Lexical Summary yanaq: To suck, to nurse, to draw milk Original Word: יָנַק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance give milk, nursing mother, give, make to sucking child, A primitive root; to suck; causatively, to give milk -- milch, nurse(-ing mother), (give, make to) suck(-ing child, -ling). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to suck NASB Translation draw (1), infant (3), infants (2), milking (1), nurse (11), nursed (3), nurses (1), nursing (1), nursing babes (1), nursing infant (1), nursing infants* (1), nursling (1), suck (4), sucks (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [יָנַק] verb suck (Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic יְנַק,  , and derivatives; Assyrian êni‡u, suck, SASmAssurbanipal i, Gloss, mušeni‡tu, nurse, JenZA, 1886, 402) — Qal Perfect וְיָנַקְתְּ consecutive Isaiah 60:16; וִינַקְתֶּם Isaiah 66:12; Imperfect יִינָ֑ק Job 20:16; אִינָ֑ק Job 3:12; תִּינָ֑קִי Isaiah 60:16; יִינָ֑קוּ Deuteronomy 33:19; תִּינְקוּ Isaiah 66:11; Participle יוֺנֵק Deuteronomy 32:25 7t.; יֹנֵק Numbers 11:12; יוֺנְקִים Psalm 8:3; יוֺנְקֵי Joel 2:16; — suck, of infant at mother's breast, absolute Job 3:12; metaphor of abundance and honour of Jerusalem in future, Isaiah 66:11 absolute; followed by accusative of breast Isaiah 60:16; accusative of milk Isaiah 60:16; Isaiah 66:12; followed by accusative ראֹשׁ מְּתָנִים Job 20:16 of punishment of wicked; participle followed by accusative יוֺנֵק שְׁדֵי אִמִּי Songs 8:1; construct יוֺנְקֵישָֿׁדַיִם Joel 2:16; elsewhere as subt., suckling, babe Numbers 11:12; Deuteronomy 32:25 (opposed to אִישׁ שֵׂיבָה); "" עוֺלֵל 1 Samuel 15:3; 1 Samuel 22:19; Psalm 8:3; Jeremiah 44:7; Lamentations 2:11; "" עוֺלָל Lamentations 4:4; compare Joel 2:16; "" גָּמוּל Isaiah 11:8; — on Isaiah 53:2 see יוֺנֵק below Hiph`il Perfect הֵינִ֫יקָה Genesis 21:7; הֵנִ֫יקוּ Lamentations 4:3; Imperfect suffix וַיֵּנִקֵ֫הוּ Deuteronomy 32:13; 3feminine singular תֵּינִק Exodus 2:7; וַתֵּ֫נֶק 1 Samuel 1:23; וַתְּנִיקֵ֫הוּ Exodus 2:9; Imperative feminine singular suffix הֵינִקִ֫הוּ Exodus 2:9; Infinitive לְהֵינִיק 1 Kings 3:21; Participle מֵינֶ֫קֶת Exodus 2:7; construct id. Genesis 35:8; מֵנִקְתּוֺ 2 Kings 11:2; מֵינִקְתּוֺ2Chronicles 22:11; מֵנִקְתָּהּ Genesis 24:59; מֵינִיקוֺת Genesis 32:16; מֵינִיקִתַיִךְ Isaiah 49:23; — give suck to, nurse, followed by accusative Genesis 21:7; 1 Kings 3:21; Exodus 2:7,9; 1 Samuel 1:23; cause to suck honey, figurative Deuteronomy 32:13 (2 accusative); of animals Lamentations 4:3 followed by accusative; participle feminine = nursing, אִשָּׁה מֵינֶקֶת Exodus 2:7 literally a nursing woman, a nurse; ׳מ alone as substantive = nurse Genesis 24:59 (J), Genesis 35:8 (E; דְּבֹרָה), 2 Kings 11:2; 2Che 2 Kings 22:11; metaphor Isaiah 49:23; of camels גְּמַלִּים מֵינִיקוֺת Genesis 32:16. Topical Lexicon Literal Sphere of Mother-Child NourishmentFrom the first mention in Genesis 21:7, where Sarah wonders that she should “nurse children,” יָנַק forms part of the ordinary vocabulary of family life. Exodus 2:7-9 shows it as an accepted social arrangement: Moses’ own mother is hired to nurse her son for Pharaoh’s daughter. 2 Samuel 4:4 and 2 Kings 11:2 record royal infants in the arms of a nurse who literally “sucked” them, underscoring how fragile dynastic hope could rest upon those early months of dependence. The verb also embraces animal life (for example Isaiah 11:8 where “the nursing child will play by the cobra’s hole”), reminding readers that God embedded the pattern of nourishment into every living order. By depicting both human and beast drawing life in the same way, Scripture quietly affirms the Creator’s intentional design and the goodness of created relationships. Metaphorical and Prophetic Expansion The prophets employ יָנַק to portray covenant blessings and eschatological plenty. Isaiah speaks of Zion as a mother whose “breasts be delighted” (Isaiah 66:11) and of the nations as foster-mothers: “You will suck the milk of nations and nurse at the breast of kings” (Isaiah 60:16). Here the act of nursing becomes a figure for economic abundance, political security, and the reversal of shame. In Isaiah 49:23 the same image is pressed into royal service when kings are pictured as “foster fathers” and queens as “nursing mothers,” signaling the honor that will accrue to restored Israel. Hosea uses the opposite side of the image. In Hosea 9:14 the prophet calls for judgment that withholds the breast, dramatizing covenant curses by removing the most basic kindness a mother can show. Theological Motifs: Dependence, Provision, and Covenant Loyalty 1. Dependence. New-borns cannot sustain themselves, and Israel can no more survive without YHWH than an infant without milk (compare Numbers 11:12). The verb supplies the conceptual bridge from helplessness to trust. 2. Provision. Because milk is internally manufactured, the picture stresses grace: life is supplied free of charge by another. Psalm 22:9 therefore celebrates that God placed the psalmist “in safety at my mother’s breasts”, tracing divine care back to the first drops received. 3. Covenant loyalty (חֶסֶד). By portraying YHWH as both Father and nursing Mother, Scripture asserts that the Lord’s commitment is comprehensive, combining strength and tender nurture (see Isaiah 49:15). Historical and Cultural Backdrop Ancient Near-Eastern weaning usually occurred between eighteen months and three years. Genesis 21:8 records Isaac’s weaning feast, a social marker of survival past infancy. To “suck” in that milieu implied both biological success and social continuity. The nursing slave or wet-nurse (Exodus 2; 2 Samuel 4) formed part of extended household economies, confirming the verb’s range from family intimacy to public duty. Ministry Implications • Pastoral care: The nursing motif legitimizes spiritual gentleness. Paul echoes it when he writes, “we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother caring for her own children” (1 Thessalonians 2:7). • Discipleship: 1 Peter 2:2 urges believers to “crave pure spiritual milk,” showing that the Old Testament picture remains instructive for Christian growth. • Pro-life and family ministry: Scriptures that highlight God’s concern for nursing infants (Isaiah 49:15) provide theological ground for protecting life and supporting mothers. Christological and Eschatological Trajectory The Servant Songs allude to the same nurture that sustained Israel. At Bethlehem the incarnation begins with the Son of God receiving milk from Mary, embodying voluntary dependence. Revelation 21 answers Isaiah 60 and 66: the nations bring their glory into the New Jerusalem, and God Himself wipes every tear, ending the season of vulnerability that יָנַק presupposes. Summary of Canonical Distribution Approximately thirty-two occurrences cluster in: Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Numbers), Historical Books (2 Samuel, 2 Kings), Writings (Psalms, Job, Song of Solomon), and especially Prophets (Isaiah, Hosea, Joel, et al.). The consistent thread is that sucking milk, whether literal or metaphorical, marks the place where life, dependence, and divine compassion meet. Forms and Transliterations אִינָֽק׃ אינק׃ הֵינִ֖יקוּ הֵינִ֥יקָה הַיֹּנֵ֔ק היניקה היניקו הינק וְֽיֹנְקִים֮ וְהֵינִקִ֣הוּ וְיָנַקְתְּ֙ וְיֹנְקֵ֖י וְיוֹנֵ֔ק וְיוֹנֵ֖ק וְתֵינִ֥ק וִֽינַקְתֶּ֑ם וַיֵּנִקֵ֤הֽוּ וַתֵּ֣ינֶק והינקהו ויונק וינקהו וינקי וינקים וינקת וינקתם ותינק יִינָ֑ק יִינָ֔קוּ יוֹנֵ֑ק יוֹנֵ֔ק יוֹנֵ֖ק יוֹנֵ֛ק יונק יינק יינקו לְהֵינִ֥יק להיניק מֵֽינִקְתּ֖וֹ מֵינִ֣יקֹתַ֔יִךְ מֵינִיק֛וֹת מֵינִקְתּ֖וֹ מֵינֶ֔קֶת מֵינֶ֣קֶת מֵנִקְתָּ֑הּ מיניקות מיניקתיך מינקת מינקתו מנקתה תִּֽינְקוּ֙ תִּינָ֑קִי תינקו תינקי ’î·nāq ’înāq haiyoNek hay·yō·nêq hayyōnêq hê·nî·qāh hê·nî·qū heiNikah heiNiku hênîqāh hênîqū iNak lə·hê·nîq leheiNik ləhênîq mê·ne·qeṯ mê·nî·qō·ṯa·yiḵ mê·nî·qō·wṯ mê·niq·tāh mê·niq·tōw meiNeket meiniKot meiNikoTayich meinikTo mêneqeṯ menikTah mênîqōṯayiḵ mênîqōwṯ mêniqtāh mêniqtōw tî·nā·qî tî·nə·qū tiNaki tînāqî tineKu tînəqū vaiyeniKehu vatTeinek veheiniKihu veteiNik veyanakT veyoNek veyoneKei veyoneKim vinakTem wat·tê·neq wattêneq way·yê·ni·qê·hū wayyêniqêhū wə·hê·ni·qi·hū wə·ṯê·niq wə·yā·naqt wə·yō·nə·qê wə·yō·nə·qîm wə·yō·w·nêq wəhêniqihū wəṯêniq wəyānaqt wəyōnəqê wəyōnəqîm wəyōwnêq wî·naq·tem wînaqtem yî·nā·qū yî·nāq yiNak yiNaku yînāq yînāqū yō·w·nêq yoNek yōwnêqLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 21:7 HEB: מִלֵּל֙ לְאַבְרָהָ֔ם הֵינִ֥יקָה בָנִ֖ים שָׂרָ֑ה NAS: that Sarah would nurse children? KJV: should have given children suck? for I have born INT: have said to Abraham nurse A son Sarah Genesis 24:59 Genesis 32:15 Genesis 35:8 Exodus 2:7 Exodus 2:7 Exodus 2:9 Numbers 11:12 Deuteronomy 32:13 Deuteronomy 32:25 Deuteronomy 33:19 1 Samuel 1:23 1 Samuel 15:3 1 Samuel 22:19 1 Kings 3:21 2 Kings 11:2 2 Chronicles 22:11 Job 3:12 Job 20:16 Psalm 8:2 Songs 8:1 Isaiah 11:8 Isaiah 49:23 Isaiah 60:16 Isaiah 60:16 32 Occurrences |
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