Lexical Summary nake': smitten, afflicted Original Word: נָכֵא Strong's Exhaustive Concordance broken, stricken, wounded Or nakat {naw-kaw'}; from naka'; smitten, i.e. (figuratively) afflicted -- broken, stricken, wounded. see HEBREW naka' Brown-Driver-Briggs [נָכָא] adjective stricken; — masculine plural נְכָאִים Isaiah 16:7 (Köii. 1, 73), of Moab prostrated by conquest. [נָכֵא] adjective id., always feminine רוּחַ נְכֵאָה a stricken spirit, Proverbs 15:13; Proverbs 17:22 (both opposed to לֵב שָׁמֵךְַ), Proverbs 18:14. Topical Lexicon Concept of Being Stricken or Brokenנָכֵא describes a condition of being smitten, stricken, or crushed—usually of the inner life, occasionally of a city or people. The term carries the sense of helplessness that follows a decisive blow, whether physical, emotional, or national. Occurrences and Contexts • Psalm 109:16 pictures the persecutor who “pursued the poor and needy and brokenhearted, even to put them to death.” Here נָכֵא underscores the utter vulnerability of the downtrodden—their spirits already shattered before the enemy’s assault. • Proverbs 15:13 sets a contrast between outward joy and inward collapse: “By sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.” The proverb links persistent grief to a crippling of the human spirit, warning that inward wounds can eclipse external appearances. • Proverbs 17:22: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” נָכֵא highlights how inner collapse drains life itself, suggesting a psychosomatic dimension: what happens in the spirit soon affects the body. • Proverbs 18:14 presses the point: “The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, but who can survive a broken spirit?” Strength of spirit sustains bodily weakness, but once the spirit is נָכֵא, resilience collapses. • Isaiah 16:7 laments Moab: “For the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth you will mourn, yea, you will grieve, utterly stricken.” The national calamity parallels personal brokenness: once the Lord’s judgment falls, the people are as powerless as the crushed individual in the wisdom texts. Theological Significance 1. Human frailty under sin. נָכֵא exposes the depth of human vulnerability after the Fall: bodies break, cities crumble, spirits collapse. Scripture presents this brokenness not merely as circumstance but as a consequence of living in a world marked by sin and divine judgment. 2. The Lord’s compassion for the stricken. While Psalm 109:16 highlights the persecutor’s cruelty, the broader Psalm literature insists that the Lord “heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). נָכֵא therefore becomes the precondition for divine rescue. 3. Divine judgment upon pride. Isaiah 16:7 shows a nation reduced to נָכֵא because it trusted in its produce and fortifications. Brokenness strips away every false refuge, driving people back to the covenant God. Christological Foreshadowing Messiah enters human history “despised and rejected… a Man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3). By bearing our griefs He identifies with the נָכֵא and transforms their plight. At the cross He was “stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:4), making Him the ultimate fulfillment of the pattern: the One who was stricken so the stricken might be healed. Pastoral and Ministry Implications • Healing begins with honest acknowledgment. The wisdom texts invite believers to name their brokenness rather than mask it with forced cheer. • Spiritual vitality nourishes physical resilience. A cultivated, Christ-centered joy becomes “good medicine,” strengthening saints to endure bodily trials. • Ministry to the crushed requires both empathy and gospel hope. The church must incarnate the Lord’s heart for the נָכֵא, offering practical help and pointing to the Savior who binds wounds. • National repentance parallels personal repentance. Isaiah’s oracle warns societies that collective pride invites collective brokenness; revival therefore entails humble confession at every level. Practical Applications 1. Prayer and worship settings should provide space for lament, acknowledging the reality of the נָכֵא in the congregation. 2. Counseling should integrate Proverbs’ insight: address spiritual despair as seriously as physical illness. 3. Discipleship must teach believers to find joy in Christ rather than fleeting circumstances, cultivating resilience against inevitable sorrows. 4. Missions and outreach can highlight Christ’s solidarity with the stricken, offering a gospel uniquely suited to the downtrodden. In every occurrence, נָכֵא calls God’s people to perceive brokenness not as an endpoint but as the backdrop against which the Redeemer’s restoration shines. Forms and Transliterations וְנִכְאֵ֨ה ונכאה נְ֝כֵאָ֗ה נְכֵאָֽה׃ נְכָאִֽים׃ נכאה נכאה׃ נכאים׃ nə·ḵā·’îm nə·ḵê·’āh nechaIm necheAh nəḵā’îm nəḵê’āh venichEh wə·niḵ·’êh wəniḵ’êhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 109:16 HEB: עָנִ֣י וְ֭אֶבְיוֹן וְנִכְאֵ֨ה לֵבָ֬ב לְמוֹתֵֽת׃ INT: the afflicted and needy broken heart to put Proverbs 15:13 Proverbs 17:22 Proverbs 18:14 Isaiah 16:7 5 Occurrences |
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