What does נְקָמָה (nĕqāmāh) mean in the Bible?
נְקָמָה (nĕqāmāh): Divine prerogative to repay covenant violation; human vengeance poses theological danger when usurping God's exclusive right
Hebrew · H5360
נְקָמָה
Avengement , whether the act or the passion
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נְקָמָה H5360
Pronunciation nĕqāmāh
What does נְקָמָה (nĕqāmāh) mean in the Bible?
נְקָמָה (nĕqāmāh): Divine prerogative to repay covenant violation; human vengeance poses theological danger when usurping God's exclusive right
Full entry for נְקָמָה (H5360) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5360?
The BSB source-word alignment has 27 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include vengeance (6), . . . (3), My vengeance (3), of vengeance (3), Your vengeance (3).
Where does נְקָמָה (nĕqāmāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Numbers 31:2. Its strongest book concentrations include Jeremiah (11), Ezekiel (5), Psalms (5), 2 Samuel (2).
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 vengeance 6× Numbers 31:3, 2 Samuel 4:8, Psalms 149:7, Jeremiah 51:6
. . . 3× Numbers 31:2, 2 Samuel 22:48, Psalms 18:47
My vengeance 3× Ezekiel 25:14, Ezekiel 25:17
of vengeance 3× Psalms 94:1, Jeremiah 46:10
Your vengeance 3× Psalms 79:10, Jeremiah 11:20, Jeremiah 20:12
the vengeance 2× Jeremiah 50:28
[is] the vengeance 1× Jeremiah 51:11
avenged 1× Judges 11:36
in vengeance 1× Ezekiel 25:15
is the vengeance 1× Jeremiah 50:15
on your behalf 1× Jeremiah 51:36
our vengeance 1× Jeremiah 20:10
their malice 1× Lamentations 3:60
Show sample aligned rows
Numbers 31:2 נִקְמַת֙ to . . . Noun - feminine singular construct Numbers 31:3 נִקְמַת־ to vengeance Noun - feminine singular construct Judges 11:36 נְקָמ֛וֹת to avenged Noun - feminine plural 2 Samuel 4:8 נְקָמוֹת֙ to vengeance Noun - feminine plural 2 Samuel 22:48 נְקָמֹ֖ת to . . . Noun - feminine plural Psalms 18:47 נְקָמ֣וֹת to . . . Noun - feminine plural Psalms 79:10 נִ֝קְמַ֗ת to Your vengeance Noun - feminine singular construct Psalms 94:1 נְקָמ֥וֹת to of vengeance Noun - feminine plural Psalms 94:1 נְקָמ֣וֹת to of vengeance Noun - feminine plural Psalms 149:7 נְ֭קָמָה to vengeance Noun - feminine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Numbers 31:2
Aligned rows 27
Books represented 7
Numbers 2 Judges 1 2 Samuel 2 Psalms 5 Jeremiah 11 Lamentations 1 Ezekiel 5
Source forms
נְקָמ֣וֹת 3x nə·qā·mō·wṯ Psalms 18:47, Psalms 94:1, Ezekiel 25:17
נִקְמַת֙ 2x niq·maṯ Numbers 31:2, Jeremiah 50:28
נִקְמַ֖ת 2x niq·maṯ Jeremiah 50:28, Jeremiah 51:11
נִקְמָֽתְךָ֙ 2x niq·mā·ṯə·ḵā Jeremiah 11:20, Jeremiah 20:12
בִּנְקָמָ֑ה 1x bin·qā·māh Ezekiel 25:15
נְ֭קָמָה 1x nə·qā·māh Psalms 149:7
נְקָמָה֙ 1x nə·qā·māh Jeremiah 46:10
נְקָמָ֥ה 1x nə·qā·māh Jeremiah 51:6
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular construct 8x Numbers 31:2, Numbers 31:3, Psalms 79:10, Jeremiah 50:15
Noun - feminine plural 7x Judges 11:36, 2 Samuel 4:8, 2 Samuel 22:48, Psalms 18:47
Noun - feminine singular 3x Psalms 149:7, Jeremiah 46:10, Jeremiah 51:6
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular 3x Ezekiel 25:14, Ezekiel 25:17
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular 2x Jeremiah 11:20, Jeremiah 20:12
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common plural 1x Jeremiah 20:10
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singular 1x Jeremiah 51:36
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural 1x Lamentations 3:60
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Divine prerogative to repay covenant violation; human vengeance poses theological danger when usurping God's exclusive right
Source Gloss
avengement , whether the act or the passion
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Divine prerogative to repay covenant violation; human vengeance poses theological danger when usurping God's exclusive right
avengement, whether the act or the passion BDB: vengeance Usage: avenge, revenge(-ing), vengeance.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
נְקָמָה is built from this root:
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