What does עָקַר (ʿāqar) mean in the Bible?
עָקַר (ʿāqar): Total removal or incapacitation—from literal uprooting to disabling livestock to annihilating enemies or nations.
Hebrew · H6131
עָקַר
To pluck up (especially by the roots); specifically, to hamstring ; figuratively, to exterminate
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עָקַר H6131
Pronunciation ʿāqar
What does עָקַר (ʿāqar) mean in the Bible?
עָקַר (ʿāqar): Total removal or incapacitation—from literal uprooting to disabling livestock to annihilating enemies or nations.
Full entry for עָקַר (H6131) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6131?
The BSB source-word alignment has 7 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and hamstring (1), and he hamstrung (1), hamstrung (1), he hamstrung (1), to uproot (1).
Where does עָקַר (ʿāqar) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 49:6. Its strongest book concentrations include Joshua (2), 1 Chronicles (1), 2 Samuel (1), Ecclesiastes (1).
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 and hamstring 1× Genesis 49:6
and he hamstrung 1× 1 Chronicles 18:4
hamstrung 1× 2 Samuel 8:4
he hamstrung 1× Joshua 11:9
to uproot 1× Ecclesiastes 3:2
will be uprooted 1× Zephaniah 2:4
You are to hamstring 1× Joshua 11:6
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 49:6 עִקְּרוּ־ to and hamstring Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural Joshua 11:6 תְּעַקֵּ֔ר to You are to hamstring Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Joshua 11:9 עִקֵּ֔ר to he hamstrung Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular 2 Samuel 8:4 וַיְעַקֵּ֤ר to hamstrung Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1 Chronicles 18:4 וַיְעַקֵּ֤ר to and he hamstrung Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Ecclesiastes 3:2 לַעֲק֥וֹר to to uproot Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Zephaniah 2:4 תֵּעָקֵֽר׃ס to will be uprooted Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 49:6
Aligned rows 7
Books represented 6
Genesis 1 Joshua 2 2 Samuel 1 1 Chronicles 1 Ecclesiastes 1 Zephaniah 1
Source forms
וַיְעַקֵּ֤ר 2x way·‘aq·qêr 2 Samuel 8:4, 1 Chronicles 18:4
לַעֲק֥וֹר 1x la·‘ă·qō·wr Ecclesiastes 3:2
עִקֵּ֔ר 1x ‘iq·qêr Joshua 11:9
עִקְּרוּ־ 1x ‘iq·qə·rū- Genesis 49:6
תְּעַקֵּ֔ר 1x tə·‘aq·qêr Joshua 11:6
תֵּעָקֵֽר׃ס 1x tê·‘ā·qêr Zephaniah 2:4
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x 2 Samuel 8:4, 1 Chronicles 18:4
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct 1x Ecclesiastes 3:2
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular 1x Zephaniah 2:4
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 1x Joshua 11:6
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural 1x Genesis 49:6
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular 1x Joshua 11:9
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Total removal or incapacitation—from literal uprooting to disabling livestock to annihilating enemies or nations.
Source Gloss
to pluck up (especially by the roots); specifically, to hamstring ; figuratively, to exterminate
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Total removal or incapacitation—from literal uprooting to disabling livestock to annihilating enemies or nations.
to pluck up (especially by the roots); specifically, to hamstring; figuratively, to exterminate BDB: hamstring Usage: dig down, hough, pluck up, root up.
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 2 Aligned forms 4
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 3×
Perfect Gen 49:6 · Josh 11:9 2×
Imperfect Josh 11:6 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 1×
Imperfect Zeph 2:4 1×
Word Origins
עָקַר is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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