Lexical Summary maqaq: To decay, rot, melt away, waste away Original Word: מָקַק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance consume away, be corrupt, dissolve, pine away A primitive root; to melt; figuratively, to flow, dwindle, vanish -- consume away, be corrupt, dissolve, pine away. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to decay, rot, fester, pine away NASB Translation fester (1), rot (3), rot away (3), rotting away (1), waste away (1), wear away (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מָקַק] verb decay, rot, fester, figurative pine away (Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic (ᵑ7) מְקַק); — Niph`al Perfect3plural נָמַ֫קּוּ Psalm 38:6, ׳וְנ consecutive Isaiah 34:4; Ezekiel 4:17; 2masculine plural וּנֶמַקֹּתֶם consecutive Ezekiel 24:23; Imperfect3feminine singular תִּמַּק Zechariah 14:12; 3masculine plural יִמַּ֫קּוּ Leviticus 26:39, יִמָּ֑קּוּ Leviticus 26:39; 3feminine plural תִּמַּקְנָה Zechariah 14:12; Participle plural נְמַקִּים Ezekiel 33:10; — 1 fester, of wounds Psalm 38:6 ( + הבאישׁ, see באשׁ). 2 rot, rot away, עֵתנָיו תִּמַּקְנָה בְחֹרֵיהֶן וּלְשׁוֺנוֺ תִּמִק בְּפִיֶהם ׃ Zechariah 14:12 (plague upon foes of Jerusalem). 3. moulder away, of צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם Isaiah 34:4 ("" וְנָנֹלוּ כַּסֵּפֶר הַשָּׁמַיִם. 4. of pining away by reason of (בְּ), as punishment for, iniquity Ezekiel 4:17; Ezekiel 24:23; Ezekiel 33:10; Leviticus 26:39 (twice in verse). Hiph`il Infinitive absolute הָמֵק, transitive בְּשָׂרוֺ ׳ה Zechariah 14:12 a causing his flesh to rot. Topical Lexicon Essential MotifThe verb conveys the idea of disintegration—flesh, bones, or even the heavens themselves wasting away. Whether literal or figurative, it signals a judgment that comes from God and that no human effort can reverse. Canonical Distribution The ten attestations cluster in three spheres. 1. Covenant warning (Leviticus 26:39, twice). Physical Decay as the Wages of Sin Leviticus sets the tone. After a catalogue of covenant curses, the Lord foretells that unrepentant Israelites “will waste away because of their iniquity” (Leviticus 26:39). Here decay is a slow, humiliating end for rebels who refused the life-giving statutes of God. Psalm 38:5 echoes the same self-inflicted ruin: “My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness”. In both passages, moral transgression directly corrodes the body, reinforcing the holistic unity of life expressed in the Law. Social Collapse Illustrated Ezekiel employs the verb for communal starvation (Ezekiel 4:17), emotional numbness during siege (Ezekiel 24:23), and collective despair after judgment (Ezekiel 33:10). These contexts portray a society that has lost its covenant heartbeat; the people “waste away” in body and hope alike. The prophet frames this condition not merely as historical tragedy but as theological consequence: when Israel breaks faith, her very strength decomposes. Cosmic and Eschatological Imagery Isaiah 34:4 broadens the scope: “All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved, and the skies will be rolled up like a scroll”. Here decay leaps from human flesh to the universe, revealing that nothing in creation is exempt from divine reckoning. Zechariah 14 intensifies the picture: enemies of Jerusalem “will experience a plague where their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet” (Zechariah 14:12). The triple use within that verse underscores certainty and completeness. This prophetic vision connects the verb to the Day of the Lord, when unrepentant opposition to God collapses instantly. Pastoral Implications 1. Sin is never static; it corrodes. Pastors can press this truth in counseling, urging confession before the rot sets in. Christological Horizon The New Testament answers the wasting curse with the incorruptible resurrection body (1 Corinthians 15:42). Jesus endured corruption’s penalty in the grave yet “did not see decay” (Acts 2:31, echoing Psalm 16:10). Therefore, the believer’s hope moves from wasting under sin to renewal in Christ. Practical Application • Examine personal habits that signal spiritual decay—bitterness, secret sin, doctrinal drift—and apply immediate repentance. The verb thus serves as a sober thermometer of covenant health, a prophetic canvas for cosmic judgment, and a backdrop that magnifies the redemptive triumph of the risen Lord. Forms and Transliterations הָמֵ֣ק ׀ המק וְנָמַ֖קּוּ וְנָמַ֙קּוּ֙ וּנְמַקֹּתֶם֙ ונמקו ונמקתם יִמַּ֙קּוּ֙ יִמָּֽקּוּ׃ ימקו ימקו׃ נְמַקִּ֖ים נָ֭מַקּוּ נמקו נמקים תִּמַּ֣קְנָה תִּמַּ֥ק תמק תמקנה hā·mêq haMek hāmêq nā·maq·qū Namakku nāmaqqū nə·maq·qîm nemakKim nəmaqqîm tim·maq tim·maq·nāh timMak timMaknah timmaq timmaqnāh ū·nə·maq·qō·ṯem unemakkoTem ūnəmaqqōṯem venaMakku wə·nā·maq·qū wənāmaqqū yim·maq·qū yim·māq·qū yimMakku yimmaqqū yimmāqqūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 26:39 HEB: וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים בָּכֶ֗ם יִמַּ֙קּוּ֙ בַּֽעֲוֹנָ֔ם בְּאַרְצֹ֖ת NAS: So those of you who may be left will rot away KJV: And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity INT: may be left will rot of their iniquity the lands Leviticus 26:39 Psalm 38:5 Isaiah 34:4 Ezekiel 4:17 Ezekiel 24:23 Ezekiel 33:10 Zechariah 14:12 Zechariah 14:12 Zechariah 14:12 10 Occurrences |
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