What does נָקַם (nāqam) mean in the Bible?
נָקַם (nāqam): Vengeance rooted in grievance; God's retaliatory justice against covenant-breakers and enemies of Israel.
Hebrew · H5358
נָקַם
To grudge , i.e. avenge or punish
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נָקַם H5358
Pronunciation nāqam
What does נָקַם (nāqam) mean in the Bible?
נָקַם (nāqam): Vengeance rooted in grievance; God's retaliatory justice against covenant-breakers and enemies of Israel.
Full entry for נָקַם (H5358) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5358?
The BSB source-word alignment has 35 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include avenge (3), and take vengeance (2), Take vengeance (2), . . . (1), [then Cain] will be avenged (1).
Where does נָקַם (nāqam) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 4:15. Its strongest book concentrations include Jeremiah (7), Ezekiel (4), 1 Samuel (3), Exodus (3).
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 avenge 3× Jeremiah 5:9, Jeremiah 5:29, Jeremiah 9:9
and take vengeance 2× Jeremiah 51:36, Ezekiel 24:8
Take vengeance 2× Numbers 31:2, 1 Samuel 24:12
. . . 1× Exodus 21:20
[then Cain] will be avenged 1× Genesis 4:15
against 1× Jeremiah 46:10
and avenge Myself 1× Isaiah 1:24
and avenger 1× Psalms 8:2
and avenging 1× Nahum 1:2
and in [so doing] 1× Ezekiel 25:12
as revenge 1× 1 Samuel 18:25
Avenge me 1× Jeremiah 15:15
be punished 1× Exodus 21:21
before I have taken vengeance 1× 1 Samuel 14:24
bent on revenge 1× Psalms 44:16
he shall surely be punished 1× Exodus 21:20
He will avenge 1× Deuteronomy 32:43
I have taken vengeance 1× Judges 15:7
I may pay back 1× Judges 16:28
is avenged 1× Genesis 4:24
is avenging 1× Nahum 1:2
seek revenge 1× Leviticus 19:18
so that I may avenge 1× 2 Kings 9:7
take out your vengeance 1× Jeremiah 50:15
takes vengeance 1× Nahum 1:2
taking 1× Ezekiel 25:15
to avenge themselves 1× Esther 8:13
to execute 1× Leviticus 26:25
took vengeance 1× Joshua 10:13
vengefully 1× Ezekiel 25:12
yet an avenger 1× Psalms 99:8
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 4:15 יֻקָּ֑ם to [then Cain] will be avenged Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 4:24 יֻקַּם־ to is avenged Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 21:20 נָקֹ֖ם to he shall surely be punished Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute Exodus 21:20 יִנָּקֵֽם׃ to . . . Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 21:21 יֻקַּ֔ם to be punished Verb - QalPass - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Leviticus 19:18 תִקֹּ֤ם to seek revenge Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Leviticus 26:25 נֹקֶ֙מֶת֙ to to execute Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular Numbers 31:2 נְקֹ֗ם to Take vengeance Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular Deuteronomy 32:43 יִקּ֑וֹם to He will avenge Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Joshua 10:13 יִקֹּ֥ם to took vengeance Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 4:15
Aligned rows 35
Books represented 15
Genesis 2 Exodus 3 Leviticus 2 Numbers 1 Deuteronomy 1 Joshua 1 Judges 2 1 Samuel 3 2 Kings 1 Esther 1 Psalms 3 Isaiah 1 Jeremiah 7 Ezekiel 4 Nahum 3
Source forms
תִתְנַקֵּ֖ם 3x ṯiṯ·naq·qêm Jeremiah 5:9, Jeremiah 5:29, Jeremiah 9:9
וּמִתְנַקֵּֽם׃ 2x ū·miṯ·naq·qêm Psalms 8:2, Psalms 44:16
לְהִנָּקֵ֖ם 2x lə·hin·nā·qêm 1 Samuel 18:25, Esther 8:13
בִּנְקֹ֥ם 1x bin·qōm Ezekiel 25:12
הִנָּ֣קְמוּ 1x hin·nā·qə·mū Jeremiah 50:15
וְאִנָּקְמָ֧ה 1x wə·’in·nā·qə·māh Judges 16:28
וְאִנָּקְמָ֖ה 1x wə·’in·nā·qə·māh Isaiah 1:24
וְהִנָּ֤קֶם 1x wə·hin·nā·qem Jeremiah 15:15
Parsing patterns
Preposition-l | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct 3x 1 Samuel 18:25, Esther 8:13, Jeremiah 46:10
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person feminine singular 3x Jeremiah 5:9, Jeremiah 5:29, Jeremiah 9:9
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine singular 2x Psalms 8:2, Psalms 44:16
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular 2x Judges 16:28, Isaiah 1:24
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular 2x 2 Kings 9:7, Jeremiah 51:36
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 2x Psalms 99:8, Nahum 1:2
Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x Genesis 4:15, Genesis 4:24
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x Deuteronomy 32:43, Joshua 10:13
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Vengeance rooted in grievance; God's retaliatory justice against covenant-breakers and enemies of Israel.
Strong's H5358
Lexical occurrences 35 verses Word forms 4 forms 17 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Jeremiah 51:36-37 Source Gloss
to grudge , i.e. avenge or punish
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Vengeance rooted in grievance; God's retaliatory justice against covenant-breakers and enemies of Israel.
to grudge, i.e. avenge or punish BDB: avenge Usage: avenge(-r, self), punish, revenge (self), × surely, take vengeance.
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 4 Aligned forms 17
Hophal causative passive — the subject is caused to perform the action 3×
Imperfect Exod 21:21 · Gen 4:15 · Gen 4:24 3×
Hithpael reflexive or reciprocal — the subject acts on itself or mutually with others 3×
Imperfect Jer 5:9 · Jer 5:29 · Jer 9:8 3×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 8×
Participle active Lev 26:25 · Nah 1:2 3×
Imperfect Deut 32:43 · Josh 10:13 · Lev 19:18 3×
Infinitive absolute Exod 21:20 1×
Sequential imperfect Num 31:2 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 3×
Imperfect Exod 21:20 1×
Sequential imperfect Jer 50:15 1×
Perfect Judg 15:7 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
God's action to punish enemies and defend the oppressed people
Showing 1 selected witness from 35 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
נָקַם 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