ֕י to may you be immune Verb - Nifal - Imperative - feminine singular Numbers 5:28 וְנִקְּתָ֖ה to will be unaffected Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular Numbers 5:31 וְנִקָּ֥ה to will be free Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Numbers 14:18 יְנַקֶּ֔ה to . . . Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 24:8
Aligned rows 44
Books represented 15
Genesis 2 Exodus 4 Numbers 5 Deuteronomy 1 Judges 1 1 Samuel 1 1 Kings 1 Job 2 Psalms 2 Proverbs 7 Isaiah 1 Jeremiah 11 Joel 2 Nahum 2 Zechariah 2
Source forms
וְנַקֵּ֖ה 3x wə·naq·qêh Jeremiah 30:11, Jeremiah 46:28, Nahum 1:3
יִנָּקֶֽה׃ 3x yin·nā·qeh Proverbs 16:5, Proverbs 17:5, Proverbs 28:20
וְנַקֵּה֙ 2x wə·naq·qêh Exodus 34:7, Numbers 14:18
יְנַקֶּה֙ 2x yə·naq·qeh Exodus 20:7, Deuteronomy 5:11
יְנַקֶּ֔ה 2x yə·naq·qeh Exodus 34:7, Numbers 14:18
יִנָּקֶ֑ה 2x yin·nā·qeh Proverbs 19:5, Proverbs 19:9
תְנַקֵּֽנִי׃ 2x ṯə·naq·qê·nî Job 9:28, Job 10:14
אֲנַקֶּֽךָּ׃ס 1x ’ă·naq·qe·kā Jeremiah 46:28
Parsing patterns
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 7x Proverbs 6:29, Proverbs 11:21, Proverbs 16:5, Proverbs 17:5
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Infinitive absolute 5x Exodus 34:7, Numbers 14:18, Jeremiah 30:11, Jeremiah 46:28
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 5x Exodus 20:7, Exodus 34:7, Numbers 14:18, Deuteronomy 5:11
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular 3x Exodus 21:19, Numbers 5:31, 1 Samuel 26:9
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 3x Genesis 24:41, Jeremiah 49:12
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular 2x Numbers 5:28, Isaiah 3:26
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural 2x Jeremiah 25:29
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common singular 2x Judges 15:3, Jeremiah 2:35
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Physical cleansing extends to moral/legal innocence; judicial acquittal is the word's primary theological usage
Strong's H5352
Lexical occurrences 44 verses Word forms 3 forms 25 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Proverbs 11:21 Source Gloss
to be (or make ) clean (literally or figuratively); by implication (in an adverse sense) to be bare , i.e. extirpated
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Physical cleansing extends to moral/legal innocence; judicial acquittal is the word's primary theological usage
to be (or make) clean (literally or figuratively); by implication (in an adverse sense) to be bare, i.e. extirpated BDB: be empty Usage: acquit × at all, × altogether, be blameless, cleanse, (be) clear(-ing), cut off, be desolate, be free, be (hold) guiltless, be (hold) innocent, × by no means, be quit, be (leave) unpunished, × utterly, × wholly.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 3 Aligned forms 25
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 18×
Imperfect Prov 6:29 · Prov 11:21 · Prov 16:5 · Prov 17:5 · Prov 19:5 · Prov 19:9 · Prov 28:20 · Gen 24:41 · Jer 49:12 · Jer 25:29 12×
Perfect Jer 2:35 · Judg 15:3 · Zech 5:3 4×
Infinitive absolute Jer 25:29 1×
Sequential imperfect Num 5:19 1×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 6×
Imperfect Deut 5:11 · Exod 20:7 · Exod 34:7 · Nah 1:3 · Num 14:18 5×
Perfect Joel 4:21 1×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 1×
Infinitive absolute Jer 49:12 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Assurance that the wicked will not escape judgment or remain unpunished
Declaration that those proud in heart will not go unpunished by the Lord
False witnesses will not remain unpunished or escape divine accountability
One who hastens to be rich through schemes will not remain unpunished
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 44 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
נָקָה is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain