Lexical Summary nuq: To pierce, bore, or perforate Original Word: נוּק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance nurse A primitive root; to suckle -- nurse. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to suckle, nurse NASB Translation nursed (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [נוּק verb whence (si vera lectio) might come, Hiph`il suckle, nurse; — Imperfect3feminine singular suffix וַתְּנִיקֵ֫הוּ Exodus 2:9, but see ינק and Ges§ 70e; read probably ׳וַתֵּינ (Samaritan ותיניקהו. נור (√ of following; compare Late Hebrew נוּר, flame, fire ᵑ7 id.; Arabic Topical Lexicon Meaning and Scope of the Conceptנוּק illustrates the act of nourishing an infant at the breast. Though occurring only once, it carries the full weight of Israel’s family life, where breast-feeding was both expected and celebrated. The term also embodies broader ideas of sustenance, maturation, and the passing of life from one generation to the next. Biblical Context and Usage Exodus 2:9 records Pharaoh’s daughter commissioning Jochebed: “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.” (Berean Standard Bible) Here נוּק frames the covert rescue of Moses. The verb unites three parties—an Egyptian princess, a Hebrew mother, and an infant destined to deliver Israel—around one ordinary but life-preserving action. A single maternal duty becomes a hinge on which redemptive history turns. Historical and Cultural Setting 1. Israelite childbirth and infant care depended almost exclusively on breast-feeding; formula substitutes did not exist. Theological Significance • Providence: God’s sovereignty orchestrates each detail. A mother’s milk becomes the conduit of His saving plan, reminding readers that divine deliverance often begins with humble acts of care. Typological and Christological Insights Moses—saved through nursing—prefigures Jesus Christ, whose own infancy included divine preservation from hostile rulers (Matthew 2:13-15). Just as Moses’ rescue leads to Israel’s exodus, Christ’s survival leads to the ultimate exodus from sin (Luke 9:31). Both narratives begin with faithful parental obedience expressed through the ordinary routines of child-care. Practical Ministry Applications 1. Family Discipleship: Parents are reminded that early nurture, both physical and spiritual, contributes to a child’s lifelong calling (2 Timothy 1:5). Related Biblical Themes • Divine reversal (Genesis 50:20; Esther 9:1) Summary נוּק, though used only once, bridges the domestic sphere and the grand sweep of salvation history. Through a mother’s milk, God preserves His chosen leader, displaying providence, covenant fidelity, and the dignity of caregiving—truths that continue to inform faith, family, and ministry today. Forms and Transliterations וַתְּנִיקֵֽהוּ׃ ותניקהו׃ vatteniKehu wat·tə·nî·qê·hū wattənîqêhūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 2:9 HEB: הָאִשָּׁ֛ה הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַתְּנִיקֵֽהוּ׃ NAS: took the child and nursed him. KJV: took the child, and nursed it. INT: the woman the child and nursed 1 Occurrence |
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, 
give light, shine, I. (Kam Frey), IV. Lane2864, 
; fire, 
light; Syriac 
fire; also in proper names, Palmyrene, Punic see Lzb322 Cook81; Minaean מנורת torches (?) HomSüdar. Chrest.128; Assyrian tinûru, furnace, oven (DlHWB 711) belongs here according to JägerBAS ii.294).