5354. naqat

Lexical Summary

naqat: To be disgusted, to loathe, to feel aversion

Original Word: נָקַט
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: naqat
Pronunciation: naw-kat'
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-kat')
KJV: weary
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to loathe

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

weary

A primitive root; to loathe -- weary.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
the same as qut, q.v.

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[קוּט] verb feel a loathing ("" form of קוּץ q. v.); —

Qal Imperfect1singular אָקוּט בְּדוֺר Psalm 95:10 I felt a loathing at the Generation.

Niph`al Perfect2masculine plural consecutive וּנְקֹטֹתֶם בִּפְנֵיכֶם Ezekiel 20:43 ye shall feel loathing against your faces (at yourselves), with ב of thing, so Ezekiel 36:31 (עַל of thing); metaplastic (as if from קטט) 3 plural consecutive וְנָקֹטוּ בִפְנֵיהֶם Ezekiel 6:9 (אֶל of thing, for עַל, + ל of thing, for which Co בְּ Krae בְּ or עַל); also 3 feminine singular נָָֽקְטָה נַפְשַׁי בְּ Job 10:1 (as if from נ֗֗֗קט; on both forms see Ges^{§§ 67dd}, 72dd).

Hithpolel id. Imperfect1singular אֶתְקוֺטָט בְּ Psalm 139:21 (We אֶתְקוֺמֵם); absolute וָאֶתְקוֺטָ֑טָה Psalm 119:158. — Ezekiel 16:47 see קָט; Job 8:14 see following

Topical Lexicon

Overview

Strong’s Hebrew 5354 נָקַט occurs a single time, in Job 10:1, where Job cries, “I loathe my very life; therefore I will give full vent to my complaint and speak in the bitterness of my soul” (Berean Standard Bible). The verb conveys visceral revulsion or weariness—a settled, painful distaste that moves Job to pour out lament before God. Though the lexical root is rare, the theological motif it embodies—intense spiritual anguish expressed honestly to the Lord—runs throughout Scripture.

Old Testament Usage and Parallels

• Job 10:1 stands as the direct attestation of the verb.
• Cognate ideas surface elsewhere in Wisdom literature: “My soul is weary of my life” (Job 7:16), “My soul refuses to be comforted” (Psalm 77:2), and the repeated refrain, “How long, O LORD?” (Psalm 13:1).
• Prophetic writings echo similar language when Jeremiah exclaims, “Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow?” (Jeremiah 20:18). While the vocabulary differs, the emotional current is identical—saints wrestling aloud with God in seasons of deep affliction.

Theological Significance

1. Authentic Lament before a Sovereign God

Job’s use of נָקַט legitimizes frank speech in prayer. Scripture never rebukes Job for voicing anguish; instead, the narrative affirms that covenant relationship welcomes raw honesty. The psalmists, prophets, and even Jesus in Gethsemane model the same candor (Matthew 26:38).
2. Suffering within Divine Purpose

Job’s revulsion at life does not negate divine sovereignty. Later revelation in the book clarifies that God remains just and purposeful, even when His servant cannot yet perceive the outcome (Job 42:2–3). The verb therefore points to a tension believers still face: distress may reach loathing, yet faith clings to God’s righteous character.
3. Foreshadowing of Messianic Suffering

Job’s anguish anticipates the Man of Sorrows who would cry, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mark 14:34). By sharing humanity’s depths, Christ fulfills and redeems every lament expressed in the Old Testament, including Job’s.

Integration with Wisdom Literature

Job’s declaration stands at the heart of the book’s exploration of undeserved suffering. The vocabulary of loathing frames chapters 10–14, where Job alternates between despair and petitions for vindication. The Wisdom corpus thus teaches that faith can coexist with emotionally charged protest, paving the way for divine revelation (Job 38–42) and eventual restoration (Job 42:10–17).

New Testament Resonance

Paul echoes a similar tension: “We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life” (2 Corinthians 1:8), yet later affirms, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). The apostle’s experience demonstrates how the gospel transforms despair into hope without trivializing suffering.

Historical and Ministry Implications

• Pastoral Care: Job 10:1 invites modern believers to provide safe contexts where sufferers may articulate profound discouragement without fear of spiritual censure.
• Worship and Liturgy: The verse legitimizes lament psalms and songs within congregational life, ensuring corporate worship reflects the full range of biblical experience.
• Counseling and Mental Health: While Job voices loathing of life, he does so within conversation with God, not in isolation. Christian counseling can guide individuals to express pain biblically while rooting identity in God’s unchanging character.
• Missional Perspective: Honest testimony of struggle, like Job’s, can draw seekers who resonate with real-world anguish and seek answers beyond secular fatalism.

Practical Application

1. Encourage prayer that names sorrow plainly, yet keeps dialogue with God open.
2. Memorize and meditate on Scriptures where saints express deep distress (Psalm 42; Lamentations 3) to normalize lament as part of spiritual growth.
3. Integrate both lament and hope in teaching, demonstrating that the cross and resurrection hold together suffering and victory.

Conclusion

Though נָקַט appears only once, its solitary occurrence crystallizes a vital biblical theme: the believer’s right—and need—to bring even loathing and bitterness before the Lord. Within the larger sweep of redemptive history, such honest lament is not terminal despair but a doorway to deeper revelation of God’s compassion, sovereignty, and ultimate restoration in Jesus Christ.

Forms and Transliterations

נָֽקְטָ֥ה נקטה nā·qə·ṭāh nakeTah nāqəṭāh

Englishman's Concordance

Job 10:1
HEB: נָֽקְטָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֗י בְּחַ֫יָּ֥י
KJV: My soul is weary of my life;
INT: is weary of my soul of my life

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 5354
1 Occurrence

nā·qə·ṭāh — 1 Occ.