Lexical Summary naqiy: Innocent, clean, free from guilt Original Word: נָקִי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance blameless, clean, clear, exempted, free, guiltless, innocentOr naqiyi (Joel 'eb: 'ibchah; Jonah 'ab: 'abah), {naw-kee'}; from naqah; innocent -- blameless, clean, clear, exempted, free, guiltless, innocent, quit. see HEBREW 'eb see HEBREW 'ibchah see HEBREW 'ab see HEBREW 'abah see HEBREW naqah Brown-Driver-Briggs נָקִי adjective clean, free from, exempt; — ׳נ Genesis 24:41 31t.; construct נְקִי Psalm 24:4; plural נְקִיִּים Jeremiah 2:34; נְקִיִּם Genesis 44:10 6t.; — 1 free from guilt, clean, innocent, "" נָקִי וְצַדִּיק ׃צַדִּיק Exodus 23:7 (E), נָקִי: innocent person Job 4:7; Job 17:8; Job 22:19,30; Job 27:17; Psalm 10:8; Psalm 15:5; Proverbs 1:11; נקיים Job 9:23; דם נקי innocent blood, first used in D, Deuteronomy 19:10; Deuteronomy 27:25; 1 Samuel 19:5; 2 Kings 21:16; 2 Kings 24:4; Psalm 94:2; Psalm 106:38; Proverbs 6:17; Isaiah 59:7; Jeremiah 7:6; Jeremiah 22:3; Jeremiah 26:15; דם חנקי Deuteronomy 19:13; 2 Kings 24:4; Jeremiah 22:17; הדם הנקי Deuteronomy 21:9; דם נקיים Jeremiah 19:4; נָקִיִ מִדְּמֵי 2 Samuel 3:28 ( + ׳מֵעִם י); נְקִי כַמַּיִם Psalm 24:4; אביונים נקיים Jeremiah 2:34. 2 free from punishment Exodus 21:28 (E) 2 Samuel 14:9. 3 free, exempt from obligations Genesis 44:10 (J); from service in war Numbers 32:22 (P; + מִן person, see מִן 2d), Deuteronomy 24:5; 1 Kings 15:22 (compare Arabic נָקִיא adjective innocent; — דָּם נָקִיא innocent blood Joel 4:19; Jonah 1:14 (both Kt; Qr נָקִי). Topical Lexicon Overview נָקִי (naqi) describes a person or object “innocent, free, clean, exempt from guilt or obligation.” Across roughly forty-three Old Testament occurrences the word serves as a theological and ethical marker, distinguishing those who must not suffer judgment from those rightly condemned. It appears in legal codes, historical narratives, wisdom sayings, and prophetic oracles, forming a unified witness that God prizes innocence and will ultimately vindicate the guiltless while punishing the wicked. Usage in Pentateuchal Law 1. Criminal negligence (Exodus 21:28-29). An ox that gores fatally places liability on its owner; only when precautions have been taken is the owner declared naqi. Social and Ethical Implications The term frames community responsibility. To shed innocent blood invites divine wrath (2 Kings 21:16; Jeremiah 19:4-5). Conversely, to safeguard the naqi earns blessing (Deuteronomy 21:8-9). Judges, magistrates, and kings are warned that perverting justice by condemning the innocent is an abomination (Proverbs 17:15). Covenantal and Theological Dimensions Naqi underscores the moral fabric of covenant life: Prophetic Applications Prophets expose Israel’s violation of God’s requirement to guard the innocent: Wisdom Literature Perspective Job wrestles with the tension between innocence and suffering: “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?” (Job 4:7). His friends wrongly assume retributive immediacy, yet by the book’s conclusion God vindicates the truly naqi. Proverbs reiterates that vindication is sure though sometimes delayed (Proverbs 6:16-17; 28:17). Messianic Foreshadowing and Christological Fulfillment Old Testament concern for the naqi anticipates the sinless Messiah. Though Jesus is “holy, innocent, undefiled” (Hebrews 7:26), He suffers as the Lamb without blemish, bearing the guilt of the guilty so they may be accounted righteous—functionally exchanging statuses of asham (guilty) and naqi (innocent). Pilate’s declaration “I am innocent of this Man’s blood” (Matthew 27:24) ironically underscores the injustice of condemning the only truly naqi one. Ministry Applications Today 1. Advocacy for the defenseless—protecting life in the womb, refugees, or the falsely accused mirrors God’s heart for the naqi. Key Occurrences (representative) Exodus 23:7; Numbers 35:25; Deuteronomy 19:10; Deuteronomy 21:8-9; 1 Samuel 19:5; 1 Kings 2:31; 2 Kings 21:16; Job 4:7; Psalm 10:2; Psalm 15:5; Psalm 94:21; Proverbs 6:16-17; Proverbs 17:26; Jeremiah 19:4-5; Joel 3:19; Jonah 1:14. Forms and Transliterations הַנָּקִ֖י הַנָּקִ֛י הַנָּקִי֙ הנקי וְ֝נָקִ֗י וְנָקִ֤י ונקי לְנָקִ֣י לנקי נְקִ֥י נְקִיִּ֑ים נְקִיִּ֑ם נְקִיִּ֔ם נְקִיִּ֛ים נְקִיִּ֣ם נְקִיִּֽם׃ נָקִ֑י נָקִ֑יא נָקִ֔י נָקִ֖י נָקִ֖יא נָקִ֗י נָקִ֜י נָקִ֞י נָקִ֡י נָקִ֣י נָקִ֥י נָקִ֨י נָקִֽי׃ נקי נקי׃ נקיא נקיים נקים נקים׃ han·nā·qî hannaKi hannāqî lə·nā·qî lenaKi lənāqî nā·qî naKi nāqî nə·qî nə·qî·yim nə·qî·yîm neKi nekiYim nəqî nəqîyim nəqîyîm venaKi wə·nā·qî wənāqîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 24:41 HEB: לָ֔ךְ וְהָיִ֥יתָ נָקִ֖י מֵאָלָתִֽי׃ NAS: they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.' KJV: and if they give not thee [one], thou shalt be clear from my oath. INT: give become will be free my oath Genesis 44:10 Exodus 21:28 Exodus 23:7 Numbers 32:22 Deuteronomy 19:10 Deuteronomy 19:13 Deuteronomy 21:8 Deuteronomy 21:9 Deuteronomy 24:5 Deuteronomy 27:25 Joshua 2:17 Joshua 2:19 Joshua 2:20 1 Samuel 19:5 2 Samuel 3:28 2 Samuel 14:9 1 Kings 15:22 2 Kings 21:16 2 Kings 24:4 2 Kings 24:4 Job 4:7 Job 9:23 Job 17:8 Job 22:19 43 Occurrences |
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and WetzstZMG xxii (1868), 129); with מן, from oaths