Lexical Summary huk: Decree, statute, ordinance Original Word: הוּךְ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bring again, come, go up (Aramaic) corresponding to halak; to go; causatively, to bring -- bring again, come, go (up). see HEBREW halak NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) the same as halak, q.v. Brown-Driver-Briggs [הֲלַךְ] verb go (Biblical Hebrew; ᵑ7; Syriac only Pa.); — Pe`al syncop. (so ᵑ7 D§ 70, 9, Egyptian Aramaic Cooke209, Imperfect S-CD 22, G 25, 28) go, of men: Imperfect3masculine singular וִיהַח (K§ 44 a; al. וִיהָח) Ezra 6:5, יְהָ֑ךְ Ezra 5:5; of inanimate things = be brought, Ezra 7:13; Infinitive לִמְהַח (Kl.c.; al. חָ֯) Ezra 7:13. Pa`el Participle מְהַלֵח walking about Daniel 4:26 (עַל location). Haph`el id.: Participle plural מַהְלְכִין Daniel 3:25 (בְּגוֺא); figurative Daniel 4:34 walk in pride (? read Pa`el in these). Topical Lexicon Occurrences and Literary Setting הוּךְ appears four times, all in the Aramaic sections of Ezra (5:5; 6:5; 7:13 twice). Each instance is embedded in official Persian correspondence, underscoring how imperial decrees became instruments for advancing God’s redemptive purposes. Ezra 5:5 – Providence Over Opposition “But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, so that they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.” The word fixes a divinely appointed limit: hostilities may rage, but only “until” God’s ordained moment. It highlights the certainty that no earthly power can ultimately derail the rebuilding of His house. Ezra 6:5 – Restoration of Sacred Vessels Royal instruction orders that the captured temple articles “be returned and deposited in the house of God.” הוּךְ signals the end of exile-era shame and the inauguration of renewed worship. The timing stresses that restitution is not random; it is synchronized with covenant faithfulness. Ezra 7:13 (twice) – Freedom to Return and Serve “I hereby issue a decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom who are willing... may go with you to Jerusalem.” The repeated particle frames a sweeping permission backed by imperial authority. Voluntary return, not forced migration, mirrors a central biblical motif: service born of willing hearts (compare Exodus 35:21; Revelation 22:17). Historical Significance 1. Protection of the builders (5:5) Together these moments rebuild community, worship, and identity—the core components of post-exilic renewal. Theological Themes • Sovereignty in Bureaucracy – God directs not only prophets but paperwork, proving His rule over secular powers (Proverbs 21:1). Ministry Applications • Continue the work despite resistance, trusting God’s “until.” Biblical Echoes The temporal boundary implied by הוּךְ anticipates larger scriptural “untils”: the restraint on evil “until He who restrains is taken out of the way” (2 Thessalonians 2:7) and the ongoing mission of the church “until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in” (Romans 11:25). Conclusion Though a small connective in Aramaic prose, הוּךְ punctuates decisive turns in the restoration story—moments when God’s timing intersects earthly authority to protect His people, restore His worship, and release His servants. Forms and Transliterations וִ֠יהָךְ ויהך יְהָ֑ךְ יְהָֽךְ׃ יהך יהך׃ לִמְהָ֧ךְ למהך lim·hāḵ limHach limhāḵ Vihoch wî·hāḵ wîhāḵ yə·hāḵ yeHach yəhāḵLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezra 5:5 HEB: טַעְמָ֖א לְדָרְיָ֣וֶשׁ יְהָ֑ךְ וֶאֱדַ֛יִן יְתִיב֥וּן KJV: the matter came to Darius: INT: the matter to Darius came and then be returned Ezra 6:5 Ezra 7:13 Ezra 7:13 4 Occurrences |
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