Lexical Summary nekochah: Straightforwardly, rightly, directly Original Word: נְכֹחָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance equity, right thing, uprightness Feminine of nakoach; properly, straightforwardness, i.e. (figuratively) integrity, or (concretely) a truth -- equity, right (thing), uprightness. see HEBREW nakoach NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfem. of nakoach, q.v. Topical Lexicon Concept and Range of Meaning נְכֹחָה portrays that which is straight, upright, or in line with what is morally and ethically sound. The term conveys the idea of unbending integrity—truth that runs true, like a straight path undistorted by crooked motives or deceptive speech. Occurrences in Canonical Context Isaiah 26:10; 30:10; 59:14; Amos 3:10. Isaiah’s Employment of נְכֹחָה 1. Isaiah 26:10 situates “uprightness” in the very landscape of the covenant people: “...the wicked man does not learn righteousness; he deals unjustly in a land of uprightness...”. The irony is deliberate: even when surrounded by a heritage that testifies to God’s straight ways, the unregenerate heart remains crooked. Collectively Isaiah shows נְכֹחָה both available and excluded: God supplies an unimpeachable standard, yet sinful society either ignores it (26:10), silences it (30:10), or blocks its entrance (59:14). Amos’s Use Amos 3:10 pronounces, “They do not know how to do right,” spotlighting moral illiteracy among Israel’s elite. Violence and plunder have dulled conscience; נְכֹחָה is not merely rejected but unknown. This anticipates exile, demonstrating that a people who abandon straightness will themselves be uprooted. Theological Themes Uprightness and Righteousness: נְכֹחָה is closely linked to צֶדֶק (righteousness). Where the latter speaks to covenant fidelity, נְכֹחָה stresses the straight, observable expression of that fidelity in conduct and speech. Truth versus Deception: Isaiah 30:10 exposes the perennial temptation to trade straight speech for flattering falsehoods. God’s prophets, however, must proclaim נְכֹחָה regardless of the audience’s appetite. Social Justice: Isaiah 59:14 and Amos 3:10 connect the absence of uprightness to societal injustice. A culture that sidelines truth inevitably incubates oppression, proving that morality is a public commodity, not merely a private virtue. Covenantal Accountability: Each occurrence is prophetic, underscoring that God’s people are measured against His unyielding plumb line of uprightness. Historical Setting Eighth-century prophets ministered in periods of outward prosperity coupled with spiritual decline. The word נְכֹחָה surfaces when kingdoms look stable but moral foundations are eroding. Its rarity intensifies its force: a concise prophetic summons to return to the straight path before divine judgment falls. Ministry Implications • Preaching and Teaching: Pastors must resist popular pressure to dilute “straight things.” Clear exposition that confronts sin is essential for spiritual health (2 Timothy 4:2). Christological and Eschatological Trajectory Jesus Christ fulfills the ideal of נְכֹחָה, walking a perfectly straight course (Acts 3:14) and inviting disciples to follow Him on the “narrow road that leads to life” (Matthew 7:14). Prophetic laments about uprightness barred from the public square find their answer in the consummation where “righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). Until that day, the church embodies the kingdom ethic, displaying a foretaste of the coming order in which uprightness no longer struggles for entry but reigns unopposed. Summary נְכֹחָה compresses the prophetic demand for moral straightness into a single, vivid term. Its four occurrences frame a drama of divine provision, human resistance, and eventual restoration. The word admonishes every generation: embrace the straight path or face the inevitable consequences of crookedness, while looking to the One who perfectly walked the way of uprightness and now empowers His people to do the same. Forms and Transliterations וּנְכֹחָ֖ה ונכחה נְכֹח֑וֹת נְכֹח֖וֹת נְכֹחָ֖ה נכחה נכחות nə·ḵō·ḥāh nə·ḵō·ḥō·wṯ nechoChah nechoChot nəḵōḥāh nəḵōḥōwṯ ū·nə·ḵō·ḥāh unechoChah ūnəḵōḥāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 26:10 HEB: צֶ֔דֶק בְּאֶ֥רֶץ נְכֹח֖וֹת יְעַוֵּ֑ל וּבַל־ KJV: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, INT: righteousness the land of uprightness deals and will not Isaiah 30:10 Isaiah 59:14 Amos 3:10 4 Occurrences |
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