Lexical Summary neaqah: Groaning, lamentation Original Word: נְאָקָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance groaning From na'aq; a groan -- groaning. see HEBREW na'aq NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom naaq Definition a groan, groaning NASB Translation groaning (3), groanings (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs נְאָקָה noun feminine groan, groaning; — construct נַאֲקַת Exodus 6:5; suffix נַאֲקָתָם Exodus 2:24; Judges 2:18; plural construct נַאֲקוֺת Ezekiel 30:24; — groaning of oppressed people Exodus 2:24; Exodus 6:5; Judges 2:18; of a wounded man Ezekiel 30:24; (ᵐ5 Co וּבָזַז בִּזָּה for ᵑ0 וְנָאַק נַאֲקוֺת but compare Berthol). Topical Lexicon Meaning and Usage נְאָקָה (neʾaqah) portrays a suppressed groan or moan issuing from deep affliction. It is the sound made when pain is too heavy for speech yet powerful enough to pierce heaven. Scripture consistently treats this groaning as morally charged: it is the language of the oppressed reaching the ears of a righteous God who is covenant-bound to act. Canonical Distribution • Exodus 2:24 – Israel’s slavery in Egypt Exodus Context: Covenant Memory and Redemption The Pentateuch pairs נְאָקָה with God’s covenant faithfulness. “So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Exodus 2:24). The verb “heard” is not mere auditory recognition; it signals divine resolve. The feeble groan of slaves activates promises sworn centuries earlier. When God restates His intention—“I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered My covenant” (Exodus 6:5)—the Exodus plagues and the Passover swiftly follow. נְאָקָה therefore stands at the hinge between bondage and deliverance, proving that covenant history moves forward not by human strength but by heaven’s response to human weakness. Judges Context: Recurring Mercy Amid Apostasy Judges 2:18 displays the same pattern inside the land: “for the LORD relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them”. Even after repeated rebellion, the groan touches God’s heart. The term underscores both Israel’s helplessness and Yahweh’s astonishing patience; each cycle of discipline and deliverance is propelled by the distressed cries of a people who had forfeited every claim but still found mercy. Ezekiel Context: Reversal for Egypt In Ezekiel 30:24 the direction reverses. Egypt, once the cause of Israel’s groaning, will itself experience נְאָקָה when the LORD “strengthens the arms of the king of Babylon.” The same God who hears His people’s groans ordains groaning for the unrepentant oppressor. The word thus becomes a judicial marker: compassion for the covenant community, retribution for the unyielding enemy. Theological Significance 1. Divine Compassion – Groaning is sufficient prayer; the Spirit later “intercedes for us with groans too deep for words” (Romans 8:26), echoing the Exodus motif. Christological Foreshadowing The ultimate answer to human groaning is found in the Man of Sorrows. Hebrews relates that Jesus “offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries” (Hebrews 5:7). His crucifixion absorbs the deepest groan of fallen humanity; His resurrection guarantees its final silencing. Thus every Old Testament instance anticipates the greater Exodus achieved at Calvary. Pastoral and Practical Implications • Intercession: Ministers are called to carry the voiceless groans of the flock before God, confident He hears. Summary נְאָקָה is the muted cry that moves heaven, a thread binding the Exodus, the Judges deliverances, and prophetic judgment. It affirms that God hears, remembers, and acts, guaranteeing both comfort for the afflicted and accountability for the oppressor until the final redemption in Christ. Forms and Transliterations מִנַּֽאֲקָתָ֔ם מנאקתם נַאֲק֥וֹת נַאֲקַת֙ נַאֲקָתָ֑ם נאקות נאקת נאקתם min·na·’ă·qā·ṯām minna’ăqāṯām minnaakaTam na’ăqaṯ na’ăqāṯām na’ăqōwṯ na·’ă·qā·ṯām na·’ă·qaṯ na·’ă·qō·wṯ naaKat naakaTam naaKotLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 2:24 HEB: אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־ נַאֲקָתָ֑ם וַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר אֱלֹהִים֙ NAS: heard their groaning; and God KJV: heard their groaning, and God INT: heard God their groaning remembered and God Exodus 6:5 Judges 2:18 Ezekiel 30:24 4 Occurrences |
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